Is there any way to use changebar package compiled with XeLaTeX ?

The following codes has no effect on bars:

\documentclass[twoside]{article}
\usepackage[outerbars]{changebar}
\begin{document}
\cbstart
blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah
blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah
blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah
blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah
blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah
blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah
blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah
blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah
blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah
\cbend
\end{document}

Thank you in advance!

 Rocky Zhang <rockyzhz@gmail.com> writes:
>Is there any way to use changebar package compiled with XeLaTeX ?

not that i'm aware of.  changebar relies on \special-type operations,
and the code has no means of specifying those for xetex.

>The following codes has no effect on bars:
>
>\documentclass[twoside]{article}
>\usepackage[outerbars]{changebar}

it's probably acting as if you gave a dvips or a pdftex flag, and
dvipdfmx is failing to recognise whatever it's put into the extended
dvi file.  are there no complaints when you compile?
-- 
Robin Fairbairns, Cambridge

On 12=D4=C225=C8=D5, =C9=CF=CE=E71=CA=B106=B7=D6, r...@cl.cam.ac.uk (Robin =
Fairbairns) wrote:
>  Rocky Zhang <rocky...@gmail.com> writes:
>
> >Is there any way to use changebar package compiled with XeLaTeX ?
>
> not that i'm aware of.  changebar relies on \special-type operations,
> and the code has no means of specifying those for xetex.
>
> >The following codes has no effect on bars:
>
> >\documentclass[twoside]{article}
> >\usepackage[outerbars]{changebar}
>
> it's probably acting as if you gave a dvips or a pdftex flag, and
> dvipdfmx is failing to recognise whatever it's put into the extended
> dvi file.  are there no complaints when you compile?
> --
> Robin Fairbairns, Cambridge

Thank you for your attention!

I've tried to contact the writer of changebar package via email, asked
for
some help, but unfortunately, his email address seems get invalid and
all of the emails I sent were failed.

So I have no choice, the only way is to read the souce code of
changebar
package. It took me almost two days. I found that this package has a
good
structure and can be extended to a new driver easily. Almost the only
thing
to do is to define these two command:
\cb@defpoint and \cb@connect
with the syntax of \special command of new driver. And those two
command
mentioned above function that define the (x,y)-coordinate of a point
in a dvi file
or a pdf file, and that draw a line between two points given its (x,y)-
coordinate
and with a specified width also in a dvi or pdf file, respectively.
XeTeX engine
act somewhat like PDFTeX, even that they have totally the same command
to
define (x,y)-coordinate in a pdf file. It become possible to extend
this package
to support XeTeX via only a little revision to PDFTeX related codes.

But shortly later, I found the problem with the second command
\cb@connect
came to me. PDFTeX draw a line in a pdf file via \pdfliteral command,
but XeTeX
does not support it. And I've searched the internet for hours with no
result.
It seems that XeTeX has not a complete reference to syntax of the
\special
commands or pdf file operating related commands.

Can anybody help me? Maybe It's very simple to you. :-)
Thanks in advance.

On 12=D4=C225=C8=D5, =C9=CF=CE=E71=CA=B106=B7=D6, r...@cl.cam.ac.uk (Robin =
Fairbairns) wrote:
>  Rocky Zhang <rocky...@gmail.com> writes:
>
> >Is there any way to use changebar package compiled with XeLaTeX ?
>
> not that i'm aware of.  changebar relies on \special-type operations,
> and the code has no means of specifying those for xetex.
>
> >The following codes has no effect on bars:
>
> >\documentclass[twoside]{article}
> >\usepackage[outerbars]{changebar}
>
> it's probably acting as if you gave a dvips or a pdftex flag, and
> dvipdfmx is failing to recognise whatever it's put into the extended
> dvi file.  are there no complaints when you compile?
> --
> Robin Fairbairns, Cambridge

I've been successful to make this package support XeTeX .
The main problem that confused me for a long time is that
color/xcolor package produce different results of \current@color
command for pdfTeX and XeTeX. And the syntax of \special
command for XeTeX has slightly difference from that declared
by XeTeX or dvipdfmx maintainers. This is mainly about that
direct feather of \special{pdf:literal [direct] <raw pdf codes>}
command.

