# Web2c: A TeX implementation

## Table of Contents

- Web2c
- 1 Introduction
- 2 Installation
  - 2.1 `configure` options
  - 2.2 Compile-time options
  - 2.3 Additional targets
  - 2.4 Trip, trap, and mptrap: Torture tests
  - 2.5 Runtime options
- 3 Commonalities
  - 3.1 Option conventions
  - 3.2 Common options
  - 3.3 Path searching
  - 3.4 Output file location
  - 3.5 Three programs: Metafont, MetaPost, and TeX
    - 3.5.1 Initial and virgin
    - 3.5.2 Memory dumps
      - 3.5.2.1 Creating memory dumps
      - 3.5.2.2 Determining the memory dump to use
      - 3.5.2.3 Hardware and memory dumps
    - 3.5.3 Editor invocation
    - 3.5.4 `\input` filenames
- 4 TeX: Typesetting
  - 4.1 `tex` invocation
  - 4.2 Initial TeX
  - 4.3 Formats
  - 4.4 Languages and hyphenation
    - 4.4.1 MLTeX: Multi-lingual TeX
      - 4.4.1.1 `\charsubdef`: Character substitutions
      - 4.4.1.2 `\tracingcharsubdef`: Substitution diagnostics
    - 4.4.2 TCX files: Character translations
    - 4.4.3 Patgen: Creating hyphenation patterns
  - 4.5 IPC and TeX
  - 4.6 TeX extensions
- 5 Metafont: Creating typeface families
  - 5.1 `mf` invocation
  - 5.2 Initial Metafont
  - 5.3 Modes: Device definitions for Metafont
  - 5.4 Online Metafont graphics
  - 5.5 GFtoDVI: Character proofs of fonts
  - 5.6 MFT: Prettyprinting Metafont source
- 6 MetaPost: Creating technical illustrations
  - 6.1 `mpost` invocation
  - 6.2 Initial MetaPost
  - 6.3 MakeMPX: Support MetaPost labels
  - 6.4 DVItoMP: DVI to MPX conversion
  - 6.5 DMP: Ditroff to MPX conversion
  - 6.6 MPto: Extract labels from MetaPost input
  - 6.7 Newer: Compare file modification times
- 7 BibTeX: Bibliographies
  - 7.1 BibTeX invocation
  - 7.2 Basic BibTeX style files
- 8 WEB: Literate programming
  - 8.1 Tangle: Translate WEB to Pascal
  - 8.2 Weave: Translate WEB to TeX
  - 8.3 Pooltype: Display WEB pool files
- 9 DVI utilities
  - 9.1 DVIcopy: Canonicalize virtual font references
  - 9.2 DVItype: Plain text transliteration of DVI files
    - 9.2.1 DVItype output example
- 10 Font utilities
  - 10.1 Font file formats
  - 10.2 GFtoPK: Generic to packed font conversion
  - 10.3 PKtoGF: Packed to generic font conversion
  - 10.4 PKtype: Plain text transliteration of packed fonts
  - 10.5 GFtype: Plain text transliteration of generic fonts
  - 10.6 TFtoPL: TeX font metric to property list conversion
  - 10.7 PLtoTF: Property list to TeX font metric conversion
  - 10.8 VFtoVP: Virtual font to virtual property lists
  - 10.9 VPtoVF: Virtual property lists to virtual font
  - 10.10 Font utilities available elsewhere
- Appendix A Legalisms
- Appendix B References
- Index

Next: Introduction, Up: (dir)

## Web2c

This document describes how to install and use the programs in the Web2c implementation of the TeX system, especially for Unix systems. It corresponds to Web2c version 7.5.3, released in August 2004.

Next: Installation, Previous: Top, Up: Top

## 1 Introduction

This manual corresponds to version 7.5.3 of Web2c, released in August 2004.

Web2c is the name of a TeX implementation, originally for Unix, but now also running under DOS, Amiga, and other operating systems. By TeX implementation, we mean all of the standard programs developed by the Stanford TeX project directed by Donald E. Knuth: Metafont, DVItype, GFtoDVI, BibTeX, Tangle, etc., as well as TeX itself. Other programs are also included: DVIcopy, written by Peter Breitenlohner, MetaPost and its utilities (derived from Metafont), by John Hobby, etc.

General strategy: Web2c works, as its name implies, by translating the WEB source in which TeX is written into C source code. Its output is not self-contained, however; it makes extensive use of many macros and functions in a library (the web2c/lib directory in the sources). Therefore, it will not work without change on an arbitrary WEB program.

Availability: All of Web2c is freely available—“free” both in the sense of no cost (free ice cream) and of having the source code to modify and/or redistribute (free speech). See unixtex.ftp (Kpathsea), for the practical details of how to obtain Web2c.

Different parts of the Web2c distribution have different licensing terms, however, reflecting the different circumstances of their creation; consult each source file for exact details. The main practical implication for redistributors of Web2c is that the executables are covered by the GNU General Public License, and therefore anyone who gets a binary distribution must also get the sources, as explained by the terms of the GPL (see Copying (Kpathsea)). The GPL covers the Web2c executables, including `tex`, because the Free Software Foundation sponsored the initial development of the Kpathsea library that Web2c uses. The basic source files from Stanford, however, have their own copyright terms or are in the public domain, and are not covered by the GPL.

History: Tomas Rokicki originated the TeX-to-C system in 1987, working from the first change files for TeX under Unix, which were done primarily by Howard Trickey and Pavel Curtis. Tim Morgan then took over development and maintenance for a number of years; the name changed to Web-to-C somewhere in there. In 1990, Karl Berry became the maintainer. He made many changes to the original sources, and started using the shorter name Web2c. In 1997, Olaf Weber took over. Dozens of other people have contributed; their names are listed in the ChangeLog files.

Other acknowledgements: The University of Massachusetts at Boston (particularly Rick Martin and Bob Morris) has provided computers and ftp access to me for many years. Richard Stallman at the Free Software Foundation employed me while I wrote the original path searching library (for the GNU font utilities). (rms also gave us Emacs, GDB, and GCC, without which I cannot imagine developing Web2c.) And, of course, TeX would not exist in the first place without Donald E. Knuth.

Further reading: See References.

Next: Commonalities, Previous: Introduction, Up: Top

## 2 Installation

(A copy of this chapter is in the distribution file web2c/INSTALL.)

Installing Web2c is mostly the same as installing any other Kpathsea-using program. Therefore, for the basic steps involved, see Installation (Kpathsea). (A copy is in the file kpathsea/INSTALL.)

One peculiarity to Web2c is that the source distribution comes in two files: web.tar.gz and web2c.tar.gz. You must retrieve and unpack them both. (We have two because the former archive contains the very large and seldom-changing original WEB source files.) See unixtex.ftp (Kpathsea).

Another peculiarity is the MetaPost program. Although it has been installed previously as `mp`, as of Web2c 7.0 the installed name is now `mpost`, to avoid conflict with the `mp` program that does prettyprinting. This approach was recommended by the MetaPost author, John Hobby. If you as the TeX administrator wish to make it available under its shorter name as well, you will have to set up a link or some such yourself. And of course individual users can do the same.

For solutions to common installation problems and information on how to report a bug, see the file kpathsea/BUGS (see Bugs (Kpathsea)). See also the Web2c home page, http://www.tug.org/web2c.

Points worth repeating:

- Before starting the standard compilation and installation you must install the basic fonts, macros, and other library files. See Installation (Kpathsea).
- If you do not wish to use the standard file locations, see Changing search paths (Kpathsea).
- Some Web2c features are enabled or disabled at `configure` time, as described in the first section below.

Next: Compile-time options, Up: Installation

### 2.1 `configure` options

This section gives pointers to descriptions of the --with and --enable `configure` arguments that Web2c accepts. Some are specific to Web2c, others are generic to all Kpathsea-using programs.

For a list of all the options `configure` accepts, run configure --help. The generic options are listed first, and the package-specific options come last.

For a description of the generic options (which mainly allow you to specify installation directories) and basic `configure` usage, see Running `configure` scripts (Autoconf), a copy is in the file kpathsea/CONFIGURE.

--disable-dump-share
  Do not make fmt/base/mem files sharable across different endian architectures. See Hardware and memory dumps.
--without-maketexmf-default
--without-maketexpk-default
--without-maketextfm-default
--with-maketextex-default
  Enable or disable the dynamic generation programs. See mktex configuration (Kpathsea). The defaults are the inverse of the options, i.e., everything is enabled except `mktextex`.
--enable-shared
  Build Kpathsea as a shared library. See Shared library (Kpathsea).
--with-editor=cmd
  Change the default editor invoked by the e interactive command. See Editor invocation.
--with-epsfwin
--with-hp2627win
--with-mftalkwin
--with-nextwin
--with-regiswin
--with-suntoolswin
--with-tektronixwin
--with-unitermwin
--with-x
--with-x-toolkit=KIT
--with-x11win
--with-x11
  Define Metafont graphics support; by default, no graphics support is enabled. See Online Metafont graphics.
--x-includes=dir
--x-libraries=dir
  Define the locations of the X11 include files and libraries; by default, `configure` does its best to guess). See Optional Features (Autoconf). A copy is in kpathsea/CONFIGURE.

Next: Additional targets, Previous: configure options, Up: Installation

### 2.2 Compile-time options

In addition to the `configure` options listed in the previous section, there are a few things that can be affected at compile-time with C definitions, rather than with `configure`. Using any of these is unusual.

To specify extra compiler flags (-D name in this case), the simplest thing to do is:

         make XCFLAGS="ccoptions"

You can also set the `CFLAGS` environment variable before running `configure`. See configure environment (Kpathsea).

Anyway, here are the possibilities:

-DFIXPT
-DNO_MF_ASM
  Use the original WEB fixed-point routines for Metafont and MetaPost arithmetic calculations regarding fractions. By default, assembly-language routines are used on x86 hardware with GNU C (unless NO_MF_ASM is defined), and floating-point routines are used otherwise.
-DIPC_DEBUG
  Report on various interprocess communication activities. See IPC and TeX.

Next: Triptrap, Previous: Compile-time options, Up: Installation

### 2.3 Additional targets

Web2c has several Make targets besides the standard ones. You can invoke these either in the top level directory of the source distribution (the one containing kpathsea/ and web2c/), or in the web2c/ directory.

c-sources
  Make only the C files, translated from the Web sources, presumably because you want to take them to a non-Unix machine.
formats
install-formats
  Make or install all the memory dumps (see Memory dumps). By default, the standard plain formats plus latex.fmt are made. You can add other formats by redefining the `fmts`, `bases`, and `mems` variables. See the top of web2c/Makefile for the possibilities.
fmts
install-fmts
  Make or install the TeX .fmt files. See Initial TeX.
bases
install-bases
  Make or install the Metafont .base files. See Initial Metafont.
mems
install-mems
  Make or install the MetaPost .mem files. See Initial MetaPost.
triptrap
trip
trap
mptrap
  To run the torture tests for TeX, Metafont, and MetaPost (respectively). See the next section.

Next: Runtime options, Previous: Additional targets, Up: Installation

### 2.4 Trip, trap, and mptrap: Torture tests

To validate your TeX, Metafont, and MetaPost executables, run make triptrap. This runs the trip, trap, and mptrap “torture tests”. See the files triptrap/tripman.tex, triptrap/trapman.tex, and triptrap/mptrap.readme for detailed information and background on the tests.

The differences between your executables' behavior and the standard values will show up on your terminal. The usual differences (these are all acceptable) are:

- string usage and table sizes;
- glue set ratios;
- down4, right4, and y4 commands in DVItype output;
- dates and times.

Any other differences are trouble. The most common culprit in the past has been compiler bugs, especially when optimizing. See TeX or Metafont failing (Kpathsea).

The files trip.diffs, mftrap.diffs, and mptrap.diffs in the triptrap directory show the standard diffs against the original output. If you diff your diffs against these files, you should come up clean. For example

         make trip >&mytrip.diffs
         diff triptrap/trip.diffs mytrip.diffs

To run the tests separately, use the targets `trip`, `trap`, and `mptrap`.

To run simple tests for all the programs as well as the torture tests, run make check. You can compare the output to the distributed file tests/check.log if you like.

Previous: Triptrap, Up: Installation

### 2.5 Runtime options

Besides the configure- and compile-time options described in the previous sections, you can control a number of parameters (in particular, array sizes) in the texmf.cnf runtime file read by Kpathsea (see Config files (Kpathsea)).

Rather than exhaustively listing them here, please see the last section of the distributed kpathsea/texmf.cnf. Some of the more interesting values:

main_memory
  Total words of memory available, for TeX, Metafont, and MetaPost. Must remake the format file after changing.
extra_mem_bot
  Extra space for “large” TeX data structures: boxes, glue, breakpoints, et al. If you use PiCTeX, you may well want to set this.
font_mem_size
  Words of font info available for TeX; this is approximately the total size of all TFM files read.
hash_extra
  Additional space for the hash table of control sequence names. Approximately 10,000 control sequences can be stored in the main hash table; if you have a large book with numerous cross-references, this might not be enough, and thus you will want to set `hash_extra`.

Of course, ideally all arrays would be dynamically expanded as necessary, so the only limiting factor would be the amount of swap space available. Unfortunately, implementing this is extremely difficult, as the fixed size of arrays is assumed in many places throughout the source code. These runtime limits are a practical compromise between the compile-time limits in previous versions, and truly dynamic arrays. (On the other hand, the Web2c BibTeX implementation does do dynamic reallocation of some arrays.)

Next: TeX, Previous: Installation, Up: Top

## 3 Commonalities

Many aspects of the TeX system are the same among more than one program, so we describe all those pieces together, here.

Next: Common options, Up: Commonalities

### 3.1 Option conventions

To provide a clean and consistent behavior, we chose to have all these programs use the GNU function `getopt_long_only` to parse command lines. However, we do use in a restricted mode, where all the options have to come before the rest of the arguments.

As a result, you can:

- use - or -- to start an option name;
- use any unambiguous abbreviation for an option name;
- separate option names and values with either = or one or more spaces;
- use filenames that would otherwise look like options by putting them after an option --.

By convention, non-option arguments, if specified, generally define the name of an input file, as documented for each program.

If a particular option with a value is given more than once, it is the last value that counts.

For example, the following command line specifies the options foo, bar, and verbose; gives the value baz to the abc option, and the value xyz to the quux option; and specifies the filename -myfile-.

         -foo --bar -verb -abc=baz -quux karl --quux xyz -- -myfile-

Next: Path searching, Previous: Option conventions, Up: Commonalities

### 3.2 Common options

All of these programs accept the standard GNU --help and --version options, and several programs accept --verbose. Rather than writing identical descriptions for every program, they are described here.

--help
  Print a usage message listing basic usage and all available options to standard output, then exit successfully.
--verbose
  Print progress reports to standard output.
--version
  Print the version number to standard output, then exit successfully.

TeX, Metafont, and MetaPost have a number of additional options in common:

-file-line-error
-no-file-line-error
  Change (or do not change) the way error messages are printed. The alternate style looks like error messages from many compilers and is easier to parse for some editors that invoke TeX. This option used to be called -file-line-error-style.
-fmt=dumpname
-base=dumpname
-mem=dumpname
  Use dumpname instead of the program name or a %& line to determine the name of the memory dump file read (fmt for TeX, base for Metafont, mem for MetaPost). See Memory dumps. Also sets the program name to dumpname if no -progname option was given.
-halt-on-error
  Stop processing and exit when an error occurs, as opposed to the normal process of trying to recover and continue.
-ini
  Enable the “initial” form of the program (see Initial and virgin). This is implicitly set if the program name is `initex` resp. `inimf` resp. `inimpost`, although these variants are no longer typically installed.
-interaction=string
  Set the interaction mode from the command line. The string must be one of batchmode, nonstopmode, scrollmode, or errorstopmode.
-jobname=string
  Set the job name to string, instead of deriving it from the name of the input file.
-kpathsea-debug=number
  Set path searching debugging flags according to the bits of number (see Debugging (Kpathsea)). You can also specify this in `KPATHSEA_DEBUG` environment variable (for all Web2c programs). (The command line value overrides.) The most useful value is -1, to get all available output.
-output-directory=dirname
  Specify the directory dirname to which output files are written. Also look for input files in dirname first, before looking along the normal search path. This is useful when you are in some read-only distribution directory, perhaps on a CD-ROM, and want to TeX some documentation, for example. Note that for input files the “search” in dirname does not use the full generality of the search mechanism. This means that some files are not found there even though you might expect them to be.
-parse-first-line
-no-parse-first-line
  Check or disable checking whether the first line of the main input file starts with %&, and parse it if it does. This line can be used specify the format and/or a TCX file.
-progname=string
  Set program (and memory dump) name to string. This may affect the search paths and other values used (see Config files (Kpathsea)). Using this option is equivalent to making a link named string to the binary and then invoking the binary under that name. See Memory dumps.
-recorder
  Enable the filename recorder. This makes the program save a list of the opened files into a file with (by default) extension .fls. For Omega, this option is always on, and the file has extension .ofl.
-translate-file=tcxfile
  Use tcxfile to define which characters are printable and translations between the internal and external character sets. Moreover, tcxfile can be explicitly declared in the first line of the main input file %& -translate-file=tcxfile. This is the recommended method for portability reasons. See TCX files.
-8bit
  This option specifies that by default all characters should be considered printable. If -translate-file was given as well, then the TCX file may mark characters as non-printable.
-oem
  This option is specific to Windows. When specified, TeX engines will use the OEM code page rather than the ANSI one to display their messages.

Next: Output file location, Previous: Common options, Up: Commonalities

### 3.3 Path searching

All of the Web2c programs, including TeX, which do path searching use the Kpathsea routines to do so. The precise names of the environment and configuration file variables which get searched for particular file formatted are therefore documented in the Kpathsea manual (see Supported file formats (Kpathsea)). Reading texmf.cnf (see Config files (Kpathsea)), invoking `mktex...` scripts (see mktex scripts (Kpathsea)), and so on are all handled by Kpathsea.

The programs which read fonts make use of another Kpathsea feature: texfonts.map, which allows arbitrary aliases for the actual names of font files; for example, Times-Roman for ptmr8r.tfm. The distributed (and installed by default) texfonts.map includes aliases for many widely available PostScript fonts by their PostScript names.

Next: Three programs, Previous: Path searching, Up: Commonalities

### 3.4 Output file location

All the programs generally follow the usual convention for output files. Namely, they are placed in the directory current when the program is run, regardless of any input file location; or, in a few cases, output is to standard output.

For example, if you run tex /tmp/foo, for example, the output will be in ./foo.dvi and ./foo.log, not /tmp/foo.dvi and /tmp/foo.log.

You can use the -output-directory option to cause all output files that would normally be written in the current directory to be written in the specified directory instead. See Common options.

