Use mylatexformat.ltx to make a format based on the preamble
of any LaTeX file.

The use of formats helps to speed up compilations: packages which have been
dumped in the format are loaded at very high speed. This is useful when a
document load many packages (pgf-TikZ among other...)

For the creation of the format use a command line like:

etex -initialize [opts] "&pdflatex" mylatexformat.ltx """abc.tex"""

mylatexformat.ltx has been primarily written from mylatex.ltx
(available on CTAN under the contrib/Carlisle/ directory) but
gets rid of many limitations or problems of mylatex.ltx.

More precisely:

- The format is created from the beginning of the file (usually
  \documentclass[...]{...}
  until either:
         ~ \begin{document}
         ~ \endofdump
                if \endofdump is encountered in the preamble
         ~ \csname endofdump\endcsname
                for convenience: to avoid `undefined control sequence'
                in case the document is compiled without the format.

- \begin{document} \endofdump or \csname endofdump\endcsname
  can be precedeed or followed by other macros or commentaries.

- Commentaries in the preamble are ignored (braces are not required
  to be equilibrated).

- packages that modify the \document macro (like auxhook.sty or
  etoolbox.sty) can be included in the format.

- A report is available in the .log file.

I have been using mylatexformat.ltx with MikTeX under:
    - pdfTeX in dvi mode
    - pdfTeX in pdf mode
    - XeTeX

Comments about its use on other system are welcome !