on the fly TeX typesetting

on the fly TeX typesetting

[Olivier]

Hi all,

I'm just wondering how TeX labels in metapost pictures are generated
when using mplib: if the set of pictures are all build through the
library which saves loading time and hd read/writes, it would be strange
to launch another TeX compiler. 

At the same time, if it were possible to have a set of defines (some
macros, like for instance a set up of fonts) for TeX and be able to
typeset, say, a vbox on the fly (that is, without having to deal with 
pages and so on),  it would allow several application to take
advantage of the typesetting capabilities of TeX.
Any plan for a texlib?

Olivier

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Re: on the fly TeX typesetting

[Hans Hagen]

Olivier wrote:
> Hi all,
> 
> I'm just wondering how TeX labels in metapost pictures are generated
> when using mplib: if the set of pictures are all build through the
> library which saves loading time and hd read/writes, it would be strange
> to launch another TeX compiler. 

i'm not sure what you mean .. in mkiv there are no tex compilers 
launched, everything happens internally

> At the same time, if it were possible to have a set of defines (some
> macros, like for instance a set up of fonts) for TeX and be able to
> typeset, say, a vbox on the fly (that is, without having to deal with 
> pages and so on),  it would allow several application to take
> advantage of the typesetting capabilities of TeX.
> Any plan for a texlib?

not on the short term (i.e. we will start looking into it when luatex is 
done which will be after 2010)

Hans

-----------------------------------------------------------------
                                           Hans Hagen | PRAGMA ADE
               Ridderstraat 27 | 8061 GH Hasselt | The Netherlands
      tel: 038 477 53 69 | fax: 038 477 53 74 | www.pragma-ade.com
                                              | www.pragma-pod.nl
-----------------------------------------------------------------
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___________________________________________________________________________________

Re: on the fly TeX typesetting

[Olivier]

> > I'm just wondering how TeX labels in metapost pictures are generated
> > when using mplib: if the set of pictures are all build through the
> > library which saves loading time and hd read/writes, it would be strange
> > to launch another TeX compiler. 
> 
> i'm not sure what you mean .. in mkiv there are no tex compilers 
> launched, everything happens internally

In the case of a standalone metapost graphic, if some label requires TeX
typesetting, the metapost file is first processed by mpost, then the
need for TeX typesetting is discovered and TeX is launched to produce
the labels and they are incorporated back into the metapost figure,
right?  So in the case of mplib who takes care of the label typesetting?
Does your already running instance of TeX (LuaTeX and mkiv) handles the
job of typesetting the labels? Even if this is completely disconnected
from the flow of the document currently processed?

Olivier

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Re: on the fly TeX typesetting

[Hans Hagen]

Olivier wrote:
>>> I'm just wondering how TeX labels in metapost pictures are generated
>>> when using mplib: if the set of pictures are all build through the
>>> library which saves loading time and hd read/writes, it would be strange
>>> to launch another TeX compiler. 
>> i'm not sure what you mean .. in mkiv there are no tex compilers 
>> launched, everything happens internally
> 
> In the case of a standalone metapost graphic, if some label requires TeX
> typesetting, the metapost file is first processed by mpost, then the
> need for TeX typesetting is discovered and TeX is launched to produce
> the labels and they are incorporated back into the metapost figure,
> right?  So in the case of mplib who takes care of the label typesetting?

nothing ... handling text is then up to the calling applications; from 
the perspective of mp text is just a picture or whatever else it can 
manipulate

> Does your already running instance of TeX (LuaTeX and mkiv) handles the
> job of typesetting the labels? Even if this is completely disconnected
> from the flow of the document currently processed?

well, did you try it? the mpost related code in mkiv does the labels 
(there is/will be an article on how that is done in a couple of tex user 
group journals); so ... in context/mkiv no tex runs inside tex runs 
unless you do somethign real tricky like graphictext which needs to pipe 
pdf code into pdtoedit


Hans

-----------------------------------------------------------------
                                           Hans Hagen | PRAGMA ADE
               Ridderstraat 27 | 8061 GH Hasselt | The Netherlands
      tel: 038 477 53 69 | fax: 038 477 53 74 | www.pragma-ade.com
                                              | www.pragma-pod.nl
-----------------------------------------------------------------
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maillist : ntg-context@ntg.nl / http://www.ntg.nl/mailman/listinfo/ntg-context
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___________________________________________________________________________________

Re: on the fly TeX typesetting

[Olivier]

> nothing ... handling text is then up to the calling applications; from 
> the perspective of mp text is just a picture or whatever else it can 
> manipulate
> 
> > Does your already running instance of TeX (LuaTeX and mkiv) handles the
> > job of typesetting the labels? Even if this is completely disconnected
> > from the flow of the document currently processed?
> 
> well, did you try it? the mpost related code in mkiv does the labels 
> (there is/will be an article on how that is done in a couple of tex user 
> group journals); so ... in context/mkiv no tex runs inside tex runs 
> unless you do somethign real tricky like graphictext which needs to pipe 
> pdf code into pdtoedit

Many thanks Hans for your explanations.  I was just curious how things
worked because there are a lot of user applications that would benefit
from on the fly typesetting on a single page (a vbox). 

Olivier

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