Although It has got effective under XeTeX,  I found there is
still some good feathers need to be developed. Such as
automatic narrower body for nested environment, and color
resume for nested ones(this feather has been developed in
some discussion in this newsgroup), and cutomized style
for different environments nested or in the same page, etc.

So I don't know weather I should submit my revision version
of this package to CTAN. I've mentioned that I can't contact
the maintainer of this package.

Merry X'mas!

Regards,
rocky zhang.

 Rocky Zhang <rockyzhz@gmail.com> writes:
>On 12=D4=C225=C8=D5, =C9=CF=CE=E71=CA=B106=B7=D6, r...@cl.cam.ac.uk (Robin =
>Fairbairns) wrote:
>>  Rocky Zhang <rocky...@gmail.com> writes:
>>
>> >Is there any way to use changebar package compiled with XeLaTeX ?
>>
>> not that i'm aware of.  changebar relies on \special-type operations,
>> and the code has no means of specifying those for xetex.
>>
>> >The following codes has no effect on bars:
>>
>> >\documentclass[twoside]{article}
>> >\usepackage[outerbars]{changebar}
>>
>> it's probably acting as if you gave a dvips or a pdftex flag, and
>> dvipdfmx is failing to recognise whatever it's put into the extended
>> dvi file.  are there no complaints when you compile?
>
>I've been successful to make this package support XeTeX .

great!

>The main problem that confused me for a long time is that
>color/xcolor package produce different results of \current@color
>command for pdfTeX and XeTeX. And the syntax of \special
>command for XeTeX has slightly difference from that declared
>by XeTeX or dvipdfmx maintainers. This is mainly about that
>direct feather of \special{pdf:literal [direct] <raw pdf codes>}
>command.
>
>Although It has got effective under XeTeX,  I found there is
>still some good feathers need to be developed. Such as
>automatic narrower body for nested environment, and color
>resume for nested ones(this feather has been developed in
>some discussion in this newsgroup), and cutomized style
>for different environments nested or in the same page, etc.
>
>So I don't know weather I should submit my revision version
>of this package to CTAN. I've mentioned that I can't contact
>the maintainer of this package.

sigh: of course.  johannes is notorious for not responding to mail
about latex.  i'll see what i can do (it would help if you could
send me the material ... and a real name/email address so i can add
them to the catalogue if/when we sort out the johannes situation).

if the worst comes to the worst, we'll invoke the lppl "inactive
maintainer" clause, but that will take a *long* time :-(

will discuss the situation with other members of the latex project.
(which reminds me, i've another non-reactive-johannes project that i
need to to work on...)

note that my address in the header of this message is valid.

(i did work on the package in the 80s, and wrote the \special code for
dvitoln03 to provide support.  this was before johannes was involved,
i think.  there being no dec ln03 printers any more, i doubt anyone
uses any of that code now ;-)
-- 
Robin Fairbairns, Cambridge

