{tex-core} is for questions that are independent of formats and macro packages. Such questions usually relate to low-level TeX programming or the behaviour of TeX at an underlying level. Note that even Plain TeX is a format in itself; for questions about it, use {plain-tex}.
11
votes
2answers
221 views
How does math mode work?
When writing an a in TeX, it is typeset as an upright "a" by default. When writing an a in math mode it is typeset in italics. Furthermore, in math mode white spaces are ignored and no empty lines ...
5
votes
3answers
98 views
Metacommand for commands that dynamically select a parameter?
Original question
I would like to create a metacommand for creating new projection commands. Specifically, \newproj{\cmd}{<n>}{<m>} should create \cmd as a new command of <n> ...
12
votes
1answer
168 views
Am I programmatically tieing my hands behind my back by insisting on a particular engine?
I've read Differences between LuaTeX, ConTeXt and XeTeX, but still have a niggle at the back of my mind that I'd like to ask about.
I'm developing a LaTeX package/class/stuff with the aim of making ...
4
votes
3answers
164 views
How are space tokens and empty lines processed by long commands (as their potential arguments)?
How are spaces and empty lines processed by long commands (i.e., those that do not accept paragraph breaks inside)? Are there different space tokens aside from " " and an empty line? It appears that ...
19
votes
3answers
243 views
If I redefine a command that has a starred variant, will that always disable the starred variant?
If I redefine a command that has a starred variant, will this always effectively disable the starred variant, as a side effect of redefining the unstarred variant?
A related question: Do starred ...
3
votes
1answer
73 views
FMT to CLS Creation in LaTeX
A Few years back we have created fmt format through PDFTEX. Now we have need to update some points in the class file. It is possible again to create fmt to .cls or .dtx files?
2
votes
0answers
53 views
font loading via URL for all TeX-en
Firstly, I'm not asking about typesetting URLs. What I am talking about is font resolution via a URL reference. My limited experience is in using XeLaTeX so I'll couch the question accordingly. If you ...
23
votes
4answers
295 views
unexpected interaction between \raggedright and \parshape
While answering Random start of line, I came upon a strange interaction between \raggedright and \parshape.
If a ragged-right paragraph ends in a short line, this line will be "the most ragged".
...
8
votes
1answer
121 views
Which commands exist to define new commands?
Which commands are there that one can use to define new commands in (La)TeX?
There are: \let, \def, \[re]newcommand[*], \DeclareRobustCommand[*], and ...?
(And I've seen things like ...
11
votes
2answers
106 views
Is there any reason to define a zero-argument macro using a starred defining command?
Is there any reason to define a 0-argument (read: zero-argument) macro with a starred command (\newcommand* instead of \newcommand or \DeclareRobustCommand* instead of \DeclareRobustCommand)? After ...
13
votes
2answers
254 views
What is “plain TeX”?
I occasionally see a statement that plain TeX is not the same as TeX, because plain TeX is already a format.
What is plain TeX, and what is the difference to TeX proper?
Some answers are here (The ...
6
votes
5answers
267 views
What sequence of documents should I read to know “all of” TeX and then LaTeX?
I know that there are a already number of questions on this site about good instructional (La)TeX materials for users at different levels.
What I am interested in, though, is what set of documents ...
15
votes
4answers
352 views
Selectively suppress generation of typeset output
Is it possible put TeX into a "mute" mode in which all typesetting is suppressed?
\documentclass{article}
\pagestyle{empty}
\begin{document}
\suppress
This text will not be seen in the generated ...
4
votes
1answer
106 views
\vbox with some extra space below
I don't understand why when using \vbox of a certain height, there is some extra space added below it.
I'm trying - towards grid typesetting - to put for example graphics in the vbox of a certain ...
16
votes
3answers
265 views
When is it better to use \par than \endgraf?
Just yesterday I had to patch a package file (changing the description to indicate that the file had changed) to replace some \par to \endgraf because the code had bad interactions with non-\long ...
15
votes
3answers
396 views
\string command behavior - Plain TeX
I would like to learn Plain TeX and I'm reading Knuth's "The TeXBook". At Chapter 7, Knuth talks about the \string command and how it converts control sequences into lists of characters tokens.
