[twg-tds] Extensions

[Walter Schmidt]

On Mon, 11 Aug 2003 05:26:58 +0200, Thomas Esser wrote:

>Well, my suggestion was to abolish the distinction between
>tex-pdftex-vtex-whatever-extension for files that are read along the
>TEXINPUTS path.

I understand.  

>If some engine has some special thing, e.g. config files,
>texmf/<engine> might still be the proper place. 

I agree, and  I really would like to keep the location
texmf/vtex/ for such files in VTeX/Free.  After all, 
section 3 of the TDS specs says that this is the appropriate 
directory.  

>But then, the program should have its own search path 
>for such files and not abuse $TEXINPUTS for it.
>
>Would my suggestion be a problem for vtex?

VTeX does not use environment variables, anyway...


>Could it somehow be solved at TeX's macro level 
>by adding wrappers which first detect for vtex and
>then take care of the right action?

Regardless of VTeX, this is the way many "generic" 
configuration files are already working, in order to
distinguish between TeX and pdfTeX.  For instance,
texmf/tex/latex/texlive/graphics.cfg on TL7.  However, 
there are also many other configuration files, which are 
not yet generic.  Take a look at pstricks.con:  There 
exist different versions for (standard) TeX+dvips, VTeX, 
OzTeX.  Your suggestion would imply, that these had to 
be rewritten.


>> Where do you want the file pdftex.cfg to reside in the future?  
>
>This depends on how the file is searched in the future. I could be
>happy with texmf/pdftex, but then, pdftex should stop using $TEXINPUTS
>for finding this file. 

Again:  section 3 of the TDS specs says that texmf/pdftrex 
_is_  the right place for this file -- regardless of _how_ 
the search paths are set up.  The only thing that counts, 
is, that the file is found at all.


To summarize:
"Real" macro files should, if possible, be located below
texmf/tex and include some code to detect the engine,
rather than exist in several engine-specific variants.
However, we cannot abolish the texmf/<engine> sub-trees
altogether.


best wishes
Walter