CTAN Update: babel
New - After extensive tests and fixing some issues, bidi=basic is not experimental any longer. - import in \babelprovide does not require a language code if the language name is a recognized one. - New macro: \ifbabelshorthand. - TS1, T3 and TS3 have been added to the non-ascii list, to avoid problems in case no ASCII-savvy encoding is requested. - Define Language and Script if fontspec does not known them (eg, the Japanese script). - Set the \thepage bidi bahavior in foots/heads. - Fix - Undefined \bbl at stripslash in Plain.
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 | 25.11 2025-07-13 |
| Copyright | 1989–2012 Johannes Braams et al. 2012–2025 Javier Bezos and Johannes L. Braams |
| Maintainer | Javier Bezos López Johannes L. Braams (inactive) |