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samcarter

For cheese fans: https://stockage.framapiaf.org/framapiaf/media_attachments/files/115/418/448/006/755/147/original/5ec1666292a73bc1.jpg

निरंजन replying to Skillmon

Thanks for the explanation :)

Skillmon replying to निरंजन

Yes, it's more robust to provide a setup macro, which is why most modern packages do that. Parsing key=value options is problematic, even if you use the new mechanism of the raw options list (as do `\ProcessKeyOptions`, `expkv-opt`, and `scrbase`) everything passed there has to survive a round of `\zap@space` (since the zapped list will still be assigned). Expansion control might help with that (in `\ProcessKeyOptions`-using lists you can use `key:c = macro` instead of `key = \macro` to pass in `\macro` without that being fully expanded in the zapping list, similarly in `expkv-opt`-parsing you can use `c: key = macro` to achieve the same -- unfortunately `l3keys` doesn't use the same syntax as `expkv`)

samcarter

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykNBNcj2KeM  
  
^^^ This would be brilliant with ducksay!

निरंजन replying to samcarter

Thanks for sharing. It is difficult for me to stand the mix of `@`s and `_`s now.. :smile:

samcarter replying to निरंजन

I didn't find an example in the wild, but with some experimentation, I figured out how the option works :)  
  
https://github.com/josephwright/ltx-talk/pull/102/files

निरंजन

Since there are known problems in key-values for `\usepackage` (i.e., `zap@space`), should modern packages rely less on package options? In my recent package bundle, I have a key-processing command that takes care of the local as well as global options. I did it when I didn't know the problems caused by `\zap@space`. Turns out that it is safer in general. Should/could this be a strategy for package writing?

निरंजन replying to samcarter

I suppose you got the answer? I was keeping an eye on it :)

samcarter

Oh, an Italian duck!

CarLaTeX replying to samcarter

Qua qua qua!

samcarter

Quack!

samcarter

![](https://meeting.contextgarden.net/2026/poster-ctx-2026.png)  
  
^^^ I think what they need is the `\lens` macro from [pst-optic](https://ctan.org/pkg/pst-optic) :)

samcarter replying to barbara beeton

A good soul on mastodon shared this -- didn't have to dig this up :)

barbara beeton replying to samcarter

Wow!  How do you have time to dig up all these goodies and still get any "real work" done?

samcarter

"You Have Been LaTeXpOsEd: A Systematic Analysis of Information Leakage in Preprint Archives Using Large Language Models"  
  
https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.03761

निरंजन

_deleted_

samcarter replying to CarLaTeX

rather entertaining :)

CarLaTeX replying to samcarter

I've just read the comments :D

samcarter

If one can be allergic to `\LaTeX`, maybe I have a ms word allergy?  
  
Just in case, I think there should be warning signs on books etc. if they were written in word :P

samcarter

https://meow.social/@Doveux/115349394458908477

samcarter replying to Skillmon

I mostly solved the overlay package problem: instead of the package, I'm now only loading it via `\usetikzlibrary{overlay-beamer-styles}` and for the doc, I've create various texdoc aliases :)

Skillmon replying to samcarter

***y**et **a**nother **g**rand **u**nified **sy**mbol **lo**ader* doesn't sound to hard to remember :P At least it's not the beamer overlay awareness package for Ti*k*Z `boas`, `obas`, `abos`, `aosb`, `aobs`, `oasb` or whatever.

samcarter

(I'm not sure I will be able to remember that package name...)

samcarter

Package in the spotlight: [yagusylo](https://www.ctan.org/pkg/yagusylo)

samcarter replying to निरंजन

Thanks!

निरंजन replying to samcarter

Congratulations on the release! Wonderful metaphor :)

samcarter

![da97a6a24ae9484d.png](/image?hash=98f7b44613284513c72bf3a400c3abbe2aa623c986a7550b77ea130c7a481d38)  
  
The new [`panda`](https://ctan.org/pkg/panda) package currently makes its way around the ctan mirrors.   
  
Many thanks in particular to @Skillmon for all their helpful answers here!

samcarter replying to barbara beeton

With such a recommendation, the videos are directly climbing to the top of my to-be-watched-list :D

barbara beeton replying to samcarter

I haven't yet watched it either, but James Mosley is highly recommended by Frank Romano, president of the Museum of Printing (Haverhill, Massachusetts, USA), who is very knowledgeable about such things.  (The museum is also a great place to visit.) Thanks for bringing the series to our attention.

samcarter

I haven't yet watched it, but this looks interesting: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLh8Q6TpPxtgxSG6DEuOrH9iKx9bh6Pr7G

samcarter replying to Skillmon

There are certainly qualified British mathematicians :)

Skillmon replying to samcarter

next year pineapple pizza?

CarLaTeX

The physics of cacio e pepe <3

samcarter

@CarLaTeX https://improbable.com/2025/09/23/how-to-become-famous-physicists-pasta/

samcarter replying to निरंजन

:P

निरंजन replying to samcarter

The thief was smart enough to adjust the kerning again after the theft. :P

samcarter replying to निरंजन

Any missing letters have already been eaten :P

निरंजन replying to samcarter

Apostrophe missing.

samcarter

What a cheesy font! https://www.heirloomagency.com/store/p/swiss-cheese-mono

Skillmon replying to निरंजन

whoopsie, bad typo.

samcarter

(I was very surprised that there does not seem to be a `\color{xkcdCarrot}` -- sounds like the perfect name for some nice orange `\dots` )

samcarter replying to Skillmon

`\usepackage{xkcdcolors}`  
Here, have an `\color{xkcdGrapefruit}` for the duck!

निरंजन replying to Skillmon

There is a loophole in your message. :)

Skillmon replying to samcarter

Easy!  
```  
\usepackage{ducksay}\ducksay{I think I found a loophole to have an easy way to speak}  
```

samcarter replying to निरंजन

```
\RequirePackage{emoji}
\emoji{laughing}  
```

निरंजन

```latex
I suspect
\if\that\possible
\relax             % We could still give it a try,
\else              % how would we know?
\fi
```

samcarter

Let's take this one step further and just talk in tex source code: https://xkcd.com/3143/

samcarter replying to Skillmon

I've recently listed to a podcast about how storks often stick together for life.

निरंजन replying to samcarter

Hahahahahaha :joy::joy::joy::joy::joy::joy::joy:

Skillmon replying to samcarter

oh, just revisited the stuff I was sure was added by `xcolor` and not part of `colortbl`, only to find out that it got merged into `colortbl` at some time, so now it really just loads `colortbl` with the `table` option.