[texhax] "@" : vowel or glottal stop ? (was : Some puzzling TeX)

[Arno Trautmann]

Paul Isambert wrote:
> Le 23/02/2011 22:12, Arno Trautmann a écrit :
>> Reinhard Kotucha wrote:
>>> On 2011-02-23 at 21:18:29 +0100, Arno Trautmann wrote:
>>>
>>>   >  Hi all,
>>>   >
>>>   >  would it be possible for one of you to turn this whole
>>> @-discussion into
>>>   >  a TUGboat article? I always wondered about the meaning of all
>>> the @s in
>>>   >  the code and it would be nice to get an overview over the things
>>>   >  discussed here. (I won't have time to write until april,
>>> otherwise I
>>>   >  would try it.)
>>>
>>> Hi Arno,
>>> it seems that the @s lack a well defined meaning.  They are used quite
>>> arbitrarily and different authors have different conventions.  Or did
>>> you recognize any rules?
>> No, I didn't. Therefore I hoped you did ;)
>> Of course everyone can use it the way s/he wants, but I was thinking of
>> only the plain or LaTeX kernel. Is it so arbitrarily in that code, too?
>>
>> Arno
> 
> I'm not sure it is possible to write a paper on the use of @, but the
> next TUGboat is #100 and philosophical and/or historical articles are
> welcome; so it'd certainly be nice in that issue.

That's why I'm asking ☺

> Deadline is March 31,
> which is almost April, huh, so perhaps, Arno...? :)

April 19th … so no chance, sorry …

> (And the rules are obvious; look at old languages of Indo-European
> ascent, I keep telling you. Although I might have overestimated the role
> of sanskrit.)

Fortunately our greek teacher also taught us some Indo-European basics ;)

cheers
Arno

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