If the current directory is not writable, and -output-directory is not specified, the main programs (TeX, Metafont, MetaPost, and BibTeX) make an exception: if the config file value `TEXMFOUTPUT` is set (it is not by default), output files are written to the directory specified.

Previous: Output file location, Up: Commonalities

### 3.5 Three programs: Metafont, MetaPost, and TeX

TeX, Metafont, and MetaPost have a number of features in common. Besides the ones here, the common command-line options are described in the previous section. The configuration file options that let you control some array sizes and other features are described in Runtime options.

Next: Memory dumps, Up: Three programs

#### 3.5.1 Initial and virgin

The TeX, Metafont, and MetaPost programs each have two main variants, called initial and virgin. As of Web2c 7, one executable suffices for both variants, and in fact, the `ini...` executables are no longer created.

The initial form is enabled if:

1. the -ini option was specified; or
2. the program name is initex resp. inimf resp. inimpost (these variants are no longer typically installed); or
3. the first line of the main input file is %&ini;

otherwise, the virgin form is used.

The virgin form is the one generally invoked for production use. The first thing it does is read a memory dump (see Determining the memory dump to use), and then proceeds on with the main job.

The initial form is generally used only to create memory dumps (see the next section). It starts up more slowly than the virgin form, because it must do lengthy initializations that are encapsulated in the memory dump file.

Next: Editor invocation, Previous: Initial and virgin, Up: Three programs

#### 3.5.2 Memory dumps

In typical use, TeX, Metafont, and MetaPost require a large number of macros to be predefined; therefore, they support memory dump files, which can be read much more efficiently than ordinary source code.

Next: Determining the memory dump to use, Up: Memory dumps

##### 3.5.2.1 Creating memory dumps

The programs all create memory dumps in slightly idiosyncratic (thought substantially similar) way, so we describe the details in separate sections (references below). The basic idea is to run the initial version of the program (see Initial and virgin), read the source file to define the macros, and then execute the `\dump` primitive.

Also, each program uses a different filename extension for its memory dumps, since although they are completely analogous they are not interchangeable (TeX cannot read a Metafont memory dump, for example).

Here is a list of filename extensions with references to examples of creating memory dumps:

TeX
  (.fmt) See Initial TeX.
Metafont
  (.base) See Initial Metafont.
MetaPost
  (.mem) See Initial MetaPost.

When making memory dumps, the programs read environment variables and configuration files for path searching and other values as usual. If you are making a new installation and have environment variables pointing to an old one, for example, you will probably run into difficulties.

Next: Hardware and memory dumps, Previous: Creating memory dumps, Up: Memory dumps

##### 3.5.2.2 Determining the memory dump to use

The virgin form (see Initial and virgin) of each program always reads a memory dump before processing normal source input. All three programs determine the memory dump to use in the same way:

1. If the first non-option command-line argument begins with &, the program uses the remainder of that argument as the memory dump name. For example, running tex \&super reads super.fmt. (The backslash protects the & against interpretation by the shell.)
2. If the -fmt resp. -base resp. -mem option is specified, its value is used.
3. If the -progname option is specified, its value is used.
4. If the first line of the main input file (which must be specified on the command line, not in response to **) is `%&`dump, and dump is an existing memory dump of the appropriate type, dump is used.

   The first line of the main input file can also specify which character translation file is to be used: `%&-translate-file=`tcxfile (see TCX files).

   These two roles can be combined: `%&`dump`-translate-file=`tcxfile. If this is done, the name of the dump must be given first.

5. Otherwise, the program uses the program invocation name, most commonly tex resp. mf resp. mpost. For example, if latex is a link to tex, and the user runs latex foo, latex.fmt will be used.

Previous: Determining the memory dump to use, Up: Memory dumps

##### 3.5.2.3 Hardware and memory dumps

By default, memory dump files are generally sharable between architectures of different types; specifically, on machines of different endianness (see Byte order (GNU C Library)). (This is a feature of the Web2c implementation, and is not true of all TeX implementations.) If you specify --disable-dump-share to `configure`, however, memory dumps will be endian-dependent.

The reason to do this is speed. To achieve endian-independence, the reading of memory dumps on LittleEndian architectures, such as PC's and DEC architectures, is somewhat slowed (all the multibyte values have to be swapped). Usually, this is not noticeable, and the advantage of being able to share memory dumps across all platforms at a site far outweighs the speed loss. But if you're installing Web2c for use on LittleEndian machines only, perhaps on a PC being used only by you, you may wish to get maximum speed.

TeXnically, even without --disable-dump-share, sharing of .fmt files cannot be guaranteed to work. Floating-point values are always written in native format, and hence will generally not be readable across platforms. Fortunately, TeX uses floating point only to represent glue ratios, and all common formats (plain, LaTeX, AMSTeX, ...) do not do any glue setting at .fmt-creation time. Metafont and MetaPost do not use floating point in any dumped value at all.

Incidentally, different memory dump files will never compare equal byte-for-byte, because the program always dumps the current date and time. So don't be alarmed by just a few bytes difference.

If you don't know what endianness your machine is, and you're curious, here is a little C program to tell you. (The `configure` script contains a similar program.) This is from the book C: A Reference Manual, by Samuel P. Harbison and Guy L. Steele Jr. (see References).

         main ()
         {
           /* Are we little or big endian?  From Harbison&Steele.  */
           union
           {
             long l;
             char c[sizeof (long)];
           } u;
           u.l = 1;
           if (u.c[0] == 1)
             printf ("LittleEndian\n");
           else if (u.c[sizeof (long) - 1] == 1)
             printf ("BigEndian\n");
           else
             printf ("unknownEndian");

           exit (u.c[sizeof (long) - 1] == 1);
         }

Next: \input filenames, Previous: Memory dumps, Up: Three programs

#### 3.5.3 Editor invocation

TeX, Metafont, and MetaPost all (by default) stop and ask for user intervention at an error. If the user responds with `e` or `E`, the program invokes an editor.

Specifying --with-editor=cmd to `configure` sets the default editor command string to cmd. The environment variables/configuration values `TEXEDIT`, `MFEDIT`, and `MPEDIT` (respectively) override this. If --with-editor is not specified, the default is `vi +%d %s`.

In this string, %d is replaced by the line number of the error, and %s is replaced by the name of the current input file.

Previous: Editor invocation, Up: Three programs

#### 3.5.4 `\input` filenames

TeX, Metafont, and MetaPost source programs can all read other source files with the `\input` (TeX) and `input` (MF and MP) primitives:

         \input name % in TeX

The file name can always be terminated with whitespace; for Metafont and MetaPost, the statement terminator ; also works. (LaTeX and other macro packages provide other interfaces to `\input` that allow different notation; here we are concerned only with the primitive operation.)

As of Web2c version 7.5.3, double-quote characters can be used to include spaces or other special cases. In typical use, the " characters surround the entire filename:

         \input "filename with spaces"

Technically, the quote characters can be used inside the name, and can enclose any characters, as in:

         \input filename" "with" "spaces

One more point. In LaTeX, the quotes are needed inside the braces, thus

         \input{a b}    % fails
         \input{"a b"}  % ok

This quoting mechanism comes into play after TeX has tokenized and expanded the input. So, multiple spaces and tabs may be seen as a single space, active characters such as ~ are expanded first, and so on. (See below.)

On the other hand, various C library routines and Unix itself use the null byte (character code zero, ASCII NUL) to terminate strings. So filenames in Web2c cannot contain nulls, even though TeX itself does not treat NUL specially. In addition, some older Unix variants do not allow eight-bit characters (codes 128–255) in filenames.

For maximal portability of your document across systems, use only the characters a–z, 0–9, and ., and restrict your filenames to at most eight characters (not including the extension), and at most a three-character extension. Do not use anything but simple filenames, since directory separators vary among systems; instead, add the necessary directories to the appropriate search path.

Finally, the present Web2c implementation does ~ and $ expansion on name, unlike Knuth's original implementation and older versions of Web2c. Thus:

         \input ~jsmith/$foo.bar

will dereference the environment variable or Kpathsea config file value foo and read that file extended with .bar in user jsmith's home directory. You can also use braces, as in ${foo}bar, if you want to follow the variable name with a letter, numeral, or _.

(So another way to get a program to read a filename containing whitespace is to define an environment variable and dereference it.)

In all the common TeX formats (plain TeX, LaTeX, AMSTeX), the characters ~ and $ have special category codes, so to actually use these in a document you have to change their catcodes or use `\string`. (The result is unportable anyway, see the suggestions above.) The place where they are most likely to be useful is when typing interactively.

Next: Metafont, Previous: Commonalities, Up: Top

## 4 TeX: Typesetting

TeX is a typesetting system: it was especially designed to handle complex mathematics, as well as most ordinary text typesetting.

TeX is a batch language, like C or Pascal, and not an interactive “word processor”: you compile a TeX input file into a corresponding device-independent (DVI) file (and then translate the DVI file to the commands for a particular output device). This approach has both considerable disadvantages and considerable advantages. For a complete description of the TeX language, see The TeXbook (see References). Many other books on TeX, introductory and otherwise, are available.

Next: Initial TeX, Up: TeX

### 4.1 `tex` invocation

TeX (usually invoked as `tex`) formats the given text and commands, and outputs a corresponding device-independent representation of the typeset document. This section merely describes the options available in the Web2c implementation. For a complete description of the TeX typesetting language, see The TeXbook (see References).

TeX, Metafont, and MetaPost process the command line (described here) and determine their memory dump (fmt) file in the same way (see Memory dumps). Synopses:

         tex [option]... [texname[.tex]] [tex-commands]
         tex [option]... \first-line
         tex [option]... &fmt args

TeX searches the usual places for the main input file texname (see Supported file formats (Kpathsea)), extending texname with .tex if necessary. To see all the relevant paths, set the environment variable `KPATHSEA_DEBUG` to -1 before running the program.

After texname is read, TeX processes any remaining tex-commands on the command line as regular TeX input. Also, if the first non-option argument begins with a TeX escape character (usually `\`), TeX processes all non-option command-line arguments as a line of regular TeX input.

If no arguments or options are specified, TeX prompts for an input file name with **.

TeX writes the main DVI output to the file basetexname.dvi, where basetexname is the basename of texname, or texput if no input file was specified. A DVI file is a device-independent binary representation of your TeX document. The idea is that after running TeX, you translate the DVI file using a separate program to the commands for a particular output device, such as a PostScript printer (see Introduction (Dvips)) or an X Window System display (see xdvi(1)).

TeX also reads TFM files for any fonts you load in your document with the `\font` primitive. By default, it runs an external program named mktextfm to create any nonexistent TFM files. You can disable this at configure-time or runtime (see mktex configuration (Kpathsea)). This is enabled mostly for the sake of the EC fonts, which can be generated at any size.

TeX can write output files, via the `\openout` primitive; this opens a security hole vulnerable to Trojan horse attack: an unwitting user could run a TeX program that overwrites, say, ~/.rhosts. (MetaPost has a `write` primitive with similar implications). To alleviate this, there is a configuration variable `openout_any`, which selects one of three levels of security. When it is set to a (for “any”), no restrictions are imposed. When it is set to r (for “restricted”), filenames beginning with . are disallowed (except .tex because LaTeX needs it). When it is set to p (for “paranoid”) additional restrictions are imposed: an absolute filename must refer to a file in (a subdirectory) of `TEXMFOUTPUT`, and any attempt to go up a directory level is forbidden (that is, paths may not contain a .. component). The paranoid setting is the default. (For backwards compatibility, y and 1 are synonyms of a, while n and 0 are synonyms for r.)

In any case, all `\openout` filenames are recorded in the log file, except those opened on the first line of input, which is processed when the log file has not yet been opened. (If you as a TeX administrator wish to implement more stringent rules on `\openout`, modifying the function `openoutnameok` in web2c/lib/texmfmp.c is intended to suffice.)

The program accepts the following options, as well as the standard -help and -version (see Common options):

-[no]-file-line-error
-fmt=fmtname
-halt-on-error
-ini
-interaction=string
-jobname=string
-kpathsea-debug=number
-[no]parse-first-line
-output-directory
-progname=string
-recorder
-translate-file=tcxfile
-8bit
  These options are common to TeX, Metafont, and MetaPost. See Common options.
-enc
  Enable encTeX extensions, such as `\mubyte`. This can be used to support Unicode UTF-8 input encoding. See http://www.olsak.net/enctex.html.
-ipc
-ipc-start
  With either option, TeX writes its DVI output to a socket as well as to the usual .dvi file. With -ipc-start, TeX also opens a server program at the other end to read the output. See IPC and TeX.

  These options are available only if the --enable-ipc option was specified to `configure` during installation of Web2c.

-mktex=filetype
-no-mktex=filetype
  Turn on or off the mktex script associated with filetype. The only values that make sense for filetype are tex and tfm.
-mltex
  If we are `INITEX` (see Initial and virgin), enable MLTeX extensions such as `\charsubdef`. Implicitly set if the program name is `mltex`. See MLTeX.
-output-comment=string
  Use string as the DVI file comment. Ordinarily, this comment records the date and time of the TeX run, but if you are doing regression testing, you may not want the DVI file to have this spurious difference. This is also taken from the environment variable and config file value output_comment.
-shell-escape
-no-shell-escape
  Enable (or disable) the \write18{shell-command} feature. This is also enabled if the environment variable or config file value shell_escape is set to t (but the -no-shell-escape command line option overrides this). (For backwards compatibility, y and 1 are accepted as synonyms of t). It is disabled by default to avoid security problems. When enabled, the shell-command string (which first undergoes the usual TeX expansions, just as in \special) is passed to the command shell (via the C library function system). The output of shell-command is not diverted anywhere, so it will not appear in the log file. The system call either happens at \output time or right away, according to the absence or presence of the \immediate prefix, as usual for `\write`. (If you as a TeX administrator wish to implement more stringent rules on what can be executed, you will need to modify tex.ch.)
-src-specials
-src-specials=string
  This option makes TeX output specific source information using \special commands in the DVI file. These \special track the current file name and line number.

  Using the first form of this option, the \special commands are inserted automatically.

  In the second form of the option, string is a comma separated list of the following values: cr, display, hbox, math, par, parend, vbox. You can use this list to specify where you want TeX to output such commands. For example, -src-specials=cr,math will output source information every line and every math formula.

  These commands can be used with the appropriate DVI viewer and text editor to switch from the current position in the editor to the same position in the viewer and back from the viewer to the editor.

  This option works by inserting \special commands into the token stream, and thus in principle these additional tokens can be recovered or seen by the tricky-enough macros. If you run across a case, let us know, because this counts as a bug. However, such bugs are very hard to fix, requiring significant changes to TeX, so please don't count on it.

  Redefining \special will not affect the functioning of this option. The commands inserted into the token stream are hard-coded to always use the \special primitive.

  TeX does not pass the trip test when this option is enabled.

Next: Formats, Previous: tex invocation, Up: TeX

### 4.2 Initial TeX

The initial form of TeX is invoked by tex -ini. It does lengthy initializations avoided by the “virgin” (`vir`) form, so as to be capable of dumping .fmt files (see Memory dumps). For a detailed comparison of virgin and initial forms, see Initial and virgin. In past releases, a separate program initex was installed to invoke the initial form, but this is no longer the case.

For a list of options and other information, see tex invocation.

Unlike Metafont and MetaPost, many format files are commonly used with TeX. The standard one implementing the features described in the TeXbook is plain.fmt, also known as tex.fmt (again, see Memory dumps). It is created by default during installation, but you can also do so by hand if necessary (e.g., if an update to plain.tex is issued):

         tex -ini '\input plain \dump'

(The quotes prevent interpretation of the backslashes from the shell.) Then install the resulting plain.fmt in $(fmtdir) (/usr/local/share/texmf/web2c by default), and link tex.fmt to it.

The necessary invocation for generating a format file differs for each format, so instructions that come with the format should explain. The top-level web2c Makefile has targets for making most common formats: `plain latex amstex texinfo eplain`. See Formats, for more details on TeX formats.

Next: Languages and hyphenation, Previous: Initial TeX, Up: TeX

### 4.3 Formats

TeX formats are large collections of macros, often dumped into a .fmt file (see Memory dumps) by `tex -ini` (see Initial TeX). A number of formats are in reasonably widespread use, and the Web2c Makefile has targets to make the versions current at the time of release. You can change which formats are automatically built by setting the `fmts` Make variable; by default, only the plain and latex formats are made.

You can get the latest versions of most of these formats from the CTAN archives in subdirectories of CTAN:/macros (for CTAN info, see unixtex.ftp (Kpathsea)). The archive ftp://ftp.tug.org/tex/lib.tar.gz (also available from CTAN) contains most of these formats (although perhaps not the absolute latest version), among other things.

`latex`
  The most widely used format. The current release is named `LaTeX 2e'; new versions are released approximately every six months, with patches issued as needed. The old release was called `LaTeX 2.09', and is no longer maintained or supported. LaTeX attempts to provide generic markup instructions, such as “emphasize”, instead of specific typesetting instructions, such as “use the 10pt Computer Modern italic font”. The LaTeX home page: http://www.latex-project.org.
`context`
  ConTeXt is an independent macro package which has a basic document structuring approach similar to LaTeX. It also supports creating interactive PDF files and has integrated MetaPost support, among many other interesting features. The ConTeXt home page: http://www.pragma-ade.com.
`amstex`
  The official typesetting system of the American Mathematical Society. Like LaTeX, it encourages generic markup commands. The AMS also provides many LaTeX package for authors who prefer LaTeX. Taken together, they are used to produce nearly all AMS publications, e.g., Mathematical Reviews. The AMSTeX home page: http://www.ams.org/tex.
`texinfo`
  The documentation system developed and maintained by the Free Software Foundation for their software manuals. It can be automatically converted into plain text, a machine-readable on-line format called `info', HTML, etc. The Texinfo home page: http://www.gnu.org/software/texinfo.
`eplain`
  The “expanded plain” format provides various common features (e.g., symbolic cross-referencing, tables of contents, indexing, citations using BibTeX), for those authors who prefer to handle their own high-level formatting. The Eplain home page: http://www.tug.org/eplain.
`slitex`
  An obsolete LaTeX 2.09 format for making slides. It is replaced by the slides document class, along with the beamer, texpower, and other packages.

Next: IPC and TeX, Previous: Formats, Up: TeX

### 4.4 Languages and hyphenation

TeX supports most natural languages. See also TeX extensions.

Next: patgen invocation, Up: Languages and hyphenation

#### 4.4.1 MLTeX: Multi-lingual TeX

Multi-lingual TeX (`mltex`) is an extension of TeX originally written by Michael Ferguson and now updated and maintained by Bernd Raichle. It allows the use of non-existing glyphs in a font by declaring glyph substitutions. These are restricted to substitutions of an accented character glyph, which need not be defined in the current font, by its appropriate `\accent` construction using a base and accent character glyph, which do have to exist in the current font. This substitution is automatically done behind the scenes, if necessary, and thus MLTeX additionally supports hyphenation of words containing an accented character glyph for fonts missing this glyph (e.g., Computer Modern). Standard TeX suppresses hyphenation in this case.

