[tex-k] Erratum: MFbook, pp. 259-261: plain.mf macros missing from the `informal inventory'

Dominik Leininger dominik.leininger at t-online.de
Sun Aug 20 13:33:12 CEST 2023


Hello everyone,

The following macros are defined in plain.mf and appear to be useful to 
the end user, but were not listed in the `informal inventory' in 
Appendix B of The MFbook, pp. 257-261:
- lowres_fix could be listed along with define_pixels etc. in the last 
`line' of the `Conversion to pixel units:' sections on page C259.
- \smode= (\mode= is also listed with \ on page C259) could be added to 
the `Starting a job:' section on page 259.
- proof, smoke, lowres and localfont could be listed as alternatives to 
<modename> on page C259.
- culldraw could be listed along with draw, undraw and cutdraw in the 
`Drawing: ' section on page C260.
- makebox and maketicks could be added to in the `Proofsheet 
information:' section on page C261.

Since they don't have a trailing underscore, they are not `private 
tokens' (see C265) and should therefore be known to the end user, so 
that they at least don't overwrite them.

There are also two macros which (as far as I understand) are not 
intended for end user use, but they don't have a trailing underscore, so 
they are not `private tokens': addto_currentpicture and currentpen_path. 
I'm not sure how to deal with them, as renaming them with a trailing 
underscore might cause some mf code that uses them directly to break. Is 
it better to list them in the `informal inventory' or keep them `hidden' 
in the second part of Appendix B? What do you think?

Best regards,

Dominik



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