Why ...
10
votes
2answers
179 views
What does \relax do? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
How can I speed up LaTeX compilation?
What is the difference between \relax and {}?
The title suggest the question. On and off, I see macros here in TeX.SE and I see ...
3
votes
1answer
112 views
Expanding subscript and subscript capabilities
Well, I liked the idea expressed in the question alternative syntax of subscripts using tex. But I want it to work in a sightly different way.
I just want to expand the usual _ and ^. How? So that ...
4
votes
2answers
154 views
alternative syntax of subscripts using tex
I would like to sometimes write subscripts using different syntax, instead of $u_{xx} blahblah$ write something like
$u⎵xx blah blah$, or even
$u⎵xx+blah blah$
where either space following the x ...
15
votes
3answers
199 views
Is it possible to interact with TeX mid-process?
Quoting from an answer to Typesetting the entire Song That Never Ends
I ran this code once, and aborted the process after it reported producing something like 47,000 pages (in a very short amount ...
10
votes
2answers
183 views
All (La)TeX warnings and errors
For testing purposes, I am looking for a comprehensive list of all errors and warnings that TeX, and LaTeX can output. I don't mean errors and warnings produced by all packages, as this would give an ...
8
votes
3answers
116 views
Questions on macro writing in TeX to modify an existing style file: fancybox.sty
I've decided that I must become more adept at TeX if I'm to become proficient with LaTeX. While this is probably obvious to most readers who pass by, my ability to muddle through has hidden this small ...
22
votes
2answers
345 views
“That makes 100 errors” and one question
Although I never make any misteyk, occasionally I compile a TeX file in non-stop mode (that's how I roll) so wonderful that it just starts stuttering and spits out this
and provides some moral ...
25
votes
2answers
749 views
What language is TeX implemented in?
I read on Wikipedia that the first version of TeX was written in SAIL. However, does anyone know what language later versions (i.e the current one) are implemented in?
7
votes
3answers
162 views
When to use or avoid grouping?
For writing my own TeX code, grouping (\begingroup, \endgroup) helps on automatically saving and restoring TeX "variables".
(La)TeX "variables" are either macros or registers. The registers can
...
9
votes
1answer
266 views
Computer Modern font with accented characters (in XeTeX)
I'd like to use Knuth's Computer Modern font with XeTeX (not with XeLaTeX and so not with a LaTeX package) in a way where I don't have to type accents in a \'-way and without any gimmick such as ...
2
votes
1answer
136 views
Type my own font style onto my computer!
How can I use plain TeX & metafont to attain my own font-style, i.e. I want to type the words I write by my hand.
15
votes
3answers
562 views
Starting with TeX (not LaTeX)
I've been using LaTeX for 3 years and I'm decided to switch to (plain) TeX. For the moment I'm reading The TeXbook for the third time (I quietly start to read the double-danger signed paragraphs) and ...
0
votes
1answer
109 views
inlineMath \$…\$ not working but default \(…\) does [closed]
I am having issues getting a custom inlineMath format to work.
I have included the MathJax CDN and then using the in-line configuration options. I can get all of the default formats to work $$...$$, ...
7
votes
1answer
245 views
All LaTeX commands list
I'm writing a LaTeX commands highlighter in C#, for this I need all or most of the LaTeX commands.
I've searched the web and found many lists of commands but all of them are with comments and ...
8
votes
2answers
139 views
Where to find official (!) and extended documentation for tex/latex's commandline options (especially -interaction modes)?
Today I tried to learn more about the several interaction modes for tex/latex/pdflatex etc. The manpages turned out to be not very helpful:
$ man tex
...
-interaction mode
Sets the ...
2
votes
0answers
71 views
How to include a tex file with own formatting options
I have two tex files, tex1 and tex2. I want to include tex1 into tex2. I know \include and \input but those won't allow to include tex files with own formatting. tex1 has a header for example but tex2 ...
7
votes
4answers
404 views
How do I get mathematical fonts to Illustrator?