MLTeX works at .fmt-creation time: the basic idea is to specify the -mltex option to TeX when you `\dump` a format. Then, when you subsequently invoke TeX and read that `.fmt` file, the MLTeX features described below will be enabled.

Generally, you use special macro files to create an MLTeX `.fmt` file.

The sections below describe the two new primitives that MLTeX defines. Aside from these, MLTeX is completely compatible with standard TeX.

Next: \tracingcharsubdef, Up: MLTeX

##### 4.4.1.1 `\charsubdef`: Character substitutions

The most important primitive MLTeX adds is `\charsubdef`, used in a way reminiscent of `\chardef`:

         \charsubdef composite [=] accent base

Each of composite, accent, and base are font glyph numbers, expressed in the usual TeX syntax: ``\e` symbolically, `'145` for octal, `"65` for hex, `101` for decimal.

MLTeX's `\charsubdef` declares how to construct an accented character glyph (not necessarily existing in the current font) using two character glyphs (that do exist). Thus it defines whether a character glyph code, either typed as a single character or using the `\char` primitive, will be mapped to a font glyph or to an `\accent` glyph construction.

For example, if you assume glyph code 138 (decimal) for an e-circumflex and you are using the Computer Modern fonts, which have the circumflex accent in position 18 and lowercase `e' in the usual ASCII position 101 decimal, you would use `\charsubdef` as follows:

         \charsubdef 138 = 18 101

For the plain TeX format to make use of this substitution, you have to redefine the circumflex accent macro `\^` in such a way that if its argument is character `e' the expansion `\char138` is used instead of `\accent18 e`. Similar `\charsubdef` declaration and macro redefinitions have to be done for all other accented characters.

To disable a previous `\charsubdef` c, redefine c as a pair of zeros. For example:

         \charsubdef '321 = 0 0  % disable N tilde

(Octal `'321` is the ISO Latin-1 value for the Spanish N tilde.)

`\charsubdef` commands should only be given once. Although in principle you can use `\charsubdef` at any time, the result is unspecified. If `\charsubdef` declarations are changed, usually either incorrect character dimensions will be used or MLTeX will output missing character warnings. (The substitution of a `\charsubdef` is used by TeX when appending the character node to the current horizontal list, to compute the width of a horizontal box when the box gets packed, and when building the `\accent` construction at `\shipout`-time. In summary, the substitution is accessed often, so changing it is not desirable, nor generally useful.)

Previous: \charsubdef, Up: MLTeX

##### 4.4.1.2 `\tracingcharsubdef`: Substitution diagnostics

To help diagnose problems with \charsubdef, MLTeX provides a new primitive parameter, `\tracingcharsubdef`. If positive, every use of `\charsubdef` will be reported. This can help track down when a character is redefined.

In addition, if the TeX parameter `\tracinglostchars` is 100 or more, the character substitutions actually performed at `\shipout`-time will be recorded.

Previous: patgen invocation, Up: Languages and hyphenation

#### 4.4.2 TCX files: Character translations

TCX (TeX character translation) files help TeX support direct input of 8-bit international characters if fonts containing those characters are being used. Specifically, they map an input (keyboard) character code to the internal TeX character code (a superset of ASCII).

Of the various proposals for handling more than one input encoding, TCX files were chosen because they follow Knuth's original ideas for the use of the xchr and xord tables. He ventured that these would be changed in the WEB source in order to adjust the actual version to a given environment. It turns out, however, that recompiling the WEB sources is not as simple a task as Knuth predicted; therefore, TCX files, providing the possibility of changing of the conversion tables on on-the-fly, has been implemented instead.

This approach limits the portability of TeX documents, as some implementations do not support it (or use a different method for input-internal reencoding). It may also be problematic to determine the encoding to use for a TeX document of unknown provenance; in the worst case, failure to do so correctly may result in subtle errors in the typeset output.

This is entirely independent of the MLTeX extension (see MLTeX): whereas a TCX file defines how an input keyboard character is mapped to TeX's internal code, MLTeX defines substitutions for a non-existing character glyph in a font with a `\accent` construction made out of two separate character glyphs. TCX files involve no new primitives; it is not possible to specify that an input (keyboard) character maps to more than one character.

Information on specifying TCX files:

- The best way to specify a TCX file is to list it explicitly in the first line of the main document:

                %& -translate-file=tcxfile

- You can also specify a TCX file to be used on a particular TeX run with the command-line option -translate-file=tcxfile.
- TCX files are searched for along the `WEB2C` path.
- Initial TeX (see Initial TeX) ignores TCX files.

The Web2c distribution comes with a number of TCX files. Two important ones are il1-t1.tcx and il2-t1.tcx, which support ISO Latin 1 and ISO Latin 2, respectively, with Cork-encoded fonts (a.k.a. the LaTeX T1 encoding). TCX files for Czech, Polish, and Slovak are also provided.

Syntax of TCX files:

1. Line-oriented. Blank lines are ignored.
2. Whitespace is ignored except as a separator.
3. Comments start with % and continue to the end of the line.
4. Otherwise, a line consists of one or two character codes, optionally followed by 0 or 1. The last number indicates whether dest is considered printable.

                 src [dest [prnt]]

5. Each character code may be specified in octal with a leading 0, hexadecimal with a leading 0x, or decimal otherwise. Values must be between 0 and 255, inclusive (decimal).
6. If the dest code is not specified, it is taken to be the same as src.
7. If the same src code is specified more than once, it is the last definition that counts.

Finally, here's what happens: when TeX sees an input character with code src, it 1) changes src to dest; and 2) makes code the dest “printable”, i.e., printed as-is in diagnostics and the log file instead of in ^^ notation.

By default, no characters are translated, and character codes between 32 and 126 inclusive (decimal) are printable. It is not possible to make these (or any) characters unprintable.

Specifying translations for the printable ASCII characters (codes 32–127) will yield unpredictable results. Additionally you shouldn't make the following characters printable: `^^I` (TAB), `^^J` (line feed), `^^M` (carriage return), and `^^?` (delete), since TeX uses them in various ways.

Thus, the idea is to specify the input (keyboard) character code for src, and the output (font) character code for dest.

By default, only the printable ASCII characters are considered printable by TeX. If you specify the -8bit option, all characters are considered printable by default. If you specify both the -8bit option and a TCX file, then the TCX can set specific characters to be non-printable.

Both the active TCX encoding and whether characters are printable are saved in the dump files (like tex.fmt). So by giving these options in combination with -ini you set the defaults seen by anyone who uses the resulting dump file.

When loading a dump, if the -8bit option was given, then all characters become printable by default.

When loading a dump, if a TCX file was specified, then the TCX data from the dump is ignored and the data from the file used instead.

Next: TCX files, Previous: MLTeX, Up: Languages and hyphenation

#### 4.4.3 Patgen: Creating hyphenation patterns

Patgen creates hyphenation patterns from dictionary files for use with TeX. Synopsis:

         patgen dictionary patterns output translate

Each argument is a filename. No path searching is done. The output is written to the file output.

In addition, Patgen prompts interactively for other values.

For more information, see Word hy-phen-a-tion by com-puter by Frank Liang (see References), and also the patgen.web source file.

The only options are -help and -version (see Common options).

Next: TeX extensions, Previous: Languages and hyphenation, Up: TeX

### 4.5 IPC and TeX

(Sorry, but I'm not going to write this unless someone actually uses this feature. Let me know.)

This functionality is available only if the --enable-ipc option was specified to `configure` during installation of Web2c (see Installation).

If you define `IPC_DEBUG` before compilation (e.g., with make XCFLAGS=-DIPC_DEBUG), TeX will print messages to standard error about its socket operations. This may be helpful if you are, well, debugging.

Previous: IPC and TeX, Up: TeX

### 4.6 TeX extensions

The base TeX program has been extended in many ways. Here's a partial list. Please send information on extensions not listed here to the address in Reporting bugs (Kpathsea).

e-TeX
  Adds many new primitives, including right-to-left typesetting. Available from http://www.vms.rhbnc.ac.uk/e-TeX/ and CTAN:/systems/e-tex.
Omega
  Adds Unicode support, right-to-left typesetting, and more. Available from http://www.ens.fr/omega and CTAN:/systems/omega.
pdfTeX
  A variant of TeX that produces PDF instead of DVI files. It also includes primitives for hypertext and micro-typography. Available from CTAN:/systems/pdftex.
TeX--XeT
  Adds primitives and DVI opcodes for right-to-left typesetting (as used in Arabic, for example). An old version for TeX 3.1415 is available from CTAN:/systems/knuth/tex--xet. A newer version is included in e-TeX.
File-handling TeX
  Adds primitives for creating multiple DVI files in a single run; and appending to output files as well as overwriting. Web2c implementation available in the distribution file web2c/contrib/file-handling-tex.

Next: MetaPost, Previous: TeX, Up: Top

## 5 Metafont: Creating typeface families

Metafont is a system for producing shapes; it was designed for producing complete typeface families, but it can also produce geometric designs, dingbats, etc. And it has considerable mathematical and equation-solving capabilities which can be useful entirely on their own.

Metafont is a batch language, like C or Pascal: you compile a Metafont program into a corresponding font, rather than interactively drawing lines or curves. This approach has both considerable disadvantages (people unfamiliar with conventional programming languages will be unlikely to find it usable) and considerable advantages (you can make your design intentions specific and parameterizable). For a complete description of the Metafont language, see The METAFONTbook (see References).

Next: Initial Metafont, Up: Metafont

### 5.1 `mf` invocation

Metafont (usually invoked as `mf`) reads character definitions specified in the Metafont programming language, and outputs the corresponding font. This section merely describes the options available in the Web2c implementation. For a complete description of the Metafont language, see The Metafontbook (see References).

Metafont processes its command line and determines its memory dump (base) file in a way exactly analogous to MetaPost and TeX (see tex invocation, and see Memory dumps). Synopses:

         mf [option]... [mfname[.mf]] [mf-commands]
         mf [option]... \first-line
         mf [option]... &base args

Most commonly, a Metafont invocation looks like this:

         mf '\mode:=mode; mag:=magnification; input mfname'

(The single quotes avoid unwanted interpretation by the shell.)

Metafont searches the usual places for the main input file mfname (see Supported file formats (Kpathsea)), extending mfname with .mf if necessary. To see all the relevant paths, set the environment variable `KPATHSEA_DEBUG` to -1 before running the program. By default, Metafont runs an external program named mktexmf to create any nonexistent Metafont source files you input. You can disable this at configure-time or runtime (see mktex configuration (Kpathsea)). This is mostly for the sake of the EC fonts, which can be generated at any size.

Metafont writes the main GF output to the file basemfname.nnn gf, where nnn is the font resolution in pixels per inch, and basemfname is the basename of mfname, or mfput if no input file was specified. A GF file contains bitmaps of the actual character shapes. Usually GF files are converted immediately to PK files with GFtoPK (see gftopk invocation), since PK files contain equivalent information, but are more compact. (Metafont output in GF format rather than PK for only historical reasons.)

Metafont also usually writes a metric file in TFM format to basemfname.tfm. A TFM file contains character dimensions, kerns, and ligatures, and spacing parameters. TeX reads only this `.tfm` file, not the GF file.

The mode in the example command above is a name referring to a device definition (see Modes); for example, `localfont` or `ljfour`. These device definitions must generally be precompiled into the base file. If you leave this out, the default is `proof` mode, as stated in The Metafontbook, in which Metafont outputs at a resolution of 2602dpi; this is usually not what you want. The remedy is simply to assign a different mode—`localfont`, for example.

The magnification assignment in the example command above is a magnification factor; for example, if the device is 600dpi and you specify `mag:=2`, Metafont will produce output at 1200dpi. Very often, the magnification is an expression such as `magstep(.5)`, corresponding to a TeX “magstep”, which are factors of

After running Metafont, you can use the font in a TeX document as usual. For example:

         \font\myfont = newfont
         \myfont Now I am typesetting in my new font (minimum hamburgers).

The program accepts the following options, as well as the standard -help and -version (see Common options):

-[no]-file-line-error
-fmt=fmtname
-halt-on-error
-ini
-interaction=string
-jobname=string
-kpathsea-debug=number
-[no]parse-first-line
-output-directory
-progname=string
-recorder
-translate-file=tcxfile
-8bit
  These options are common to TeX, Metafont, and MetaPost. See Common options.
-mktex=filetype
-no-mktex=filetype
  Turn on or off the mktex script associated with filetype. The only value that makes sense for filetype is mf.

Next: Modes, Previous: mf invocation, Up: Metafont

### 5.2 Initial Metafont

`inimf` is the “initial” form of Metafont, which does lengthy initializations avoided by the “virgin” (`vir`) form, so as to be capable of dumping .base files (see Memory dumps). For a detailed comparison of virgin and initial forms, see Initial and virgin. In past releases, a separate program inimf was installed to invoke the initial form, but this is no longer the case.

For a list of options and other information, see mf invocation.

The only memory dump file commonly used with Metafont is the default plain.base, also known as mf.base (again, see Memory dumps). It is created by default during installation, but you can also do so by hand if necessary (e.g., if a Metafont update is issued):

         mf -ini '\input plain; input modes; dump'

(The quotes prevent interpretation of the backslashes from the shell.) Then install the resulting plain.base in $(basedir) (/usr/local/share/texmf/web2c by default), and link mf.base to it.

For an explanation of the additional modes.mf file, see Modes. This file has no counterpart in TeX or MetaPost.

In the past, it was sometimes useful to create a base file cmmf.base (a.k.a. cm.base), with the Computer Modern macros also included in the base file. Nowadays, however, the additional time required to read cmbase.mf is exceedingly small, usually not enough to be worth the administrative hassle of updating the cmmf.base file when you install a new version of modes.mf. People actually working on a typeface may still find it worthwhile to create their own base file, of course.

Next: Online Metafont graphics, Previous: Initial Metafont, Up: Metafont

### 5.3 Modes: Device definitions for Metafont

Running Metafont and creating Metafont base files requires information that TeX and MetaPost do not: mode definitions which specify device characteristics, so Metafont can properly rasterize the shapes.

When making a base file, a file containing modes for locally-available devices should be input after plain.mf. One commonly used file is ftp://ftp.tug.org/tex/modes.mf; it includes all known definitions.

If, however, for some reason you have decreased the memory available in your Metafont, you may need to copy modes.mf and remove the definitions irrelevant to you (probably most of them) instead of using it directly. (Or, if you're a Metafont hacker, maybe you can suggest a way to redefine `mode_def` and/or `mode_setup`; right now, the amount of memory used is approximately four times the total length of the `mode_def` names, and that's a lot.)

If you have a device not included in modes.mf, please see comments in that file for how to create the new definition, and please send the definition to tex-fonts@mail.tug.org to get it included in the next release of modes.mf.

Usually, when you run Metafont you must supply the name of a mode that was dumped in the base file. But you can also define the mode characteristics dynamically, by invoking Metafont with an assignment to `smode` instead of `mode`, like this:

         mf '\smode:="newmode.mf"; mag:=magnification; input mfname'

This is most useful when you are working on the definition of a new mode.

The magnification and mfname arguments are explained in mf invocation. In the file newmode.mf, you should have the following (with no `mode_def` or `enddef`), if you are using modes.mf conventions:

         mode_param (pixels_per_inch, dpi);
         mode_param (blacker, b);
         mode_param (fillin, f);
         mode_param (o_correction, o);
         mode_common_setup_;

(Of course, you should use real numbers for dpi, b, f, and o.)

For more information on the use of `smode`, or if you are not using modes.mf, see page 269 of The Metafontbook.

Next: gftodvi invocation, Previous: Modes, Up: Metafont

### 5.4 Online Metafont graphics

The Web2c implementation of Metafont can do online graphics with a number of devices. (See the Metafont manual for more information about how to draw on your screen.) By default, no graphics support is enabled.

Metafont examines the `MFTERM` environment variable or config file value at runtime, or the `TERM` environment variable if `MFTERM` is not set, to determine the device support to use. Naturally, only the devices for which support has been compiled in can be selected.

Here is a table of the possibilities, showing the `MFTERM` value and the corresponding `configure` option(s) in parentheses.

`epsf`
  (--with-epsfwin) Pseudo-window server for Encapsulated PostScript (see web2c/window/epsf.c). This device produces an EPS file containing the graphics which would be displayed online on other devices. The name of the EPS file defaults to metafont.eps but can be changed by setting the MFEPSF environment variable to the new filename. Contributed by Mathias Herberts.
`hp2627`
  (--with-hp2627win) HP2627a color graphics terminals.
`mftalk`
  (--with-mftalkwin) Generic window server (see web2c/window/mftalk.c).
`next`
  (--with-next) NeXT window system. This requires a separate program, called `DrawingServant`, available separately. See the web2c/window/next.c.
`regis`
  (--with-regiswin) Regis terminals.
`sun`
  (--with-suntoolswin) The old Suntools (not any flavor of X) window system. (You can get the even older SunWindows `gfx` system by using sun-gfx.c.)
`tek`
  (--with-tektronixwin) Tektronix terminals.

`uniterm`
  (--with-unitermwin) Uniterm, Simon Poole's emulator of a smart Tektronix 4014 terminal. This may work with regular Tektronix terminals as well; it's faster than the driver --with-tek selects.

`xterm`
  (--with-x11win, --with-x, --with-x11) The X window system (version 11).

  There are two variants of the X11 support, one that works with the Xt toolkit, and another that works directly with Xlib. The Xt support is more efficient and has more functionality, so it is the default. If you must use the Xlib support, use configure --with-x --with-x-toolkit=no.

  You cannot specify any of the usual X options (e.g., -geometry) on the Metafont command line, but you can specify X resources in your ~/.Xdefaults or ~/.Xresources file. The class name is `Metafont`. If you're using the Xt support, all the usual X toolkit resources are supported. If you're using the Xlib support, only the `geometry` resource is supported.

  You specify the X display to which Metafont connects in the `DISPLAY` environment variable, as usual.

Writing support for a new device is straightforward. Aside from defining the basic drawing routines that Metafont uses (see mf.web), you only have to add another entry to the tables on the last page of web2c/lib/texmfmp.c. Or you can write an independent program and use MFtalk (see web2c/window/mftalk.c).

Next: mft invocation, Previous: Online Metafont graphics, Up: Metafont

### 5.5 GFtoDVI: Character proofs of fonts

GFtoDVI makes proof sheets from a GF bitmap file as output by, for example, Metafont (see Metafont). This is an indispensable aid for font designers or Metafont hackers. Synopsis:

         gftodvi [option]... gfname[gf]

The font gfname is searched for in the usual places (see Glyph lookup (Kpathsea)). To see all the relevant paths, set the environment variable `KPATHSEA_DEBUG` to -1 before running the program.

