Tex by topic : a texnician's reference

For readers already familiar with the TEX computer typesetting system, but have specific questions or want to explore advance features. A reference manual designed to complement tutorial guides. Four TeX processors......Page 15 Two-level input processing......Page 16 Special cases: `expandafter, `noexpand, and `the......Page 17 The execution processor......Page 18 Skipped spaces......Page 19 Internal quantities and their representations......Page 20 Initial processing......Page 21 Category codes......Page 22 State M: middle of line......Page 24 0: escape character......Page 25 14: comment......Page 26 Letters and other characters......Page 27 Skipped spaces......Page 28 Ignored and obeyed spaces......Page 29 "426830A space token"526930B......Page 30 Obeylines......Page 31 Changing the `endlinechar......Page 32 The input processor as a separate process......Page 33 The @ convention......Page 34 Character codes......Page 35 Denoting characters to be typeset: `char......Page 36 Implicit character tokens: `let......Page 37 Accents......Page 38 Uppercase and lowercase codes......Page 39 Creative use of `uppercase and `lowercase......Page 40 Output of control sequences......Page 41 Category codes of a `string......Page 42 Fonts......Page 43 Querying the current font and font names......Page 44 Font dimensions......Page 45 Ligatures......Page 46 Boundary ligatures......Page 47 Boxes......Page 48 Allocation: `newbox......Page 49 The `lastbox......Page 50 Dimensions of created vertical boxes......Page 51 Examples......Page 52 Predetermined dimensions......Page 53 Box dimensions and box placement......Page 54 Boxes and negative glue......Page 55 Opening and closing boxes......Page 56 Unboxing......Page 57 Forgetting the `box......Page 58 More subtleties with vertical boxes......Page 59 Dissecting paragraphs with `lastbox......Page 60 Horizontal mode......Page 62 Horizontal and vertical commands......Page 63 Internal vertical mode......Page 64 Modes and glue......Page 65 Testing modes......Page 66 Integers......Page 68 Denotations: characters......Page 69 Internal integers......Page 70 Numbers......Page 71 Arithmetic......Page 72 Number testing......Page 73 Expanding too far / how far......Page 74 Definition of "426830A glue"526930B and "426830A dimen"526930B......Page 76 Definition of dimensions......Page 77 Conversion of "426830A glue"526930B to "426830A dimen"526930B......Page 78 Arithmetic: addition......Page 79 Units of measurement......Page 80 Stretch and shrink......Page 81 Glue and breaking......Page 83 The last glue item in a list: backspacing......Page 84 Glue in trace output......Page 85 Rules......Page 87 Leaders......Page 88 Rule leaders......Page 89 Evenly spaced leaders......Page 90 Leaders and box registers......Page 91 Leaders and shifted margins......Page 92 The grouping mechanism......Page 93 Group delimiters......Page 94 The brace as a token......Page 95 Open and closing brace control symbols......Page 96 Introduction......Page 97 Prefixes......Page 98 Undelimited parameters......Page 99 Examples with delimited arguments......Page 100 The macro parameter character......Page 102 Construction of control sequences......Page 103 `futurelet......Page 104 Tail recursion......Page 105 Unknown number of arguments......Page 106 Examining the argument......Page 107 Two-step macros......Page 109 A comment environment......Page 110 Ordinary expansion......Page 112 One step expansion: `expandafter......Page 113 `afterassignment......Page 114 `aftergroup......Page 115 `noexpand and active characters......Page 116 `relax and `csname......Page 117 TeX inserts a `relax......Page 118 Expanding after......Page 119 Defining inside an `edef......Page 120 Expansion and `write......Page 121 More examples with `relax......Page 122 Example: category code saving and restoring......Page 123 More expansion......Page 124 The shape of conditionals......Page 125 `ifx......Page 126 Numerical tests......Page 127 Case statement......Page 128 The `newif macro......Page 129 Evaluation of conditionals......Page 130 The test wants to gobble up the `else or `fi......Page 131 Macros and conditionals; the use of `expandafter......Page 132 Conditionals and grouping......Page 133 More examples of expansion in conditionals......Page 134 Use of token lists......Page 137 Token list registers......Page 138 Operations on token lists: stack macros......Page 139 Executing token lists......Page 140 Interline glue......Page 142 Terminology......Page 144 Additional remarks......Page 145 When does a paragraph start......Page 146 Starting a paragraph with a group......Page 147 An indentation scheme......Page 148 A paragraph skip scheme......Page 149 The way paragraphs end......Page 151 Ending a paragraph and a group at the same time......Page 152 Finite `parfillskip......Page 153 A precaution for paragraphs that do not indent......Page 154 Hanging indentation......Page 155 General paragraph shapes: `parshape......Page 156 Indenting into the margin......Page 157 Another approach to hanging indentation......Page 158 