General ⇒ PSTRICKS: what is \space ? I could not find its definition.

[yoyoimut]

Hi,

I have attempted to figure out what \space actually is.
Googling ends with nothing.

Can anybody here let me know what \space is?

Why is it needed as an example below:

Code: Select all

\psframe(\nx,0)
(!%
   \nx\space 1 add%
   \nx\space 0.5 exp 3 mul%
)%

Note that: \nx is a multido counter defined as \multido{\nx=1+1}{...}{...}

Thank you.

yoyo

[CrazyHorse]

I have attempted to figure out what \space actually is.
Googling ends with nothing.
Can anybody here let me know what \space is?
Why is it needed as an example below:

Code: Select all

\psframe(\nx,0)
(!%
   \nx\space 1 add%
   \nx\space 0.5 exp 3 mul%
)%

When you have PostScript code, like the above, then never
write immediately a % after commands or numbers. The above
should be:

Code: Select all

\psframe(\nx,0)
(! 
   \nx\space 1 add
   \nx\space 0.5 exp 3 mul
)%

or

Code: Select all

\psframe(\nx,0)
(! 
   \nx\space 1 add % a space before the %!
   \nx\space 0.5 exp 3 mul 
)%

the contents inside the (! ...) is passed to postscript
but before expanded by TeX. Let's see what happens
without \space:

Code: Select all

\psframe(\nx,0)
(! 
   \nx 1 add  
   \nx 0.5 exp 3 mul 
)%

Without \space, which will be a space also after expanding, we have
for \nx=1 after expanding:

Code: Select all

\psframe(1,0)(! 11 add 10.5 exp 3 mul )%

this will produce a PostScript error.
With the space command we get

Code: Select all

\psframe(1,0)(! 1 1 add 1 0.5 exp 3 mul )%

TeX ignores all whitespace after expanding, but \space
is a macro, will be exapnded to a space, which is then
not ignored by TeX.

Herbert

[yoyoimut]

Thanks for your good explanation, Herbert.