babel/plain.def : ! Illegal parameter number in definition of \@yargdef

Question

I tried to generate plain TeX cyrillic format files using makefmts.sh script from cyrplain package, here is the content of this script:

#!/bin/sh
tex -ini -fmt=cyrtex -progname=tex cyrtex.ini
tex -ini -fmt=cyramstex -progname=amstex cyramstx.ini
tex -ini -fmt=cyrtexinfo -progname=texinfo cyrtxinf.ini
tex -ini -fmt=cyrblue -progname=tex cyrblue.ini

pdftex -ini -fmt=cyrpdftex -progname=pdftex cyrtex.ini
pdftex -ini -fmt=cyrpdftexinfo -progname=pdftexinfo cyrtxinf.ini

Running the script, i've received these error messages (among others):

(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/babel/plain.def
! Illegal parameter number in definition of \@yargdef.
<to be read again>
                   \relax
l.144   \let\@hash@\relax

?
! Illegal parameter number in definition of \@yargdef.
<to be read again>
                   \the
l.149     \edef\reserved@a{\reserved@a\@hash@\the
                                                 \@tempcntb}%
?
! Illegal parameter number in definition of \@yargdef.
<to be read again>
                   \l@ngrel@x
l.152   \l@ngrel@x
                  \expandafter\def\expandafter#1\reserved@a}
?

Here are lines 141-152 from plain.def:

\long\def\@yargdef#1#2#3{%
  \@tempcnta#3\relax
  \advance \@tempcnta \@ne
  \let\@hash@\relax
  \edef\reserved@a{\ifx#2\tw@ [\@hash@1]\fi}%
  \@tempcntb #2%
  \@whilenum\@tempcntb <\@tempcnta
  \do{%
    \edef\reserved@a{\reserved@a\@hash@\the\@tempcntb}%
    \advance\@tempcntb \@ne}%
  \let\@hash@##%
  \l@ngrel@x\expandafter\def\expandafter#1\reserved@a}

Can anyone tell me, please, what went wrong?

Here is the content of cyrtex.log up to the first error:

This is pdfTeX, Version 3.14159265-2.6-1.40.16 (TeX Live 2015) (INITEX)  7 JUL 2015 12:56
 restricted \write18 enabled.
 %&-line parsing enabled.
**cyrtex.ini
(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/plain/cyrplain/cyrtex.ini
(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/plain/cyrplain/cyrtex.tex
(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/plain/cyrplain/cyrtex.cfg
(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/latex/cyrillic/lcydefs.tex))
(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/plain/base/plain.tex
Preloading the plain format: codes, registers,
\maxdimen=\dimen10
\hideskip=\skip10
\centering=\skip11
\p@=\dimen11
\z@=\dimen12
\z@skip=\skip12
\voidb@x=\box10
 parameters,
\smallskipamount=\skip13
\medskipamount=\skip14
\bigskipamount=\skip15
\normalbaselineskip=\skip16
\normallineskip=\skip17
\normallineskiplimit=\dimen13
\jot=\dimen14
\interdisplaylinepenalty=\count23
\interfootnotelinepenalty=\count24
 fonts,
(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/plain/cyrplain/cyrcmfnt.tex
fonts, more fonts,)
\itfam=\fam4
\slfam=\fam5
\bffam=\fam6
\ttfam=\fam7
 macros,
\strutbox=\box11
\mscount=\count25
\tabs=\box12
\tabsyet=\box13
\tabsdone=\box14
 math definitions,
\rootbox=\box15
\p@renwd=\dimen15
 output routines,
\headline=\toks10
\footline=\toks11
\footins=\insert254
\topins=\insert253
 hyphenation
(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/babel/hyphen.cfg
File: hyphen.cfg Babel hyphens 3.9l <2014/09/25>

(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/babel/switch.def
File: switch.def Babel switching mechanism 3.9l <2014/09/25>

(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/babel/plain.def
\@tempcnta=\count26
\@tempcntb=\count27
))
\l@english=\language0

