Macros

TeX macro files shall be stored in separate directories, segregated by TeX format and package name (we use `format' in its traditional TeX sense to mean a usefully `\dump'-able package):

texmf/tex/format/package/

• `format' is a format name (examples: `amstex', `latex', `plain', `texinfo'). The TDS allows distributions that can be used as either formats or packages (e.g., Texinfo, Eplain) to be stored at either level, at the option of the format author or TeX administrator. We recommend that packages used as formats at a particular site be stored at the `format' level: by adjusting the TeX inputs search path, it will be straightforward to use them as macro packages under another format, whereas placing them in another tree completely obscures their use as a format. The TDS reserves the following `format' names:
  • `generic', for input files that are useful across a wide range of formats (examples: `null.tex', `path.sty'). Generally, this means any format that uses the category codes of Plain TeX and does not rely on any particular format. This is in contrast to those files which are useful only with Plain TeX (which go under `texmf/tex/plain'), e.g., `testfont.tex' and `plain.tex' itself.
  • `local', for local additions. See Section section Local additions.
  Thus, for almost every format, it is necessary to search at least the `format' directory and then the `generic' directory (in that order). Other directories may need to be searched as well, depending on the format. When using AMS-TeX, for example, the `amstex', `plain', and `generic' directories should be searched, because AMS-TeX is compatible with Plain.
• `package' is a TeX package name (examples: `babel', `texdraw'). In the case where a format consists of only a single file and has no auxiliary packages, that file can simply be placed in the `format' directory, instead of `format/base'. For example, Texinfo goes in `texmf/tex/texinfo/texinfo.tex', not `texmf/tex/texinfo/base/texinfo.tex'. The TDS reserves the following `package' names:
  • `base', for the base distribution of each format, including files used by INITEX when dumping format files. For example, in the standard LaTeX distribution, the `ltx' files created during the build process shall be stored in the `base' directory.
  • `hyphen', for hyphenation patterns, including the original American English `hyphen.tex'. These are typically used only by INITEX. In most situations, this directory need exist only under the `generic' format.
  • `images', for image input files, such as Encapsulated PostScript figures. Although it is somewhat non-intuitive for these to be under a directory named `tex', TeX needs to read these files to glean bounding box or other information. A mechanism for sharing image inputs between TeX and other typesetting programs (e.g., Interleaf, FrameMaker) is beyond the scope of the TDS. In most situations, this directory need exist only under the `generic' format.
  • `local', for local additions and configuration files. See Section section Local additions.
  • `misc', for packages that consist of a single file. An administrator or package maintainer may create directories for single-file packages at their discretion, instead of using `misc'.

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