The suffix gf is supplied if not already present. This suffix is not an extension; no . precedes it: for instance cmr10.600gf.

The output filename is the basename of gfname extended with .dvi, e.g., gftodvi /wherever/foo.600gf creates ./foo.dvi.

The characters from gfname appear one per page in the DVI output, with labels, titles, and annotations, as specified in Appendix H (Hardcopy Proofs) of The Metafontbook.

GFtoDVI uses several fonts besides gfname itself:

- gray font (default gray): for the pixels that actually make up the character. Simply using black is not right, since then labels, key points, and other information could not be shown.
- title font (default cmr8): for the header information at the top of each output page.
- label font (default cmtt10): for the labels on key points of the figure.
- slant font (no default): for diagonal lines, which are otherwise simulated using horizontal and vertical rules.

To change the default fonts, you must use `special` commands in your Metafont source file.

The program accepts the following option, as well as the standard -verbose, -help, and -version (see Common options):

-overflow-label-offset=points
  Typeset the so-called overflow labels, if any, points TeX points from the right edge of the character bounding box. The default is a little over two inches (ten million scaled points, to be precise). Overflow equations are used to locate coordinates when their actual position is too crowded with other information.

Previous: gftodvi invocation, Up: Metafont

### 5.6 MFT: Prettyprinting Metafont source

MFT translates a Metafont program into a TeX document suitable for typesetting, with the aid of TeX macros defined in the file mftmac.tex. Synopsis:

         mft [option]... mfname[.mf]

MFT searches the usual places for mfname (see Supported file formats (Kpathsea)). To see all the relevant paths, set the environment variable `KPATHSEA_DEBUG` to -1 before running the program. The output goes to the basename of mfname extended with .tex, e.g., mft /wherever/foo.mf creates ./foo.tex.

Line breaks in the input are carried over into the output; moreover, blank spaces at the beginning of a line are converted to quads of indentation in the output. Thus, you have full control over the indentation and line breaks. Each line of input is translated independently of the others.

Further control is allowed via Metafont comments:

- Metafont comments following a single % should be valid TeX input. But Metafont material can be included within vertical bars in a comment; this will be translated by MFT as if it were regular Metafont code. For example, a comment like % |x2r| is the tip of the bowl will be translated into the TeX % $x_{2r}$ is the ..., i.e., the x2r is treated as an identifier.
- %% indicates that the remainder of an input line should be copied verbatim to the output. This is typically used to introduce additional TeX material at the beginning or an MFT job, e.g. code to modify the standard layout or the formatting macros defined in mftmac.tex, or to add a line saying %%\bye at the end of the job. (MFT doesn't add this automatically in order to allow processing several files produces by MFT in the same TeX job.)
- %%% token1 other-tokens introduces a change in MFT's formatting rules; all the other-tokens will henceforth be translated according to the current conventions for token1. The tokens must be symbolic (i.e., not numeric or string tokens). For example, the input line

                %%% addto fill draw filldraw

  says to format the fill, draw, and filldraw operations of plain Metafont just like the primitive token addto, i.e., in boldface type. Without such reformatting commands, MFT would treat fill like an ordinary tag or variable name. In fact, you need a %%% command even to get parentheses to act like delimiters.

- %%%% introduces an MFT comment, i.e., MFT ignores the remainder of such a line.
- Five or more % signs should not be used.

(The above description was edited from mft.web, written by D.E. Knuth.)

The program accepts the following options, as well as the standard -help and -version (see Common options):

-change=chfile[.ch]
  Apply the change file chfile as with Tangle and Weave (see WEB).
-style=mftfile[.mft]
  Read mftfile before anything else; a MFT style file typically contains only MFT directives as described above. The default style file is named plain.mft, which defines this properly for programs using plain Metafont. The MFT files is searched along the `MFTINPUTS` path; see Supported file formats (Kpathsea).

  Other examples of MFT style files are cmbase.mft, which defines formatting rules for the macros defined in cm.base, and e.mft, which was used in the production of Knuth's Volume E, Computer Modern Typefaces.

  Using an appropriate MFT style file, it is also possible to configure MFT for typesetting MetaPost sources. However, MFT does not search the usual places for MetaPost input files.

If you use eight-bit characters in the input file, they are passed on verbatim to the TeX output file; it is up to you to configure TeX to print these properly.

Next: BibTeX, Previous: Metafont, Up: Top

## 6 MetaPost: Creating technical illustrations

MetaPost is a picture-drawing language similar to Metafont (see Metafont), but instead of outputting bitmaps in a “font”, it outputs PostScript commands. It's primarily intended for creating technical illustrations.

MetaPost also provides for arbitrary integration of text and graphics in a natural way, using any typesetter (TeX and Troff are both supported) and a number of other subsidiary programs, described below.

Next: Initial MetaPost, Up: MetaPost

### 6.1 `mpost` invocation

MetaPost (installed as `mpost`) reads a series of pictures specified in the MetaPost programming language, and outputs corresponding PostScript code. This section merely describes the options available in the Web2c implementation. For a complete description of the MetaPost language, see AT&T technical report CSTR-162, generally available in texmf/doc/metapost/, where texmf is the root of TeX directory structure. See also:

- http://cm.bell-labs.com/who/hobby/MetaPost.html (the MetaPost author's home page);
- http://tug.org/metapost.html (papers, packages, and related information).

Also, a standard MetaPost package for drawing graphs is documented in AT&T technical report CSTR-164, available as the file mpgraph.ps, generally stored alongside mpman.ps.

MetaPost processes its command line and determines its memory dump (mem) file in a way exactly analogous to Metafont and TeX (see `tex` invocation, and see Memory dumps). Synopses:

         mpost [option]... [mpname[.mp]] [mp-commands]
         mpost [option]... \first-line
         mpost [option]... &mem args

MetaPost searches the usual places for the main input file mpname (see Supported file formats (Kpathsea)), extending mpname with .mp if necessary. To see all the relevant paths, set the environment variable `KPATHSEA_DEBUG` to -1 before running the program.

MetaPost writes its PostScript output to a series of files basempname.nnn (or perhaps basempname.ps, very occasionally basempname.tfm), where nnn are the figure numbers specified in the input, typically to the `beginfig` macro, and basempname is the basename of mpname, or mpout if no input file was specified. MetaPost uses the .ps extension when the figure number is out of range, e.g., if you say `beginfig(-1)`.

You can use the output files as figures in a TeX document just as with any other PostScript figures. For example, with this TeX command:

         \special{psfile="filename"}

or by using epsf.tex (see EPSF macros (Dvips)).

The MetaPost construct

         btex ... tex-input ... etex

calls MakeMPX to generate a MPX file containing a MetaPost picture expression corresponding to tex-input (see makempx invocation).

The construct

         verbatimtex ... tex-input ... etex

simply passes the tex-input through to MakeMPX and thus to TeX. For example, if you are using LaTeX, your MetaPost input file must start with a `verbatimtex` block that gives the necessary `\documentclass` (or `\documentstyle`) `\begin{document}` command. You will also need to set the enviroment variable `TEX` to latex (see makempx invocation).

tex-input need not be specifically TeX input; it could also be Troff. In that case, you will need the -m pictures Troff macro package (unfortunately absent from many Troff implementations), or an equivalent such as the -m pspic macros from GNU groff described in grops(1).

Other typesetters can be supported with no change to MetaPost itself; only MakeMPX needs to be updated.

Naturally, you must use fonts that are supported by the typesetter; specifically, you'll probably want to use standard PostScript fonts with Troff. And only the TeX system understands Computer Modern or other Metafont fonts; you can also use PostScript fonts with TeX, of course.

MetaPost-generated PostScript figures which do use Computer Modern fonts for labels cannot be directly previewed or printed. Instead, you must include them in a TeX document and run the resulting DVI file through Dvips to arrange for the downloading of the required fonts (see Fonts in figures (Dvips)). To help with this, the MetaPost distribution provides a small TeX file mproof.tex which is typically called as:

         tex mproof mp-output-files... ; dvips mproof -o

The resulting file mproof.ps can then be printed or previewed.

To generate EPSF files, set the internal MetaPost variable `prologues` positive. To make the output files self-contained, use only standard PostScript fonts. MetaPost reads the same psfonts.map file as Dvips, to determine PostScript fonts that need to be downloaded (see psfonts.map (Dvips)).

MetaPost can write output files, via the `write` primitive; this opens a security hole. See tex invocation.

The program accepts the following options, as well as the standard -help and -version (see Common options):

-[no]-file-line-error
-fmt=fmtname
-halt-on-error
-ini
-interaction=string
-jobname=string
-kpathsea-debug=number
-[no]parse-first-line
-output-directory
-progname=string
-recorder
-translate-file=tcxfile
-8bit
  These options are common to TeX, Metafont, and MetaPost. See Common options.
-T
-troff
  Set the `prologues` internal variable to `1`, and use `makempx -troff` to generate MPX files.
-tex=texprogram
  When this option is given, the program texprogram is used to typeset the labels.

Next: makempx invocation, Previous: mpost invocation, Up: MetaPost

### 6.2 Initial MetaPost

`inimpost` is the “initial” form of MetaPost, which does lengthy initializations avoided by the “virgin” (`vir`) form, so as to be capable of dumping .mem files (see Memory dumps). For a detailed comparison of virgin and initial forms, see Initial and virgin. In past releases, a separate program inimpost was installed for the initial form, but this is no longer the case.

For a list of options and other information, see mpost invocation.

The principal memory dump file used with MetaPost is the default, plain.mem, also known as mpost.mem (again, see Memory dumps). It is created by default during installation, but you can also do so by hand if necessary (e.g., if a plain.mp update is issued):

         mpost -ini '\input plain dump'

(The quotes prevent interpretation of the backslashes from the shell.) Then install the resulting plain.mem in $(memdir) (/usr/local/share/texmf/web2c by default), and link mpost.mem to it.

MetaPost also provides a mem file with all the features of plain Metafont, called mfplain.mem. You can create that in the same way; just replace plain in the above command with mfplain. mfplain.mem file lets you directly process Metafont source files with MetaPost, producing character proofs (one file for each character) similar to those produced with Metafont in proof mode and GFtoDVI (see gftodvi invocation).

Another MetaPost mem file, named MetaFun, provides many advanced features. It was developed and maintained by Pragma ADE. The home page for MetaFun, and other MetaPost-related things from Pragma: http://www.pragma-ade.com/metapost.htm.

Next: dvitomp invocation, Previous: Initial MetaPost, Up: MetaPost

### 6.3 MakeMPX: Support MetaPost labels

In MetaPost, labels can be typeset using any document processor; the Web2c implementation supports TeX and Troff. MakeMPX translates the labels from the typesetting language back into low-level MetaPost commands in a so-called mpx file, so text can be manipulated like other graphic objects. It is invoked automatically by MetaPost. Synopsis:

         makempx [-troff] mpfile mpxfile

The input comes from mpfile (no path searching is done), and the output goes to mpxfile. However, if the file mpxfile already exists, and is newer than mpfile, then nothing is done (presumably the file is up-to-date).

Otherwise:

1. MPto is run to extract the label text from the MetaPost source file mpfile (see mpto invocation).
2. The typesetting program itself is run, either TeX or Troff (see below). If TeX, and the file named by the `MPTEXPRE` environment variable exists (mptexpre.tex by default), that file is prepended to the input from the MetaPost file.
3. The typesetter output (a DVI file in the case of TeX, Ditroff output for Troff) is translated back to MetaPost, by DVItoMP (see dvitomp invocation) or DMP (see dmp invocation) respectively.

If any of the above steps fail, for example if there was a typesetting mistake in the original mpfile, output may be left in files named mpxerr.{log,tex,dvi} (TeX) or mpxerr{,.t} (Troff), so you can diagnose the problem.

The -troff option to MPto selects the Troff commands, rather than TeX. MetaPost supplies this automatically if the -T or -troff option was specified to MetaPost.

The MPX file created by MakeMPX is a sequence of MetaPost picture expressions, one for every label in the original MetaPost input file.

The names of the commands run by MakeMPX, and the directory added to the shell search `PATH` for the commands' location, are overridden by environment variables. Here is a list:

`MAKEMPX_BINDIR`
  The directory added to the `PATH`. Default is the $(bindir) Make directory, which in turn is set from the configure-time --bindir, --exec-prefix and --prefix options; if nothing else is specified, the default is file /usr/local.
`NEWER`
  The command run to determine if mpxfile is out of date with respect to mpfile; default is newer.
`MPTOTEX`
  The command run to extract MetaPost labels in TeX format; default is mpto -tex.
`MPTOTR`
  Likewise, for Troff; default is mpto -troff.
`DVITOMP`
  The command run to convert TeX output back to MetaPost; default is dvitomp.
`DMP`
  Likewise, for Troff; default is dmp.
`TEX`
  The command run to typeset the labels in TeX; default is tex. If you use LaTeX, set this to `latex`, and supply an appropriate `verbatimtex` header in the MP source (see mpost invocation).
`TROFF`
  Likewise, for Troff; default is 'eqn -d\$\$ | troff -Tpost'. You may need to replace -Tpost by -T term, where term is the PostScript device name for your Troff implementation, e.g., ps or psc; see troff(1).

  If you change this, you will also need to set the `TRFONTS` environment variable or configuration value to point to the appropriate font directory, traditionally /usr/lib/font/dev term.

Next: dmp invocation, Previous: makempx invocation, Up: MetaPost

### 6.4 DVItoMP: DVI to MPX conversion

DVItoMP converts DVI files into low-level MetaPost commands in a so-called MPX file. This program is generally invoked only by MakeMPX (see makempx invocation). Synopsis:

         dvitomp dvifile[.dvi] [mpxfile[.mpx]]

If mpxfile is not specified, the output goes to the basename of dvifile extended with .mpx, e.g., dvitomp /wherever/foo.dvi creates ./foo.mpx.

The only options are -help and -version (see Common options).

Next: mpto invocation, Previous: dvitomp invocation, Up: MetaPost

### 6.5 DMP: Ditroff to MPX conversion

DMP converts device-independent Troff (ditroff) output files into low-level MetaPost commands in a so-called MPX file. This program is generally invoked by MakeMPX (see makempx invocation). Synopsis:

         dmp [ditroff-file [mpxfile]]

If ditroff-file is not specified, input comes from standard input; and if mpxfile is not specified, output goes to standard output.

DMP was written to process the output of a Troff pipeline fed the output of `mpto -troff` (see mpto invocation). DMP understands all the D c graphics functions that `dpost` does, but it ignores x X device control functions such as x X SetColor:..., x X BeginPath:, and x X DrawPath:....

The available font names are defined in the support file trfonts.map, which DMP looks for along the `MPSUPPORT` path.

Another support file trchars.adj, also looked for along the `MPSUPPORT` path, contains a character adjustment table which should reflect the shift amounts found in the standard PostScript prologue for Troff and dpost found in the `TRFONTS` directory. Such an adjustment table is unnecessary for some Troff implementations, in which case trchars.adj should be replaced by an empty file—but it must still exist.

DMP was written for one particular Troff implementation, and it unfortunately has many built-in assumptions about the output and fonts file formats used by Troff, which may not be satisfied in other environments. In particular, GNU groff uses some extensions in its file formats described in groff_font(5) and groff_out(5) which make its output completely unusable for DMP. On the other hand, the Troff version found in Sun Solaris 2.x, and perhaps other systems derived from System V R4, works fine with the default settings.

If you run into trouble and want to adapt DMP to other systems, you might have to try the following (this is primarily for hackers):

- If DMP complains about a missing font table (e.g., Cannot find TR), your Troff may not support the device post.

  Check troff(1) for the devices supported by your Troff and set the `TROFF` environment variable appropriately (see above). Also, locate the appropriate font directory and set the `TRFONTS` variable as needed.

- If DMP complains about a missing font description file (e.g., Font TR was not in map file), your version of Troff may be using internal font names different from those in the distributed trfonts.map; e.g., TR and TI instead of R and I for Times-Roman and Times-Italic.

  In this case, you may have to adapt trfonts.map and perhaps also trchars.adj in the MetaPost support directory (texmf/metapost/support by default).

- If DMP still complains that it cannot parse the font description files or the Troff output (e.g., TR has a bad line in its description file, you are probably out of luck and have to hack the DMP program (in web2c/mpware/dmp.c).

  Such problems may be caused by subtle differences in the file formats, such as use of tabs vs. spaces as field separators or decimal vs. octal vs. hex format for font metric data.

  A reasonably good description of the expected Troff file formats can be found in AT&T technical report CSTR-54 (Troff User's Manual, Revised 1992). Documentation on the subtle differences in other Troff implementation is harder to find except for GNU groff, where it's all documented in the above-mentioned groff_font(5) and groff_out(5).

  Any contributions to improve the portability of DMP or to make it work with GNU groff are welcome, of course.

(Some of the above description was edited from the dmp.c source file, written by John Hobby.)

The only options are --help and --version (see Common options).

Next: newer invocation, Previous: dmp invocation, Up: MetaPost

### 6.6 MPto: Extract labels from MetaPost input

MPto extracts the labels from a MetaPost input file; this is the contents of any `btex...etex` and `verbatimtex...etex` sections. This program is generally invoked by MakeMPX (see makempx invocation). Synopsis:

         mpto [option]... mpfile

The input comes from mpfile; no path searching is done. The output goes to standard output. Leading and trailing spaces and tabs are removed, and various predefined typesetter commands are included at the beginning of and end of the file and of each section.

The program accepts the following options, as well as the standard -help and -version (see Common options):

-troff
  Surround the MetaPost sections with Troff commands.
-tex
  Surround the MetaPost sections with TeX commands. This is the default.

Previous: mpto invocation, Up: MetaPost

### 6.7 Newer: Compare file modification times

Newer compares file modification times. Synopsis:

         newer src dependent

Newer exits successfully if the file src exists and is older as dependent, i.e., the modification time (mtime) of src is greater than that of dependent. See Attribute Meanings (GNU C Library).

Although this could be written as a Perl script (see the perlop man page) or using the --full-time option supported by `ls` (see ls invocation (GNU core utilities)), it seems undesirable to depend on such independent, and sadly non-universal, programs.

This is used by MakeMPX (see makempx invocation).

Next: WEB, Previous: MetaPost, Up: Top

## 7 BibTeX: Bibliographies

BibTeX automates much of the job of typesetting bibliographies, and makes bibliography entries reusable in many different contexts.

Next: Basic BibTeX style files, Up: BibTeX

### 7.1 BibTeX invocation

BibTeX creates a printable bibliography (.bbl) file from references in a .aux file, generally written by TeX or LaTeX. The .bbl file is then incorporated on a subsequent run. The basic bibliographic information comes from .bib files, and a BibTeX style (.bst) file controls the precise contents of the .bbl file. Synopsis:

         bibtex [option]... auxfile[.aux]

The output goes to the basename of auxfile extended with .bbl; for example, bibtex /wherever/foo.aux creates ./foo.bbl. BibTeX also writes a log file to the basename of auxfile extended with .blg.

