[tex-k] -format/-progname

[Akira Kakuto]

> Another question is what the -progname option does.  The documentation
> says: 
> 
> `--progname=NAME'
>      Set the program name to NAME; default is `kpsewhich'.  This can
>      affect the search paths via the `.PROGNAM' feature in
>      configuration files (*note Config files::).
> 
> This sounds like magic, but it seems that if I say
> 
>      kpsewhich -format='other text files' -progname=doc readme.txt
> 
> then it simply scans $TEXMFS/doc , or does it anything else?

You are right. Crudely PROGNAME in --progname=PROGNAME
corresponds to the directory name in the top of texmf tree(s).
It also corresponds to
VARIABLE.PROGNAME in texmf.cnf, e.g., TEXINPUTS.pdflatex.
However, usual command to search for files under texmf/doc will be
kpsewhich --format='TeX system documentation' filename.
-- 
Akira Kakuto