On Feb 15th the Version 3.05 of KOMA-Script has been released by Markus Kohm. 3.04 has been the most recent release for many months and is rated as very stable by the author, but know some improvements have led to the new release. These include extensions in scrlttr2, the new pseudolengths firstheadhpos and firstfoothpos, improvements in scrhack and a correction in tocbasic.

For further information and download visit

• the announcement in Markus’ blog,
• the release page for 3.05
• and the hosting BerliOS-Project.

This text is available in German. Dieser Text ist auch in Deutsch verfügbar.

The first update to REVTeX since 2001 has been released yesterday, today it’s been uploaded to CTAN. REVTeX 4.1 is a set of LaTeX2e macro packages. It is especially well-suited for preparing manuscripts for submission to the journals of the American Physical Society (APS) and American Institute of Physics (AIP). The Version 4.1 brings bug fixes, improved functionality and support for a wider range of journals.

For more information, download and documentation including update info and FAQ visit the REVTeX 4 homepage.

New packages on CTAN in September 2009:

• latex-make - tools to simplify the compilation of LaTeX documents
• rangen - generation of random integers, rational numbers and decimal numbers
• eqexam - a LaTeX package for writing exams, tests, quizzes,
  homework assignments, etc. Though it’s a stand alone package it’s integrated with the AcroTeX eDucation Bundle.
• chklref - automatically find unused labels in LaTeX documents
• widetable - like tabularx but typesets tables of specified width by adjusting the inter column glue
• pst-abspos - a PSTricks related package providing a macro \pstPutAbs(x,y) to put any object on absolute or relative coordinates of a page
• cachepic - simplifying and automating conversion of document fragments into external EPS or PDF files
• mailmerge - provides an interface to generate text from a template where fields are replaced by actual data
• texdiff - compares two (La)TeX documents in order to create a merged version showing changes
• bracketkey - LaTeX class for producing bracketed identification keys
• drv - a set of MetaPost macros for typesetting derivation trees
• trimspaces - trim spaces around an argument or macro
• csv2latex - a Ruby script and Applescript combination allowing cut-and-paste of spreadsheet tables (e.g., from Excel, Open Office Calc, iWork Numbers, etc.) into a LaTeX file in various popular LaTeX table formats: plain tables, booktabs, longtable and raw cells
• memdesign - notes on book design, derived from the first part of the memoir users manual
• DoX - extensions to the doc package

Updates in August:

boolexpr, tex-gyre, lm, mfpic, FiXme, mathspec, epstopdf, ctantools, tablor, dox, Asymptote, bclogo, notes2bib, mattens, cachepic, cleveref, luamplib, luaotfload, luainputenc, luatextra, glossaries, BaKoMa, etextools, csquotes, expl3, pdfcomment, memoir, siunitx, biblatex, PerlTeX, biblatex-apa, zhmetrics, autolatex, linguex, biblatex-chem, umthesis, trimspaces, ctable, pdfbook, footmisc, version, mk, vpp, answers, prerex, biblatex-chem, xeCJK, cwpuzzle, ctex, l2tabu, ifplatform, sam2p, latex2e-help-texinfo, Context, collref, oberdiek bundle, tablenotes, xpackages, xltxtra, softmaker-freefont, epspdfconversion, achemso, listings-ext. For package-specific information visit the package folder on CTAN.

Karl Berry announced on the TeX Live mailing list today that the new version 2009/09/24 of LaTeX2e has been released by the LaTeX Project team. The changed have been incorporated into TeX Live and will be available with the pretest version of TeX Live 2009.

This text is available in German. Dieser Text ist auch in Deutsch verfügbar.

