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I've received a number of answers which I am using regularly, i.e. in a large number of separate LaTeX documents. For example:

Torn page effect

Proportional font, word-wrapping verbatim

Fontspec causes long underscores

I'm getting tired of copy/pasting the code from document to document, and so was thinking of creating appropriate packages. In fact, I'd very much like them to be publicly available packages, but I'm really not sure of the etiquette here... on the one hand I don't want to appropriate somebody else's answer (even if it's clearly credited) and on the other hand I don't want to demand that somebody else turns the code into packages.

What is the etiquette here?

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    Why not simply ask them if you can use the code for a package? – cgnieder Mar 1 '13 at 13:17
  • @cgnieder: I was worried about resurrecting old Q+As and cluttering the front page. (And AFAIK you can't message users directly.) – Mohan Mar 1 '13 at 14:22
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    You can always try the chat or use the comments like I once did – cgnieder Mar 1 '13 at 14:40
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    @Mohan You can always poke the post author by @his-name, actually, he gets all comments to his post into his inbox. This doesn't bump the post. – yo' Mar 1 '13 at 19:10
  • @tohecz -- I didn't realise comments didn't bump posts. Thanks very much! – Mohan Mar 2 '13 at 14:01
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The code in the answers and its documentation is cc-wiki with attribution required, so you are allowed to use this code for making packages if you fulfill the requirements, i.e. link to the answer and the profile of the user who contributed, in the package code and in the package documentation.

Note, some users offere a more relaxed licensing, have a look at Relicensing code from answers.

The best would be to comment to the answer and there to ask the user if he or she might already be planning to make a package from it, and to offer your support in helping or offer developing a package from it.

Have a look at Repackaging code of absent user(s) if you don't get an answer by the user. Josephs answer there contains further details.

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    I would like to underline that even when the licenses allow you to do a lot, it is a matter of good manners to try to contact the user prior solely and silently using their code and ideas. – yo' Mar 1 '13 at 19:08
  • @tohecz That's what I meant with "the best" :-) Feel free to edit, if the answer is unclear in this regard. – Stefan Kottwitz♦ Mar 1 '13 at 19:28
  • It is not unclear I think, but there's never enough of "good manners" ;) – yo' Mar 1 '13 at 19:29

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