the daemon is surely getting tired, after recent excessive exercise, but neverthe less he says:

The following information was provided by the package's contributor.

Name of contribution: expl3 Author's name: LaTeX project Author's email: joseph.wright@morningstar2.co.uk Location on CTAN: /macros/latex/contrib/expl3 Summary description: Packages showing a proposed LaTeX3 programming convention License type: lppl

Announcement text given by the package's contributor:

The expl3 bundle: low-level LaTeX3 coding

The files of the expl3 bundle provide a low-level API for TeX programmers with special syntax conventions, completely separating it from document level syntax. Hence, the commands provided are not intended for use at the document level nor for use in describing design layouts in document class files.

This API provides the foundation on which the LaTeX3 kernel and other advanced extensions are built. Special care has been taken so that they can be used within a LaTeX2e context as regular packages.

The TeX and eTeX primitives are all given a new name according to these conventions. However, in the main direct use of the primitives is not required or encouraged: the expl3 modules define an independent low-level LaTeX3 programming language.

At present, the expl3 modules are designed to be loaded on top of LaTeX2e:

usepackage{expl3}

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.

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This release (SVN 1543)

The major change from the last snapshot (SVN 1509) is changes to l3keys which reflect discussion about both expl3 and wider LaTeX3 concepts.

Changes to l3keys:

• Removed .code:Nn, .code:Nx, .function:N, .initial:n, .initial:V, .set:N properties
• New variable-setting properties .dim_(g)set:N, .int_(g)set:N, .skip_(g)set:N, .tl_(g)set:N, .tl_(g)set_x:N
• Choice generating system now uses two properties .choice_code:n and .generate_choices:n

The team hope that these changes now make l3keys fully usable across LaTeX3 and other projects.

The keys_variable_get_scope:N and keys_variable_get_type:N functions have been moved to prg_, to reflect their generic nature.

A few new functions have been added, mainly to support changes in the xpackages.

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The LaTeX3 Project

i've installed the new version and updated the catalogue repository. the catalogue update will be left to the overnight run to regenerate.

Users may view the package catalogue entry at http://www.tex.ac.uk/tex-archive/help/Catalogue/entries/expl3.html or they may browse the package directory at http://www.tex.ac.uk/tex-archive/macros/latex/contrib/expl3

Robin Fairbairns

For the CTAN team