Re: funny behaviou - texexec & file not in current directory

[Hans Fredrik Nordhaug <nordhaug@karst.princeton.edu>]

On Tue, 26 Sep 2000, Hans Hagen wrote:

It is very clear that you didn't get my point so I try again - this
time with a slightly changed scenario:

Ok, in the current dir I make a subdir called 'sub'. In 
both directories I put a copy of a format file - let it be cont-en.efmt.
In addition my minimal test file (see bootom of e-mail) is still in the
subdirectory. Then I in the current dir do

   texexec --format=cont-en sub/test.tex     - and get dvi output

Then I go into the sub directory ('sub') and do

   texexec --format=cont-en test.tex         - and get pdf output  (*)

So my question (again) is why this behaviour ? Running texexec on
the same file with the same format - getting different output...

The format file is found by kpsewhich AND used by texexec - and I know
because 'cont-en.efmt' doesn't exists in '.../web2c' because
our sysadmin hasn't set it up (yet). 

I don't think this has anything to do with where the formats are found,
current dir or web2c, but I agree completely - if possible (not in my
case) the format file should go to '.../web2c'.

Best regards, Hans Fredrik

NB! I would love to attached the output from a verbose run of the two
    examples above, but I think I have used enough bandwith for today.
    The output confirms that the formats are found and that the same ini
    file (for texexec) is used. Those interested can contact me :-)

PS! Do you (or anybody else) mind trying this - just to check whether my 
    system is wrong or texexec is kind of strange behaving. 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Two digression (and nothing more):

1) I think texexec at least should search for format files in the current
dir (which it seems to be doing [good] even though it is not part of
the default web2c/fmt path that kpsewhich uses) and maybe also
TEXINPUTS. The reason for this is that a lot of users (on multi-users
systems) have to make there own formats because their sysadmin has other
things to do than fix the default settings for teTeX (as an example). OR 
texexec could accept this

   texexec --format=some_path/cont-en file.tex

2)

> > texexec --format=context test.tex     - and get pdf output  (*)
> 
> wrong. There is no context, only cont-en, cont-de, cont-en

Yes, I'm sorry about that. I happened to rename the cont-en format
to context because I found that more natural (since I wasn't planing
on using nl,de or uk). It won't happen again,
or I will at least keep it for myself :-)

-----------------------------------------------------------------
Test file 'test.tex'

% interface=en output=pdftex

\starttext
Hello!
\stoptext