[OS X TeX] References across files

[Alain Schremmer]

On Jan 12, 2009, at 12:22 PM, Peter Vamos wrote:

> 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.

I hadn't thought of that. Just to make sure:

I would have, say, a style sheet in which I would have the "dramatis  
personae":
	\newcommand{\character1}{Dick}
	\newcommand{\character2}{Jane}
	\newcommand{\character3}{Harry}
…
and then I would write in, say, Chapter 3,

\character1 was the son of \character2 and \character3.

My situation is possibly a bit more complicated inasmuch as the  
"characters" are "checkable items" being used by probsoln so I will  
have to see what happens. I shall report.

> Then there is the glossary package ...

I will look it up.

Grateful regards
--schremmer