[tex-k] E193, E543ff: programs aren't copied around verbatim

[Karl Berry]

    Page E193, line 7 says:
    beginchar("0",9u#,fig_height#,0);
        ...  (a copy of the program for `0' in romand comes here)
    penlabels(1,2,3,4); endchar;
    But if you consult the official MF sources, you'll find in itald.mf
       x2r=hround(1.5u-.5curve);
    where romand.mf says
       x2r=hround max(.7u,1.45u-.5curve);

Indeed. Perhaps it was a bug fix that did not get propagated, instead of
an intentional difference. (I confess I did not try to look at the
geometric difference.)  Did you try to check the errata listings?

    Pages E543ff may have the same problem: compared with greekl.mf, the
    skeletons of the Greek letters in tsetsl.mf have actually been optimized
    for the extended-ASCII typewriter font.

Agreed there are plenty of differences. Again, some of them could be a
matter of sources getting out of sync rather than intentional
differences. Hard to say.

FWIW, I doubt Knuth will touch these MF programs even in the event of
another tuneup; seems more likely to add a few weasel words about the
programs being not exactly the same. Anyway, I'll add it to the pile
when I have a chance. --thanks, karl.