On Thu, Feb 04, 2010 at 10:11:59PM +0100, Werner LEMBERG wrote:
> > No macro, register, or string name within standard macro
> > packages will ever end in * . Thus all user created names
> > that end in * will never collide with any within the standard
> > macro packages.
>
> Nice idea. Have you already verified that no macro provided by any of
> the `big' macro packages end with `*'?
No, I have not. I was just shooting from the hip.
> It should be noted that such
> user macro names must be longer than two characters.
I'm thinking groff needs the concept of namespace .
By default, everything lives in the top, unnamed namespace so all the bugs
are preserved.
E.g.
.de LI \" my own take on the LI macro in the mm macros
:
..
.namespace MM -mm \" start the namespace MM,
\" which contains the -mm macro package.
.MM.BL \" use .BL from the MM namespace
.LI \" use .LI from the top (unnamed) namespace
:
.MM.LI \" use .LI from MM
:
.MM.LE
.BL \" There is only one .BL (in MM); use it.
.LI \" As above.
:
.MM.LI \" As above.
:
.LE \" There is only one .LE (in MM); use it.
.MM. \" default all following macros to the MM namespace.
.BL \" use .BL from MM
.LI \" use .LI from MM
:
._.LI \" use .LI from the unnamed namespace (named _ ?)
:
.LE
..namespace MM \" end default to MM .
.MM.BL \" still defined.
.namespace Mine \" start the Mine namespace.
.de Glurp \" defines .Mine.Glurp .
:
..
.Glurp \" uses .Mine.Glurp ,
\"" unless ._.Glurp is defined.
..namespace Mine \" end Mine .
.Mine.Glurp \" still defined.
This is just a sketch, and needs to be thought about more.
I'm sure someone who designs languages will have good suggestions.
Comments?
--
Mike Bianchi
Foveal Systems
973 822-2085 call to arrange Fax
mbian...@foveal.com
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