The Nederlandstalig LaTeX Forum has been founded by Frank Puttemans today. It’s a LaTeX Forum in Dutch language. Especially Dutch-speaking LaTeX users are invited to join the forum, to open discussions, to share knowledge and to answer questions of other users. The first forum post has been written today, there’s more to come.

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

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.

Today Jim Hefferon announced on the CTAN mailing list that CTAN will not continue to provide the tools directory. The material contained therein is in no way TeX related, nearly all those programs are archiving software like arj, bzip2, compress, pkzip, lharc, tar etc. and conversion tools like uuencode/ uudecode, word-to-LaTeX and some more.

The reason is that those tools could easily be found and downloaded on the internet today in contrary to the earlier days of the world wide web, it does not make much sense to maintain that part of the archive any longer.

You still could have a look: http://www.ctan.org/pub/tex-archive/tools/, but the link will be dead soon.

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

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.

Robin Fairbairns has released a new version of the famous UK TeX FAQ. v3.19 contains 10 new answers to frequently asked questions:

• “Modern” graphics file names
• Key-value input for macros and package options
• Non-letters in macro names
• Using “old-style” figures
• Characters disappear from figures in PDFTeX
• Token not allowed in PDFDocEncoded string
• Things with “TeX” in the name
• Using symbols
• What are (TeX) macros
• Centring a very wide figure or table

Many answers have been revised. All changes since v3.18 are listed here.

Now there are 438 questions and answers in the FAQ, also available for download on CTAN.

The German LaTeX forum goLaTeX.de has been inaccessible since one week, from May 28 on. Today it’s available again, at last. There was a technical problem that the provider didn’t solve quickly. The forum will stay alive.

New packages on CTAN:

• ulqda - supports the integration of Qualitative Data Analysis research tasks with LaTeX, assists in the analysis of textual data by providing macros used to markup textual information. ulqda is requiring pdfeTeX, further it’s needing the packages soul, color, multicols, pgf/TikZ, dot2texi and for processing and graph/list generation the external tools GraphViz, dot2tex, Perl and the Digest::SHA1 module. The author is Ivan Griffin, for further information have a look at its documentation.
• lshort-mongol - another translation of Tobias Oetiker’s Not so short introduction, this time to Mongolian by Dorjgotov Batumongke.
• pst-gantt - drawing GANTT charts, by Herbert Voß, requiring PSTricks, see documentation.
• logical-markup-utils - contains two packages by Michał Masłowski for inserting language-dependent inline quotes and dashes, see README file.
• figbas - fonts by Bob Tennent for figured-bass notation in music, see README and example.
• draftmark - putting user-defined draft marks (”watermarks”) on selected pages, by Ahmed Musa, highly customizable, requires the atbegshi package, see documentation and example.
• tolkienfonts - fonts for writing J.R.R. Tolkien’s languages with pdfTeX, see documentation, by Ariel Barton.

Updates on CTAN:

• libertine - new version of the libertine font for LaTeX and XeLaTeX)
• diagmac2 - additional macros and expanded documentation
• tikz-timing - bugfix, syntax change, some additions and improvements, see Change History in its documentation
• hyphen-spanish - some fixed patterns
• tablor - bugfix
• fonttable - improved aid for font designers and testers, another method for font selection
• VnTeX - enhanced documentation, bugfixes in fonts, internal improvements
• pst-math - now able to solve linear equation systems
• pstricks-add - new macro psTangentLine, matching new pst-math version
• MetaPost - supporting SVG graphics generation, providing access to PostScript Type1 font curves from within MetaPost, bugfixes, improved manual and tutorial
• BibTexMng - new features, see README file for the list
• biblatex-dw - bugfix and improvements, see CHANGES file
• fge font - fixing garbled dvips output with PostScript version of the font
• TeXcount - support added for handling Unicode (UTF-8) encoded documents, now being able to handle non-Latin alphabets, providing special options for counting the characters of Chinese and Japanese texts
• achemso - “email” option to prevent printing e-mails, bugfix for non-superscript citations, improved compatibility to v3.1 configuration files
• fancytooltips - bugfix
• CircuiTikz - support added for op-amps, new options arrowmos and noarrowmos for drawing arrows in pmos and nmos
• svn-prov - new macro \DefineFileInfoSVN, defining the version, revision, date and info text of the package, class or file as macros

Information about new packages and updates before Mai 1st (and of course newer too) can be found in the ctan-ann archive.

From today on the (La)TeX related news posted in the TeXblog will be available also on the LaTeX-Community.org front page and news section.

LaTeX-Community.org is a community platform for LaTeX users all around the world, maintained by the Sven Wiegand, the founder of the famous TeXnicCenter IDE. LaTeX-Community.org has been online since Jan 14, 2007 and until now there are 3141 registered members and a huge amount of LaTeX knowledge has been collected there.

For more information visit the announcement on LaTeX-Community.org.