[OS X TeX] References across files

[Peter Vamos]

At 17:11 +0000 12/1/09, Alain Schremmer wrote:
>Suppose you are writing a novel about a family but you have not yet
>decided what the names of the various characters are.
>
>The obvious idea is to create a separate file with a genealogical
>tree, in which you would have, say, "Tom" so that, as you write the
>various included chapters of the novel, instead of typing "Tom", you
>would type the reference of "Tom" in the genealogical tree. Then, as
>you would typeset, all the occurrences of the reference would be
>replaced by "Tom".
>
>Now the equally obvious question: Is there actually a way to do this?
>(in LaTeX)

How about just creating for each family member/character a macro e.g.
\newcommand{\tom}{Tom}

Then just change these macros at will e.g

\newcommand{\tom}{Dick} or \newcommand{\tom}{Harry}
  and all references will be changed at the next typeset.

Then there is the glossary package ...

Peter