(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/hyphen/hyphen.tex)
\l@usenglish=\language0
\l@USenglish=\language0
\l@american=\language0
\l@dumylang=\language1

(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/hyphen/dumyhyph.tex)
\l@nohyphenation=\language2

(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/hyphen/zerohyph.tex)
\l@basque=\language3

(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/hyph-utf8/loadhyph/loadhyp
h-eu.tex EC Basque hyphenation patterns
(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/hyph-utf8/conversions/conv
-utf8-ec.tex)
(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/hyph-utf8/patterns/tex/hyp
h-eu.tex))
\l@bulgarian=\language4

(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/hyph-utf8/loadhyph/loadhyp
h-bg.tex T2A Bulgarian hyphenation patterns
(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/hyph-utf8/conversions/conv
-utf8-t2a.tex)
(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/hyph-utf8/patterns/tex/hyp
h-bg.tex))
\l@czech=\language5

(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/hyph-utf8/loadhyph/loadhyp
h-cs.tex EC Czech hyphenation patterns (Pavel Sevecek, v3, 1995)
(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/hyph-utf8/conversions/conv
-utf8-ec.tex)
(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/hyph-utf8/patterns/tex/hyp
h-cs.tex))
\l@danish=\language6

(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/hyph-utf8/loadhyph/loadhyp
h-da.tex EC Danish hyphenation patterns
(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/hyph-utf8/conversions/conv
-utf8-ec.tex)
(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/hyph-utf8/patterns/tex/hyp
h-da.tex))
\l@dutch=\language7

(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/hyph-utf8/loadhyph/loadhyp
h-nl.tex EC Dutch hyphenation patterns
(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/hyph-utf8/conversions/conv
-utf8-ec.tex)
(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/hyph-utf8/patterns/tex/hyp
h-nl.tex))
\l@ukenglish=\language8

(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/hyph-utf8/loadhyph/loadhyp
h-en-gb.tex ASCII Hyphenation patterns for British English
(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/hyph-utf8/patterns/tex/hyp
h-en-gb.tex))
\l@british=\language8
\l@UKenglish=\language8
\l@usenglishmax=\language9

(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/hyph-utf8/loadhyph/loadhyp
h-en-us.tex ASCII Hyphenation patterns for American English
(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/hyph-utf8/patterns/tex/hyp
h-en-us.tex))
\l@finnish=\language10

(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/hyph-utf8/loadhyph/loadhyp
h-fi.tex EC Finnish hyphenation patterns
(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/hyph-utf8/conversions/conv
-utf8-ec.tex)
(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/hyph-utf8/patterns/tex/hyp
h-fi.tex))
\l@french=\language11

(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/hyph-utf8/loadhyph/loadhyp
h-fr.tex EC French hyphenation patterns (V2.12, 2002/12/11)
(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/hyph-utf8/conversions/conv
-utf8-ec.tex)
(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/hyph-utf8/patterns/tex/hyp
h-fr.tex))
\l@patois=\language11
\l@francais=\language11
\l@german=\language12

(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/hyph-utf8/loadhyph/loadhyp
h-de-1901.tex EC German hyphenation patterns (traditional orthography)
(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/hyphen/dehypht.tex
German Traditional Hyphenation Patterns `dehypht' Version 3.2a <1999/03/03>
(Formerly known under the name `ghyph31' and `ghyphen'.)))
\l@ngerman=\language13

(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/hyph-utf8/loadhyph/loadhyp
h-de-1996.tex EC German hyphenation patterns (reformed orthography)
(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/hyphen/dehyphn.tex
New German Hyphenation Patterns `dehyphn' Rev.31 <2001-05-07> (WaS)))
\l@swissgerman=\language14

(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/hyph-utf8/loadhyph/loadhyp
h-de-ch-1901.tex
EC Swiss-German hyphenation patterns (traditional orthography)
(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/hyph-utf8/conversions/conv
-utf8-ec.tex)
(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/hyph-utf8/patterns/tex/hyp
h-de-ch-1901.tex
Swiss-German Hyphenation Patterns (Traditional Orthography) `dehyphts-x' 2014-0
5-21 (WL)))
\l@hungarian=\language15

