[XeTeX] a few questions XeLaTeX and Beamer

[Peter Dyballa]

Am 09.03.2006 um 15:18 schrieb Dalyoung:

> 1. it search the file, "pgfsys-xetex.def", but there is no such  
> file in teTeX tree.
>

Bruno Voisin wrote in October that it's probably not possible to make  
PGF XeTeX compatible:

> Regarding the pgf package (where pgf stands, ironically enough, for  
> "Portable Graphics Format"), I have been having a quick look at  
> pgf.sty. Sure enough, it can't work with XeTeX. There are only two  
> options, one, [pdf], producing PDF output and using instructions like:
>
> \DeclareOption{pdf}
> {
>   % Driver commands for pdf
>   \ifx\pdfximage\@undefined% less than version 14
>   \let\pdfxform\pdfform
>   \let\pdflastxform\pdflastform
>   \let\pdfrefxform\pdfrefform
>   \fi
>
> which are specific to pdfTeX, and the other, [postscript],  
> producing PostScript output and using instructions like:
>
> \DeclareOption{postscript}
> {
>   % Driver commands for postscript
>
>   \def\pgfsys at lineto#1#2{\pgf at ps{#1 #2 lineto}}
>   \def\pgfsys at moveto#1#2{\pgf at ps{#1 #2 a}}
>   \def\pgfsys at closepath{\pgf at ps{closepath}}
> [...]
>   \def\pgfsys at openpicture{\special{ps: }%
>     \special{ps::[begin]}\pgf at ps{pgfo}}
>   \def\pgfsys at closepicture{\pgf at ps{pgfc}\special{ps::[end]}}
>
> which are specific to dvips (especially the \special syntax).
>
> More of the same:
>
> \ifcase\pdfoutput
> \ExecuteOptions{postscript} % default if no pdf
> \else
> \ExecuteOptions{pdf} % default if pdf
> \fi
>
> implies the [postscript] option is used whenever \pdfoutput  
> (specific to pdfTeX) is undefined. And:
>
> \def\pgf at pdf#1{{\edef\a{{#1}}\pdfliteral\a}}
> \def\pgf at ps#1{{\edef\a{{ps:: #1}}\special\a}}
>
> which seem to be the most important commands for PDF and PS output,  
> respectively, use pdfTeX- and dvips-specific instructions,  
> respectively.
>
> Thus, though advocated as portable, producing PS or PDF graphics at  
> will, the package pgf.sty relies actually on two specific TeX  
> drivers, dvips for PS and pdfTeX for PDF.
>
> Moreover, the fact that the code associated with the options [pdf]  
> and [postscript] is contained inside pgf.sty instead of being  
> delegated to separate definition files, say pdftex.def and  
> dvips.def, respectively, indicates that the package was designed  
> only with these two drivers in mind.
>
> Not that the graphical concepts and language defined by pgf.sty  
> aren't great, though. It looks quite powerful. But it would require  
> programming skills in PS and PDF far beyond mine for adapting it to  
> XeTeX.


--
Mit friedvollen Grüßen

   Pete

Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never
stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and
neither do we. -- Georges W. Bush