The names of the .bib and .bst files are specified in the .aux file as well, via the \bibliography and \bibliographystyle (La)TeX macros. BibTeX searches for .bib files using the `BIBINPUTS` and `TEXBIB` paths, and for .bst files using `BSTINPUTS` (see Supported file formats (Kpathsea)). It does no path searching for .aux files.

The program accepts the following options, as well as the standard -help and -version (see Common options):

-terse
  Suppress the program banner and progress reports normally output.
-min-crossrefs=n
  If at least n (2 by default) bibliography entries refer to another entry e via their `crossref` field, include e in the `.bbl` file, even if it was not explicitly referenced in the `.aux` file. For example, e might be a conference proceedings as a whole, with the cross-referencing entries being individual articles published in the proceedings. In some circumstances, you may want to avoid these automatic inclusions altogether; to do this, make n a sufficiently large number.

See also:

btxdoc.tex
  Basic LaTeXable documentation for general BibTeX users.
btxhak.tex
  LaTeXable documentation for style designers.
btxdoc.bib
  BibTeX database file for the two above documents.
xampl.bib
  Example database file with all the standard entry types.
ftp://ftp.math.utah.edu/pub/tex/bib/
  A very large .bib and .bst collection, including references for all the standard TeX books and a complete bibliography for TUGboat.

Previous: bibtex invocation, Up: BibTeX

### 7.2 Basic BibTeX style files

Here are descriptions of the four standard and four semi-standard basic BibTeX styles. CTAN:/biblio/bibtex contains these and many more (for CTAN info, see unixtex.ftp (Kpathsea)).

`plain`
  Sorts entries alphabetically, with numeric labels. Generally formatted according to van Leunen's A Handbook for Scholars. The other style files listed here are based on `plain`.
`abbrv`
  First names, month names, and journal names are abbreviated.
`acm`
  Names are printed in small caps.
`alpha`
  Alphanumeric labels, e.g., Knu66.
`apalike`
  No labels at all; instead, the year appears in parentheses after the author. Use this in conjunction with apalike.tex (plain TeX) or apalike.sty (LaTeX), which also changes the citations in the text to be (author, year).
`ieeetr`
  Numeric labels, entries in citation order, ieee abbreviations, article titles in quotes.
`siam`
  Numeric labels, alphabetic order, Math. Reviews abbreviations, names in small caps.
`unsrt`
  Lists entries in citation order, i.e., unsorted.
`btxbst.doc`
  The template file and documentation for the standard styles.

Next: DVI utilities, Previous: BibTeX, Up: Top

## 8 WEB: Literate programming

WEB languages allow you to write a single source file that can produce both a compilable program and a well-formatted document describing the program in as much detail as you wish to prepare. Writing in this kind of dual-purpose language is called literate programming. (The Usenet newsgroup comp.programming.literate and the mailing list litprog@shsu.edu are devoted to this subject; they are gatewayed to each other.)

WEB-like languages have been implemented with many pairs of base languages: Cweb provides C and Troff (see References); CWEB provides C and TeX (CTAN:/web/c_cpp/cweb); Spiderweb provides C, C++, Awk, Ada, many others, and TeX (CTAN:/web/spiderweb); and, of course, the original WEB provides Pascal and TeX, the implementation languages for the original TeX, Metafont, MetaPost, and related programs to come from the TeX project at Stanford.

The original WEB language is documented in the file webman.tex, which is included in the ftp://ftp.tug.org/tex/lib.tar.gz archive (and available in many other places, of course).

Next: weave invocation, Up: WEB

### 8.1 Tangle: Translate WEB to Pascal

Tangle creates a compilable Pascal program from a WEB source file (see WEB). Synopsis:

         tangle [option]... webfile[.web] [changefile[.ch]]

The Pascal output is written to the basename of webfile extended with .p; for example, tangle /wherever/foo.web creates ./foo.p. Tangle applies changefile to webfile before writing the output; by default, there is no change file.

If the program makes use of the WEB string facility, Tangle writes the string pool to the basename of webfile extended with .pool.

The Pascal output is packed into lines of 72 characters or less, with the only concession to readability being the termination of lines at semicolons when this can be done conveniently.

The program accepts the following options, as well as the standard --help and --version (see Common options):

-length=number
  The number of characters that are considered significant in an identifier. Whether underline characters are counted depends on the -underline option. The default value is 32, the original tangle used 7, but this proved too restrictive for use by Web2c.
-lowercase
-mixedcase
-uppercase
  These options specify the case of identifiers in the output of tangle. If -uppercase (-lowercase) is specified, tangle will convert all identfiers to uppercase (lowercase). The default is -mixedcase, which specifies that the case will not be changed.
-underline
  When this option is given, tangle does not strip underline characters from identifiers.
-loose
-strict
  These options specify how strict tangle must be when checking identifiers for equality. The default is -loose, which means that tangle will follow the rules set by the case-smashing and underline options above. If -strict is set, then identifiers will always be stripped of underlines and converted to uppercase before checking whether they collide.

Next: pooltype invocation, Previous: tangle invocation, Up: WEB

### 8.2 Weave: Translate WEB to TeX

Weave creates a TeX document from a WEB source file (see WEB), assuming various macros defined in webmac.tex. It takes care of typographic details such as page layout, indentation, and italicizing identifiers. It also automatically gathers and outputs extensive cross-reference information. Synopsis:

         weave [option]... webfile[.web] [changefile[.ch]]

The output is to the basename of webfile extended with .tex; for example, weave /wherever/foo.web creates ./foo.tex. Weave applies changefile to webfile before writing the output; by default, there is no change file.

The program accepts the following option, as well as the standard -verbose, -help and -version (see Common options):

-x
  Omit the cross-reference information: the index, the list of WEB module names, and the table of contents (an empty CONTENTS.tex file will still be written when the Weave output file is processed by TeX using the default webmac.tex, though).

Conventionally, WEB programmers should define the TeX `\title` macro at the beginning of the source file. Also, to get output of only changed modules, one can say `\let\maybe=\iffalse` (usually as the first change in the change file).

Previous: weave invocation, Up: WEB

### 8.3 Pooltype: Display WEB pool files

Pooltype shows the so-called string number of each string in a WEB pool file (see WEB), as output by Tangle (see tangle invocation), including the first 256 strings corresponding to the possible input characters. Pooltype primarily serves as an example of WEB conventions to implementors of the TeX system. Synopsis:

         pooltype [option]... poolfile[.pool]

No path searching is done for poolfile. Output is to standard output.

The only options are --help and --version (see Common options).

As an example of the output, here is the (edited) output for tex.pool:

         0: "^^@"
         1: "^^A"
         ...
         255: "^^ff"
         256: "pool size"
         ...
         1314: "Using character substitution: "
         (23617 characters in all.)

In Metafont and MetaPost, the first 256 characters are actually represented as single bytes (i.e., themselves), not in the ^^ notation. Consider Pooltype as showing the results after conversion for output.

Next: Font utilities, Previous: WEB, Up: Top

## 9 DVI utilities

TeX outputs a file in DVI (DeVice Independent) format as a compact representation of the original document. DVI files can be translated to meet the requirements of a real physical device, such as PostScript printers (see Introduction (Dvips)), PCL printers (see dvilj(1)), and X displays (see xdvi(1)). In fact, DVI translators are available for virtually all common devices: see CTAN:/dviware (for CTAN info, see unixtex.ftp (Kpathsea)).

For the precise definition of the DVI file format, see (for example) the source file web2c/dvitype.web.

The DVI-processing programs in the Web2c distribution are not device drivers; they perform generic utility functions.

Next: dvitype invocation, Up: DVI utilities

### 9.1 DVIcopy: Canonicalize virtual font references

DVIcopy reads a DVI file, expands any references to virtual fonts (see Virtual fonts (Dvips)) to base fonts, and writes the resulting DVI file. Thus you can use virtual fonts even if your DVI processor does not support them, by passing the documents through DVIcopy first. Synopsis:

         dvicopy [option]... [indvi[.dvi] [outdvi[.dvi]]]

DVIcopy reads standard input if indvi is not specified, and writes standard output if outdvi is not specified.

The program accepts the following options, as well as the standard -help and -version (see Common options):

-magnification=integer
  Override existing magnification in indvi with integer; 1000 specifies no magnification. This is equivalent to setting TeX's `\mag` parameter.
-max-pages=n
  Process n pages; default is one million.
-page-start=page-spec
  Start at the first page matching page-spec, which is one or more (signed) integers separated by periods, corresponding to TeX's `\count0...9` parameters at `\shipout` time; * matches anything. Examples: 3, 1.*.-4.

Previous: dvicopy invocation, Up: DVI utilities

### 9.2 DVItype: Plain text transliteration of DVI files

DVItype translates a DeVice Independent (DVI) file (as output by TeX, for example) to a plain text file that humans can read. It also serves as a DVI-validating program, i.e., if DVItype can read a file, it's correct. Synopsis:

         dvitype [option]... dvifile[.dvi]

DVItype does not read any bitmap files, but it does read TFM files for fonts referenced in dvifile. The usual places are searched (see Supported file formats (Kpathsea)). To see all the relevant paths, set the environment variable `KPATHSEA_DEBUG` to -1 before running the program.

Output goes to standard output.

The program accepts the following options, as well as the standard -help and -version (see Common options):

-dpi=real
  Do pixel movement calculations at real pixels per inch; default 300.0.
-magnification=integer
  Override existing magnification in indvi with integer; 1000 specifies no magnification. This is equivalent to setting TeX's `\mag` parameter.
-max-pages=n
  Process n pages; default is one million.
-output-level=n
  Verbosity level of output, from 0 to 4 (default 4):
  - 0: Global document information only.
  - 1: Most DVI commands included, and typeset characters summarized.
  - 2: Character and movement commands explicitly included.
  - 3: DVI stack and current position calculations included.
  - 4: Same information as level 3, but DVItype does random positioning in the file, reading the DVI postamble first.
-page-start=page-spec
  Start at the first page matching page-spec, which is one or more (signed) integers separated by periods, corresponding to TeX's `\count0...9` parameters at `\shipout` time; * matches anything. Examples: 1, 5.*.-9.
-show-opcodes
  Show numeric opcode values (in decimal) for DVI commands, in braces after the command name. This can help in debugging DVI utilities. We use decimal because in the DVI format documentation (in dvitype.web, among others) the opcodes are shown in decimal.

Up: dvitype invocation

#### 9.2.1 DVItype output example

As an example of the output from DVItype (see section above), here is its (abridged) translation of the story.dvi resulting from running the example in The TeXbook, with -output-level=4 and -show-opcodes on.

         ...
         Options selected:
           Starting page = *
           Maximum number of pages = 1000000
           Output level = 4 (the works)
           Resolution = 300.00000000 pixels per inch
         numerator/denominator=25400000/473628672
         magnification=1000;       0.00006334 pixels per DVI unit
         ' TeX output 1992.05.17:0844'
         Postamble starts at byte 564.
         maxv=43725786, maxh=30785863, maxstackdepth=3, totalpages=1
         Font 33: cmsl10---loaded at size 655360 DVI units
         Font 23: cmbx10---loaded at size 655360 DVI units
         Font 0: cmr10---loaded at size 655360 DVI units

         42: beginning of page 1
         87: push {141}
         level 0:(h=0,v=0,w=0,x=0,y=0,z=0,hh=0,vv=0)
         88: down3 -917504 {159} v:=0-917504=-917504, vv:=-58
         92: pop {142}
         ...
         104: putrule {137} height 26214, width 30785863 (2x1950 pixels)
         113: down3 5185936 {159} v:=655360+5185936=5841296, vv:=370
         117: push {141}
         level 1:(h=0,v=5841296,w=0,x=0,y=0,z=0,hh=0,vv=370)
         118: right4 12265425 {146} h:=0+12265425=12265425, hh:=777
         [ ]
         123: fntdef1 23 {243}: cmbx10
         145: fntnum23 {194} current font is cmbx10
         146: setchar65 h:=12265425+569796=12835221, hh:=813
         147: w3 251220 {150} h:=12835221+251220=13086441, hh:=829
         151: setchar83 h:=13086441+418700=13505141, hh:=856
         ...
         164: setchar82 h:=17448202+565245=18013447, hh:=1142
         165: x0 -62805 {152} h:=18013447-62805=17950642, hh:=1138
         166: setchar89 h:=17950642+569796=18520438, hh:=1174
         [A SHORT STORY]
         167: pop {142}
         level 1:(h=0,v=5841296,w=0,x=0,y=0,z=0,hh=0,vv=370)
         ...
         550: pop {142}
         level 0:(h=0,v=42152922,w=0,x=0,y=0,z=0,hh=0,vv=2670)
         551: down3 1572864 {159} v:=42152922+1572864=43725786, vv:=2770
         555: push {141}
         level 0:(h=0,v=43725786,w=0,x=0,y=0,z=0,hh=0,vv=2770)
         556: right4 15229091 {146} h:=0+15229091=15229091, hh:=965
         561: setchar49 h:=15229091+327681=15556772, hh:=986
         [ 1]
         562: pop {142}
         level 0:(h=0,v=43725786,w=0,x=0,y=0,z=0,hh=0,vv=2770)
         563: eop {140}

Explanation:

- The DVItype options are recorded at the beginning, followed by global information about the document, including fonts used.
- Each DVI command is preceded by its byte position in the file (42:, 87:, ...), and (because of the -show-opcodes) followed by its decimal opcode value in braces ({141}, {142}, ...).
- The level lines record information about the DVI stack; h and v define the current position in DVI units, while hh and vv are the same in pixels.
- Text sequences are summarized in brackets, as in [A SHORT STORY] and the [ 1].

Next: Legalisms, Previous: DVI utilities, Up: Top

## 10 Font utilities

The Web2c programs described here convert between various TeX-related font formats; the first section below briefly describes the formats. GFtoPK is the only one that is routinely used, as Metafont outputs GF format, but it's most efficient for device drivers to use PK.

The precise definitions of the PK, GF, TFM, PL, VF, and VPL formats mentioned below are in the source files that read them; pktype.web, gftype.web, tftopl.web, etc.

Next: gftopk invocation, Up: Font utilities

### 10.1 Font file formats

(For another perspective on this, see Font concepts (Dvips)).

Font files come in several varieties, with suffixes like:

         .tfm  .*pk  .*gf  .*pxl (obsolete)  .pl  .mf  .vf  .vpl

Each represents a file format.

A TFM (TeX font metric) file is a compact binary file that contains information about each character in a font, about combinations of characters within that font, and about the font as a whole. The font metric information contained in TFM files is device-independent units is used by TeX to do typesetting. Unlike the bitmap (raster) fonts described below, TFM font files contain no information about the shapes of characters. They describe rectangular areas and combinations thereof, but not what will eventually be printed in those areas.

Since TeX does scaling calculations, one TFM file serves for all magnifications of a given typeface. On the other hand, the best printed results are obtained when magnified (or reduced fonts) are not produced geometrically (as done by PostScript, for example) but rather optically, with each size a separate design (as done with Computer Modern and the EC fonts, for example); then a separate TFM file is needed for each size.

At any rate, TeX produces a DVI (DeVice Independent) file from your source document. In order to print DVI files on real devices, you need font files defining digitized character shapes and other data. Then previewers and printer-driver programs can translate your DVI files into something usable by your monitor or printer. Bitmap fonts come with suffixes such as .600pk or .600gf or .3000pxl, where the 600 is the horizontal dots-per-inch resolution at which the font was produced, and the pk or gf or pxl indicates the font format. Outline fonts in PostScript Type 1 format have suffixes such as .pfa or .pfb.

Fonts in pk (packed) format are in the tightly packed raster format that is pretty much the standard today. They take up less space than fonts in the gf (generic font) format that Metafont generates, and far less space than fonts in pxl format. Fonts in pxl format take up gross amounts of disk space and permit only 128 characters. They are obsolete.

Font files with the .pl (property list) suffix are the plain text (human-readable) analog of the binary .tfm files. The TFtoPL and PLtoTF programs convert between the two formats (see tftopl invocation and pltotf invocation).

Font files with the .mf suffix are in Metafont source format. These are the files used by Metafont to generate rastered fonts for specific typefaces at specific magnifications for the specific resolution and type of mapping used by your device.

The suffix .vf identifies “virtual font” files, for which .vpl is the human-readable analog. See See vftovp invocation, and vptovf invocation. For further discussion of virtual fonts, see CTAN:/doc/virtual-fonts.knuth, CTAN:/help/virtualfonts.txt, and Virtual fonts (Dvips).

(This section is based on documentation in the original Unix TeX distribution by Pierre MacKay and Elizabeth Tachikawa.)

Next: pktogf invocation, Previous: Font file formats, Up: Font utilities

### 10.2 GFtoPK: Generic to packed font conversion

GFtoPK converts a generic font (GF) file output by, for example, Metafont (see mf invocation) to a packed font (PK) file. PK files are considerably smaller than the corresponding gf files, so they are generally the bitmap font format of choice. Some DVI-processing programs, notably Dvips, only support PK files and not GF files. Synopsis:

         gftopk [option]... gfname.dpi[gf] [pkfile]

The font gfname is searched for in the usual places (see Glyph lookup (Kpathsea)). To see all the relevant paths, set the environment variable `KPATHSEA_DEBUG` to -1 before running the program.

The suffix gf is supplied if not already present. This suffix is not an extension; no . precedes it: for instance, cmr10.600gf.

If pkfile is not specified, the output is written to the basename of gfname.dpi pk, e.g., gftopk /wherever/cmr10.600gf creates ./cmr10.600pk.

The only options are --verbose, --help, and --version (see Common options).

Next: pktype invocation, Previous: gftopk invocation, Up: Font utilities

### 10.3 PKtoGF: Packed to generic font conversion

PKtoGF converts a packed font (PK) file to a generic font (GF) file. Since PK format is much more compact than GF format, the most likely reason to do this is to run GFtype (see gftype invocation) on the result, so you can see the bitmap images. Also, a few old utility programs do not support PK format. Synopsis:

         pktogf [option]... pkname.dpi[pk] [gffile]

The font pkname is searched for in the usual places (see Glyph lookup (Kpathsea)). To see all the relevant paths, set the environment variable `KPATHSEA_DEBUG` to -1 before running the program.

The suffix pk is supplied if not already present. This suffix is not an extension; no . precedes it: for instance, cmr10.600pk.

If gffile is not specified, the output is written to the basename of pkname.dpi gf, e.g., pktogf /wherever/cmr10.600pk creates ./cmr10.600gf.

The only options are --verbose, --help, and --version (see Common options).

