[tex-live] encTeX, 8bit encoding, ...

[Olaf Weber]

Staszek Wawrykiewicz writes:
> On Wed, 24 Mar 2004, Olaf Weber wrote:

>>>> - A "genuine" -8bit switch that installs the identity xord/xchr
>>>>   mapping and makes everything printable.

>>>> The last is effectively a shorthand for --translate-file=8bit.tcx
>>>> where where 8bit.tcx implements this mapping (cp8bit.tcx does less
>>>> than its name promises).

>> Note that one reason I dislike this (somewhat) is that it is yet
>> another switch where the interaction with TCX and encTeX has to be
>> determined and spelled out.

> I think that this switch is not needed (I also dislike that). We can have 
> a consent that 8bit.tcx is loaded by default if tcx or -enc is not used,
> as it was done in TL2003. So Hans, Daniel and some other would be happy.

Automagically loading a TCX is a hack I dislike:

encTeX and TCX bite each other.  Automatically loading a TCX is a
problem because it means that encTeX will always encounter a TCX
unless the -enc option is given on each run.  But the -enc option
otherwise only makes a difference for iniTeX, and I _don't_ think it
is a good idea to force people to always specify it.

This is why I like storing the xprn in all formats: for the formats
where we want it, you load the TCX at format creation time.  For those
where we do not want it (e.g, trip test, plain and possibly latex as
well) you leave well alone.

-- 
Olaf Weber

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