
README for LuaTeX Snapshots
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This directory contains a snapshot release of LuaTeX, 
an experimental pdfTeX extension that is to eventually 
become its successor, under the new name MetaTeX. It is
developed by a subset of the current pdfTeX team.

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The snapshot code is NOT stable, it may not even compile
properly!  Features that are present today may be gone 
in tomorrow. There ARE bugs. You should NOT use this 
program for ANYTHING except testing!
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LuaTeX uses Lua scripting both as an extension to the TeX 
macro language and as an extension to the typesetting 
engine itself. A (growing) number of TeX internals are 
made available to the embedded lua interpreter.

LuaTeX uses code and interfaces from Aleph to improve the 
typesetting of non-latin alphabet languages, instead of
the TeXXeT code present in the current releases of pdfTeX. 

Unicode and OpenType font support are added progressively,
and regular pdfTeX development will continue in this
branch as well.

The multi-lingual extensions are coded and merged by Taco 
Hoekwater. Swift progress in that area is made possible 
by a joint grant from Colorado State University and TUG, 
under the 'Oriental TeX' project.

The final release will contain an embedded MetaPost 
interpreter for graphics (hence the expected name change).

Further documentation about LuaTeX can be found at 
http://www.luatex.org 

A mailing list for the development of LuaTeX can be found 
at http://www.ntg.nl/mailman/listinfo/dev-luatex

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