Next: gftype invocation, Previous: pktogf invocation, Up: Font utilities

### 10.4 PKtype: Plain text transliteration of packed fonts

PKtype translates a packed font (PK) bitmap file (as output by GFtoPK, for example) to a plain text file that humans can read. It also serves as a PK-validating program, i.e., if PKtype can read a file, it's correct. Synopsis:

         pktype pkname.dpi[pk]

The font pkname is searched for in the usual places (see Glyph lookup (Kpathsea)). To see all the relevant paths, set the environment variable `KPATHSEA_DEBUG` to -1 before running the program.

The suffix pk is supplied if not already present. This suffix is not an extension; no . precedes it: for instance, cmr10.600pk.

The translation is written to standard output.

The only options are -help and -version (see Common options).

As an example of the output, here is the (abridged) translation of the letter `K' in cmr10, as rendered at 600dpi with the mode ljfour from modes.mf (available from ftp://ftp.tug.org/tex/modes.mf).

         955:  Flag byte = 184  Character = 75  Packet length = 174
           Dynamic packing variable = 11
           TFM width = 815562  dx = 4259840
           Height = 57  Width = 57  X-offset = -3  Y-offset = 56
           [2]23(16)17(8)9(25)11(13)7(27)7(16)7(28)4(18)7(28)2(20)7(27)...
           ...
           (14)9(24)12(5)[2]23(13)21

Explanation:

955
  The byte position in the file where this character starts.
Flag byte
Dynamic packing variable
  Related to the packing for this character; see the source code.
Character
  The character code, in decimal.
Packet length
  The total length of this character definition, in bytes.
TFM width
  The device-independent (TFM) width of this character. It is 2^24 times the ratio of the true width to the font's design size.
dx
  The device-dependent width, in scaled pixels, i.e., units of horizontal pixels times 2^16.
Height
Width
  The bitmap height and width, in pixels.
X-offset
Y-offset
  Horizontal and vertical offset from the upper left pixel to the reference (origin) pixel for this character, in pixels (right and down are positive). The reference pixel is the pixel that occupies the unit square in Metafont; the Metafont reference point is the lower left hand corner of this pixel. Put another way, the x-offset is the negative of the left side bearing; the right side bearing is the horizontal escapement minus the bitmap width plus the x-offset.
[2]23(16)...
  Finally, run lengths of black pixels alternate with parenthesized run lengths of white pixels, and brackets indicate a repeated row.

Next: tftopl invocation, Previous: pktype invocation, Up: Font utilities

### 10.5 GFtype: Plain text transliteration of generic fonts

GFtype translates a generic font (GF) bitmap file (as output by Metafont, for example) to a plain text file that humans can read. It also serves as a GF-validating program, i.e., if GFtype can read a file, it's correct. Synopsis:

         gftype [option]... gfname.dpi[gf]

The font gfname is searched for in the usual places (see Glyph lookup (Kpathsea)). To see all the relevant paths, set the environment variable `KPATHSEA_DEBUG` to -1 before running the program.

The suffix gf is supplied if not already present. This suffix is not an extension; no . precedes it: for instance, cmr10.600gf.

The translation is written to standard output.

The program accepts the following options, as well as the standard -help and -version (see Common options):

-images
  Show the characters' bitmaps using asterisks and spaces.
-mnemonics
  Translate all commands in the GF file.

As an example of the output, here is the (abrdiged) translation of the letter `K' in cmr10, as rendered at 600dpi with the mode ljfour from modes.mf (available from ftp://ftp.tug.org/tex/modes.mf), with both -mnemonics and -images enabled.

GFtype outputs the information about a character in two places: a main definition and a one-line summary at the end. We show both. Here is the main definition:

         2033: beginning of char 75: 3<=m<=60 0<=n<=56
         (initially n=56) paint (0)24(12)20
         2043: newrow 0 (n=55) paint 24(12)20
         2047: newrow 0 (n=54) paint 24(12)20
         2051: newrow 0 (n=53) paint 24(12)20
         2055: newrow 7 (n=52) paint 10(21)13
         2059: newrow 8 (n=51) paint 8(23)9
         ...
         2249: newrow 8 (n=5) paint 8(23)11
         2253: newrow 7 (n=4) paint 10(22)12
         2257: newrow 0 (n=3) paint 24(11)22
         2261: newrow 0 (n=2) paint 24(11)22
         2265: newrow 0 (n=1) paint 24(11)22
         2269: newrow 0 (n=0) paint 24(11)22
         2273: eoc
         .<--This pixel's lower left corner is at (3,57) in METAFONT coordinates
         ************************            ********************
         ************************            ********************
         ************************            ********************
         ************************            ********************
                **********                     *************
                 ********                       *********
         ...
                 ********                       ***********
                **********                      ************
         ************************           **********************
         ************************           **********************
         ************************           **********************
         ************************           **********************
         .<--This pixel's upper left corner is at (3,0) in METAFONT coordinates

Explanation:

2033
2043
...
  The byte position in the file where each GF command starts.
beginning of char 75
  The character code, in decimal.
3<=m<=60 0<=n<=56
  The character's bitmap lies between 3 and 60 (inclusive) horizontally, and between 0 and 56 (inclusive) vertically. (m is a column position and n is a row position.) Thus, 3 is the left side bearing. The right side bearing is the horizontal escapement (given below) minus the maximum m.
(initially n=56) paint (0)24(12)20
  The first row of pixels: 0 white pixels, 24 black pixels, 12 white pixels, etc.
newrow 0 (n=55) paint 24(12)20
  The second row of pixels, with zero leading white pixels on the row.
eoc
  The end of the main character definition.

Here is the GF postamble information that GFtype outputs at the end:

         Character 75: dx 4259840 (65), width 815562 (64.57289), loc 2033

Explanation:

dx
  The device-dependent width, in scaled pixels, i.e., units of horizontal pixels times 2^16. The (65) is simply the same number rounded. If the vertical escapement is nonzero, it would appear here as a dy value.
width
  The device-independent (TFM) width of this character. It is 2^24 times the ratio of the true width to the font's design size. The 64.57289 is the same number converted to pixels.
loc
  The byte position in the file where this character starts.

Next: pltotf invocation, Previous: gftype invocation, Up: Font utilities

### 10.6 TFtoPL: TeX font metric to property list conversion

TFtoPL translates a TeX font metric (TFM, see Metric files (Dvips)) file (as output by Metafont, for example) to property list format (a list of parenthesized items describing the font) that humans can edit or read. This program is mostly used by people debugging TeX implementations, writing font utilities, etc. Synopsis:

         tftopl [option]... tfmname[.tfm] [plfile[.pl]]

The font tfmname (extended with .tfm if necessary) is searched for in the usual places (see Supported file formats (Kpathsea)). To see all the relevant paths, set the environment variable `KPATHSEA_DEBUG` to -1 before running the program.

If plfile (which is extended with .pl if necessary) is not specified, the property list file is written to standard output. The property list file can be converted back to TFM format by the companion program TFtoPL (see the next section).

The program accepts the following option, as well as the standard -verbose, -help and -version (see Common options):

-charcode-format=type
  Output character codes in the PL file according to type: either octal or ascii. Default is ascii for letters and digits, octal for all other characters. Exception: if the font's coding scheme starts with TeX math sy or TeX math ex, all character codes are output in octal.

  In ascii format, character codes that correspond to graphic characters, except for left and right parentheses, are output as a C followed by the single character: C K, for example. In octal format, character codes are output as the letter O followed by octal digits, as in O 113 for K.

  octal format is useful for symbol and other non-alphabetic fonts, where using ASCII characters for the character codes is merely confusing.

As an example of the output, here is the (abridged) property list translation of cmr10.tfm:

         (FAMILY CMR)
         (FACE O 352)
         (CODINGSCHEME TEX TEXT)
         (DESIGNSIZE R 10.0)
         (COMMENT DESIGNSIZE IS IN POINTS)
         (COMMENT OTHER SIZES ARE MULTIPLES OF DESIGNSIZE)
         (CHECKSUM O 11374260171)
         (FONTDIMEN
            (SLANT R 0.0)
            (SPACE R 0.333334)
            (STRETCH R 0.166667)
            (SHRINK R 0.111112)
            (XHEIGHT R 0.430555)
            (QUAD R 1.000003)
            (EXTRASPACE R 0.111112)
            )
         (LIGTABLE
            ...
            (LABEL C f)
            (LIG C i O 14)
            (LIG C f O 13)
            (LIG C l O 15)
            (KRN O 47 R 0.077779)
            (KRN O 77 R 0.077779)
            (KRN O 41 R 0.077779)
            (KRN O 51 R 0.077779)
            (KRN O 135 R 0.077779)
            (STOP)
            ...
            )
         ...
         (CHARACTER C f
            (CHARWD R 0.305557)
            (CHARHT R 0.694445)
            (CHARIC R 0.077779)
            (COMMENT
               (LIG C i O 14)
               (LIG C f O 13)
               (LIG C l O 15)
               (KRN O 47 R 0.077779)
               (KRN O 77 R 0.077779)
               ...
               )
            )
         ...

As you can see, the general format is a list of parenthesized properties, nested where necessary.

- The first few items (`FAMILY`, `FACE`, and so on) are the so-called headerbyte information from Metafont, giving general information about the font.
- The `FONTDIMEN` property defines the TeX `\fontdimen` values.
- The `LIGTABLE` property defines the ligature and kerning table. `LIG` properties define ligatures: in the example above, an f (in the LABEL) followed by an i is a ligature, i.e., a typesetting program like TeX replaces those two consecutive characters by the character at position octal '014 in the current font—presumably the `fi' ligature. `KRN` properties define kerns: if an f is followed by character octal '047 (an apostrophe), TeX inserts a small amount of space between them: 0.077779 times the design size the font was loaded at (about three-quarters of a printer's point by default in this case, or .001 inches).
- The `CHARACTER` property defines the dimensions of a character: its width, height, depth, and italic correction, also in design-size units, as explained in the previous item. For our example `f', the depth is zero, so that property is omitted. TFtoPL also inserts any kerns and ligatures for this character as a comment.

Next: vftovp invocation, Previous: tftopl invocation, Up: Font utilities

### 10.7 PLtoTF: Property list to TeX font metric conversion

PLtoTF translates a property list file (as output by TFtoPL, for example) to TeX font metric (TFM, see Metric files (Dvips)) format. It's much easier for both programs and humans to create the (plain text) property list files and let PLtoTF take care of creating the binary TFM equivalent than to output TFM files directly. Synopsis:

         pltotf [option]... plfile[.pl] [tfmfile[.tfm]]

If tfmfile (extended with .tfm if necessary) is not specified, the TFM file is written to the basename of plfile.tfm, e.g., pltotf /wherever/cmr10.pl creates ./cmr10.tfm. (Since TFM files are binary, writing to standard output by default is undesirable.)

The only options are -verbose, -help, and -version (see Common options).

For an example of property list format, see the previous section.

Next: vptovf invocation, Previous: pltotf invocation, Up: Font utilities

### 10.8 VFtoVP: Virtual font to virtual property lists

VFtoVP translates a virtual font metric (VF, see Virtual fonts (Dvips)) file and its accompanying TeX font metric (TFM, see Metric files (Dvips)) file (as output by VPtoVF, for example) to virtual property list format (a list of parenthesized items describing the virtual font) that humans can edit or read. This program is mostly used by people debugging virtual font utilities. Synopsis:

         vftovp [option]... vfname[.vf] [tfmname[.tfm] [vplfile[.vpl]]]

The fonts vfname and tfmname (extended with .vf and .tfm if necessary) are searched for in the usual places (see Supported file formats (Kpathsea)). To see all the relevant paths, set the environment variable `KPATHSEA_DEBUG` to -1 before running the program. If tfmname is not specified, vfname (without a trailing .vf) is used.

If vplfile (extended with .vpl if necessary) is not specified, the property list file is written to standard output. The property list file can be converted back to VF and TFM format by the companion program VFtoVP (see the next section).

The program accepts the following option, as well as the standard -verbose, -help and -version (see Common options):

-charcode-format=type
  Output character codes in the PL file according to type: either octal or ascii. Default is ascii for letters and digits, octal for all other characters. Exception: if the font's coding scheme starts with TeX math sy or TeX math ex, all character codes are output in octal.

  In ascii format, character codes that correspond to graphic characters, except for left and right parentheses, are output as a C followed by the single character: C K, for example. In octal format, character codes are output as the letter O followed by octal digits, as in O 113 for K.

  octal format is useful for symbol and other non-alphabetic fonts, where using ASCII characters for the character codes is merely confusing.

Next: Font utilities available elsewhere, Previous: vftovp invocation, Up: Font utilities

### 10.9 VPtoVF: Virtual property lists to virtual font

VPtoVF translates a virtual property list file (as output by VFtoVP, for example) to virtual font (VF, see Virtual fonts (Dvips)) and TeX font metric (TFM, see Metric files (Dvips)) files. It's much easier for both programs and humans to create the (plain text) property list files and let VPtoVF take care of creating the binary VF and TFM equivalents than to output them directly. Synopsis:

         vptovf [option]... vplfile[.vpl] [vffile[.vf] [tfmfile[.tfm]]]

If vffile (extended with .vf if necessary) is not specified, the VF output is written to the basename of vplfile.vf; similarly for tfmfile. For example, vptovf /wherever/ptmr.vpl creates ./ptmr.vf and ./ptmr.tfm.

The only options are -verbose, -help, and -version (see Common options).

Previous: vptovf invocation, Up: Font utilities

### 10.10 Font utilities available elsewhere

The Web2c complement of font utilities merely implements a few basic conversions. Many other more sophisticated font utilities exist; most are in CTAN:/fonts/utilities (for CTAN info, see unixtex.ftp (Kpathsea)). Here are some of the most commonly-requested items:

- AFM (Adobe font metric) to TFM conversion: see Invoking afm2tfm (Dvips), and CTAN:/fonts/utilities/afmtopl.
- BDF (the X bitmap format) conversion: ftp://ftp.tug.org/tex/bdf.tar.gz.
- Creating fonts using MetaPost: MetaType1. ftp://bop.eps.gda.pl/pub/metatype1. This is used to create the excellent Latin Modern font family (CTAN:/fonts/lm), which extends Computer Modern to a vast repertoire of scripts.
- Editing of bitmap fonts: Xbfe from the GNU font utilities mentioned below; the X BDF-editing programs available from ftp://ftp.x.org/R5contrib/xfed.tar.Z and ftp://ftp.x.org/R5contrib/xfedor.tar.Z; and finally, if your fonts have only 128 characters, you can use the old `gftopxl`, `pxtoch`, and `chtopx` programs from ftp://ftp.tug.org/tex/web.
- Editing of outline fonts: FontForge, fontforge.sourceforge.net. This is a very elaborate program with support for many outline formats (Type 1, OpenType, TrueType, ...), and many advanced font editing features.
- PK bitmaps from PostScript outline fonts: gsftopk from the xdvi distribution. Alternatively, `ps2pk`, from CTAN:/fonts/utilities/ps2pk.
- PostScript Type 1 font format conversion (i.e., between PFA and PFB formats): ftp://ftp.tug.org/tex/t1utils.tar.gz.
- Scanned image conversion: the (aging) GNU font utilities convert type specimen images to Metafont, PostScript, etc.: http://www.gnu.org/software/fontutils/.
- Tracing bitmaps to fitted outlines: Autotrace (http://autotrace.sourceforge.net), Potrace (http://potrace.sourceforge.net). For Metafont fonts, either of the two programs `mftrace` (http://www.xs4all.nl/~hanwen/mftrace) or `textrace` (http://textrace.sourceforge.net) make the job easier.
- Virtual font creation: CTAN:/fonts/utilities/fontinst.

Next: References, Previous: Font utilities, Up: Top

## Appendix A Legalisms

In general, each file has its own copyright notice stating the copying permissions for that file. Following is a summary.

The Web2c system itself and most of the original WEB source files are public domain.

tex.web, the MLTeX code, mf.web, and bibtex.web, are copyrighted by their authors. They may be copied verbatim, but may be modified only through a .ch file.

MetaPost-related files, including mp.web itself, are copyrighted under X-like terms; the precise notice is included below.

Finally, almost all of the Kpathsea library is covered by the GNU Library General Public License, but part of one file is covered by the regular GNU General Public License (see Introduction (Kpathsea)). Therefore, the binaries resulting from a standard Web2c compilation are also covered by the GPL; so if you (re)distribute the binaries, you must also (offer to) distribute the complete source that went into those binaries. See the files COPYING and COPYING.LIB for complete details on the GPL and LGPL.

The following notice must be included by the terms of the MetaPost copyright.

> Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute this software and its documentation for any purpose and without fee is hereby granted, provided that the above copyright notice appear in all copies and that both that the copyright notice and this permission notice and warranty disclaimer appear in supporting documentation, and that the names of AT&T Bell Laboratories or any of its entities not be used in advertising or publicity pertaining to distribution of the software without specific, written prior permission.

> AT&T disclaims all warranties with regard to this software, including all implied warranties of merchantability and fitness. In no event shall AT&T be liable for any special, indirect or consequential damages or any damages whatsoever resulting from loss of use, data or profits, whether in an action of contract, negligence or other tortious action, arising out of or in connection with the use or performance of this software.