More examples......Page 159 Line Breaking......Page 160 Penalties and other break locations......Page 161 Demerits......Page 162 The process of breaking......Page 163 Hyphens and discretionaries......Page 164 Hyphenation......Page 165 End of a word......Page 166 Switching hyphenation patterns......Page 167 Automatic interword space......Page 169 User interword space......Page 170 Control space and tie......Page 171 Punctuation......Page 172 Other influences on the space factor......Page 173 Mathematical characters......Page 174 Delimiters......Page 175 Finding a delimiter; successors......Page 176 Radicals......Page 177 Math accents......Page 178 Initial family settings......Page 179 Change the font of ordinary characters and uppercase Greek......Page 180 New fonts in formulas......Page 181 Evaluating the families......Page 182 Mathematics Typesetting......Page 183 Styles in math mode......Page 184 Choice of styles......Page 185 Large operators and their limits......Page 186 Mathematical spacing: mu glue......Page 187 Muskip registers......Page 188 Generalized fractions......Page 189 Symbol font attributes......Page 190 Extension font attributes......Page 191 Example: subscript lowering......Page 192 Displays......Page 193 Vertical material around displays......Page 194 Equation numbers......Page 195 Non-centred displays......Page 196 Horizontal and vertical alignment......Page 198 Material between the lines: `noalign......Page 199 Infinite preambles......Page 200 `tabskip......Page 201 Alternate specifications: `omit......Page 202 Rules in alignments......Page 203 Example: math alignments......Page 204 `topskip......Page 206 Page height and depth......Page 207 The current page and the recent contributions......Page 208 Page length bookkeeping......Page 209 Breakpoint penalties......Page 210 Breakpoint computation......Page 211 `vsplit......Page 212 Determining the breakpoint......Page 213 The page builder after a paragraph......Page 214 The `output token list......Page 215 Marks......Page 216 Example: no widow lines......Page 218 Example: no indentation top of page......Page 219 More examples of output routines......Page 220 Insertion items......Page 221 Moving insertion items from the contributions list......Page 222 Insertions in the output routine......Page 223 Plain TeX insertions......Page 224 File I/O......Page 225 Input with `read......Page 226 Inspecting input......Page 227 Write inside a vertical box......Page 228 Expansion and spaces in `write and `message......Page 229 Allocation commands......Page 230 Ground rules for macro writers......Page 231 Start of the job......Page 233 Run modes......Page 234 Formats: loading......Page 236 The knowledge of IniTeX......Page 237 Preloaded fonts......Page 238 Other formats......Page 239 Magnification......Page 240 Fonts......Page 241 Font files......Page 242 TeX and web......Page 243 The TeX Users Group......Page 244 Tracing......Page 245 Show boxes: `showbox, `tracingoutput......Page 246 Global statistics......Page 248 Error messages......Page 249 Exception dictionary (307)......Page 250 Main memory size (30000)......Page 251 Text input levels (6)......Page 252 Notations......Page 253 "426830A filler"526930B , "426830A general text"526930B......Page 254 Differences between TeX versions 2 and 3......Page 255 Glossary of TeX Primitives......Page 257 Character tables......Page 270 Computer modern fonts......Page 272 Mathcharacter codes......Page 277 Delimiter codes......Page 278 "426830A mathchardef tokens"526930B : ordinary symbols......Page 279 "426830A mathchardef tokens"526930B : large operators......Page 280 "426830A mathchardef tokens"526930B : binary operations......Page 281 "426830A mathchardef tokens"526930B : relations......Page 282 `delimiter macros......Page 283 Changes to this document......Page 289 ``TeX by Topic is a systematic reference manual designed as a companion to tutorial guides on the system. Packed with original, practical ideas, this book provides an invaluable information source that will give the TeX user the essential insight needed to solve TeX problems.'' [From the back cover] A beautifully written, concise and comprehensive discussion of TeX as a programming language [...] Eijkhout's book is not a loose collection of unconnected entries but a very systematic account of how TeX works as a programming language. Not the ideal first introduction, but an absolute must-read if you want to understand the deeper foundations of the TeX language. On many occasion when one of my macros didn't work, only by consulting Eijkhout's book was I able to find the source of my problem. [From a review by Martin Diedrich] This book is out of print, but now available electronically and from lulu.com: http://eijkhout.net/texbytopic/texbytopic.html For all TeX users who want to learn to program complicated macros themselves, TeX By Topic is an invaluable resource. The book is packed with highly original, practical, and useful ideas along with detailed explanations of the mechanisms underlying each TeX macro. Includes a thorough cross reference system.