[tex-live] CTAN packages and generated files

[Manfred Lotz]

On Sun, 2 Sep 2018 16:37:57 +0100
Joseph Wright <joseph.wright at morningstar2.co.uk> wrote:

> On 02/09/2018 16:36, Manfred Lotz wrote:
> > On Sun, 2 Sep 2018 15:49:57 +0100
> > Joseph Wright <joseph.wright at morningstar2.co.uk> wrote:
> >   
> >> On 02/09/2018 15:46, Manfred Lotz wrote:  
> >>> Hi folks,
> >>> For packages uploaded to CTAN we have a policy that in a package
> >>> we don't like to have files which are generated by .ins or .dtx
> >>> because we want to avoid redundancy.
> >>>
> >>> So we check for either   \generate{  \file{...}  ... } or
> >>> generateFile{..} to find those files we then would complain about.
> >>> Hope this is technically correct.
> >>>
> >>> A notable exception is the case where the mandatory README file
> >>> (which actaually may be one of README, README.txt or README.md) is
> >>> generated by a .dtx or .ins.
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> Now, my question:
> >>>
> >>> It also could happen that an x.dtx contains a generate statement
> >>> which mentions x.ins. Perhaps, also the other way around. Dunno.
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> So, my thinking was if in x.dtx I find something like
> >>>
> >>> \generate
> >>>     {
> >>>       ...
> >>>       \file{x.ins}
> >>>       ...
> >>>     }
> >>>
> >>> I just ignore that because x.dtx and x.ins are always required to
> >>> exist as a pair. Otherwise LaTeX would complain when processing
> >>> x.ins/x.dtx. Actually, this is the way checking takes place
> >>> currently.
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> Is this correct?  
> >>
> >> No. It's possible to make a 'self-contained' .dtx file which has
> >> the .ins instruction in the .dtx and generates everything in a
> >> single "tex foo.dtx" run.
> >>  
> > 
> > Does it mean that in all cases where I find a .ins generate
> > instruction in a .dtx file I may conclude that the .dtx is a
> > 'self-contained' .dtx file?  
> 
> I'd say so, yes.
> 

Very good. 

I further assume that the other way round shouldn't happen, i.e. I
have an .ins file where there exists a .dtx file generate instruction.


-- 
Manfred