TeX - TopAnswers

samcarter

Wow, of the 5 trains today, not a single one was delayed! I'm amazed!

CarLaTeX replying to samcarter

Good idea :D

samcarter replying to CarLaTeX

Oh, so we should encourage the squirrel to organise a tug meeting and test the trains on the way?

CarLaTeX replying to निरंजन

My experience on Spanish trains is very good!

निरंजन replying to samcarter

Nice!

samcarter replying to निरंजन

No, it was totally honest. They are amazing! I think most of the few delays they have are imported by trains comming in from other countries, so not even their fault.

samcarter replying to CarLaTeX

we have this saying, too!

निरंजन replying to samcarter

Oh, so it wasn't sarcastic..

samcarter replying to Skillmon

Oh yes, it is! I normally don't even book very tight connections, but there I did a 3 minute interchange without even having to run :)

निरंजन replying to CarLaTeX

I am wondering who reasonably is punctual then? From the 3-4 messages above, I am getting an impression that all Italy, Germany and Switzerland are not up to the mark. Based on the popular un-serious image of France and Spain, it seems unfair to expect it from them either.. :P Meanwhile, being an Indian, I am overconfident about us acing the list of tardy communities.

CarLaTeX replying to samcarter

In Italy, there is the saying "punctual as a Swiss watch."

Skillmon replying to samcarter

never went by train in Switzerland. Is it that much better than the rest?

samcarter replying to CarLaTeX

I think the only trustworthy ones are the Swiss :)

CarLaTeX replying to samcarter

The last time I was in Germany, the myth of the German railways collapsed. They are becoming Italianized :D

samcarter

Mmm, German railway doesn't want me to go to the Dante meeting. Already had complete shutdown of a train station due to a police action, rerouting due to a freight train leaking a chemical substance and a signaling error and am only 3/4 of the way. What else will happen?

samcarter

Happy Talk Like A Pirate Day!    
  
  
![Screenshot 2026-09-19 at 18.40.50.png](/image?hash=246c8bcbe298c9355ef8ef0fce4d15dcda598daed5af2aaf6106ab4abd0f5d40)  
  
(Image by @Ulrike Fischer)

samcarter

For everyone who ever wondered about the energy required to write a novel: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/X97DDWvxaqQ

samcarter replying to Ulrike Fischer

Now I need to read the whole issue again to find the 3rd one :)

Ulrike Fischer replying to samcarter

Three!

Joseph Wright replying to frougon

No problem :-)

Skillmon replying to samcarter

*love it!*

frougon

Hi,  
  
I haven't been following LaTeX news closely in the last years and just discovered cmdguide.pdf (`texdoc cmdguide`) in the [LaTeX2e News Issue 43](https://latex-project.org/news/latex2e-news/ltnews43.pdf). I am **delighted** to see all these important new interfaces and concepts from the last years explained in a single document! `\NewDocumentCommand` and friends, hooks, the new interfaces for customizing shipout, the new marks API, properties, sockets and templates. Yay, thank you so much! :)  
  
Only missing, as I see it: a link to the PDF file that I would expect to find [here](https://ctan.org/pkg/latex-base)?

samcarter

The newest TUGBoat not only has one, but two photos of the Bär!  
  
https://tug.org/TUGboat/Contents/contents47-2.html

samcarter replying to CarLaTeX

yes :)

CarLaTeX replying to samcarter

It is clearly written with Word :D

samcarter replying to CarLaTeX

Just found the full publication at  
  
https://www.verkehrsministerkonferenz.de/VMK/DE/termine/sitzungen/26-03-25-26-vmk/26-03-26-25-beschluss-5.2.pdf?__blob=publicationFile&v=3  
  
Funny to see how the font for `Ü` wasn't available in italics and had to be substituted with upright :)  
  
![Screenshot 2026-09-01 at 23.46.46.png](/image?hash=0fab17379b63f177e7aa9287d64bb93d6e0beabb8823a784e0ceb88445325e87)

CarLaTeX replying to samcarter

OMG!

samcarter

Is this a new record for the most typographic sins in a single formula?
  
https://chaos.social/@gittaca/117196848143195103

samcarter replying to Skillmon

Oh, elderberry jelly sounds good, not sure if the vanilla is necessary :)

Skillmon

That got fixed in Vanilla-Elderberry Jelly is a nice sentence, too.

Skillmon replying to samcarter

No no, just use the good old Zwetschgenmus.

samcarter replying to Skillmon

Oh, that's a nice idea too! "There is a bug in the lemon curd" -- "Use the strawberry jam instead." :)

Skillmon replying to samcarter

Last year we had jam and marmelade types as internal release names at my dayjob. This year it's more boring and just fruits :(

CarLaTeX replying to samcarter

:D

samcarter

I think this is the most unusual naming scheme for software releases I've ever seen: https://github.com/superhighfives/pika/releases

samcarter replying to CarLaTeX

<3

CarLaTeX replying to samcarter

Wizards all around :D

CarLaTeX replying to samcarter

Yes! I find it awesome as well as useful

samcarter

https://mastodon.social/@heavyimage/117136015176435355

samcarter replying to CarLaTeX

The main change is a new graphical table of contents in the documentation: just click on the image of the tikzling and it'll take you to the section in the doc :)

CarLaTeX

Ooohhh, a new version of TikZlings!

samcarter

By chance, I came across this old article: https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2013/jun/21/gchq-mastering-the-internet  
  
... now I can't stop imagining Mycroft Holmes sitting in his scary office writing beamer presentations. Or has he already switched to ltx-talk?  

![](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/336xn/p01n3ml9.jpg)

samcarter

For those of you, who are in the area of the solar eclipse tonight, but don't have protective glasses:  
  
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/wvaMK2vFvks

CarLaTeX replying to samcarter

Yay!

samcarter

Oh, a new tikz release! https://github.com/pgf-tikz/pgf/releases/tag/3.1.12

निरंजन replying to samcarter

Wow! :joy:

CarLaTeX replying to samcarter

:D

samcarter

Marmot news: https://mastodon.world/@davidho/116983357242374223

samcarter

For ducks and people interested in Japanese typography:   
  
https://typography.guru/journal/the-evolution-of-japanese-typography-from-the-edo-period-to-today-r83/

CarLaTeX replying to samcarter

Of course!