Disable a command with package option - TeX

joulev replying to Skillmon

Thanks!

Skillmon replying to joulev

Plus, the variant using `\pgfqkeys` can curry the argument, while the other variant has to grab it.

Skillmon replying to joulev

The difference is rather simple, but saves about 40 ops (`\pgfqkeys{/<path>}` takes about 10 ops for its initialization, `\pgfkeys{<path>/.cd,` takes 50 ops) (ops being arbitrary operations). What `\pgfqkeys` does is setting the default path, while `\pgfkeys{<path>/.cd}` first sets the default path to `/`, then needs to parse the `<path>` as a key, and all that the `.cd` handler then does is changing the default path... Else the two are identical.

joulev replying to Skillmon

Thanks, I remember also reading it somewhere in the manual. I still don’t understand what the difference is though.

Skillmon

@joulev, re: [your answer](#a1276), for (micro-)performance optimisation, one should prefer `\def\marathiset{\pgfqkeys{/marathi}}` over `\def\marathiset#1{\pgfkeys{marathi/.cd,#1}}`.

joulev

Anyway talking about this is now too late. You can't change anything now (actually you can by contacting the CTAN team, etc., but that is pretty much out of the question as the package has arrived in everyone's TL now). My suggestion now is just to add one line of warning to the manual.

joulev

I am not trying to say that my versioning is good - in fact, I am not strictly following semantic versioning. However, we need to draw a line between stable builds and experimental builds.

joulev

See https://stackoverflow.com/a/24154727

joulev replying to निरंजन

Yes, it does matter. It has been a rule (perhaps an unwritten one) that everything labeled 0.x or 0.x.y can be greatly changed and the user has to take care about it, but everything labeled 1.x or similar won't see such changes, so the user can use with ease.

joulev

 Your package may change dramatically in the future, so it is not yet stable.

joulev replying to निरंजन

A package is experimental if its kernel and its interface can change in the future. If today you use `\frac` for fractions in LaTeX but in five years you must use `\fraction` instead and `\frac` won't work, that command `\frac` is right now experimental. A package is stable if it is not experimental; in other word, the user interface -- everything the user uses -- should be left intact. You add to it, you don't change it. With the example above, `\frac` is stable if in five years `\frac` still works as today (`\fraction` may be added and `\frac` may be deprecated, but it still works).

निरंजन

Well, TopTeX's about page says -
> TopTeX is a friendly community

Let's stick to that when we are suggesting something.
> your package is still very experimental (admit it, we all know that)

Please explain why. Don't assume that I know semantic versioning. As it is my first release, I don't know the criterion for deciding whether a package is experimental or not. When shall a package be considered "experimental" and when shall it be considered "stable"?

> Now the entire package may change at some points in the future, and if your package has any users, such change will certainly break all, all, all pre-existing documents that use the package.

I feel numbering will make no change in this. Let's assume that I change the number to v0.0.1 and somebody starts using it. In v0.0.2 I make a strong breaking change. Documents with v0.0.1 are still gonna crash! How does the number even matter?

joulev

You might say "I will make no breaking change!". But at its current state, I am pretty sure you will have to.

joulev

Now the entire package may change at some points in the future, and if your package has any users, such change will certainly break all, *all*, ***all*** pre-existing documents that use the package.

joulev

There are no problems with not following semantic versioning. However, your package is still very experimental (admit it, we all know that), and rule no. 0 in versioning is *always number experimental releases as 0.x or 0.x.y*.

joulev

@निरंजन I see that you have published `marathi` and number it "Version 1.1 (manual) or 1.1.1 (CTAN)". I cannot help saying this: it is *bad*.

निरंजन replying to samcarter

Hahaha!

samcarter replying to Skillmon

This statement finally explains why captions are not numbered by default in beamer :)

Skillmon replying to samcarter

`beamer` doesn't count.

samcarter replying to Skillmon

The meta data of   
```  
\documentclass{beamer}

\author{author names}
\title{title}

\begin{document}
	
\begin{frame}
	abc
\end{frame}	
	
\end{document}  
```  
looks fine to me :)

Skillmon replying to samcarter

try removing `pdfusetitle` and move `\author` and `\title` in the preamble, you won't get the correct meta data, as well.

samcarter replying to Skillmon

Yes, it is a solvable issue, but one has to do something to solve it

Skillmon replying to samcarter

Not an issue:  
  
```  
\documentclass[]{article}

\usepackage[pdfusetitle]{hyperref}

\begin{document}
\author{Myself}
\title{My Document}
\maketitle
\end{document}
```

joulev replying to निरंजन

I believe a chat room would be better. If there is a question, what will the question content says, what are the answers? A chat room is most suitable for this case.

joulev replying to Skillmon

Of course, but the chance that @निरंजन's package uses special delimiters for arguments is quite low

निरंजन

I think I shall put this feature request.