(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/hyph-utf8/loadhyph/loadhyp
h-hu.tex EC Hungarian hyphenation patterns (v20110815)
(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/hyph-utf8/conversions/conv
-utf8-ec.tex)
(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/hyph-utf8/patterns/tex/hyp
h-hu.tex Huhyphn - hungarian hyphenation patterns v20110815))
\l@italian=\language16

(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/hyph-utf8/loadhyph/loadhyp
h-it.tex ASCII Italian hyphenation patterns
(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/hyph-utf8/patterns/tex/hyp
h-it.tex))
\l@mongolian=\language17

(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/hyph-utf8/loadhyph/loadhyp
h-mn-cyrl.tex T2A (New) Mongolian hyphenation patterns
(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/hyph-utf8/conversions/conv
-utf8-t2a.tex)
(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/hyph-utf8/patterns/tex/hyp
h-mn-cyrl.tex))
\l@mongolianlmc=\language18

(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/hyph-utf8/loadhyph/loadhyp
h-mn-cyrl-x-lmc.tex LMC Mongolian hyphenation patterns
(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/hyph-utf8/conversions/conv
-utf8-lmc.tex)
(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/hyph-utf8/patterns/tex/hyp
h-mn-cyrl-x-lmc.tex))
\l@bokmal=\language19

(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/hyph-utf8/loadhyph/loadhyp
h-nb.tex EC Norwegian Bokmal hyphenation patterns
(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/hyph-utf8/conversions/conv
-utf8-ec.tex)
(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/hyph-utf8/patterns/tex/hyp
h-nb.tex
(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/hyph-utf8/patterns/tex/hyp
h-no.tex)))
\l@norwegian=\language19
\l@norsk=\language19
\l@nynorsk=\language20

(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/hyph-utf8/loadhyph/loadhyp
h-nn.tex EC Norwegian Nynorsk hyphenation patterns
(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/hyph-utf8/conversions/conv
-utf8-ec.tex)
(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/hyph-utf8/patterns/tex/hyp
h-nn.tex
(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/hyph-utf8/patterns/tex/hyp
h-no.tex)))
\l@polish=\language21

(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/hyph-utf8/loadhyph/loadhyp
h-pl.tex QX Polish hyphenation patterns
(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/hyph-utf8/conversions/conv
-utf8-qx.tex)
(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/hyph-utf8/patterns/tex/hyp
h-pl.tex))
\l@portuguese=\language22

(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/hyph-utf8/loadhyph/loadhyp
h-pt.tex EC Portuguese hyphenation patterns
(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/hyph-utf8/conversions/conv
-utf8-ec.tex)
(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/hyph-utf8/patterns/tex/hyp
h-pt.tex))
\l@portuges=\language22
\l@brazil=\language22
\l@brazilian=\language22
\l@russian=\language23

(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/hyph-utf8/loadhyph/loadhyp
h-ru.tex T2A Russian hyphenation patterns
(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/ruhyphen/ruhyphen.tex
(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/ruhyphen/catkoi.tex)
(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/ruhyphen/koi2lcy.tex)
(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/ruhyphen/ruhyphal.tex)
(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/ruhyphen/cyryoal.tex)))
\l@serbian=\language24

(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/hyph-utf8/loadhyph/loadhyp
h-sr-latn.tex EC Serbian hyphenation patterns in Latin script
(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/hyph-utf8/conversions/conv
-utf8-ec.tex)
(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/hyph-utf8/patterns/tex/hyp
h-sh-latn.tex))
\l@serbianc=\language25

(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/hyph-utf8/loadhyph/loadhyp
h-sr-cyrl.tex T2A Serbian hyphenation patterns in Cyrillic script
(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/hyph-utf8/conversions/conv
-utf8-t2a.tex)
(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/hyph-utf8/patterns/tex/hyp
h-sh-cyrl.tex))
\l@spanish=\language26

