Latex - How to define commands macros the save way [closed]

Question

Using: Latex -> pdfLatex, and also loading another tex file written by me with:

\input{\myPath anotherDocument.tex}
%% there is a "private" macro:
\def\foo#1{$\backslash$def$\backslash$#1$\{$the name$\}$}
%% doesn't compile without $

%% all happens before
\begin{document}

1) Why can't I define the macro JUST like others ? Because all other macros are defined without $ but also contain commands like\foo{}.
2) What does $ do ?
3) What does * do ?
4) Why do some packages influence each other ?
5) Why is the Latex syntax inconsistent ?
6) What is wrong with Latex ?

Answer 1

• Nothing is wrong with LaTeX.

• The syntax of LaTeX may not be the best, but it is consistent.

• Packages influence each other because it's the way software works.

• * prints an asterisk; but in some cases, put after a command modifies its behavior.

• $ enters math mode, for typesetting math formulas

• You can define your \foo macro in a safe way. Just don't try typesetting backslashes.

---

You want that

\foo{xyz}

executes

\def\xyz{the name}

Thus you have to add a backslash to the argument or, better, to form a symbolic token with that name. This is available by \csname...\endcsname or, in the LaTeX kernel, by \@namedef:

\makeatletter
\def\foo#1{\@namedef{#1}{the name}}
\makeatother

This is quite easy, isn't it?

What you did was to define

\foo{xyz}

to produce

$\backslash$def$\backslash$xyz$\{$the name$\}$

which is good for printing something, not for definitions.