Re: a @codeasis{something ----- other} command?

[Karl Berry]

    Right now, there is not @-command that allows to have --, ---, `` and ''

Doesn't it work to use @w to break the ligature creation?
address@hidden ...

Also, it's not immediately evident to me how a command like
@nocombiningchars{--} could be implemented (robustly) in TeX.

    case of th eCVS manual where keeping some --- as is would have make
    partially

I don't understand why you would ever want multiple hyphens (as a "poor
man's rule"?) outside of typewriter fonts.  We could implement real
rules, perhaps.

k