Next: Index, Previous: Legalisms, Up: Top

## Appendix B References

1. Kpathsea: See Introduction (Kpathsea).
2. Dvips and Afm2tfm: See Introduction (Dvips).
3. The TeX Users Group: http://www.tug.org. For an introduction to the TeX system, see http://tug.org/begin.html.
4. TUGboat: http://tug.org/TUGboat.
5. TeX and computer typesetting in general:
   ftp://ftp.math.utah.edu/pub/tex/bib/texbook1.bib.
6. For a bibliography of formal articles and technical reports on the TeX project, see the books TeX: The Program or Metafont: The Program cited below.
7. [Bil87] Neenie Billawala. Write-white printing engines and tuning fonts with Metafont. TUGboat, 8(1):29–32, April 1987.
8. [GMS94] Michel Goossens, Frank Mittelbach, and Alexander Samarin. The LaTeX Companion. Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA, USA, 1994.
9. [Hob89] John D. Hobby. A Metafont-like system with PS output. TUGboat, 10(4):505–512, December 1989.
10. [Hob92] John D. Hobby. A User's Manual for MetaPost. Technical Report CSTR-162, AT&T Bell Laboratories, 1992.
11. [Hob93] John D. Hobby. Drawing Graphs with MetaPost. Technical Report CSTR-164, AT&T Bell Laboratories, 1993.
12. [HS91] Samuel P. Harbison and Guy L. Steele Jr. C—A Reference Manual. Prentice-Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458, USA, third edition, 1991. An authoritative reference to the C programming language, and a good companion to Kernighan and Ritchie.
13. [KL93] Donald E. Knuth and Silvio Levy. The CWEB System of Structured Documentation, Version 3.0. Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA, USA, 1993.
14. [Knu84] Donald E. Knuth. A torture test for TeX. Report No. STAN-CS-84-1027, Stanford University, Department of Computer Science, 1984.
15. [Knu86a] Donald E. Knuth. A Torture Test for METAFONT. Report No. STAN-CS-86-1095, Stanford University, Department of Computer Science, 1986.
16. [Knu86b] Donald E. Knuth. The TeXbook, volume A of Computers and Typesetting. Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA, USA, 1986.
17. [Knu86c] Donald E. Knuth. TeX: The Program, volume B of Computers and Typesetting. Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA, USA, 1986.
18. [Knu86d] Donald E. Knuth. The METAFONTbook, volume C of Computers and Typesetting. Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA, USA, 1986.
19. [Knu86e] Donald E. Knuth. METAFONT: The Program, volume D of Computers and Typesetting. Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA, USA, 1986.
20. [Knu86f] Donald E. Knuth. Computer Modern Typefaces, volume E of Computers and Typesetting. Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA, USA, 1986.
21. [Knu89] Donald E. Knuth. The errors of TeX. Software—Practice and Experience, 19(7):607–681, July 1989. This is an updated version of iteKnuth:1988:ET.
22. [Knu90] Donald Knuth. Virtual Fonts: More Fun for Grand Wizards. TUGboat, 11(1):13–23, April 1990.
23. [Knu92] Donald E. Knuth. Literate Programming. CSLI Lecture Notes Number 27. Stanford University Center for the Study of Language and Information, Stanford, CA, USA, 1992.
24. [Lam94] Leslie Lamport. LaTeX: A Document Preparation System: User's Guide and Reference Manual. Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA, USA, second edition, 1994. Reprinted with corrections in 1996.
25. [Lia83] Franklin Mark Liang. Word hy-phen-a-tion by com-pu-ter. Technical Report STAN-CS-83-977, Stanford University, August 1983.
26. [Mac91] Pierre A. MacKay. Looking at the pixels: Quality control for 300 dpi laser printer fonts, especially Metafonts. In Robert A. Morris and Jacques Andre, editors, Raster Imaging and Digital Typography II—Papers from the second RIDT meeting, held in Boston, Oct. 14–16, 1991, pages 205–215, New York, 1991. Cambridge University Press.
27. [Spi89] Michael D. Spivak. LAMSTeX, The Synthesis. The TeXplorators Corporation, 3701 W. Alabama, Suite 450-273, Houston, TX 77027, USA, 1989.
28. [Spi90] Michael D. Spivak. The Joy of TeX—A Gourmet Guide to Typesetting with the AMSTeX macro package. American Mathematical Society, Providence, RI, USA, 2nd revised edition, 1990.

