[OS X TeX] pdflatex figure with the same name as the document?

[Alan Munn]

On May 14, 2010, at 11:40 AM, Josep Maria Font wrote:

> El dia 14/05/2010, a les 03:46, Alan Munn va escriure:
>
>> For the Mac, this is done at the file system level: you can format  
>> a disk to allow case sensitive file names, but there is no setting  
>> per se that you can switch on and off once your disk is formatted  
>> in the standard Apple way.
>
> Right, when you format a disk or volume you can choose whether  
> journaled or not, and whether case-sensitive or not. You can check  
> your situation by going to the Apple Menu > About this Mac > More  
> info > looking at your disk(s).
>
>> Unlike Windows, though, the Mac OS preserves the distinction  
>> between upper and lower case in file names, so if you transfer  
>> files to a system that does care about case, the names will appear  
>> as you actually wrote them.
>>
>> Apple's version is sort of weird: it preserves the file names, but  
>> ignores the difference. Within the terminal, for example, file name  
>> completion appears to be case-sensitive: 'app' will not expand to  
>> Applications.  But at the same time you can't create two files in  
>> the same directory with the same names but different cases.
>
> I would need some clarification here. I have my disk formatted as  
> "case-sensitive", and I *can* create two files in the same directory  
> with the same names but different cases. I can do this either in the  
> Finder or in the Terminal. They (seem to) appear as different files  
> to the system. This seems to contradict your last assertion. Or is  
> it that they only *look* as different but *are* actually the same  
> file ?

No, I was referring to the way the Mac is standardly set up (i.e. with  
a case insensitive file system.)  If you have formatted your disk to  
allow case sensitivity, then it will work as you describe, so you can  
have two different files with names that only differ in case.
>
> However, when I backup to a USB pendrive which is formatted as "case- 
> insensitive", the two files are contemplated as the same file, e.g.,  
> if only one is present in the pendrive then the most recent of the  
> two is backed up against the other, irrespectively of the case in  
> the names. Not being aware of this has caused some headaches in the  
> past.

Yes, this is correct.  If the file system doesn't distinguish case, it  
can't know the difference.  This is why I don't format my disks this  
way, since it can lead easily to the situation you describe.


>
> I have asked in the past about the (dis)advantages of case-sensitive  
> versus case-insensitive, but never received a satisfactory answer.  
> Is there anybody here with a clear one ? Thanks in advance !

Well for me, the above concern is definitely a disadvantage.

Alan


-- 
Alan Munn
amunn at gmx.com