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I understand that one of the great things about LaTeX is that, as long as you're using the same source file, the output is guaranteed to be identical regardless of the platform that you're generating it on. I'm assuming this is the case because LaTeX is controlling everything from the typesetting to the fonts themselves.

If I use XeTeX, do I get the same guarantee, even assuming the I use the same TrueType fonts on two different platforms?

ana
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  • Not necessarily. If fontA version 1.0 is called "Serif Font" on Computer-1, and Computer-2 has fontA version 1.2 but is also called "Serif Font", it is possible that the output would differ. Also, see this answer, and this other answer -- and possibly others. – jon Oct 28 '15 at 01:47
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    Welcome! If by 'same TrueType fonts', you also mean the same version of those fonts then, if those versions are the ones the engine finds and uses when compiling and if the versions of XeTeX and any packages etc. are the same, you should get the same output on the two machines. However, if the versions of XeTeX differ - or if, say, the versions of fontspec differ - then you might not. @jon Those questions seem to be about cross-engine consistency, whereas this one is about consistency for a given engine. – cfr Oct 28 '15 at 02:50
  • @cfr -- the links are directed more to the first paragraph, which assumes the LaTeX format will guarantee identical output, which, as you know, isn't necessarily true. (It is also possible that the OP is putting XeTeX and LaTeX on the same 'level'.) – jon Oct 28 '15 at 03:02
  • @jon You may be right about that - although I think one of the answers you linked may be a bit overwhelming in that case ;). – cfr Oct 28 '15 at 03:13
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    Don't rely on the "guaranteed identical" neither for LaTeX nor for XeLaTeX. There are too many things that can be different on other platforms: fonts, hyphenation patterns, format, package versions, implementation of the binaries and .... – Ulrike Fischer Oct 28 '15 at 08:16

1 Answers1

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With XeTeX and LuaTeX there is no guaranteed identical output between two compile runs.

buhtz
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