> I understand, but I'm not convinced that the macros couldn't be somehow compiled down to some more compressed binary representation.
My understanding is that this is what .fmt files are for. I'm not sure where the line is drawn between what goes in a .fmt file and what is packaged as ordinary TeX code; I imagine that, like much else about TeX (which I love), it reflects the machine constraints with which Knuth was faced while writing it (in the late '70's and early '80's).
My understanding is that this is what .fmt files are for. I'm not sure where the line is drawn between what goes in a .fmt file and what is packaged as ordinary TeX code; I imagine that, like much else about TeX (which I love), it reflects the machine constraints with which Knuth was faced while writing it (in the late '70's and early '80's).