[XeTeX] Whitespace in input

[Ross Moore]

Hi Zdenek,

On 16/11/2011, at 8:58 AM, Zdenek Wagner wrote:

> 2011/11/15 Ross Moore <ross.moore at mq.edu.au>:
>> 
>> On 16/11/2011, at 5:56 AM, Herbert Schulz wrote:
>> 
>>> Given that TeX (and XeTeX too) deal wit a non-breakble space already (where we usually use the ~ to represent that space) it seems to me that XeTeX should treat that the same way.
>> 
>> No, I disagree completely.
>> 
>> What if you really want the Ux00A0 character to be in the PDF?
>> That is, when you copy/paste from the PDF, you want that character
>> to come along for the ride.
>> 
>> From the typographical point of view it is the worst of all possible
> methods. If you really wish it,

The *really wish it* is the choice of the author, not the
software.

> then do not use TeX but M$ Word or
> OpenOffice. M$ Word automatically inserts nonbreakable spaces at some
> points in the text written in Czech. As far as grammer is concerned,
> it is correct. However, U+00a0 is fixed width. If you look at the
> output, the nonbreakable spaces are too wide on some lines and too
> thin on other lines. I cannot imagine anything uglier.

I do not disagree with you that this could be ugly.
But that is not the point.

If you want superior aesthetic typesetting, with nice choices
for hyphenation, then don't use Ux00A0. Of course!


Whatever the reason for wanting to use this character, there
should be a straight-forward way to do it.
Using the character itself is:
 a.  the most understandable
 b.  currently works
 c.  requires no special explanation.


> 
> 
> -- 
> Zdeněk Wagner
> http://hroch486.icpf.cas.cz/wagner/
> http://icebearsoft.euweb.cz

Cheers,

	Ross

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ross Moore                                       ross.moore at mq.edu.au 
Mathematics Department                           office: E7A-419      
Macquarie University                             tel: +61 (0)2 9850 8955
Sydney, Australia  2109                          fax: +61 (0)2 9850 8114
------------------------------------------------------------------------