I’v just read the blog post Automatic Table Row Numbers in LaTeX by Alexander O’Connor, while reading it came to my mind how to use a feature of the array package to automatize such tasks. The array syntax >{command} allows to include commands in row formating parameters that will be executed with each cell. Here’s a short compilable demonstration example:

\documentclass[a4paper,10pt]{article}
\usepackage{array}
\newcounter{rowno}
\setcounter{rowno}{0}
\begin{document}
\begin{tabular}{>{\stepcounter{rowno}\therowno.}cl}
\multicolumn{1}{r}{No.} & text \\\hline
 & first  \\
 & second \\
 & third  \\
 & fourth
\end{tabular}
\end{document}

Output:

Of course it would be only useful with longer tables. But this example is also intended to show how to execute commands for certain cells in general.

New packages on CTAN in August 2009:

• tablenotes - package by Matthias Borck-Elsner for placing notes in tables and list them, like endnotes and footnotes
• listings-ext - contains macros and a bash script that can be used to input parts of source code programs into a documentation, written by J. Hoffmann
• threeparttablex - extends threeparttable bringing it to longtable, by Lars Madsen
• font-change - macros for plain TeX written by Amit Raj Dhawan allowing to change the fonts (text and math) in a TeX document with only one statement
• JFlap2TikZ - converts JFlap jff files representing a finite automaton, push down automaton, or Turing machine to a LaTeX file depicting the automaton graphically using TikZ, programmed by Andrew Mertz
• suanpan - MetaPost macros for drawing Chinese and Japanese abaci by Denis Roegel
• garrigues - Metapost macros for the reproduction of Garrigues’ Easter nomogram by Denis Roegel
• spverbatim - provides a macro that is analogous to \verb and an environment that is analogous to verbatim, but they allow LaTeX to break lines at space characters, developed by Scott Pakin
• titlepic - package by Thomas ten Cate that supports placing a picture on the title page of a LaTeX document

Updates in August:

boolexpr, curves, pst-geo, MWCLS, dvisvgm, pst-math, pst-barcode, pst-3dplot, keycommand, algorithms, fontinst, tablor, biblatex-dw, Asymptote, Boisik, latexmk, cleveref, autolatex, GaPFilL, ctanify, gbrief-creator, thailatex, etextools, biblatex-chem, biblatex, siunitx, findhyph, luaotfload, bibhtml, dashrule, pkfix-helper, pict2e, achemso, xwatermark, expl3, lhfonts, xeCJK, tablists, softmaker-freefont, makecell, hyph-utf8, cellspace, floatrow, bidi, blindtext. For package-specific information visit the package folder on CTAN.

New packages on CTAN in July:

• boolexpr - evaluation of boolean expressions in a purely expandable way
• germkorr - changes kerning for german quotation marks, for instance brings some letters like T nearer to german quotes
• fig4latex - simplifies management of figures in large projects by creating makefiles
• mathgifg - LaTeX support for Microsoft Georgia and ITC Franklin Gothic in text and math
• ltxnew - provides the \new, \renew and \provide prefixes for checking definition of control sequences, designed to work with e-TeX
• changelayout - an extension of the changepage package that can be used to change the layout of individual pages and their texts
• keycommand - an eTeX/LaTeX package that provides a natural way to define commands with optional keys, it’s based on the \kvsetkeys package
• biblatex-authoryear-icomp-tt - provides an author-year style with compact multiple-reference-citations and ibidem mechanism
• etextools - useful tools for e-TeX/LaTeX Users and package writers
• properties - loads properties (key, value) from a properties file
• kmrhyph - hyphenation patterns for the kurmanji language, T1 encoded
• ctex - a collection of macro packages and document classes for Chinese LaTeX typesetting
• zhspacing - a CJK typesetting package for document formats using XeTeX
• xeCJK - a LaTeX2e package for typesetting CJK documents in XeTeX
• CJKpunct - adjusts the location and kerning of CJK punctuation marks
• ERDC - provides a class for typesetting technical information reports of the Engineer Research and Development Center, US Army Corps of Engineers
• ESTCPMM - typesetting reports for Munitions Management Reports, US Environmental Security Technology Certification Program

New documentation on CTAN this month:

