[tex-live] Re: UTF-8 support

[Petr Olsak]

On 22 Jan 2003, Vladimir Volovich wrote:

> "PO" == Petr Olsak writes:
>
>  PO> On 22 Jan 2003, Vladimir Volovich wrote:
>
>  >> if we are talking about LaTeX, then properly done writes to files
>
>  PO> I am not talking about LaTeX. My encTeX is a solution for all
>  PO> macros, not only LaTeX.
>
> LaTeX is a macro package (i.e. it works purely with standard TeX
> features), thus it shows that it is possible to use similar robust
> approach in other macro packages too.

The LaTeX approach is not robust. This is a reason why I developed my
encTeX.

I cite from ucs.sty documentation:

  UTF-8 characters are interpreted by TeX as a sequence of
  commands, so don't use calls like \macro ä instead of
  \macro{ä}.

It means that I don't completelly switch all my old documents to UTF-8
because problems can occur! On the other hand, the encTeX is really robust
solution.

The second example: You have written that \write files includes only \'A
notation of characters in LaTeX. Do you know a documents where you have to
re-read the \write files in verbatim mode? I know these documents. What
happens in LaTeX in such situation?

Please, don't disseminate that UTF-8 solution in LaTeX is robust. This is
not true.

Best regards

Petr Olsak