Re: Bug report, \frac as redefined in m-newmat.tex

[Hans Hagen <pragma@wxs.nl>]

Hi Brooks,

>Then, a couple of lines after that, there's the second definition for
>\frac, which is the one that needed patching.  This one, unlike the
>first definition, is wrapped in \mathematics so that it can work outside
>math mode.
>
>So I'm wondering why only \frac has this second definition that allows
>it to work outside of math mode.  I would think that things should be
>consistent -- either that all of the definitions in the first list
>should be changed to use \mathematics, or that \frac should be returned
>to the simpler version -- so that \tfrac is still simply "\frac typeset
>in text mode" as one would expect it to be.
>  
>
this has a historical reason; it was added because latex users expect 
\frac to be there and to work in text mode as well;

>Even if they're all left in the current form, I'd think that the unused
>definition of \frac in the first list should be removed.
>  
>
well, just consider it not to be there; it should definitely not be 
mentioned in manuals -)

>My argument for simplifying \frac to take the \mathematics out of it is
>that it is a math-mode construct that typesets its arguments in math
>mode, and allowing it to be used outside of math mode encourages sloppy
>TeXing.  It also hides the point of transition to math mode, meaning
>that x and \frac{1}{x} will typeset x differently, which strikes me as
>confusing.  I recognize that this is a very debatable position, though,
>and that there are at the very least arguments for backwards
>compatiblity that contradict it.
>  
>
if i remember right (maybe tobias burnus remembers more) it was mainly meant to be used in section titles; in such cases, when one sets a font  explicitly, math is often not set up accordingly and frac permits one to do at least fractions 

Hans   


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