Previous: References, Up: Top

## Index

- #define options: Compile-time options
- `$` expansion in filenames: \input filenames
- `%&` magic number: Determining the memory dump to use
- `-` starting a filename: Option conventions
- `-` starts option names: Option conventions
- `--` starts option names: Option conventions
- `--disable-dump-share configure` option: Hardware and memory dumps
- `--enable-ipc configure` option: tex invocation
- `--help` common option: Common options
- `--verbose` common option: Common options
- `--version` common option: Common options
- `--with-editor=`cmd: Editor invocation
- `--with-epsfwin`: Online Metafont graphics
- `--with-hp2627win`: Online Metafont graphics
- `--with-mftalkwin`: Online Metafont graphics
- `--with-next`: Online Metafont graphics
- `--with-regiswin`: Online Metafont graphics
- `--with-suntoolswin`: Online Metafont graphics
- `--with-tektronixwin`: Online Metafont graphics
- `--with-unitermwin`: Online Metafont graphics
- `--with-x`: Online Metafont graphics
- `--with-x-toolkit=`kit: Online Metafont graphics
- `--with-x11`: Online Metafont graphics
- `--with-x11win`: Online Metafont graphics
- `-8bit`: Common options
- `-base=`base: Determining the memory dump to use
- `-base=`dumpname: Common options
- `-change=`chfile: mft invocation
- `-charcode-format=`type: vftovp invocation
- `-charcode-format=`type: tftopl invocation
- `-D` compiler options: Compile-time options
- `-dpi=`real: dvitype invocation
- `-enc`: tex invocation
- `-file-line-error`: Common options
- `-file-line-error-style`: Common options
- `-fmt=`dumpname: Common options
- `-fmt=`fmt: Determining the memory dump to use
- `-geometry`, supported with Xt: Online Metafont graphics
- `-halt-on-error`: Common options
- `-images`: gftype invocation
- `-ini`: Common options
- `-ini`: Initial and virgin
- `-interaction=`string: Common options
- `-ipc`: tex invocation
- `-ipc-start`: tex invocation
- `-jobname=`string: Common options
- `-kpathsea-debug=`number: Common options
- `-length=`number: tangle invocation
- `-loose`: tangle invocation
- `-lowercase`: tangle invocation
- `-magnification=`integer: dvitype invocation
- `-magnification=`integer: dvicopy invocation
- `-max-pages=`n: dvitype invocation
- `-max-pages=`n: dvicopy invocation
- `-mem=`dumpname: Common options
- `-mem=`mem: Determining the memory dump to use
- `-min-crossrefs=`n: bibtex invocation
- `-mixedcase`: tangle invocation
- `-mktex=`filetype: mf invocation
- `-mktex=`filetype: tex invocation
- `-mltex`: tex invocation
- `-mnemonics`: gftype invocation
- `-no-file-line-error`: Common options
- `-no-mktex=`filetype: mf invocation
- `-no-mktex=`filetype: tex invocation
- `-no-parse-first-line`: Common options
- `-no-shell-escape`: tex invocation
- `-oem`: Common options
- `-output-comment=`string: tex invocation
- `-output-directory`: Output file location
- `-output-directory`: Common options
- `-output-level=`n: dvitype invocation
- `-overflow-label-offset=`points: gftodvi invocation
- `-page-start=`page-spec: dvitype invocation
- `-page-start=`page-spec: dvicopy invocation
- `-parse-first-line`: Common options
- `-progname=`string: Common options
- `-progname=`string: Determining the memory dump to use
- `-recorder`: Common options
- `-shell-escape`: tex invocation
- `-show-opcodes`: dvitype invocation
- `-strict`: tangle invocation
- `-style=`mftfile: mft invocation
- `-T`: mpost invocation
- `-terse`: bibtex invocation
- `-tex`: mpto invocation
- `-tex=`texprogram: mpost invocation
- `-translate-file=`tcxfile: Common options
- `-troff`: mpto invocation
- `-troff`: makempx invocation
- `-troff`: mpost invocation
- `-underline`: tangle invocation
- `-uppercase`: tangle invocation
- `-x`: weave invocation
- `.`, used for output: Output file location
- `.2602gf`: mf invocation
- `.aux` cross-reference files: bibtex invocation
- `.base`: Initial Metafont
- `.bbl` bibliography files: bibtex invocation
- `.bib` bibliography databases: bibtex invocation
- `.blg` BibTeX log file: bibtex invocation
- `.fmt`: Initial TeX
- `.mem`: Initial MetaPost
- `.mf`: mf invocation
- `.mp`: mpost invocation
- `.`nnn PostScript figures: mpost invocation
- `.`nnn `gf` generic fonts: mf invocation
- `.tcx` character translation files: TCX files
- `.tcx` character translation files: Common options
- `.tex`: tex invocation
- `.tfm` output: mpost invocation
- `.tfm` output: mf invocation
- `.Xdefaults`: Online Metafont graphics
- `.Xresources`: Online Metafont graphics
- `2602gf`: mf invocation
- 8 bit clean: Common options
- `8 bit clean output, specifying`: Common options
- 8-bit characters: TCX files
- `\bibliography`: bibtex invocation
- `\bibliographystyle`: bibtex invocation
- `\charsubdef` and MLTeX: \charsubdef
- `\count` n: dvicopy invocation
- `\count` n: dvitype invocation
- `\font` and dynamic generation: tex invocation
- `\fontdimen`: tftopl invocation
- `\immediate\write18`: tex invocation
- `\input` filenames: \input filenames
- `\mag`: dvicopy invocation
- `\mag`: dvitype invocation
- `\openout` and security: tex invocation
- `\string`: \input filenames
- `\tracingcharsubdef` and MLTeX: \tracingcharsubdef
- `\tracinglostchars` and MLTeX: \tracingcharsubdef
- `\write18` shell escape extension: tex invocation
- `^^` notation, avoiding: TCX files
- Computer Modern Typefaces, production of: mft invocation
- `abbrv.bst`: Basic BibTeX style files
- accented character: TCX files
- accents, hyphenating words with: MLTeX
- acknowledgements: Introduction
- `acm.bst`: Basic BibTeX style files
- Ada, WEB for: WEB
- additional Make targets: Additional targets
- AFM to TFM conversion: Font utilities available elsewhere
- `afm2tfm`: Font utilities available elsewhere
- `afmtopl`: Font utilities available elsewhere
- aliases for fonts: Path searching
- `alpha.bst`: Basic BibTeX style files
- American Mathematical Society, typesetting system: Formats
- AMSTeX: Formats
- `apalike.bst`: Basic BibTeX style files
- Arabic typesetting: TeX extensions
- architecture dependencies: Hardware and memory dumps
- array limit, fixed: Runtime options
- array sizes: Runtime options
- assembly language routines: Compile-time options
- `autotrace`: Font utilities available elsewhere
- Awk, WEB for: WEB
- base file, determining: Determining the memory dump to use
- base files: Initial Metafont
- base files, need mode definitions: Modes
- base files, plain only: Initial Metafont
- base files, sharing: Hardware and memory dumps
- `bases` Make target: Additional targets
- basic BibTeX style files: Basic BibTeX style files
- basic fonts and macros: Installation
- batch languages: TeX
- BDF and GF conversion: Font utilities available elsewhere
- `beginfig`: mpost invocation
- `BeginPath` ditroff command: dmp invocation
- Berry, Karl: Introduction
- `BIBINPUTS`, search path for bib files: bibtex invocation
- bibliographies, creating: BibTeX
- bibliography: References
- bibliography items, cross-referenced: bibtex invocation
- `bibtex`: bibtex invocation
- BibTeX: BibTeX
- BibTeX collection: bibtex invocation
- BibTeX style files: Basic BibTeX style files
- BigEndian machines: Hardware and memory dumps
- binaries, linking: Common options
- blank lines, in TCX files: TCX files
- Bourne shell commands in TeX: tex invocation
- boxes, memory for: Runtime options
- breakpoints, memory for: Runtime options
- Breitenlohner, Peter: Introduction
- `BSTINPUTS`, search path for bst files: bibtex invocation
- `btex` and label extraction: mpto invocation
- `btex` for MetaPost labels: mpost invocation
- `btxdoc.bib`: bibtex invocation
- `btxdoc.tex`: bibtex invocation
- `btxhak.tex`: bibtex invocation
- byte position: gftype invocation
- byte position: pktype invocation
- byte swapping: Hardware and memory dumps
- `c-sources` Makefile target: Additional targets
- captions, extracting from MetaPost input: mpto invocation
- captions, for MetaPost: makempx invocation
- change files, and MFT: mft invocation
- change files, and Tangle: tangle invocation
- change files, and Weave: weave invocation
- changing error messages style: Common options
- character codes, in GFtype output: gftype invocation
- character codes, in PKtype output: pktype invocation
- character codes, in TCX files: TCX files
- character proofs of fonts: gftodvi invocation
- `CHARACTER` property: tftopl invocation
- character translation files: TCX files
- `CHARDP` property: tftopl invocation
- `CHARHT` property: tftopl invocation
- `CHARIC` property: tftopl invocation
- `CHARWD` property: tftopl invocation
- `chtopx`: Font utilities available elsewhere
- class name for Metafont: Online Metafont graphics
- `cm.base`: Initial Metafont
- `cmbase.mf`: Initial Metafont
- `cmbase.mft`: mft invocation
- `cmmf.base` not recommended: Initial Metafont
- comments, in TCX files: TCX files
- comments, MFT control: mft invocation
- common options: Common options
- commonalities: Commonalities
- comparing file modification times: newer invocation
- compilation: Installation
- compile-time options: configure options
- compile-time options: Compile-time options
- Computer Modern fonts, and Troff: mpost invocation
- Computer Modern macros: Initial Metafont
- configuration: Installation
- configuration file reading: Path searching
- configuration file values: Runtime options
- configuration, compile-time: configure options
- `configure --with/--enable` options: configure options
- `CONTENTS.tex`: weave invocation
- control sequence names, space for: Runtime options
- conventions for options,: Option conventions
- conversion, DVI to plain text: dvitype invocation
- conversion, GF to PK: gftopk invocation
- conversion, GF to plain text: gftype invocation
- conversion, PK to GF: pktogf invocation
- conversion, PK to plain text: pktype invocation
- conversion, property list to TFM: pltotf invocation
- conversion, property list to VF: vptovf invocation
- conversion, TFM to property list: tftopl invocation
- conversion, VF to VPL: vftovp invocation
- copyright notices: Legalisms
- Cork encoding and ISO input: TCX files
- creating memory dumps: Creating memory dumps
- cross-referenced bibliography items: bibtex invocation
- cross-references, omitting: weave invocation
- current directory, used for output: Output file location
- Curtis, Pavel: Introduction
- CWEB: WEB
- Cweb: WEB
- `D` c ditroff graphics: dmp invocation
- date and time, in memory dumps: Hardware and memory dumps
- debugging DVI utilities: dvitype invocation
- debugging flags, specifying: Common options
- decimal character codes, in TCX files: TCX files
- dependencies, hardware: Hardware and memory dumps
- design-size units: tftopl invocation
- device definitions, for Metafont: Modes
- device-independent width: gftype invocation
- device-independent width: pktype invocation
- directory structure: Installation
- `DISPLAY`: Online Metafont graphics
- ditroff output, converting to MPX: dmp invocation
- `DMP`: makempx invocation
- `DMP`: dmp invocation
- DMP, invoked by MakeMPX: makempx invocation
- `dmp.c`: dmp invocation
- dot files, written by TeX programs: tex invocation
- downloading of fonts for MetaPost labels: mpost invocation
- `dpost`: dmp invocation
- `DrawingServant`: Online Metafont graphics
- `DrawPath` ditroff command: dmp invocation
- dump file: Common options
- dumping memory: Memory dumps
- DVI comment, specifying: tex invocation
- DVI files, converting to MPX: dvitomp invocation
- DVI files, creating multiple: TeX extensions
- DVI files, explained: Font file formats
- DVI format definition: DVI utilities
- DVI opcodes, showing: dvitype invocation
- DVI utilities: DVI utilities
- `dvicopy`: dvicopy invocation
- `dvitomp`: dvitomp invocation
- `DVITOMP`: makempx invocation
- DVItoMP, invoked by MakeMPX: makempx invocation
- `dvitype` DVI validation: dvitype invocation
- dvitype output example: dvitype output example
- `dvitype.web`: DVI utilities
- dx horizontal escapement: gftype invocation
- dx horizontal escapement: pktype invocation
- dy vertical escapement: gftype invocation
- dynamic array allocation: Runtime options
- dynamic Metafont mode definitions with `smode`: Modes
- dynamic packing variable: pktype invocation
- `e` response at error prompt: Editor invocation
- e-circumflex: \charsubdef
- e-TeX: TeX extensions
- `e.mft`: mft invocation
- EC fonts: tex invocation
- EC fonts: mf invocation
- editing of bitmap fonts: Font utilities available elsewhere
- editor invoked at error: Editor invocation
- eight-bit characters in filenames: \input filenames
- endian dependencies: Hardware and memory dumps
- `eoc` GF command: gftype invocation
- Eplain: Formats
- `epsf`: Online Metafont graphics
- errors, editor invoked at: Editor invocation
- escapement, horizontal: gftype invocation
- escapement, horizontal: pktype invocation
- escapement, vertical: gftype invocation
- `etex` and label extraction: mpto invocation
- `etex` for MetaPost labels: mpost invocation
- executables, shared initial and virgin: Initial and virgin
- expanded plain format: Formats
- extensions to TeX: TeX extensions
- `extra_mem_bot`: Runtime options
- `FACE` property: tftopl invocation
- `FAMILY` property: tftopl invocation
- Ferguson, Michael: MLTeX
- file formats for fonts: Font file formats
- file mtimes, comparing: newer invocation
- file recorder: Common options
- File-handling TeX: TeX extensions
- filename conventions, in input files: \input filenames
- filenames starting with -: Option conventions
- first line of the main input file: Common options
- fixed-point arithmetic: Compile-time options
- `FIXPT`: Compile-time options
- flag byte: pktype invocation
- floating-point arithmetic: Compile-time options
- floating-point values: Hardware and memory dumps
- fmt file, determining: Determining the memory dump to use
- fmt files: Initial TeX
- fmt files, sharing: Hardware and memory dumps
- `fmts` Make target: Additional targets
- font aliases: Path searching
- font character code, translating: TCX files
- font design: Metafont
- font downloading for MetaPost labels: mpost invocation
- font file formats: Font file formats
- font proofs: gftodvi invocation
- font utilities: Font utilities
- font utilities, non-Web2c: Font utilities available elsewhere
- `font_mem_size`: Runtime options
- `fontforge`: Font utilities available elsewhere
- `fontinst`, for creating virtual fonts: Font utilities available elsewhere
- fonts, basic: Installation
- `fontutils`: Font utilities available elsewhere
- format files: Initial TeX
- formats for TeX: Formats
- `formats` Make target: Additional targets
- fraction routines: Compile-time options
- Free Software Foundation documentation system: Formats
- freedom of Web2c: Introduction
- `ftp.math.utah.edu`: bibtex invocation
- generating source specials: tex invocation
- geometric designs: Metafont
- geometric font scaling: Font file formats
- geometry for Metafont: Online Metafont graphics
- `getopt_long_only`: Option conventions
- GF files, explained: Font file formats
- GF files, output by Metafont: mf invocation
- GF format definition: Font utilities
- GF output: mf invocation
- GF, converting PK to: pktogf invocation
- GF, converting to PK: gftopk invocation
- `gftodvi`: gftodvi invocation
- `gftopk`: gftopk invocation
- `gftopxl`: Font utilities available elsewhere
- `gftype` GF validation: gftype invocation
- `gftype.web`: Font utilities
- glue ratio representations: Hardware and memory dumps
- glue, memory for: Runtime options
- glyph substitutions: MLTeX
- gray font: gftodvi invocation
- Gruff, Billy Goat: Triptrap
- `gsftopk`: Font utilities available elsewhere
- Harbison, Samuel P.: Hardware and memory dumps
- hardware and memory dumps: Hardware and memory dumps
- hash table, increasing size of: Runtime options
- `hash_extra`: Runtime options
- `headerbyte` information: tftopl invocation
- height, in pixels: pktype invocation
- help, online: Common options
- Henry, Patrick: Introduction
- Herberts, Mathias: Online Metafont graphics
- hex character codes, in TCX files: TCX files
- history: Introduction
- Hobby, John: dmp invocation
- Hobby, John: Introduction
- horizontal escapement: gftype invocation
- horizontal escapement: pktype invocation
- `hp2627`: Online Metafont graphics
- human languages, supported in TeX: Languages and hyphenation
- human-readable text, converting DVI to: dvitype invocation
- human-readable text, converting GF to: gftype invocation
- human-readable text, converting PK to: pktype invocation
- human-readable text, converting TFM to: tftopl invocation
- human-readable text, converting VF to: vftovp invocation
- hyphenation and languages: Languages and hyphenation
- hyphenation patterns, creating: patgen invocation
- ice cream: Introduction
- identifier case: tangle invocation
- identifier collisions: tangle invocation
- identifier length: tangle invocation
- identifiers with underlines: tangle invocation
- `ieeetr.bst`: Basic BibTeX style files
- `il1-t1.tcx`: TCX files
- `il2-t1.tcx`: TCX files
- Info format: Formats
- initial form, enabling: Common options
- initial Metafont: Initial Metafont
- initial MetaPost: Initial MetaPost
- initial programs: Initial and virgin
- initial TeX: Initial TeX
- initializations, lengthy: Initial and virgin
- input filenames: \input filenames
- `install-bases` Make target: Additional targets
- `install-fmts` Make target: Additional targets
- `install-formats` Make target: Additional targets
- `install-mems` Make target: Additional targets
- installation: Installation
- interaction between TCX files and -8bit.: TCX files
- interaction mode: Common options
- international characters: TCX files
- introduction: Introduction
- IPC: IPC and TeX
- `IPC_DEBUG`: Compile-time options
- `IPC_DEBUG`: IPC and TeX
- job name: Common options
- kerning table, in TFM files: tftopl invocation
- keyboard character code, translating: TCX files
- Knuth, Donald E.: mft invocation
- Knuth, Donald E.: Introduction
- `KPATHSEA_DEBUG`: Common options
- `KRN` property: tftopl invocation
- label font: gftodvi invocation
- `LABEL` property: tftopl invocation
- labels, extracting from MetaPost input: mpto invocation
- labels, for MetaPost: makempx invocation
- language support in TeX: Languages and hyphenation
- languages, hyphenation rules for: patgen invocation
- LaTeX: Formats
- Latin Modern: Font utilities available elsewhere
- left side bearing: pktype invocation
- left side bearing: gftype invocation
- legalisms: Legalisms
- licensing terms: Introduction
- `LIG` property: tftopl invocation
- ligature table, in TFM files: tftopl invocation
- `LIGTABLE` property: tftopl invocation
- linking binaries: Common options
- links to binaries: Determining the memory dump to use
- literate programming: WEB
- `litprog@shsu.edu`: WEB
- LittleEndian machines: Hardware and memory dumps
- log file, BibTeX: bibtex invocation
- machine dependencies: Hardware and memory dumps
- machine-readable, converting property lists to: pltotf invocation
- machine-readable, converting property lists to: vptovf invocation
- MacKay, Pierre: Font file formats
- macro packages, major TeX: Formats
- macros, basic: Installation
- macros, predefining in memory dumps: Memory dumps
- magnification: dvitype invocation
- magnification: dvicopy invocation
- `main_memory`: Runtime options
- Make targets, additional: Additional targets
- `makempx`: makempx invocation
- `MAKEMPX_BINDIR`: makempx invocation
- Martin, Rick: Introduction
- Mathematical Reviews: Formats
- mathematical typesetting: TeX
- mem file, determining: Determining the memory dump to use
- mem files: Initial MetaPost
- mem files, plain only: Initial MetaPost
- mem files, sharing: Hardware and memory dumps
- memory dump to use, determining: Determining the memory dump to use
- memory dumps: Memory dumps
- memory dumps and hardware: Hardware and memory dumps
- memory dumps, contain date and time: Hardware and memory dumps
- memory dumps, creating: Creating memory dumps
- `mems` Make target: Additional targets
- meta characters in filenames: \input filenames
- Metafont: Metafont
- Metafont geometry: Online Metafont graphics
- Metafont graphics: Online Metafont graphics
- Metafont input files: mf invocation
- Metafont invocation: mf invocation
- Metafont meets PostScript: MetaPost
- Metafont online support, new devices: Online Metafont graphics
- Metafont source, prettyprinting: mft invocation
- Metafont, compatibility in MetaPost: Initial MetaPost
- Metafont, initial: Initial Metafont
- Metafont, MetaPost, and TeX: Three programs
- MetaFun, enhanced MetaPost: Initial MetaPost
- `metafun.mp`: Initial MetaPost
- MetaPost: MetaPost
- MetaPost and plain Metafont compatibility: Initial MetaPost
- MetaPost input files: mpost invocation
- MetaPost input, extracting labels from: mpto invocation
- MetaPost invocation: mpost invocation
- MetaPost labels: makempx invocation
- MetaPost source, prettyprinting: mft invocation
- MetaPost, initial: Initial MetaPost
- MetaPost, TeX, and Metafont: Three programs
- `metatype1`: Font utilities available elsewhere
- `mf`: mf invocation
- `mf.base`: Initial Metafont
- `MFEDIT`: Editor invocation
- `mfplain.mem`: Initial MetaPost
- `mfput`: mf invocation
- `mft`: mft invocation
- `mftalk`: Online Metafont graphics
- `MFTERM`: Online Metafont graphics
- `mftmac.tex`: mft invocation
- `mktexmf`, disabling: mf invocation
- `mktextfM`, disabling: tex invocation
- `mltex`: MLTeX
- MLTeX, enabling: tex invocation
- mode needed to run Metafont: mf invocation
- `mode_def`: Modes
- `mode_setup`: Modes
- modes file needed for Metafont: Modes
- `modes.mf` recommended modes file: Modes
- Morgan, Tim: Introduction
- Morris, Bob: Introduction
- `MPEDIT`: Editor invocation
- `mpgraph.ps`: mpost invocation
- `mpman.ps`: mpost invocation
- `mpost`: mpost invocation
- `mpost`, reason for name change: Installation
- `mpost.mem`: Initial MetaPost
- `mpout`: mpost invocation
- `mproof.tex`: mpost invocation
- `MPSUPPORT`: dmp invocation
- `MPto`: mpto invocation
- MPto, invoked by MakeMPX: makempx invocation
- `MPTOTEX`: makempx invocation
- `MPTOTR`: makempx invocation
- `mptrap` Make target: Additional targets
- mptrap test: Triptrap
- `mptrap.readme`: Triptrap
- mpx file, defined: makempx invocation
- MPX files, converting from DVI files: dvitomp invocation
- MPX files, creating from ditroff output: dmp invocation
- `mpxerr`: makempx invocation
- `mpxerr.dvi`: makempx invocation
- `mpxerr.log`: makempx invocation
- `mpxerr.t`: makempx invocation
- `mpxerr.tex`: makempx invocation
- mtimes of files, comparing: newer invocation
- Multi-lingual TeX: MLTeX
- multiple DVI files, creating: TeX extensions
- N tilde: \charsubdef
- new graphics support for Metafont: Online Metafont graphics
- `NEWER`: makempx invocation
- `newer` file comparison: newer invocation
- `newrow` GF command: gftype invocation
- `next`: Online Metafont graphics
- `NO_X11WIN`: Online Metafont graphics
- non-Unix system, compiling on: Additional targets
- NUL, not allowed in filenames: \input filenames
- octal character codes, in TCX files: TCX files
- offset for overflow labels: gftodvi invocation
- older-than, file comparisons: newer invocation
- Omega: TeX extensions
- online Metafont graphics: Online Metafont graphics
- opcodes, showing DVI: dvitype invocation
- optical font scaling: Font file formats
- option conventions: Option conventions
- origin: pktype invocation
- output directory, specifying: Output file location
- output directory, specifying: Common options
- output file location: Output file location
- output files, written by TeX programs: tex invocation
- `output_comment` for DVI files: tex invocation
- overflow label offset: gftodvi invocation
- packet length: pktype invocation
- page, starting: dvitype invocation
- page, starting: dvicopy invocation
- parsing the first line: Common options
- Pascal, creating from WEB: tangle invocation
- `patgen`: patgen invocation
- path searching: Path searching
- path searching debugging: Common options
- PDF: TeX extensions
- pdfTeX: TeX extensions
- permissions, legal: Legalisms
- PFA and PFB conversion: Font utilities available elsewhere
- `pfaedit`: Font utilities available elsewhere
- PiCTeX, increasing memory for: Runtime options
- picture expressions: makempx invocation
- pixel height: pktype invocation
- pixel width: pktype invocation
- PK bitmaps from PostScript: Font utilities available elsewhere
- PK files, explained: Font file formats
- PK files, not output by Metafont: mf invocation
- PK format definition: Font utilities
- PK, converting GF to: gftopk invocation
- PK, converting to GF: pktogf invocation
- `pktogf`: pktogf invocation
- `pktype` PK validation: pktype invocation
- `pktype.web`: Font utilities
- PL files, explained: Font file formats
- plain Metafont, compatibility in MetaPost: Initial MetaPost
- plain text, converting DVI to: dvitype invocation
- plain text, converting GF to: gftype invocation
- plain text, converting PK to: pktype invocation
- plain text, converting TFM to: tftopl invocation
- plain text, converting VF to: vftovp invocation
- `plain.base`: Initial Metafont
- `plain.bst`: Basic BibTeX style files
- `plain.fmt`: Initial TeX
- `plain.mem`: Initial MetaPost
- `plain.mft`: mft invocation
- `pltotf`: pltotf invocation
- pool file, writing: tangle invocation
- Poole, Simon: Online Metafont graphics
- `pooltype`: pooltype invocation
- portable filenames: \input filenames
- PostScript fonts, and Troff: mpost invocation
- PostScript meets Metafont: MetaPost
- PostScript output: mpost invocation
- PostScript to PK bitmaps: Font utilities available elsewhere
- PostScript Type 1 font conversion: Font utilities available elsewhere
- PostScript, and font scaling: Font file formats
- `potrace`: Font utilities available elsewhere
- Pragma ADE: Initial MetaPost
- predefined macros and memory dumps: Memory dumps
- prettyprinting Metafont source: mft invocation
- prettyprinting WEB programs: weave invocation
- primitives, new: TeX extensions
- printable characters, specifying: TCX files
- printer characteristics, for Metafont: Modes
- production use: Initial and virgin
- program name, determines memory dump: Determining the memory dump to use
- program names, special: Common options
- program names, special: tex invocation
- program names, special: Common options
- `prologues`: mpost invocation
- `prologues` and Troff in MetaPost: makempx invocation
- `prologues`, and EPSF output: mpost invocation
- `proof` mode: mf invocation
- proof sheets, of fonts: gftodvi invocation
- property list format: tftopl invocation
- property list, converting TFM to: tftopl invocation
- property list, converting VF to virtual: vftovp invocation
- `ps2pk`: Font utilities available elsewhere
- `psfonts.map`, read by MetaPost: mpost invocation
- PXL files, explained: Font file formats
- `pxtoch`: Font utilities available elsewhere
- Raichle, Bernd: MLTeX
- reading, additional: Introduction
- readonly directory, running TeX in: Output file location
- reallocation of arrays: Runtime options
- redefined character substitutions: \tracingcharsubdef
- reference pixel: pktype invocation
- references: References
- `regis`: Online Metafont graphics
- Regis graphics support: Online Metafont graphics
- regression testing: tex invocation
- repeated rows: pktype invocation
- representation of strings: pooltype invocation
- right side bearing: pktype invocation
- right side bearing: gftype invocation
- right-to-left typesetting: TeX extensions
- Rokicki, Tomas: Introduction
- run length encoded bitmaps: pktype invocation
- run length encoded bitmaps: gftype invocation
- runtime options: Runtime options
- scaled pixels: pktype invocation
- scaled pixels: gftype invocation
- scaling of fonts: Font file formats
- scanned images of fonts: Font utilities available elsewhere
- security, and `\openout`: tex invocation
- security, and output files: tex invocation
- security, and shell escapes: tex invocation
- `SetColor` ditroff command: dmp invocation
- shapes: Metafont
- sharing memory dumps: Hardware and memory dumps
- shell commands in TeX: tex invocation
- `shell_escape` enabling in TeX: tex invocation
- `siam.bst`: Basic BibTeX style files
- side bearings: gftype invocation
- side bearings: pktype invocation
- slant font: gftodvi invocation
- slides, producing: Formats
- SliTeX: Formats
- small Metafont memory and modes: Modes
- `smode` and dynamic Metafont mode definition: Modes
- sockets: IPC and TeX
- space-terminated filenames: \input filenames
- Spiderweb: WEB
- Stallman, Richard: Introduction
- starting page: dvitype invocation
- starting page: dvicopy invocation
- Steele Jr., Guy L.: Hardware and memory dumps
- stopping at the first error: Common options
- strategy, overall: Introduction
- string numbers, displaying: pooltype invocation
- string pool, writing: tangle invocation
- string representation: pooltype invocation
- style design, for BibTeX: bibtex invocation
- style files: mft invocation
- substitutions of font glyphs: MLTeX
- `sun`: Online Metafont graphics
- `sun-gfx.c`: Online Metafont graphics
- Suntools: Online Metafont graphics
- SunView: Online Metafont graphics
- swap space, as array limit: Runtime options
- swapping bytes: Hardware and memory dumps
- syntax of TCX files: TCX files
- `system` C library function: tex invocation
- T1 encoding and ISO input: TCX files
- Tachikawa, Elizabeth: Font file formats
- `tangle`: tangle invocation
- targets, additional Make: Additional targets
- `TCX` character translation files: TCX files
- `tek`: Online Metafont graphics
- Tektronix: Online Metafont graphics
- Tektronix 4014: Online Metafont graphics
- `TERM`: Online Metafont graphics
- terminator for filenames: \input filenames
- terse output: bibtex invocation
- `tex`: tex invocation
- `TEX`: makempx invocation
- TeX, bibliographies for: bibtex invocation
- TeX, creating from Metafont: mft invocation
- TeX, creating from WEB: weave invocation
- TeX, description of: TeX
- TeX, extensions to: TeX extensions
- TeX, format packages for: Formats
- TeX, initial: Initial TeX
- TeX, input files found: tex invocation
- TeX, invocation: tex invocation
- TeX, Metafont, and MetaPost: Three programs
- TeX, Web2c implementation of: Introduction
- `TeX--XeT`: TeX extensions
- `tex.fmt`: Initial TeX
- `TEXBIB`, search path for bib files: bibtex invocation
- `TEXEDIT`: Editor invocation
- `texfonts.map`: Path searching
- Texinfo: Formats
- `texmf.cnf`: Path searching
- `texmfmp.c`: Online Metafont graphics
- `texmfmp.c` and `openoutnameok`: tex invocation
- `TEXMFOUTPUT`, used if . unwritable: Output file location
- `texput`: tex invocation
- text, extracting from MetaPost input: mpto invocation
- TFM files, converting property lists to: pltotf invocation
- TFM files, explained: Font file formats
- TFM files, memory for: Runtime options
- TFM files, output by Metafont: mf invocation
- TFM files, output by MetaPost: mpost invocation
- TFM width of characters: pktype invocation
- TFM width of characters: gftype invocation
- `tftopl`: tftopl invocation
- three programs: Three programs
- time and date, in memory dumps: Hardware and memory dumps
- title font: gftodvi invocation
- toolkits, X: Online Metafont graphics
- torture tests: Triptrap
- translation file for TeX, specifying: Common options
- translation from WEB to C: Introduction
- `trap` Make target: Additional targets
- trap test: Triptrap
- `trapman.tex`: Triptrap
- `trchars.adj`: dmp invocation
- Trickey, Howard: Introduction
- `trip` Make target: Additional targets
- trip test: Triptrap
- `tripman.tex`: Triptrap
- `triptrap` Make target: Additional targets
- `TROFF`: makempx invocation
- Troff, and MetaPost: mpost invocation
- Troff, WEB for: WEB
- Trojan horses and TeX programs: tex invocation
- TUGboat bibliography: bibtex invocation
- Type 1 conversion: Font utilities available elsewhere
- type design, personal: Initial Metafont
- type programs, DVI: dvitype invocation
- type programs, GF: gftype invocation
- type programs, PK: pktype invocation
- type programs, pool: pooltype invocation
- typeface families: Metafont
- typeface specimen sheets: Font utilities available elsewhere
- typesetting: TeX
- Unicode: TeX extensions
- Unicode input: tex invocation
- `uniterm`: Online Metafont graphics
- `unsrt.bst`: Basic BibTeX style files
- using local codepage to display messages: Common options
- UTF-8 input: tex invocation
- validation, of DVI files: dvitype invocation
- validation, of GF files: gftype invocation
- validation, of PK files: pktype invocation
- validation, of TFM files: tftopl invocation
- validation, of VF files: vftovp invocation
- `verbatimtex` MetaPost command: mpto invocation
- verbose BibTeX output, suppressing: bibtex invocation
- verbosity, enabling: Common options
- version number, finding: Common options
- vertical escapement: gftype invocation
- VF files, converting property lists to: vptovf invocation
- `vftovp`: vftovp invocation
- virgin programs: Initial and virgin
- virtual font creation: Font utilities available elsewhere
- virtual fonts, expanding: dvicopy invocation
- `virtual-fonts.knuth`: Font file formats
- `virtualfonts.txt`: Font file formats
- `vptovf`: vptovf invocation
- `weave`: weave invocation
- WEB: WEB
- WEB pool files, displaying: pooltype invocation
- WEB programs, compiling: tangle invocation
- WEB programs, typesetting: weave invocation
- `WEB2C`, search path for TCX files: TCX files
- Weber, Olaf: Introduction
- `webmac.tex`: weave invocation
- `webman.tex`: WEB
- whitespace, in TCX files: TCX files
- whitespace-terminated filenames: \input filenames
- width, device-independent: gftype invocation
- width, device-independent: pktype invocation
- width, in pixels: pktype invocation
- word processor, not: TeX
- writing memory dumps: Creating memory dumps
- X bitmap fonts: Font utilities available elsewhere
- X class name for Metafont: Online Metafont graphics
- x offset: pktype invocation
- X resources: Online Metafont graphics
- X toolkits and Metafont: Online Metafont graphics
- `x X` ditroff device control: dmp invocation
- `xampl.bib`: bibtex invocation
- `xbfe`, bitmap font editor: Font utilities available elsewhere
- `xfed`, bitmap font editor: Font utilities available elsewhere
- `xfedor`, bitmap font editor: Font utilities available elsewhere
- `Xlib`: Online Metafont graphics
- Xlib support: Online Metafont graphics
- `Xt`: Online Metafont graphics
- Xt support: Online Metafont graphics
- `xterm`: Online Metafont graphics
- y offset: pktype invocation
- `~` expansion in filenames: \input filenames