On 12=E6=9C=8826=E6=97=A5, =E4=B8=8B=E5=8D=8811=E6=97=B652=E5=88=86, r...@c=
l.cam.ac.uk (Robin Fairbairns) wrote:
> =C2=A0Rocky Zhang <rocky...@gmail.com> writes:
>
>
>
>
>
> >On 12=3DD4=3DC225=3DC8=3DD5, =3DC9=3DCF=3DCE=3DE71=3DCA=3DB106=3DB7=3DD6=
, r...@cl.cam.ac.uk (Robin =3D
> >Fairbairns) wrote:
> >> =C2=A0Rocky Zhang <rocky...@gmail.com> writes:
>
> >> >Is there any way to use changebar package compiled with XeLaTeX ?
>
> >> not that i'm aware of. =C2=A0changebar relies on \special-type operati=
ons,
> >> and the code has no means of specifying those for xetex.
>
> >> >The following codes has no effect on bars:
>
> >> >\documentclass[twoside]{article}
> >> >\usepackage[outerbars]{changebar}
>
> >> it's probably acting as if you gave a dvips or a pdftex flag, and
> >> dvipdfmx is failing to recognise whatever it's put into the extended
> >> dvi file. =C2=A0are there no complaints when you compile?
>
> >I've been successful to make this package support XeTeX .
>
> great!
>
>
>
>
>
> >The main problem that confused me for a long time is that
> >color/xcolor package produce different results of \current@color
> >command for pdfTeX and XeTeX. And the syntax of \special
> >command for XeTeX has slightly difference from that declared
> >by XeTeX or dvipdfmx maintainers. This is mainly about that
> >direct feather of \special{pdf:literal [direct] <raw pdf codes>}
> >command.
>
> >Although It has got effective under XeTeX, =C2=A0I found there is
> >still some good feathers need to be developed. Such as
> >automatic narrower body for nested environment, and color
> >resume for nested ones(this feather has been developed in
> >some discussion in this newsgroup), and cutomized style
> >for different environments nested or in the same page, etc.
>
> >So I don't know weather I should submit my revision version
> >of this package to CTAN. I've mentioned that I can't contact
> >the maintainer of this package.
>
> sigh: of course. =C2=A0johannes is notorious for not responding to mail
> about latex. =C2=A0i'll see what i can do (it would help if you could
> send me the material ... and a real name/email address so i can add
> them to the catalogue if/when we sort out the johannes situation).
>
> if the worst comes to the worst, we'll invoke the lppl "inactive
> maintainer" clause, but that will take a *long* time :-(
>
> will discuss the situation with other members of the latex project.
> (which reminds me, i've another non-reactive-johannes project that i
> need to to work on...)
>
> note that my address in the header of this message is valid.
>
> (i did work on the package in the 80s, and wrote the \special code for
> dvitoln03 to provide support. =C2=A0this was before johannes was involved=
,
> i think. =C2=A0there being no dec ln03 printers any more, i doubt anyone
> uses any of that code now ;-)
> --
> Robin Fairbairns, Cambridge- =E9=9A=90=E8=97=8F=E8=A2=AB=E5=BC=95=E7=94=
=A8=E6=96=87=E5=AD=97 -
>
> - =E6=98=BE=E7=A4=BA=E5=BC=95=E7=94=A8=E7=9A=84=E6=96=87=E5=AD=97 -- =E9=
=9A=90=E8=97=8F=E8=A2=AB=E5=BC=95=E7=94=A8=E6=96=87=E5=AD=97 -
>
> - =E6=98=BE=E7=A4=BA=E5=BC=95=E7=94=A8=E7=9A=84=E6=96=87=E5=AD=97 -

I'm doing some test, to find the implicit bug. So the revised package
will be sent to you in a few days later.

