From c7cfef6687f65c2538898ddd7c6bc9c9ba50e58d Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Karl Berry Date: Fri, 28 Dec 2007 19:57:02 +0000 Subject: uk-tex-faq 3.17 (7nov07) git-svn-id: svn://tug.org/texlive/trunk@5977 c570f23f-e606-0410-a88d-b1316a301751 --- .../doc/english/FAQ-en/html/FAQ-plninltx.html | 90 ---------------------- 1 file changed, 90 deletions(-) delete mode 100644 Master/texmf-doc/doc/english/FAQ-en/html/FAQ-plninltx.html (limited to 'Master/texmf-doc/doc/english/FAQ-en/html/FAQ-plninltx.html') diff --git a/Master/texmf-doc/doc/english/FAQ-en/html/FAQ-plninltx.html b/Master/texmf-doc/doc/english/FAQ-en/html/FAQ-plninltx.html deleted file mode 100644 index 6cc4b4747dd..00000000000 --- a/Master/texmf-doc/doc/english/FAQ-en/html/FAQ-plninltx.html +++ /dev/null @@ -1,90 +0,0 @@ - -UK TeX FAQ -- question label plninltx - -

Using Plain or primitive commands in LaTeX

-

It’s well-known that LaTeX commands tend to be more complex, and to -run more slowly than, any Plain (or primitive) command that they -replace. There is therefore great temptation not to use LaTeX -commands when macro programming. Nevertheless, the general rule is -that you should use LaTeX commands, if there are seeming -equivalents. The exception is when you are sure you know the -differences between the two commands and you know that you need the -Plain version. So, for example, use \mbox in place of \hbox -unless you know that the extras that LaTeX provides in \mbox -would cause trouble in your application. Similarly, use -\newcommand (or one of its relatives) unless you need one of the -constructs that cannot be achieved without the use of \def (or friends). -

As a general rule, any LaTeX text command will start a new -paragraph if necessary; this isn’t the case with Plain TeX -commands, a fact which has a potential to confuse. -

The commands \smallskip, \medskip and \bigskip exist both -in Plain TeX and LaTeX, but behave slightly differently: in Plain -TeX they terminate the current paragraph, but in LaTeX they -don’t. The command \line is part of picture mode in LaTeX, -whereas it’s defined as “\hbox to \hsize” in -Plain TeX. (There’s no equivalent for users of the Plain TeX command in -LaTeX: an equivalent appears as the internal command \@@line). -

Maths setting shows a case where the LaTeX version is -essentially equivalent to the TeX primitive commands: the LaTeX -\( ... \) does essentially no different to the -TeX $ ... $ -(except for checking that you’re not attempting to open a maths -environment when you’re already in one, or vice versa). -However, \[ ... \] isn’t the same as -$$ ... $$: the TeX version, used -in LaTeX, contrives to miss the effect of the class option -fleqn. -

Font handling is, of course, wildly different in Plain TeX and -LaTeX: even the LaTeX equivalent of the Plain TeX -font-loading command (\newfont) should be avoided wherever -possible: the possibilities of confusion with constructs that vary -their behaviour according to the font size that LaTeX has recorded -are (sadly) legion. A really rather funny example is to be had by -saying: -

-
-\documentclass{article}
-\begin{document}
-\font \myfont=cmr17 scaled 2000
-\myfont
-\LaTeX
-\end{document}
-
-

-(the reader is encouraged to try this). The “A” of LaTeX -has pretty much disappeared: LaTeX sets the “A” according to -its idea of the font size (10pt), but “\myfont” is more -than three times that size. -

Another “\myfont” example arises from an entirely different -source. The mini-document: -

-
-\documentclass{article}
-\begin{document}
-\font \myfont=ecrm1000
-{\myfont par\`a}
-\end{document}
-
-

-gives you “German low double quotes” in place of the grave accent. -This problem arises because ecrm1000 is in a different -font encoding than LaTeX is expecting — if you -use LaTeX font commands, all the tiresome encoding issues are -solved for you, behind the scenes. -

So, whether you’re dealing with a one-off font or a major new family, you -are far more likely to be satisfied with the LaTeX file selection -system, so it’s worth investing a small amount of effort to write -declarations of the font’s family and how it should be loaded. For -details of the commands you need, see the LaTeX font usage guide, -fntguide: this may be viewed on the archive, but you should -find a copy of the document in your own system. - - - - -

-
fntguide.pdf
macros/latex/doc/fntguide.pdf -
fntguide.tex
Distributed with macros/latex/base (gzipped tar, browse) -
-

This question on the Web: http://www.tex.ac.uk/cgi-bin/texfaq2html?label=plninltx - -- cgit v1.2.3