CTAN update: suanpan-l3
1.Removed the numrods option and lifted the restriction on abacus size. 2.Fixed a bug in the rod value range checking code. 3.Optimized code for improved maintainability.
The package’s Catalogue entry can be viewed at https://ctan.org/pkg/suanpan-l3 The package’s files themselves can be inspected at https://mirrors.ctan.org/macros/latex/contrib/suanpan-l3/
Thanks for the upload. For the CTAN Team Petra Rübe-Pugliese
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suanpan-l3 – Traditional Chinese 7-beads suanpan (abacus) package based on l3draw
This traditional Chinese 7-beads abacus drawing package utilizes l3draw and is developed with expl3. It can effectively manage both upper and lower beads, while also considering bottom bead, top bead, and hanging bead.
The package offers a unique environment for drawing abacuses, denoted as suanpan. Within this environment, 7 specialized macros are available for the creation of abacuses. The \rod macro is used to lay out a single rod, while the \rod* macro draws a counting point on this rod’s beam. The \rods macro is capable of laying out a set of rods. The \bead macro colors the specified bead. The \beads macro colors all inner beads that are near the beam, while the \beads* macro colors all outer beads that are far from the beam. Lastly, the \lrframe macro is used to lay out the left and right frames of an abacus.
At the same time, the package offers customization options for abacus, including line width, draw color, fill color, bead space, rod space, etc. These can be configured through package options, suanpan environment options, or the \suanpanset macro.
| Package | suanpan-l3 |
| Version | 2.0.1 2026-08-09 |
| Copyright | 2020–2026 Nan Geng |
| Maintainer | Nan Geng |