(Karl replied off-list with some other stuff as well; I'm replying to the pertinent bits on-list) On 17/03/2009, at 10:48 AM, Karl Berry wrote: > reliably detect or branch based on \input > > I don't understand what this means. Do we need to extend the > engines in > some way? LuaTeX can handle things just fine, since it can add a callback to the file loading routine. The problem is that XeTeX always writes in UTF8 (having discussed with Jonathan the possibility of an output write encoding, always using UTF8 is the more sensible way to do it). When reading files in LaTeX, there are two possibilities: 1. It's an external file, like a section or chapter; this has to follow the input encoding of the main file 2. It's an auto-generated file being read in a second compilation; this has to be read in UTF8 The idea of xetex-inputenc is to set up the default encoding for the main file and all subsequent files; it then has to detect when auto- generated files (like .aux) are being read and insert the code to temporarily switch back to UTF8. This is what I do (and it works well, seemingly) for \@input, which is used by the kernel for reading in auxiliary files that aren't added to the \listfiles list. If only every package used that macro. Many packages use \input instead, which is the problem, because LaTeX redefines \input to *either* behave like the TeX primitive *or* to take a braced argument. So some packages write "\input foo" and others "\input{foo}". From the LaTeX POV, it's impossible to conditionally call code based on the file input, then, because some packages don't use the sane syntax. However, all of the above is slightly obscure, since most people will be using UTF8 input with XeTeX anyway. The fact that some edge cases aren't covered doesn't worry me, personally, but does mean that this code probably shouldn't become part of LaTeX2e proper. For me, the aim is to fix the problem when users try \usepackage[utf8]{inputenc} We're just trying to support the other encodings because it's (mostly) possible. > Like I said above, I'd like to resolve this for TeXLive 2009, > > Do you have any idea of whether there will be another LaTeX release in > time? I was kind of expecting that there wouldn't be, although of > course it would be great if so. I hadn't thought that far ahead :) I was hoping at the very least it would be easy enough to get a patched inputenc.sty into TL'09, even if it slightly by-passed the normal LaTeX release regime. But perhaps I'm being naive. Will