[texworks] MiKTex version; and TeXworks help - and an open communication channel?

[Stefan Löffler]

Hi,

On 27.10.21 07:53, Paul A Norman wrote:
> Does this project have an open communication channel with the MikTeX 
> developers?

In short: no. However, I doubt there is much active MiKTeX development 
going on for TeXworks. I suspect they just take whatever source code is 
available, apply their existing patches, and ship that - a typical 
package maintenance approach. I might be wrong, of course, but that's 
what I would do. So under "normal circumstances", there is not much 
frequent exchange needed.

> Obviously, due to TexWorks' Menu: Help/ Email to the Mailing List 
> item, traffic is received here from their Users,
> but sometimes peculiar to the MikTeX developers' modifications.

Indeed. However, it will be impossible for the user to know whether a 
question applies to TeXworks in general or to some MiKTeX-specific 
modification (or, as a matter of fact, is a general TeX question 
unrelated to either). So if you want you can suggest to the MiKTeX 
developers to change the e-mail address these requests are sent to to 
their own MiKTeX address (and possibly adjust the label in the menu 
accordingly). But if they don't want to I can't (and don't want) to 
force them.

> One of which is that *help* does not seem to ship with their version, 
> it seems not even the TeXworks manual(-s languages) I think(?).

Very possible. Again, this is something you could raise with the MiKTeX 
maintainers. Note, though, that the manual is not part of the TeXworks 
source code, it is in it's own, separate repository 
(https://github.com/TeXworks/manual). As part of the official release 
process of TeXworks, it is bundled with the pre-compiled binaries. 
However, if the MiKTeX devs just take the Tw source code and build Tw 
themselves it's not included automatically.

> Jonathan Kew kindly posted here sometime ago saying how other 
> customised helps in html format can be placed in a folder called 
> *texworks-help* (in their own sub-folders) under the TeXworks exe
>
> In the case of MiKTex I found that unlike the completion, 
> configuration, scripts and etc folders, which have their own location 
> here:
>
> \LaTeXPortable\LatexUtils\miktex-21.8-x64-portable\texmfs\data\TeXworks\0.6
>
> Under MiKTex  TeXworks help could not be placed alongside  completion, 
> configuration, scripts and etc folders as in a true "factory" version 
> release of TeXworks, but \texworks-help\  needed still to be placed 
> directly alongside the TeXworks exe as in...
>
> \LaTeXPortable\LatexUtils\miktex-21.8-x64-portable\texmfs\install\miktex\bin\x64\texworks-help

The same is true (by default) on all systems. The reasons are historic 
and complicated. But anyway, that's how it is ATM.
That said, the location in which TeXworks looks for can be configured in 
two ways:
First, at compile time, using the variable TeXworks_HELP_DIR - this 
might not be very useful here, however, as it either takes an absolute 
path (not known on Windows at the time of compilation) or a path 
relative to the executable (which is what you see)
Second, from the environment variable TW_HELPPATH - this could probably 
be set in the MiKTeX wrapper script during startup

There is currently no way to set this path in the portable ini file as 
in a portable scenario, it is conceivable that the easiest way to keep 
the manual is in some fixed location relative to the executable.

> Now I suspect that may all be _working by accident_ under MiKTeX's 
> version of TeXworks?

I would say it's working by design ;).

> And I wonder what will happen when I update MiKTex and it touches 
> their TeXworks installation :-)

Since this is in the general MiKTeX binary folder 
(miktex-21.8-x64-portable\texmfs\install\miktex\bin\x64) I would expect 
that updates (to TeXworks or other MiKTeX programs) shouldn't do 
anything. Unless you do something drastic like uninstalling MiKTeX or 
something, I would expect the bin\x64 folder to remain.

> However I do wonder whether a dialogue would be profitable between 
> these two projects,
> to see if some sort of ongoing common arrangement over such things 
> might not be worthwhilely forged?

You could try raising the few points outlined above to the MiKTeX team 
and see how they respond for now. As I wrote, I don't think that under 
"normal circumstances" there is much need for constant exchange but I 
might be wrong. In any case, I'm very happy that the MiKTeX devs handle 
MiKTeX packaging (as I am that TeXLive devs handle TeXLive packaging), 
as that means two fewer platforms for me to worry about ;).

All the best,
Stefan
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