Re: [pretest] regression in pdftex

Hi Christian (and Thanh and all),

    Here's the log and the (uncompressed) PDF.

Thanks for the report.

For engine reports, FYI, it's always easier if a plain (or, even better
ini) TeX example can be constructed, to take LaTeX or other macros out
of the loop.

In this case, happily (sort of), a minimal hello,world document also
shows the problem of every character being placed on its own:

    \pdfcompresslevel=0 \pdfobjcompresslevel=0
    \font\x = cmr10 \x Lorem
    \end

And the output shows, like your document, every character being placed
on its own:

.. [(L)]TJ 6.227 0 Td [(o)]TJ 4.981 0 Td [(r)]TJ 3.902 0 Td [(e)]TJ ...

I surmise this is related to Thanh's earlier bug fix (r77326, diff below):

    2026-01-10  Thanh Han The  <[email protected]>

            * pdftex.web (pdf_begin_string): must_set_text_pos if doing
            pdf_begin_text. Report from Ulrike Fischer, 29 Sep 2025 13:14:49.

Because I don't think anything else has been committed that changes
anything in this area.

Evidently pdf_doing_text is not true while doing text. Or something like
that. Thanh? --thanks, karl.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

--- pdftex.web	(revision 77325)
+++ pdftex.web	(revision 77326)
@@ -16237,8 +16237,10 @@
     must_insert_space := false;
     must_end_string := false;
 
-    if not pdf_doing_text then
+    if not pdf_doing_text then begin
         pdf_begin_text;
+        must_set_text_pos := true;
+    end;
 
     {delay font switch if we must insert interword space}
     if (not gen_faked_interword_space and pdf_f <> f)
@@ -16275,10 +16277,12 @@
         v_out := 0;
     end;
 
-    must_set_text_pos := (v <> 0)
-        or (abs(s) >= @'100000)
-        or (get_font_auto_expand_ratio(f) <> pdf_cur_Tm_a)
-        or get_font_auto_expand_ratio(f) <> get_font_auto_expand_ratio(pdf_f);
+    if not must_set_text_pos then begin
+      must_set_text_pos := (v <> 0)
+          or (abs(s) >= @'100000)
+          or (get_font_auto_expand_ratio(f) <> pdf_cur_Tm_a)
+          or get_font_auto_expand_ratio(f) <> get_font_auto_expand_ratio(pdf_f);
+    end;
 
     if must_set_text_pos then begin
         must_end_string := true;