$Id: NEWS 1258 2026-06-09 14:53:27Z karl $
NEWS for latex2e.texi, aka the latex2e-help-texinfo package.
Public domain.  Originally written 1995, Torsten Martinsen.

French translation from Vincent Bela\"iche.
Spanish translation from Nacho Pacheco.
Updates are welcome.

 Notable changes in June 2026 release:

Additions:
* \labelformat, \Ref, \ref*, \Ref* descriptions added.
* \ClassNoteNoLine and \PackageNoteNoLine descriptions added.

Changes:
* minipage environment description corrected and expanded.
* tabbing environment description expanded.
* \spacefactor and related commands' description expanded.
* Mention the quoting and csquotes packages.
* The "easyurl" bs-*.html file now named bs-star.html, to kowtow to Windows.

Distribution:
* Add the epub output format now supported by makeinfo.
* No longer generate the Texinfo XML (.xml) output, since makeinfo has
deprecated it.

 Notable changes in May 2024 release:

Additions:
* \DocumentMetadata for experimental tagging support.
* \thepage for page number representation.
* \nobreakspace and U+00A0 synonyms for ties.
* The (simple) \slash command.
* \overrightarrow and \overleftarrow.
* List the standard ligatures in LaTeX (ff fi fl ffi ffl `` '' -- --- `! `?).
* Describe LaTeX's special characters (\ @ @ % $ & _ ^ # ~}.
* Briefly mention hilatex and the hitex engine (https://ctan.org/pkg/hitex).
* Briefly describe input encodings and how to handle them.

Changes:
* Update the discussion of fragile commands at \protect; since October 2019,
most commands have been robust. Mention the cprotect package.
* The lengthy list of commands for class and package writers, from
clsguide, now split into sections instead of being one long table.

 Notable changes in January 2023 release:

Additions:
* For each node name "foo & bar", provide separate anchors for foo and
bar, so they can be referenced individually, especially online.
* Brief discussion of bold math alternatives, including for OpenType.

Fixes:
* description of definition and use of optional arguments somewhat clarified.
* \texttt{\textbackslash} (and \textbraceleft and \textbraceright)
require T1 or other non-default encoding to produce typewriter characters.
* \dots description extended, with more about the amsmath redefinition,
and Unicode vs. traditional typesetting.
* Spanish translation brought up to date.

Formatting:
* For the TeX output, enable microtype, since Texinfo now supports it.

 Notable changes in January 2022 release:

New sections:
* \caption
* BibTeX error messages
* Producing the index manually

Fixes:
* Units of length: correct pt/mm/cm conversions.
* Command line input: extended text.
* throughout: index entries; typographical, reference, wording.

 Changes in July 2021 release

(see ChangeLog)

 Changes in July 2020 release:

* Entries for \openin, \openout, \message, \write, \write18.
* Section on fontenc.
* Section on math delimiters.
* Describe -output-directory option.
* Section on xr.
* Section on expressions.
* Entry on \contentsline.

 Changes in October 2018 release:

The main change is that we now offer the manual in a version that
is split into separate web pages for each section or subsection.
This new version is more host-friendly.  To celebrate we have
set up a host.
  https://latexref.xyz
We still offer the one-page version. 
  http://latexref.xyz/dev/latex2e.html
So you now have an easy-to-remember way to access the reference.

If you'd like to host a mirror of the manual, whether to have a
convenient local reference or to offer a service to the community, we've
included instructions at https://latexref.xyz/dev/mirroring.html.

In addition to the format news, there were many bug fixes and new entries,
including \smash and \phantom.

 Changes in July 2018 release:

We have gone through the two documents latex-info and
latex2e-reference and checked that any information in those documents
is in this one.

There have also been other changes, including switching to a single
unified index, a more uniform entry format, and many more examples and
error messages.  There are a number of entirely new entries such as
ones on \strut, caligraphic math fonts, \boldmath, and blackboard
bold.  There have also been adjustments to the organization such as
having separate sections for \part, \chapter, etc., and some
combinations such as that of \clearpage and \cleardoublepage.

In addition, there were many bug fixes, including greatly shrinking
the size of one of the graphics.

 Changes in April 2018 release:

There is a new chapter on color and a new chapter on graphics
inclusion (all the commands from grfguide.pdf are now covered),
there is much greater coverage of the list environment including a
diagram of the parameters, and a description of the tabbing
environment.


