[OS X TeX] Easy question: babel vs. decimal expressions.

[Bruno Voisin]

Le 5 févr. 08 à 16:13, Javier Elizondo a écrit :

> I have a very simple question. If I load spanish using
> babel, and if I write in my tex file 62.5, it will
> appear written in the output PDF as 62,5
>
> I need in the output 62.5, does anyone know how can I
> correct this?

Does it work if you add in the preamble:

\AtBeginDocument{\decimalpoint}

Or just \decimalpoint anywhere after \begin{document}?

The Spanish language in babel (pp. 149--167 of /usr/local/texlive/2007/ 
texmf-dist/doc/generic/babel/babel.pdf) is rather poorly documented.  
The only mention of dots in math mode is, on p. 149:

> In math mode a dot followed by a digit is replaced by a decimal comma.

However, if you look at the documented code afterwards you'll find on  
p. 159:

> First, decimal comma.
> 36.450 \def\spanishdecimal#1{\def\es at decimal{{#1}}}
> 36.451 \def\decimalcomma{\spanishdecimal{,}}
> 36.452 \def\decimalpoint{\spanishdecimal{.}}
> 36.453 \decimalcomma
> 36.454
> 36.455 \es at set@shorthand{.}
> 36.456
> 36.457 \@namedef{es at math\string.}{%
> 36.458 \@ifnextchar\egroup
> 36.459 {\mathchar\es at period@code\relax}%
> 36.460 {\es at text@sh.}}
> 36.461
> 36.462 \declare at shorthand{system}{.}{\mathchar\es at period@code\relax}
> 36.463 \addto\shorthandsspanish{%
> 36.464 \mathchardef\es at period@code\the\mathcode‘\.%
> 36.465 \babel at savevariable{\mathcode‘\.}%
> 36.466 \mathcode‘\.="8000 %
> 36.467 \es at activate{.}}
> 36.468
> 36.469 \AtBeginDocument{%
> 36.470 \catcode‘\.=12
> 36.471 \if at filesw
> 36.472 \immediate\write\@mainaux{%
> 36.473 \string\catcode‘\string\.=12}%
> 36.474 \fi}
> 36.475
> 36.476 \declare at shorthand{spanish}{.1}{\es at decimal1}
> 36.477 \declare at shorthand{spanish}{.2}{\es at decimal2}
> 36.478 \declare at shorthand{spanish}{.3}{\es at decimal3}
> 36.479 \declare at shorthand{spanish}{.4}{\es at decimal4}
> 36.480 \declare at shorthand{spanish}{.5}{\es at decimal5}
> 36.481 \declare at shorthand{spanish}{.6}{\es at decimal6}
> 36.482 \declare at shorthand{spanish}{.7}{\es at decimal7}
> 36.483 \declare at shorthand{spanish}{.8}{\es at decimal8}
> 36.484 \declare at shorthand{spanish}{.9}{\es at decimal9}
> 36.485 \declare at shorthand{spanish}{.0}{\es at decimal0}

This seems to imply that \decimalcomma and \decimalpoint are switches  
to make "," and "." the math decimal separator, respectively, with  
\decimalcomma the default.

Hope this works,

Bruno Voisin