CTAN update: xpackages

[Robin Fairbairns]

that old upload daemon is at it again:

> The following information was provided by the package's contributor.
> 
> Name of contribution: xpackages
> Author's name: The LaTeX3 Project
> Author's email: latex-team at latex-project.org
> Location on CTAN: /macros/latex/contrib/xpackages
> Summary description: The xpackages bundle: high-Level LaTeX3 concepts
> License type: lppl
> 
> Announcement text given by the package's contributor:
> ----------------------------------------------------------------
> ----------------------------------------------------------------
> ----------------------------------------------------------------
> The xpackages bundle: high-Level LaTeX3 concepts
> ----------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> The xpackages are experimental, hihg-level parts of LaTeX3. They
> are designed to provide a link between the programming system 
> (expl3) and the user. Each xpackage is focussed in a different
> area, for example creating document commands (xparse), the
> output routine (xor), and so on.
> 
> At present, the xpackages are designed to be loaded on top 
> of LaTeX2e:
> 
>   \usepackage{xparse}
>   \usepackage{template}
>   
> In time, a LaTeX3 format will be produced based on this code.
> This allows the code to be used in LaTeX2e packages now while a
> stand-alone LaTeX3 is developed.
> 
> To use the xpackages, you will need to have the expl3 package
> available. This provides the LaTeX3 coding environment on which
> the xpackages are built.
> 
> ----------------------------------------------------------------
> This release (SVN 1407)
> ----------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> This release is a snap-shot taken from the SVN repository which 
> can be found from:
> 
>   http://www.latex-project.org/code.html
> 
> At present, only some of the xpackages are ready for 
> distribution even in this experimental form. The current 
> xpackages bundle contains:
>  - xparse, an interface for creating document commands.
>  - template, a method to generate generic functions using 
>    key-value syntax.
>  - ldcsetup, a temporary "utilities" package to provide features
>    needed by template which are not currently available in 
>    expl3.
>    
> In contrast to expl3, which is now broadly stable, the team are
> actively working on these packages at the present time. They may
> therefore see significant alterations in the near future 
> (6 months).
> 
> ----------------------------------------------------------------
> Looking forward
> ----------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> The team are currently reviewing the base parts of the 
> xpackages, with the aim of moving on to examine providing a
> page building and output routine. We hope to establish a 
> semi-regular release pattern of snap-shots, which can then be 
> propagated  using the update features of TeX Live and MiKTeX. 
> The exact schedule will depend on the code changes made! Each 
> release will state which SVN revision number it is based on.
> 
> Over time, we hope to add more of the xpackages to this 
> distributed version. This will occur as the team decide that 
> a particular xpackage will remain available, and as we reach 
> some stability with those that do.
> 
> ----------------------------------------------------------------
> Other parts of LaTeX3
> ----------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> Several more experimental packages are also available in the 
> SVN. These xpackages show possible design ideas for LaTeX3, and
> their status is currently very variable.
> 
> The expl3 package, which contains the base for programming
> LaTeX3, is broadly stable and is available on CTAN.
> 
> ----------------------------------------------------------------
> LaTeX3 News
> ----------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> We have established a bi-yearly schedule to publish a LaTeX3
> News letter. The second of these will appear at the same time as
> this release. The news letters can be found at:
> 
>   http://www.latex-project.org/l3news/
> 
> ----------------------------------------------------------------
> Discussion
> ----------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> Discussion concerning the approach, suggestions for 
> improvements, changes, additions, etc. should be addressed to 
> the list LATEX-L. 
> 
> You can subscribe to this list by sending mail to
> 
>   listserv at urz.uni-heidelberg.de
> 
> with the body containing
> 
>   subscribe LATEX-L  <Your-First-Name> <Your-Second-Name>
>   
> ----------------------------------------------------------------
> The LaTeX3 Project
> ----------------------------------------------------------------
> ----------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> ----------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> Users may view the package catalogue entry at
>   http://www.tex.ac.uk/tex-archive/help/Catalogue/entries/xpackages.html
> or they may browse the package directory at
>   http://www.tex.ac.uk/tex-archive//macros/latex/contrib/xpackages

thanks for the upload; i've installed the files and updated the
catalogue repository.  (note that the catalogue entry page, above, will
be updated overnight tonight.)

Robin Fairbairns

For the CTAN team