Re: [XeTeX] [tex-implementors] Proposal : that TeX engines generating PDF directly should be able to close the output file without terminating.

[Philip Taylor]

Jonathan Kew wrote: For your example, I was going to suggest that a simpler solution than "make" ought to work: all it requires is a two-line batch file or shell script (or similar: tools like Lua or Python or Perl would be fine) that performs the two xetex runs you need. Then you'd call that script or batch file as your "engine" in TeXworks, instead of calling xetex directly. But I see that you have been offered a solution anyway now, basically using (xe)tex as both the scripting language (to call another instance of itself) and as the typesetting process. I don't normally wield tex in that way, as I find other scripting languages easier and more flexible, but it should indeed work. As for closing the output PDF mid-job, and allowing you to start a new one: I'm not sure how I feel about that. Is tex the right language to be using to define and control complex multi-stage processes? While this *can* be done (as the \write18 solution demonstrates for a simple case), I tend to think it's the wrong tool for the job. There are languages that are much more amenable to manipulating files and managing pipelines of processes; my inclination would be to use one of those, with (xe)tex being called as required to perform individual steps, rather than using tex as the overall control language. Thank you for your comments, Jonathan, which are much appreciated.  While I fully appreciate that [Xe]TeX is not a tool for "manipulating files and managing pipelines of processe", I nonetheless think that the ability to generate two or more distinct PDFs in a single run might be of some benefit.  May I ask if you would agree that that might be the case, without, of course, any committment on your part to implementing such a feature ? ** Phil.