CTAN Update: babel
Most changes are for LuaTeX: - The main new feature is a bidi method for both implicit L in R text, and implicit R in L text, with the possibility of switching the font automatically. Still somewhat experimental, but it should work in most cases. - layout=extras for a couple of miscellaneous readjustments. - bidi equation numbers. Also, for all engines, new field in some ini files: digits.native (to be used in future releases).
The package’s Catalogue entry can be viewed at https://ctan.org/pkg/babel The package’s files themselves can be inspected at http://mirror.ctan.org/macros/latex/required/babel/base/
Thanks for the upload. For the CTAN Team Petra Rübe-Pugliese
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babel – Multilingual support for LaTeX, LuaLaTeX, XeLaTeX, and Plain TeX
Babel is the multilingual environment for LaTeX (tailored for LuaTeX, pdfTeX and XeTeX), and sometimes Plain. Its aim is to provide a comprehensive localization framework for different languages, scripts and cultures based on the latest advances on international standards (Unicode, W3C, OpenType). It supports about 300 languages (with various levels of coverage) across about 45 scripts, including complex (like CJK, Indic) and RTL ones.
Besides the traditional .ldf files, there are many locales built on a modern core that utilizes descriptive .ini files, with tools providing precise control over hyphenation and line breaking, captions, date formats (across various calendars), spacing, transliteration, numbering and other locale-specific typographical rules.
| Package | babel |
| Version | 25.12 2025-08-03 |
| Copyright | 1989–2012 Johannes Braams et al. 2012–2025 Javier Bezos and Johannes L. Braams |
| Maintainer | Javier Bezos López Johannes L. Braams (inactive) |