[XeTeX] openType and xetex

[Khaled Hosny]

On Tue, Dec 03, 2013 at 05:27:21PM -0500, maxwell wrote:
> On 2013-12-03 16:43, Khaled Hosny wrote:
> >http://tug.org/pipermail/xetex/2013-March/024118.html
> 
> Is there an explanation of xetex's version numbering somewhere?  The copy
> I'm running gives the ff. version #:
>    XeTeX 3.1415926-2.5-0.9999.3-2013060708 (TeX Live 2013)
> You'll perhaps pardon me if I don't understand that...  I mean this
>    http://tug.org/pipermail/xetex/2007-March/006057.html
> is one thing, but what is the relative meaning of
>    3.1415926  (I recognize this number, but?)

The version of the TeX that were used as base (Knuthian TeX).

>    2.5        (?)

eTeX version used.

>    0.9999.3   (third, er fourth release of 0.9999)

XeTeX version.

>    2013060708 (date)

Build time (not release time). Next year this will go away again, as it
turns out not to serve the purpose it was introduced for.

> Anyway, if the 0.9999.3 part is any indication, xetex is now using Harfbuzz,
> correct?

Next year version is 0.99991 and the one after it will be 0.99992 ad
infinitum (i.e. as far I’m concerned, I have no plans my self to ever
release XeTeX 1.0, but my involvement with XeTeX is just transient). The
point versions are for bug fix releases (which is usually between pre-TL
releases and the final one).

Regards,
Khaled