• Presentations with LaTeX - example files for the book from the Dante-Edition series,
• lshort-persian - Persian (Farsi) translation of “The not so short introduction to LaTeX2e”
• ConTeXt Top Ten Commands - an introductory document on ConTeXt frequently used commands
• Chinese Asymptote Manual - Chinese translation of the official Asymptote manual
• Asymptote By Example - a Chinese Asymptote tutorial
• Chinese Asymptote FAQ - Chinese translation of the official Asymptote FAQ
• ConTeXt Notes - a ConTeXt tutorial in Chinese covering ConTeXt installation, fonts, layout design, cross-reference, project structure, presentation design and more
• ctex-faq - LaTeX FAQ by the Chinese TeX Society

Updates on CTAN this month:

achemso, pst-3dplot, thailatex, tikz-timing, dvisvgm, pdfcomment, eplain, biblatex, zhmetrics, pst-solides3d, latex-veryshortguide, csquotes, erdc, memoir, biblatex-apa, ly1enc.def, natbib, FiXme, cell, pstool, etextools, oberdiek bundle, animate, zhspacing, bmeps, asymptote, ctex, pdfcrop, jpgfdraw, dozenal, ConTeXt Commands Top Ten, chitex, calctab, xepersian, bidi, cleveref, glossaries, datatool, softmaker-freefont, TotCount, VnTeX, expl3, mlist and biblatex-chicago-notes-df. For package-specific information visit the package folder on CTAN.

New packages on CTAN this month:

• pstdoc - SQLite database and Python script that provides extensive help with PSTricks commands from a terminal window.
• eltex - package for drawing simple electrical circuit diagrams in the picture environment withouth any special fonts. The circuit symbols follow the IEC 617 standard. eltex runs with LaTeX 2.09 and LaTeX 2e.
• asyfig - support for including standalone .asy figures into LaTeX documents allowing figures to be rapidly proofed before re-typesetting the document. See Asymptote language.
• getfiledate - fetches from the system the date of last modification or opening of a resident file, providing a user-friendly interface for obtaining and presenting the needed filedate in several formats.
• softmaker-freefont - LaTeX support files for the Softmaker Stone Handwriting font.
• grid - enables grid typesetting in double column documents.
• Steinmetz notation - provides a command for typesetting complex numbers in the Steinmetz notation used in electrotechnics.
• subdocs - provides a different approach for multidocument works, part of the Bezocs bundle, see documentation.
• cpssp - for drawing a two-dimensional representation of a protein’s secondary structure.
• Inconsolata - a monospaced font already described here.
• tabularew - tabular extension to improve alignment of multicolumn cells, described in an earlier post.
• collref - automatically collects multiple \bibitem references which always appear in the same sequence into a single \bibitem block.

Updates in June:

achemso, CodeDoc, recycle, hyph-utf8, dehyph-exptl, biblatex-mla, Asymptote, luaotfload, latexmk, tdclock, floatrow, xwatermark, tdsfrmath, amslatex-primer, sagetex, isomath, babelbib, biblatex-chicago-notes-df, keys3, prelim2e, xpackages, expl3, diagrams/taylor, chemstyle, xstring and glossaries. For package-specific information visit the package folder on CTAN.

More information about new packages and updates can be found in the ctan-ann archive.

Jim Hefferon has published the document “Getting something out of LaTeX” on CTAN, taking new LaTeX user through making a first document. The author wants to give a quick taste, the reader could get an idea if the LaTeX system could help him and how it’s working.

The article contains information about getting the software, using an editor, compiling, handling errors and writing math. It comes with some source code examples and recommendations for tutorials.

If you are using the handy package enumitem in version 2.1 or earlier you could consider to update it. The author Javier Bezos announced v2.2: “This release fixes a bug in some description styles (the first label in the first list after a description was wrong).”
I did not encounter that error yet, but I’ve noticed a different behavior of v2.2 and v2.1 with the example Javier posted here in his forum.

For update or information visit:

• enumitem on CTAN
• the Homepage of Javier Bezos
• the enumitem page on Javiers site
• the enumitem forum also hosted there.