[tex-live] Re: context / directory structure

Karl Berry karl at freefriends.org
Thu May 13 02:44:21 CEST 2004


(Back on some older mail.)

    the boundary condition that files are unique is a dangerous one
    (where did it come from?);

It has been there since I first implemented subdirectory searching for
Web2c, what, 15 years ago or so (gadzooks!).  In any given search path,
if two files have the same name, it's indeterminate which one you'll get.

    PDFTEX.MAPPATH

Indeed, since the map files are incompatible, we could need more search
paths.  However, in practice, I note that right now there are no
filename duplications within texmf*/fonts/map.  So I guess we have
muddled through to this point.

A better solution, as many have pointed out but none have implemented,
would be to make map files more consistent between programs, with a
commonly-agreed syntax for extensions so that programs can ignore
extensions not meant for them or not implemented yet.  Unfortunately I
cannot take that on.  Is anyone inclined?



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