[tex-live] error in supp-pdf.mkii again?

[Philip TAYLOR (Ret'd)]

Taco Hoekwater wrote:

>> I assume it comes from supp-pdf.mkii testing
>> \ifx\writestatus\undefined
>>
>> But \undefined is a completely valid TeX command. Mind that I am
>> even using \newcommand here.
>
>
> Well, let's say it is a perfectly valid command that you shouldn't
> be defining. In non-etex mode, the only way to test for the existence
> of a control sequence is by comparing it to an undefined one, and
> Hans chose \undefined, and I don't think using a more bizarre one will
> actually solve anything.

Well, it might ...  If the test were written as (e.g.)

	\expandafter \ifx \csname N0-b0dy 1n th at 1r r1ght m1nd w0uld us@ th1s @s @ c at ntr@l s at qu@nce \endcsname \writestatus

then the probability of a clash would be significantly smaller :-)

** Phil.