Too many files?

[Rick Barnard]

Hi everyone, I was wondering, the size of the class is growing in terms of files. We originally created different files for the different styles/themes/etc. in order to make it easier to make your own custom versions. I think it works for the moment for us building and testing the different objects. But I was wondering if we should, before releasing into the wild, put all of those files into one big file, since they are all treated as different objects. It might be better so that it looks "smaller" even if it's not. And now if the use wants to make a new style/theme/colorscheme/background, they can in the preamble or with their own auxiliary (not a .aux of course) file. It's pretty small but any thoughts? If not I'll end up doing this right before we post the new version (whenever that is).

[Elena Botoeva]

Hi Rick, I don't have an understanding of the foreseen structure, so it is difficult for me to say. But I was imagining that we would end up in something similar to the beamer package? They have not only many separate files, but also folders for various parts of the theme. So that we could have predefined color/block/background themes/styles as files in such folders.

[Dirk Surmann]

Hey! I think we should have more files if this helps to understand and to find the different themes. On the other hand one can put all theme definitions of one theme together among each other. This can be better, but it is a matter of taste. However, it is easier to share them, because one would not miss anything. All best, Dirk (P.S.: Before going into the wild, I would like to have at least some of Elenas themes. And perhaps one of Aachen and one of Dortmund.)

[Rick Barnard]

That all sounds fine. I don't have a strong feeling either way, just didn't know if it would be an issue (Also why I gave as low a priority as possible :) ).

[Dirk Surmann]

After I wrote my thoughts down, I would tend to one file. It is easier to share and one has everything in one place.

[Rick Barnard]

In terms of sharing, if we continue to package it like Pascal and I did which is the CTAN format, the number of actual files is fixed to the README, the .ins and the .dtx file. It's just that when you install the class using the last two files, you would get the template/example, the .cls and either a). a single file with all backgrounds/colors/blockstyles/etc. OR b). a set of files (in maybe a subfolder?) with these grouped. So it's not a matter of transferring these as the number of files is always the same when we do that. It's just how we organize things.