[OS X TeX] paths in input & include

[Claus Gerhardt]

TeX is a fine piece of rather sophisticated software, which shouldn't  
be bloated by - in my view - unnecessary additions. For most people a  
flat project hierarchy will be just what they need, e.g., it always  
suited me fine.

To help Alain with his specific problems I would suggest a macro

\newcommand{\includes}[1]{\include{./FolderA/FolderB/#1}

Claus


On Feb 13, 2006, at 1:03, Alain Schremmer wrote:

> Peter Dyballa wrote:
>
>>
>> Am 12.02.2006 um 22:59 schrieb Alain Schremmer:
>>
>>> 2) I was wondering if, instead of having in the document
>>>
>>>    \include{FolderA/FolderB/File1}
>>>
>>> it would be possible to have in the preamble some sort of
>>>
>>>    \filespath{{./FolderA/FolderB/}}
>>>
>>> and then in the document just
>>>
>>>    \include{File1}
>>
>>
>> No, this won't work. graphics.sty itself looks up the graphics  
>> files  to be included, as far as I understand the code.
>
> *I* don't even try to read the code.
>
>> I am still a bit flexible so *I* can adjust myself or my customs  
>> to  kind of inadequacies of a software -- up to some extent!
>
> I have to adjust and I do of course. The issue of course is that it  
> slows me down and …
>
>> Your  extension has some charm. Do you need more motivation to  
>> propose it  to the TeX programmers?
>
> I was afraid it might come to that. OK, here it is in as few words  
> as I can manage.
>
>    1) I am trying to offer a three semesters alternative to students
>    who eventually wish to learn, say, differential calculus while  
> still
>    in need of arithmetic as they enter two-year colleges and who, as a
>    result, usually face four to six semesters with a likely overall
>    passing rate of the order of at most one or two percents. By the
>    way, these seem to be at least 90% women.
>
>    2) I embarked in the development of a three-part proto-text to
>    present the ideas in some detail but, to quote David Hestenes,
>    "Early in my career, I naively thought that if you give a good idea
>    to competent mathematicians or physicists, they will work out its
>    implications for themselves. I have learned since that most of them
>    need the implications spelled out in utter detail."
>
>    3) As a result, while I am still writing the proto-text, I have
>    started an "implementation" for part 1 and part 3 which means a
>    student-readable version, exercises, homework, and multiple choice
>    exams.
>
> What all this means is a huge number of tex-files as well as pdf- 
> files.
>
>    a) For instance, a given "lesson" is written in a file without
>    preamble, called "7-EditAffineFunctions" whose project root is a
>    file called "7-LessonAffineFunctions" that has the preamble and, in
>    the document, just a header and a \include to call
>    "7-EditAffineFunctions" so that I can have the current lesson
>    printed for my students. Another advantage is that, as I work on
>    "7-EditAffineFunctions" and typeset it, I get a short pdf. Of
>    course, "7-LessonAffineFunctions" also has both a graphicspath for
>    the many figures in "7-EditAffineFunctions"
>    b) But "7-EditAffineFunctions" shares a lot of its figures with the
>    more or less corresponding Chapter in the proto-text and elsewhere.
>    c) To check continuity, I also have a file called "Book" which is
>    just a preamble with graphicspaths and a \include for each lesson
>    with or without including the ExerciseSets.
>    d) All the "Edit" files are in one folder and all the "Lesson"  
> files
>    are in a separate folder.
>    e} All the figures are in folders corresponding to the lessons that
>    all sit in a FiguresFolder so that I can call them from all over
>    without having to keep track of copies.
>    f) And then, there are the Homework that use the exercise sets and
>    the multiple-choice tests that use probsoln.sty on. QuestionFiles
>    that call Exercise files so as to be able to typeset quickly what I
>    am working on. Each in their folders.
>    etc
>
> So, yes, a \filespath{{./FolderA/FolderB/}} would be a blessing for  
> me.
>
> But of course, there remains the question of how many people, other  
> than myself, are dealing with this particular kind of situation.
>
> Regards
> --schremmer
>
>
>
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