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20  Recursive Directory Searching

(Enhanced in 4.0H.) Expert users can use recursive directory specifications in TRUETEX configuration items. By appending a double backslash to any directory, you indicate that you want TRUETEX to search that directory and any subdirectories thereof. For example, you can specify the TEXINPUTS to include a directory like \truetex\macros\\, meaning you want TRUETEX to look for .tex input files in directory \truetex\macros and any subdirectories. TRUETEX searches the initial directory you specify, and thereafter in the ``depth-first'' order.

Use caution with this feature. If you specify recursive searching in a large directory tree or across a network, performance may suffer as TRUETEX walks the tree for each file opened. LATEX and many other TEX macros test for non-existent files (such as LATEX .aux files) by attempting a file-open, and this can result in lengthy searches with no apparent progress.


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