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Heiko Oberdiek wrote:
existing documents can break because of added new primitives.
a small chance; such a package does not know about the primitive; the only danger can be in: - core latex uses a new primitive - old package overloads overloads new primitive by macro - core latex functionality fails but, for new primitives
With prefixes and reserved namespaces, document and package writers have the chance to avoid name clashes with future versions of pdfTeX. Without is asking for unnecessary trouble.
partially true, what if users have \pdf or whatever as prefix for their own macros? as said ... etex introduced primitives that clashed with context (and probably with other stuff around as well; \protected, \expanded, \interactionmode, those \if's etc are all candidates; and yet, we now default to etex as engine) so ... there is always the danger of a clash; the best we can do is to provide a list of new primitives in a separate file so that users can use that list to parse all their local stuff for clashes. Hans ----------------------------------------------------------------- Hans Hagen | PRAGMA ADE Ridderstraat 27 | 8061 GH Hasselt | The Netherlands tel: 038 477 53 69 | fax: 038 477 53 74 | www.pragma-ade.com | www.pragma-pod.nl -----------------------------------------------------------------