Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!uwm.edu!lll-winken!unixhub!shelby!portia.stanford.edu!lindy.stanford.edu!lpilindy
From: lpilindy@lindy.stanford.edu (Captain Beyond)
Newsgroups: comp.text.tex
Subject: New Common TeX
Message-ID: <1990Nov4.000626.28089@portia.Stanford.EDU>
Date: 4 Nov 90 00:06:26 GMT
Sender: Pat Monardo
Followup-To: monardo@cshl.org
Distribution: comp.text.tex
Organization: AIR, Stanford University
Lines: 46


In preparation to update Common TeX to version 3.0,
i have made the following changes:

1. cleaned up strings, no string pool. i hope to extract all the strings
soon and use a formatted print routine. but internally strings arent
stored as counted vectors in a string pool.

2. no memory array, no "memorywords, halfwords, etc".
 C structures are used, with dynamic allocation.

3. restructured symbol table. no eqtb table, etc. symbols are still treated
as "named registers", but the global registers dont share structure
with the symbol table.

4. restructured font table. 

5. simplified type system.

6. no virtex. these is only an initex, with undumped versions for 
tex, latex, etc.

7. all bug fixes to 2.95. actually beyond that, but i am waiting
for 3.0 to distribute these.

8. ad nauseum....

there are more things on my list to do, but i think the current version
is "stable". the changes are quite extensive, so i didnt bother keeping
anyone up to date. hopefully this will no longer be the case. i dont
think the changes to 3.0 will be as numerous as these.
but i would like to get versions to people "interested" in steering
Common TeX to 3.0. i am open to suggestions. i am also on the Internet,
so i would value feedback from sites. portability needs to be addressed
and i would rather do this with 2.95. obviously, using new C features
will introduce shortcomings in my programming. 

please wait for version 3.0 for general inquiries for obtaining
Common TeX. i am interested in reconnecting with TeX hackers
for the moment. but i will make Common TeX 2.95 and Metafont 1.0
available for FTP access, if desired.

please send messages to monardo@cshl.org. we dont yet have a news
feed. but all mail will be answered.

/pat