निरंजन

Is there any discussion question-type on our site? I would like to open up a new question and discuss all the possible developments of the package. What say?

samcarter

@निरंजन As for non-latin letters in macro names: one good reason to not do this is getting help. Imagine you or your users run into a problem with this command, a problem which is totally unrelated to the language. If you stick to latin characters, much more people will be able to help you if you don't restrict the potential helpers who can type the letter or who use an encoding/engine that won't crash if they copy your code.

samcarter replying to निरंजन

The usual reason for putting `\title`, `\author` etc. before `\begin{document}` is to get meaningful meta data in the pdf

Skillmon replying to निरंजन

Actually, (perhaps most noticeable in pdfTeX) you can get problems if you use `\title` and `\author` too early with non-English documents, as `babel` isn't completely set up before `\begin{document}`.

निरंजन replying to Skillmon

Okay. Thanks, I'll update the package soon.

Skillmon replying to निरंजन

All they do is `\gdef\@title{#1}` and `\gdef\@author{#1}`.

Skillmon replying to निरंजन

It takes care to also affect displayed maths etc. All in all it gives a more consistent result.

निरंजन

> Nothing forbids you to use \title and \author after \begin{document}

Oh really!? For a long time I was told to put it in the preamble. I never tried putting it in the document environment

Skillmon replying to निरंजन

In that case, your package shouldn't set `\title` and `\author` at load time, instead you should use:  
  
```tex  
\newcommand*\marathi@checkdefinition[2]
  {%
    \begingroup
    \def\marathi@tmp{#2}%
    \expandafter
    \endgroup
    \ifx\marathi@tmp#1%
      \expandafter\@firstoftwo
    \else
      \expandafter\@secondoftwo
    \fi
  }
\newcommand*\blinddocument
  {%
    \marathi@checkdefinition\@title
      {\@latex@error {No \noexpand \title given}\@ehc}
      {\title{Marathi Example-Document}}
      {}%
    \marathi@checkdefinition\@author
      {\@latex@warning@no@line {No \noexpand \author given}}
      {\author{Marathi Example-Author}}
      {}%
    Blind document content.
  }
```
  
Nothing forbids you to use `\title` and `\author` after `\begin{document}` (actually this is what is advised for non-English documents anyways). So don't set the two unconditionally, but only if you need them in your blind document.

निरंजन replying to Skillmon

Okay, why is setstretch better than baselinestretch?

निरंजन replying to Skillmon

Mmm, now this is a problem. Is there any way to put it conditionally?

Skillmon replying to निरंजन

Try adding `hyperref` and take a look at the PDF's meta data.

Skillmon replying to निरंजन

in that case it might be fine. But notice that it might be better to `\RequirePackage{setspace}` and use `\setstretch` in that case.

Skillmon replying to joulev

there are things only possible via `\def`, even if you use `\newcommand` most of the time.

निरंजन replying to joulev

Haha. No issues. These are good and obvious questions as you don't have access to the documentation, but don't worry everything is documented well with its implications. I am ready to change things if they are problematic, but for that I really need to know the possible problems.

joulev replying to निरंजन

Anyway so far I have been quite confused. Now it is clear now, thanks for the clarification and sorry for being mean in some messages :- )

joulev replying to निरंजन

Hmm, now it pretty much depends on what you expect the user to do...   I am rather inexperienced in this field so I think I won't comment on this.

निरंजन replying to joulev

Yes yes! I have done that only for that purpose. I think it would be amazing if you try -

```
\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{marathi}
%\title{abc} Uncomment when you want this title.
%\author{def}

\begin{document}
    \नमुना
\end{document}
```

joulev replying to निरंजन

So as I can see, you are trying to add a "sample" document.

joulev replying to निरंजन

Hmm, good point. Didn't think of that.

joulev replying to निरंजन

Oh, I am sorry :)

joulev replying to निरंजन

Think about what a package even means. It provides a set of macros and other features (keys, programming interface, etc.) that the user can use in his own document. It does *not* add *any* content to the document itself. That is important. You are supposed to leave fields like `\author`, `\title` intact, modifying them is not what the package is for. Quote from source2e.pdf: ***The user* defines the title and author by the declarations `\title{<name>}`, `\author{<name>}`.** Not the package, not the class. However, the package *can* use the user-defined `\title` for formatting.

निरंजन replying to joulev

Oh please don't take it personally. I value your advice. I would just like to know any possible consequences. That's it :)

joulev replying to निरंजन

I cannot remember what happened now, so I guess the conversation about this topic should end here. I will just leave my advice in there in case next year somehow it breaks and you don't know how to fix.

3 Answers