Re: pytex: a tex engine written in python
Jonathan Fine <[email protected]> Thu, 16 Jul 2026 18:37:12 +0100
| Newsgroups | gmane.comp.tex.texhax |
|---|---|
| Message-ID | <CALD=Yf_O=SLUkgcdYj_43wdbr17SdjTebOfGormJzk5Py-nO2g@mail.gmail.com> |
--000000000000aa8a8f0656bde40a Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Hi Dirk It's interesting that it's a good bit quicker than luatex. I wonder why that is. I suggest you make your debian request on https://github.com/tectonic-typesetting/tectonic/issues They also have a discussion forum https://github.com/tectonic-typesetting/tectonic/discussions/ Best regards Jonathan On Thu, 16 Jul 2026, 13:32 Dirk H=C3=BCnniger, <[email protected]= m> wrote: > Hi Jonathan, > > I tried out Tectonic. In my test run, it performed roughly 30% faster > than lualatex. So I considered to use it in my mediawiki2latex project. > My mediawiki2latex project is distributed as a Debian package. So I will > need a Debian package of Tectonic too if I want to use it. Unfortunately > I could not find any such Debian package. I wanted to ask if there are > any compelling reasons against making Debian package of Tectonic and > whom I could possible contact to ask for that. > > Yours Dirk > > On 7/15/26 19:45, Jonathan Fine wrote: > > Hi Junling > > > > I've spent a few minutes looking at your pytex repository on github. > > I'm impressed by the amount of work you've done, and not surprised > > that at present your Python implementation runs slow. > > > > In addition to your implementation in Python, there are roughly > > similar implementations in Java and Rust. The Java implementation is > > not in use, but is of historical interest. It aimed for 100% > > compatibility. It ran too slow for use in production. The Rust > > implementation has users and is being actively developed. > > > > Java: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Typesetting_System > > Rust: https://tectonic-typesetting.github.io/en-US/ > > > > Tectonic is a Rust implementation (with changes) of XeTeX. Even if > > XeTeX is changing only slowly, the derived work Tectonic is actively > > developed, see > > > https://github.com/tectonic-typesetting/tectonic/blob/release/CHANGELOG.m= d > > > > Finally, https://tug.org/TUGboat/Articles/tb27-0/fine.pdf gives my > > views (from 2005) on integrating Python with TeX. It's been a long > > time since I've read that article. > > > > I wish you well with your TeX and Python projects. > > > > with kind regards > > > > Jonathan > --000000000000aa8a8f0656bde40a Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <div dir=3D"auto"><div>Hi Dirk</div><div dir=3D"auto"><br></div><div dir=3D= "auto">It's interesting that it's a good bit quicker than luatex. I= wonder why that is.</div><div dir=3D"auto"><div dir=3D"auto"><div dir=3D"a= uto"><br></div><div dir=3D"auto">I suggest you make your debian request on = <a href=3D"https://github.com/tectonic-typesetting/tectonic/issues" target= =3D"_blank" rel=3D"noreferrer">https://github.com/tectonic-typesetting/tect= onic/issues</a></div><div dir=3D"auto"><br></div><div dir=3D"auto">They als= o have a discussion forum <a href=3D"https://github.com/tectonic-typesettin= g/tectonic/discussions/">https://github.com/tectonic-typesetting/tectonic/d= iscussions/</a></div><div dir=3D"auto"><br></div><div dir=3D"auto">Best reg= ards</div><div dir=3D"auto">Jonathan=C2=A0</div></div><br><br><div class=3D= "gmail_quote" dir=3D"auto"><div dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail_attr">On Thu, 16= Jul 2026, 13:32 Dirk H=C3=BCnniger, <<a href=3D"mailto:dirk.hunniger@go= oglemail.com" rel=3D"noreferrer noreferrer" target=3D"_blank">dirk.hunniger= @googlemail.com</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" s= tyle=3D"margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">Hi J= onathan,<br> <br> I tried out Tectonic. In my test run, it performed roughly 30% faster <br> than lualatex. So I considered to use it in my mediawiki2latex project. <br= > My mediawiki2latex project is distributed as a Debian package. So I will <b= r> need a Debian package of Tectonic too if I want to use it. Unfortunately <b= r> I could not find any such Debian package. I wanted to ask if there are <br> any compelling reasons against making Debian package of Tectonic and <br> whom I could possible contact to ask for that.<br> <br> Yours Dirk<br> <br> On 7/15/26 19:45, Jonathan Fine wrote:<br> > Hi Junling<br> ><br> > I've spent a few minutes looking at your pytex repository on githu= b. <br> > I'm impressed by the amount of work you've done, and not surpr= ised <br> > that at present your Python implementation runs slow.<br> ><br> > In addition to your implementation in Python, there are roughly <br> > similar implementations in Java and Rust. The Java implementation is <= br> > not in use, but is of historical interest. It aimed for 100% <br> > compatibility. It ran too slow for use in production. The Rust <br> > implementation has users and is being actively developed.<br> ><br> > Java: <a href=3D"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Typesetting_System"= rel=3D"noreferrer noreferrer noreferrer noreferrer" target=3D"_blank">http= s://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Typesetting_System</a><br> > Rust: <a href=3D"https://tectonic-typesetting.github.io/en-US/" rel=3D= "noreferrer noreferrer noreferrer noreferrer" target=3D"_blank">https://tec= tonic-typesetting.github.io/en-US/</a><br> ><br> > Tectonic is a Rust implementation=C2=A0(with changes) of XeTeX. Even i= f <br> > XeTeX=C2=A0is changing only slowly, the derived work=C2=A0Tectonic=C2= =A0is actively <br> > developed, see<br> > <a href=3D"https://github.com/tectonic-typesetting/tectonic/blob/relea= se/CHANGELOG.md" rel=3D"noreferrer noreferrer noreferrer noreferrer" target= =3D"_blank">https://github.com/tectonic-typesetting/tectonic/blob/release/C= HANGELOG.md</a><br> ><br> > Finally, <a href=3D"https://tug.org/TUGboat/Articles/tb27-0/fine.pdf" = rel=3D"noreferrer noreferrer noreferrer noreferrer" target=3D"_blank">https= ://tug.org/TUGboat/Articles/tb27-0/fine.pdf</a> gives my <br> > views (from 2005) on integrating Python with TeX. It's been a long= <br> > time since I've read that article.<br> ><br> > I wish you well with your TeX and Python projects.<br> ><br> > with kind regards<br> ><br> > Jonathan<br> </blockquote></div> </div></div> --000000000000aa8a8f0656bde40a--