(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/hyph-utf8/loadhyph/loadhyp
h-es.tex EC Spanish hyphenation patterns
(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/hyph-utf8/conversions/conv
-utf8-ec.tex)
(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/hyph-utf8/patterns/tex/hyp
h-es.tex))
\l@espanol=\language26
\l@swedish=\language27

(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/hyph-utf8/loadhyph/loadhyp
h-sv.tex EC Swedish hyphenation patterns (Jan Michael Rynning, 1994-03-03)
(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/hyph-utf8/conversions/conv
-utf8-ec.tex)
(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/hyph-utf8/patterns/tex/hyp
h-sv.tex))
\l@ukrainian=\language28

(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/hyph-utf8/loadhyph/loadhyp
h-uk.tex T2A Ukrainian hyphenation patterns
(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/ukrhyph/ukrhyph.tex
Ukrainian hyphenation patterns in lcy encoding
(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/ukrhyph/catlcy.tex)
(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/ukrhyph/lcy2lcy.tex)
(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/ukrhyph/ukrhypmp.tex)))))
(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/plain/cyrplain/txxextra.tex)
(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/plain/cyrplain/plainenc.tex
(/usr/local/texlive/2015basic/texmf-dist/tex/generic/babel/plain.def
! Illegal parameter number in definition of \@yargdef.
<to be read again>
                   \relax
l.144   \let\@hash@\relax

? q
OK, entering \batchmode...

wow! do you actually use all those languages?
– jarnowicz
Commented Jul 8, 2015 at 3:16 — jarnowicz, Commented Jul 8, 2015 at 3:16
I just tried to follow instructions from cyrplain.
– Alexey
Commented Jul 8, 2015 at 7:36 — Alexey, Commented Jul 8, 2015 at 7:36

Joseph Wright · Accepted Answer · 2015-07-07 12:58:29Z

5

The file plainenc.tex loads plain.def from babel, but this has already been read as part of the generic hyphenation loader. The file plain.def can be loaded multiple times unless \@yargdef has been executed between those two points. What happens is that \@yargdef does \let\@hash@##, and this means that on the second reading you can't use \@hash@ inside the defintion of \@yargdef. This can be fixed by adding

\let\@hash@\relax

somewhere convenient.

This is arguably a bug in plain.def.

answered Jul 7, 2015 at 12:58

Joseph Wright♦

263k35 gold badges717 silver badges1k bronze badges

I haven't traced through where \@yargdef gets used!
– Joseph Wright ♦
Commented Jul 7, 2015 at 12:59
Could you please explain where you mean \let\@hash@\relax should be added?
– Alexey
Commented Jul 7, 2015 at 13:04
@Alexey Probably easiest would be to use a copy of plainenc.tex and add it right before \input plain.def.
– Joseph Wright ♦
Commented Jul 7, 2015 at 13:08
1

plain.def is a component of babel and it is not intended to be loaded separately. No provision has been made for it to work in other contexts. Anyway, I'll have a look at it.
– Javier Bezos
Commented Jul 7, 2015 at 14:24
isn't the bug rather in cyrtex.ini, trying to load plain.def again?
– jarnowicz
Commented Jul 8, 2015 at 3:15

| Show 1 more comment

Ruslan_Sharipov · Accepted Answer · 2016-06-18 11:08:06Z

4

Since the bug is in \@yargdef, it can be fixed by patching this macro as follows:

\gdef\@my@aaa{*}
\ifx\@my@aaa\@my@bbb
 \immediate\write16{skip redefining yargdef}
\else%
 \gdef\@my@bbb{*}%
 %%--- the original code of \@yargdef goes here ---%%
\fi%

I have ready-to-use solutions with cyrillic (russian) Plain TeX, AmSTeX, and LaTeX 2.09 in MiKTeX 2.4 and in MiKTeX 2.9. They are equipped with step-by-step instructions in Russian and are free for downloading.

answered Jun 18, 2016 at 11:08

Ruslan_Sharipov

412 bronze badges

Welcome to TeX.SX! You can have a look at our starter guide to familiarize yourself further with our format.
– Martin Schröder
Commented Jun 18, 2016 at 11:23

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