I am doing a thesis on graph theory, and I am currently drawing graphs with Illustrator. Vertexes and edges are easy to draw, but how about naming them? How do I get the symbols in image look like ...
9
votes
3answers
147 views
Check for empty macro argument
There is a description on how to check whether the argument of a macro is empty in What does \ifx\\#1\\ stand for?
Unfortunately, I can't get any of the examples there to work.
Among others, I have ...
7
votes
1answer
114 views
xcolor and everycr-Problem
I'm trying to insert some \noalign-code in every row of a tabular by using colortbl and \everycr or \CT@everycr. In most cases it works fine, but not if there is a \rowcolors-command (from xcolor) ...
20
votes
1answer
192 views
What does different \fontdimen<num> mean
I know that \fontdimen<num> returns some dimensions associated with the current font. What are they?
5
votes
0answers
55 views
Spurious whitespace in caption [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Why the end-of-line % in macro definitions?
I am not sure what is happening with this MWE.
First the problem: You can clearly see the whitespace between the label and ...
3
votes
1answer
128 views
how to use \loop … \repeat to generate an arbitrary number of rows in a table [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Copy table row n times
The code below is intended to produce a table with 3 columns and 3 rows (one
heading and two empty rows) but it can be seen that it doesn't work.
...
20
votes
3answers
310 views
@tempdima, reserved@a, @tempcnta, what else?
I'm aware that some "temporary" LaTeX dimensions etc. exist. I would, however, like to know all of them.
I know \reserved@a (macro), \@tempdima (dimension) and \@tempcnta (counter).
27
votes
2answers
385 views
What is truecm?
In examples found around the web, some people specify lengths such as width=5truecm with \includegraphics or the geometry package. How is this different from regular 5cm?
12
votes
1answer
117 views
How to read a stream of tokens up to one of two different delimiters
The core question
How can I process text delimited by one of two terminators? For instance, if I want to process text up to the next \A, I can just write
\def\CmdA#1\A{...}
But suppose that \A ...
4
votes
0answers
74 views
How to search for the commands in TeX [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Where do I find out how a command/environment is defined?
Macro find tool
When I am reading the other's LaTeX codes, I always find new commands I have never read ...
14
votes
2answers
131 views
Use TeX macros to store multiple data
I'm trying to use TeX macros to store multiple data such as website url/name. Here is an example :
\documentclass{article}
\def\Google{{http://www.google.com}{Google Search}}
\makeatletter
...
42
votes
3answers
1k views
What is the difference between \relax and {}?
As I understand it, the point of \relax is to stop a macro from swallowing up subsequent material (such as whitespace). But {} (\bgroup\egroup) serves the same function. Why do we need both?
7
votes
1answer
268 views
Why does \@gobble take one argument
I understand what \@gobble, \@gobbletwo etc. do, but I don't understand why \@gobble allows for an argument.
I believe that the definition of the macro is \long\def\@gobble#1{}. Why is this argument ...
9
votes
4answers
188 views
Dividing dimensions to get a count
Is there a way to divide two dimens and get a count? For example, if I have a box that doesn't fit on a single page, and I want to know the number of pages I'd need for the box (i.e., \heightofbox / ...
0
votes
0answers
66 views
Newline or cell wrap in Karnaugh Map of KVMacro [closed]
I am using Karnaugh Map macro from CTAN; my issue is that I want to write inequality in a kmap cell (W1+W2+W3 \le T). When I do so, the text of the cell take two cells. Is there away to either put a ...
10
votes
2answers
259 views
How to include eps files in Plain TeX?
The title stands for itself.
If it is not possible, how does LaTeX import an EPS file using \includegraphics?
5
votes
1answer
111 views
Problem with xargs package
I am trying to do what I though was fairly simple - use an xargs defined macro in a CS. MWE:
\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{xargs}
\usepackage{etoolbox}
\makeatletter
\def\abx@foo@baz@bar{test}
...
3
votes
1answer
115 views
ConTeXt: Page numbering in words for spanish
So I tried to hack the macro given in the ConTeXt wiki to write pagenumbering in words in spanish, my native language. Things were great until I had to reach the 100th page. ConTeXt claims when ...