On 12=E6=9C=8826=E6=97=A5, =E4=B8=8B=E5=8D=8811=E6=97=B652=E5=88=86, r...@c=
l.cam.ac.uk (Robin Fairbairns) wrote:
> =C2=A0Rocky Zhang <rocky...@gmail.com> writes:
>
>
>
>
>
> >On 12=3DD4=3DC225=3DC8=3DD5, =3DC9=3DCF=3DCE=3DE71=3DCA=3DB106=3DB7=3DD6=
, r...@cl.cam.ac.uk (Robin =3D
> >Fairbairns) wrote:
> >> =C2=A0Rocky Zhang <rocky...@gmail.com> writes:
>
> >> >Is there any way to use changebar package compiled with XeLaTeX ?
>
> >> not that i'm aware of. =C2=A0changebar relies on \special-type operati=
ons,
> >> and the code has no means of specifying those for xetex.
>
> >> >The following codes has no effect on bars:
>
> >> >\documentclass[twoside]{article}
> >> >\usepackage[outerbars]{changebar}
>
> >> it's probably acting as if you gave a dvips or a pdftex flag, and
> >> dvipdfmx is failing to recognise whatever it's put into the extended
> >> dvi file. =C2=A0are there no complaints when you compile?
>
> >I've been successful to make this package support XeTeX .
>
> great!
>
>
>
>
>
> >The main problem that confused me for a long time is that
> >color/xcolor package produce different results of \current@color
> >command for pdfTeX and XeTeX. And the syntax of \special
> >command for XeTeX has slightly difference from that declared
> >by XeTeX or dvipdfmx maintainers. This is mainly about that
> >direct feather of \special{pdf:literal [direct] <raw pdf codes>}
> >command.
>
> >Although It has got effective under XeTeX, =C2=A0I found there is
> >still some good feathers need to be developed. Such as
> >automatic narrower body for nested environment, and color
> >resume for nested ones(this feather has been developed in
> >some discussion in this newsgroup), and cutomized style
> >for different environments nested or in the same page, etc.
>
> >So I don't know weather I should submit my revision version
> >of this package to CTAN. I've mentioned that I can't contact
> >the maintainer of this package.
>
> sigh: of course. =C2=A0johannes is notorious for not responding to mail
> about latex. =C2=A0i'll see what i can do (it would help if you could
> send me the material ... and a real name/email address so i can add
> them to the catalogue if/when we sort out the johannes situation).
>
> if the worst comes to the worst, we'll invoke the lppl "inactive
> maintainer" clause, but that will take a *long* time :-(
>
> will discuss the situation with other members of the latex project.
> (which reminds me, i've another non-reactive-johannes project that i
> need to to work on...)
>
> note that my address in the header of this message is valid.
>
> (i did work on the package in the 80s, and wrote the \special code for
> dvitoln03 to provide support. =C2=A0this was before johannes was involved=
,
> i think. =C2=A0there being no dec ln03 printers any more, i doubt anyone
> uses any of that code now ;-)
> --
> Robin Fairbairns, Cambridge- =E9=9A=90=E8=97=8F=E8=A2=AB=E5=BC=95=E7=94=
=A8=E6=96=87=E5=AD=97 -
>
> - =E6=98=BE=E7=A4=BA=E5=BC=95=E7=94=A8=E7=9A=84=E6=96=87=E5=AD=97 -- =E9=
=9A=90=E8=97=8F=E8=A2=AB=E5=BC=95=E7=94=A8=E6=96=87=E5=AD=97 -
>
> - =E6=98=BE=E7=A4=BA=E5=BC=95=E7=94=A8=E7=9A=84=E6=96=87=E5=AD=97 -

Dear Mr.Fairbairns,

Have you ever received my email? I said that I'm using Google groups
here to discuss with you, and because of blocking by google, I can't
see you email address, and also I couldn't send you any file
including
the revised changebar package via the Google groups, so can you
tell me your email address via email to me?
This is my email address: rockyzhz [at] gmail [dot] com

Happy new year!

Best regards,
Rocky Zhang

Hi there,

> I've been successful to make this package support XeTeX .
> The main problem that confused me for a long time is that
> color/xcolor package produce different results of \current@color
> command for pdfTeX and XeTeX. And the syntax of \special
> command for XeTeX has slightly difference from that declared
> by XeTeX or dvipdfmx maintainers. This is mainly about that
> direct feather of \special{pdf:literal [direct] <raw pdf codes>}
> command.

I would SO MUCH like to see this update of the changebar package! This is more than two years ago, and I wonder if there have been any progress? If not, pehaps Rocky can send his updated package directly to me?

Kind Regards
Stefan