[tex-live] General test suite for TeX-Live

[Reinhard Kotucha]

On 2016-06-19 at 21:30:12 +0200, Uwe Ziegenhagen wrote:

 > Maybe but my Lua Skills are non-existing, my Python skills
 > improving on a daily basis.

Vice versa here.  However, I've bought a book about Python some time
ago and have the impression that the main concepts are the same or at
least very similar.  Thus, you benefit a lot from your knowledge about
Python.  Since Lua is a small language, there is much less you have to
learn.

As other people mentioned already, TeXLua has two important
advantages: it's the most portable programming language in the TeX
world, and the LaTeX team is using TeXLua already for regression
tests.  The latter is an important point because the infrastructure
exists already.

Uwe, I know that it is an extra burden to learn two programming
languages at the same time.  But Lua is much less complex than Python.

The definite source is the book "Programming in Lua", see:

  https://www.lua.org/docs.html

This book is nicely written, easy to understand, and though it's not
very verbose at all, it contains everything you need.

The current version of the Reference Manual is available online (see
link above).

If you just want to know how things are done in Lua which you already
can do in Python, the Lua Tutorial is quite helpful:

  http://lua-users.org/wiki/TutorialDirectory

You definitely don't have to study all tutorials.  Some of them
explain things you never need.

 > Let's see if it works at all, then we can find a way.

I'm convinced that if you provide a Python script and someone converts
it to Lua, you will write your next script in Lua anyway because you
recognize that it's quite easy. ;)

Please consult the tutorial in order to compare Python with Lua.  Your
knowledge about Python is helpful because the concepts are very
similar.  And if you have a question, don't hesitate to ask.  In my
opinion TeXLua is by far the best approach.

Regards,
  Reinhard

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Reinhard Kotucha                            Phone: +49-511-3373112
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