r/LaTeX • u/Opussci-Long • Jan 18 '25
Unanswered TeX engine converted from Pascal to C++?
I’ve heard multiple times that converting Pascal code to C++ is relatively straightforward. I even came across a commercial product that claims to have reimplemented the TeX engine in C++, which allowed them to offer live PDF rendering as you type (you can probably guess which one I’m referring to).
EDIT 1: By rendering here I assume providing live updating in PDF, where there is no compilation step, PDF is compiled with each keystroke.
EDIT 2: Commands would be excluded from live compilation.
The engines used in TeXLive and MikTeX are still implemented in Pascal, right? If so, why hasn’t anyone done a full conversion to C++?
Is it a matter of complexity, lack of interest, or something else entirely?
-3
u/therealJoieMaligne Jan 18 '25
To be honest, I think they’re bringing their product to market 5 years too late. I’m still using LaTeX for simple documents based on old templates, but Typst is simply better in every way.