Re: [AUCTeX-devel] Re: xelatex and pdftex (a new mode)

[David Kastrup]

Ralf Angeli <address@hidden> writes:

> * Uwe Brauer (2008-07-17) writes:
>
>> So I suggest to add a xelatex mode, with the same functionality as the
>> pdflatex mode, when calling the viewer automatically xpdf starts and
>> not xdvi.
>
> Attached there are some proposed changes implementing an XeTeX minor
> mode, similar to Omega mode.

[...]

> I'm not really happy with the minor mode approach, because the AUCTeX
> minor modes are becoming a bit numerous and the logic for dealing with
> their interaction becomes difficult to manage.

Basically we have two different sets of modes here: one is selection of
an engine, another is selection of features.

The first of those is exclusive: only one (and exactly one if we count
the hypothetical TeX-Knuth-mode) can be active at any time, one could
select by radio buttons.  The second set is in principle orthogonal:
source-navigation can be on/off in either case, PDF output can (well, if
we have PS output as a special option, we get a radio-like set again)...

> But until we get configurable tool chains, this is probably still the
> best way to go.  (LuaTeX mode, anybody?)
>
> Please comment on the implementation, before I commit it.

I agree that the current proliferation seems awkward.  As a note aside:
shouldn't we have an obsolete function alias for
TeX-source-specials-mode?  That will make it more obvious for people how
to migrate, and it will let them keep working with one startup file for
multiple configurations for a transitory period of time.

-- 
David Kastrup, Kriemhildstr. 15, 44793 Bochum