TeX - TopAnswers

निरंजन replying to Joseph Wright

Sure, I will log an issue. I didn't understand the code and didn't see any discussion around it. I just saw the PR name and saw its history. It was there for around 4 years.

Joseph Wright replying to निरंजन

Log an issue - if you saw the PR, you know that there were questions about what it would actually do

निरंजन replying to Joseph Wright

Thanks, about `\cs_use:c`: I saw the PR. It mentions `\cs_use:N` also. Probably to generate `\cs_use:c`? Not sure. Sad that it didn't make it to the code. Any chance of getting to see `\cs_use:N` in the future?

Joseph Wright replying to निरंजन

For `bool`, unlike `zero` and `clear`, we have a strictly limited range of settings, so we never really need to 'reset to empty' - a `bool` is always exactly `true` or `false`, and initialisation isn't really the same

Joseph Wright replying to निरंजन

We have talked about `\cs_use:c`, but things got a bit complicated (Will had a long-standing PR that never went anywhere)

निरंजन

LaTeX3 puzzles:

1. Extending the analogy of having `\cs_show:c` and not `\show:c`, why don't we have `\cs_use:c`? `\use:c` doesn't really fit well in the suffixed functions. Well, it may make sense because of the `:c`, but that was an option for `\show` too. Maybe because `\cs_show:N` was needed, `\cs_show:c` was just generated as a variant and since `\cs_use:N` was never required, `\use:c` sufficed, but it still feels like an odd person out.
2. Why don't we have `\bool_(g)false_new:N` following the `gclear` and `gzero` paradigm?

samcarter replying to Skillmon

Ah yes, some of the locals sneaked into the opera house :)

Skillmon replying to samcarter

yep, I read it. It's not even the first time I make the cut in one way or another. I remember a distinct rabbit like figure in the audience in one year.

CarLaTeX replying to Skillmon

Great contribution!

samcarter replying to Skillmon

The instead of "Loads of TkiZlings", the credits this year say "Loads of TikZlings and Friends" :)

Skillmon replying to CarLaTeX

Yay, `ducksay` has made the cut! <3

CarLaTeX

[![Extra.png](/image?hash=d071d2149077ec7d74342825093462ee9c6c988b73756f4133ba14d74fdd7ffa)](https://vimeo.com/1147001506)

CarLaTeX

The 2025 edition of the Great Tikzlings Christmas Extravaganza has just been released. Guided by William Shakespeare and Dante Alighieri you are going to meet a hallucinating meerkat and Wagnerian bats. You will learn things about Canada and find out where all the flowers have gone. You will listen to “Silent Night” on steel drums and see your favourite Tikzlings on holiday in France. There are ducks on ice, termite soup and reminiscences of Alfred Hitchcock, and some of the participants are hopping mad and, and, and… Have a look!

samcarter replying to Skillmon

`actualtext/.try` was way too easy to be true :)

Skillmon replying to samcarter

Good to know that the biggest syntax strangeness of `pgfkeys` that is the `.try`-handler doesn't help in what should be its use case :P

samcarter

(and before you run into the same problem, the `.try` handler won't work -- something about how the `actualtext` option is defined. Ulrike had some nice explanation, but I can't find it right now...  
  
That's why I'm testing with  
```  
\pgfkeysifdefined{/tikz/actualtext/.@cmd}{
}{
  \pgfkeys{/pgf/actualtext/.code={}}
}  
```  
)

samcarter replying to Skillmon

The price you pay for speed :)

Skillmon

But I reckon something similar should work with `pgfpicture`.

Skillmon replying to samcarter

dang, can't use that, no Ti*k*Z for me... :)

samcarter replying to Skillmon

Basically something like this:  
  
```  
\DocumentMetadata{tagging=on}
\documentclass{article}

\RequirePackage{tikz}

\makeatletter
\pgfkeysifdefined{/tikz/actualtext/.@cmd}{
}{
  \pgfkeys{/pgf/actualtext/.code={}}
}
\makeatother

\begin{document}

text

\begin{tikzpicture}[actualtext={42}]%
\draw (0,0) -- (1,1);
\end{tikzpicture}

\end{document}  
```

samcarter replying to Skillmon

Yes, I'm using the `actualtext` tikz option to provide the number as alt text.

Skillmon replying to samcarter

Did you already add tagging support to `cistercian`? If so, I might have to copy bits of it, I still haven't reworked my bunch of packages for tagging.

samcarter replying to Skillmon

Some packages are so good, they don't need advertisement :P

Skillmon replying to samcarter

That concludes the package war between `xistercian` and `cistercian`, to the victor go the spoils!

samcarter replying to Skillmon

Indeed! Even in colour! That was a really great surprise when reading the Komödie!

Skillmon

@samcarter finally got to take a look at the 4/2025 DTK, `cistercian` got an entire advertisement page!

CarLaTeX replying to samcarter

:)

samcarter replying to CarLaTeX

Thanks for the present :)

CarLaTeX

@samcarter Thank you for mentioning me in TikZlings update!

samcarter replying to Skillmon

Looks interesting! Thanks for the link!

Skillmon

Very interesting project: https://github.com/sylvainhalle/lua-pagemaker

samcarter replying to CarLaTeX

:D

CarLaTeX replying to samcarter

professional deformation :D

samcarter

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2502335-what-the-evolution-of-tickling-tells-us-about-being-human/  
  
^^^ at first glance, I read the headline as "What the evolution of *tikzling* tells us about being human" :)

samcarter replying to Skillmon

I didn't look at the code, but the design looks nice.

Skillmon replying to samcarter

Cool thing, will take a peek, thx for sharing the news

samcarter

https://mathstodon.xyz/@ajcain/115685444339649249

samcarter replying to frougon

 maybe it is both :)

frougon replying to samcarter

You don't have to decide. :)

samcarter replying to frougon

wow, I can't decide if impressive or crazy :)

frougon

Hi all. This is not exactly TeX, but fits equally well in the *BDSM Computer Programming* section: [Ray Tracing in pure CMake](https://64.github.io/cmake-raytracer/). With multicore support. 616 lines of—as much as CMake allows—readable code. Respect.  
  
Note: PNG support not required; you can just use the CMakeLists.txt after commenting out its `include(png.cmake)` line.

samcarter replying to Skillmon

That's good! Otherwise it would be real torture to leave you waiting until xmas :)

Skillmon

Luckily, unlike ducks, we rabbits aren't very curious creatures.

CarLaTeX

@samcarter You got mail

CarLaTeX replying to samcarter

I'll write to everyone to ask for some advice, wait my mail

samcarter replying to CarLaTeX

All is fine, no need to be sorry!

samcarter replying to CarLaTeX

So many colours! This will look awesome!

CarLaTeX replying to samcarter

Sorry, I'm not so expert of GitHub :D

samcarter replying to CarLaTeX

Oh, I've just seen your commit. It seems we were adding it at the same time :)

CarLaTeX replying to samcarter

Thank you