diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'macros/latex-dev/base/ltnews17.tex')
-rw-r--r-- | macros/latex-dev/base/ltnews17.tex | 56 |
1 files changed, 31 insertions, 25 deletions
diff --git a/macros/latex-dev/base/ltnews17.tex b/macros/latex-dev/base/ltnews17.tex index f850f8d64c..614c5c7d63 100644 --- a/macros/latex-dev/base/ltnews17.tex +++ b/macros/latex-dev/base/ltnews17.tex @@ -41,6 +41,12 @@ \publicationyear{2005} \publicationissue{17} +\providecommand\pkg[1]{\texttt{#1}} +\providecommand\cls[1]{\texttt{#1}} +\providecommand\option[1]{\texttt{#1}} +\providecommand\env[1]{\texttt{#1}} +\providecommand\file[1]{\texttt{#1}} + \begin{document} \maketitle @@ -76,7 +82,7 @@ lists all the `encoding specific commands' (the LICR or \LaTeX{} Internal Character Representation) for characters supported by the encodings \texttt{OT1} and \texttt{T1}. -When the file \texttt{encguide.tex} is processed by \LaTeX{}, it will +When the file \file{encguide.tex} is processed by \LaTeX{}, it will attempt to typeset an encoding table for each encoding it describes. For this to be possible, \LaTeX{} must be able to find \texttt{.tfm} files for a representative example font for each encoding. If @@ -100,42 +106,42 @@ the same way as their text-mode counterparts. \section{Updates of required packages} -Several of the packages in the \package{tools} bundle have been updated +Several of the packages in the \textsf{tools} bundle have been updated for this release. -The \package{xspace} package has some new features. One is an +The \pkg{xspace} package has some new features. One is an interface for adding and removing the exceptions it knows about and another is that it works with active characters. These remove problems -of incompatibility with the \package{babel} system. +of incompatibility with the \pkg{babel} system. In \textit{\LaTeX\ News~16} we announced that some packages might begin to take advantage of \eTeX{} extensions on systems where these -are available: and the latest version of \package{xspace} does just -that. Note also that \package{fixltx2e} will make use of the +are available: and the latest version of \pkg{xspace} does just +that. Note also that \pkg{fixltx2e} will make use of the facilities in \eTeX{} whenever these are present (see below). -The \package{calc} package has also been given an update with a few +The \pkg{calc} package has also been given an update with a few extra commands. The commands \verb|\maxof| and \verb|\minof|, each with two brace-delimited arguments, provide the usual numeric $\max$ and $\min$ operations. The commands \verb|\settototalheight| and \verb|\totalheightof| work like \verb|\settoheight| and \verb|\heightof|. There are also some internal improvements to make -\package{calc} work with some more primitive \TeX\ constructs, such as +\pkg{calc} work with some more primitive \TeX\ constructs, such as \verb|\ifcase|. -The \package{varioref} package has acquired a few more default +The \pkg{varioref} package has acquired a few more default strings but there are still a number of languages for which good strings are still missing. -The \package{showkeys} package has also been updated slightly to work -with more recent developments in \package{varioref}. Also, it now +The \pkg{showkeys} package has also been updated slightly to work +with more recent developments in \pkg{varioref}. Also, it now provides an easy way to define the look of the printed labels with the command \verb|\showkeyslabelformat|. \section{Work on \LaTeX{} fixes} -The package known as \package{fixltx2e} has three new additions. A new +The package known as \pkg{fixltx2e} has three new additions. A new command \verb|\textsubscript| has been added as a complement to the command \verb|\textsuperscript| in the kernel. Secondly, a new form of \verb|\DeclareMathSizes| that allows all of its arguments to have a @@ -153,7 +159,7 @@ extensions if available; more specifically, when the \eTeX{} extensions are available, it does not destroy kerning between previous letters and the text to be typeset. The command is also used -internally in \package{fixltx2e} to resolve a problem with +internally in \pkg{fixltx2e} to resolve a problem with \verb|\fnsymbol|. Also, further work has been done on reimplementing @@ -162,14 +168,14 @@ places: we hope it is an improvement! \section{The graphics bundle} -The \package{graphics} bundle now supports the -\package{dvipdfmx} post-processor and Jonathan Kew's XE\TeX\ +The \textsf{graphics} bundle now supports the +\texttt{dvipdfmx} post-processor and Jonathan Kew's XE\TeX\ program. By support we mean that the graphics packages recognize the -new options \texttt{xetex} and \texttt{dvipdfmx} but we do not +new options \option{xetex} and \option{dvipdfmx} but we do not distribute the respective driver files. This leads elegantly to a description of the -new policy concerning such driver files in the \package{graphics} bundle. +new policy concerning such driver files in the \textsf{graphics} bundle. Most driver files for our graphics packages are maintained by the developers of the associated post-processor or \TeX\ programs. The teams developing these packages are working very hard: their rapid @@ -178,7 +184,7 @@ releases. It is therefore no longer practical for the \LaTeX\ Team to be responsible for distributing the latest versions of these driver files. -Therefore the installation files for \package{graphics} have been +Therefore the installation files for \pkg{graphics} have been split: there is now \file{graphics.ins} to install the package files and \file{graphics-drivers.ins} for the driver files (located in \file{drivers.dtx}). @@ -186,8 +192,8 @@ There is no need to install all those provided in the file \file{drivers.dtx}. Please also note that, as requested by the maintainers of -\package{PStricks}, we have removed the package \package{pstcol} as -current versions of \package{PSTricks} make it obsolete. +\textsf{PStricks}, we have removed the package \pkg{pstcol} as +current versions of \textsf{PSTricks} make it obsolete. %% \newpage @@ -197,12 +203,12 @@ current versions of \package{PSTricks} make it obsolete. \section{Future development} The title of this section is a little misleading as it actually -describes \emph{current} development. In 1998 the \package{expl3} +describes \emph{current} development. In 1998 the \textsf{expl3} bundle of packages was put on \ctan\ to demonstrate a possible \LaTeX3 programming environment. These packages have been lying dormant for some time while the \LaTeX\ Project Team were preoccupied by other things -such as developing the experimental packages \package{xor}, -\package{template}, etc., (and also writing that indispensable +such as developing the experimental packages \pkg{xor}, +\pkg{template}, etc., (and also writing that indispensable and encyclopaedic volume,\\ The \LaTeX{} Companion -- 2nd edition). @@ -215,12 +221,12 @@ two areas are central to this work. \item Extending the kernel code of \LaTeX3. \item Converting the experimental packages - such as \package{xor}, \package{template} to use the new + such as \pkg{xor}, \pkg{template} to use the new syntax internally. \end{itemize} Beware! Development of -\package{expl3} is happening so fast that the descriptions above might +\textsf{expl3} is happening so fast that the descriptions above might be out of date when you read this! If you wish to see what's going on then go to \url{http://www.latex-project.org/code.html} where you can download |