Guillaume Munch <gm <at> lyx.org> writes:
> > I see three propositions in this message: > > 1- Having it done natively by LyX instead of using a module. > 2- Having it enabled or disabled according to an option in the > preferences/menu. > 3- Fixing your LaTeX code so that it works for XeTeX. > > 1- would be great. Since it's adding some lines to some LaTeX code > already generated by LyX, it should not be too difficult. One has to be > careful of only doing it for the formats where it works, but it should > not be too difficult to do on LyX's side, or at least it is easy to do > in LaTeX with the package iftex (which includes commands \ifPDFTeX, > \ifXeTeX, and \ifLuaTeX). > > Although 1- seems easy, the surest way to see it done, and not added on > the top of the very long wish-list, is to try and do it yourself. I wish > I can succeed in encouraging you to do so. In particular, not all of us > are fond of C++; in my case I progressively became so overwhelmed with > bugs and annoyances that it became necessary to step up to help LyX go > in the good direction. Also, as I see it, it should be easy to make such > simple fixes without doing anything too C++-idiosyncratic. > > I do not see the rationale for 2-. To me, there are already too many > minuscule options in LyX. Being able to choose whether or not we want > bars in the margin like in the LyX window when showing the changes is > not important IMO. And it becomes much more complicated, because one has > to change the GUI, preferences, translation strings, etc. But even if a > patch implementing 2- was offered if would prefer not to have an > additional option for this and have it automatically (unless I am > missing some point). > > 3- does not seem urgent to me, since in it does not introduce any > regression as far as XeTeX is concerned. I agree that this would get > more confusing if 2- is implemented and the option has no effect in > XeTeX, but it is one more reason for not doing 2-. > > That being said, I can get the module in. Are you satisfied with it and > do you want it? > > Guillaume Guillaume, Regarding point 1, it's been 11 years or so since I last used C++, and I'm afraid that I have forgotten all the nonsense (excuse me, "complexities") of compiler options, linker options and so forth. Even relatively simple things such as I/O escape me now. The learning curve to get back into C++ would be a bit too much for me. That said, I do believe that the change tracking menu is the logical place to put this. On point 2, I personally would be happy to have change bars automatically included in the output whenever changes are being shown in the output. What I do not know is whether other users would agree. There might be a bit of conflict between change bars and margin notes (one overlapping the other). With regard to your third point, I agree that as long as change bars are a module, the problems with XeTeX and also with dvipdfm are not fatal. Going back to point 1, if the decision is that turn on changes in output automatically turns on change bars, it might be disconcerting for users to see them in some output versions but not others; so if this is folded into LyX's code, it might be more important to figure out why it does not work in some cases. Finally, I am satisfied with the module, and in fact I have posted a link to it in the wiki. If it seems to you and the other developers to be something worth bundling, then yes, I would appreciate your putting it in. Best regards, Paul