 Changes in Aug 2017 release:

Besides the usual bug fixes, some of the changes in this version
include coverage of \makeatletter and \makeatother, \@startsection,
and commands for writing classes and packages, as well as improvements
in the descriptions of floats, the letter environment, \raisebox,
\onecolumn and \twocolumn, and many more.

 Changes in Apr 2016 release:

Provide first complete French translation --- still not fully aligned
on the latest revisions of the English version.

Fix \newfont description. Clarify discretionary multiplication and
\discretionary. Clarify space gobbling after control word. Making
environment indexing consistent, improve some synopsis syntax, notably
for optional parameters. Improve naming of Math symbols. Usual bug and
typo fixes.
	
 Changes in Oct 2015 release:

Many examples added, often using typical constructs.
Extend many entries to include points frequently asked.
Show list of math characters using Unicode glyphs.
Translations not yet part of update; needs to be worked out.
Thanks to Vincent Belaiche for many contributions.

 Changes in May 2015 release:

Usual bug fixes, more indexing, template updates.
Improve document and LaTeX overview, including general syntax.
Mention common engines, core classes, output files, italic corrections, pict2e.
Clarify optional arguments.
Avoid using plain's \sup, since @sup will be a Texinfo command.
For HTML, make the Up from Top be http://tug.org/texinfohtml.
Exception word list for spell checking, and make target for spell
  checking and doubled words.

French translation begun (only in sources); Spanish translation updated.
Thanks to Vincent Belaiche and Jim Hefferon for their many contributions.

 Changes in May 2014 release:

Usual bug fixes, template updates.
Add filecontents description, fnsymbol info, non-obsolescence of \tt et al.,
  mostly due to Vincent Belaiche.
Updates to Spanish translation, also from Vincent.

 Changes in May 2013 release:

Usual bug fixes, template updates.
Mention \unitlength default (1pt) and \oldstylenums.
Fix in ltx-help.el to find correct nodes for environments, etc.

 Changes in May 2012 release:

Template updates and references.
More on floats.
Mention a few other documents.

 Changes in May 2011 release:

Usual bug fixes, additional background info.
TUGboat sample document updated.
Discussion of width parameters.

 Changes in July 2010 release:

Usual bug fixes.  Added a number of control sequences from ltoutenc that
typeset particular glyphs.

 Changes in September 2009 release:

A bit more about figures and indexes, use of @table where appropriate in
the source, usual array of minor fixes, added references, etc.

 Changes in release 2.0:

After discussions with Torsten and Stephen Gilmore, maintainership of
this document has been handed off to me.  See the README for more
project info.

Dozens of missing commands added; all mathematical symbol commands in
basic LaTeX are now included.  Also a few usage examples, template
documents, default values, and more.  Of course plenty more work could
be done, contributions welcome.

The Info file is now named latex2e.info, for consistency.  ltx-help.el
updated accordingly.

Derived files generated with the current TeX and Texinfo.

Karl Berry (karl@freefriends.org), June 12 2008

 Changes in release 1.6:

Some minor bug fixes; thanks to Piet van Oostrum and Ralf
Fassel for those.

The node previously named 'List of Commands' is now named 'Command
Index' so that the Emacs command Info-index may work. Suggested by Ralf
Fassel.  'ltx-help.el' has therefore been updated. You _must_ use the
ltx-help.el included in this release with version 1.6 of latex2e.texi.
A bug has also been fixed in ltx-help.el; thanks to Kurt Hornik for
this.

As always, bug reports and comments are welcome.

Torsten Martinsen, April 24 1996

 Changes in release 1.3:

A selection of low-level NFSS2 commands added.
A short description of how to use BibTeX.
Concept index cleaned up.
Function index should be complete now.
Better formatting.
Description of recommended naming conventions for labels.
Several minor omissions and errors fixed.

Torsten Martinsen, March 13th 1995

 Changes in release 1.4:

NOTE: The name of the generated Info file is now `latex' and not `latex2e'.
More commands added to function index (ahem).
Index generally improved.
A few omissions fixed.

Torsten Martinsen, April 5th 1995

 Changes in release 1.5:

All menu items now have one-line descriptions.
Major cleanup of next/previous links.
Some other minor cleanups.
NOTE that my mail address has changed.
Emacs Lisp file 'ltx-help.el' for use with AUC TeX included.

Torsten Martinsen, April 9 1996
