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Subject:
From:
Martin Hensel <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Mailing list for the LaTeX3 project <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Mon, 7 Jul 2003 20:33:56 +0100
Content-Type:
text/plain
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[If you do not want to read the HTML discussion, please notice the
point I make at the end of this mail.]

> You complained that TeX is inconsistent in its space handling. You
> mentioned in your paper the example of leading spaces in lines, used
> for indentation, that one can do with HTML/XML/other programming
> languages, but not with TeX.

No. I listed two established concepts.
  a) any sequence of space characters and line breaks is considered
     to be one space
  b) indentation

I never talked about TeX as I am completely unfamiliar with it.

>  (1) At this moment, i.e., in the first two paragraphs of your
>      content, you mixed already your topic. You didn't write about
>      author interface any more, but about programmer's interface.

I would claim that many "user" LaTeX documents contain command
sequences that people like to indent. I wanted to be aware of this
fact.

> And the quotations in your email didn't address the problem in your
> document at all.

That's right. It was interested in your point of view as you said that
I was "erroneous" in my sentence about HTML.


> Yes, you quoted HTML space handling, but no, you did _not_ show the
> differences to TeX where HTML is supposed to be more "regular" and
> easier to handle for the user.

I never claimed that HTML is better than TeX. In fact, I never talked
about TeX. I mentioned the concept of space (and new line)
compression.


> Btw, you haven't even mentioned the real ideosynchrasies of TeX,
> like handling of ^^0d. That brings me to the real issue: Do you
> actually know that most of TeX's white space handling happens
> before tokenization, i.e., before the programming starts at all?

No.

> You do know the basic principles of the TeX macro proces, do you?

No. I am completely unfamiliar with TeX.


> You did understand that some people on this list have their doubts
> and that they demand from you that you show your basic knowledge
> before they look at your proposals?

I realise it, but I don't understand it.

Why should it be impossible to discuss my proposal? A designer should
be able to discuss his ideas with a manual worker or an engineer.
If a designer thinks of a car that is impossible to build then it is
no good if the engineer says, he does not talk with the designer
unless the designer became an engineer himself. They could discuss
what is possible and what not. They could look for alternatives that
satisfy both of them. They could learn from each other.

Why couldn't we discuss my proposal? Why is my proposal unworthy to be
looked at just because I don't know TeX? Why do so many people tell me
that I am stupid and unworthy to listen to?

I hoped we could start a discussion. Please tell me what exactly is
not implementable and help me to improve my proposal.

Martin

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