Why do people specify date as an option for usepackage?












8















In LaTeX code written by other people, I sometimes see a date specified as an optional argument for usepackage:



usepackage{iftex}[2013/04/04]


Intuition tells me that this is some way to ensure that the package version meets a certain minimal requirement, but I would like to read about its usage in the official manual, as opposed to blindly paste it in my code based on guesswork.










share|improve this question





























    8















    In LaTeX code written by other people, I sometimes see a date specified as an optional argument for usepackage:



    usepackage{iftex}[2013/04/04]


    Intuition tells me that this is some way to ensure that the package version meets a certain minimal requirement, but I would like to read about its usage in the official manual, as opposed to blindly paste it in my code based on guesswork.










    share|improve this question



























      8












      8








      8








      In LaTeX code written by other people, I sometimes see a date specified as an optional argument for usepackage:



      usepackage{iftex}[2013/04/04]


      Intuition tells me that this is some way to ensure that the package version meets a certain minimal requirement, but I would like to read about its usage in the official manual, as opposed to blindly paste it in my code based on guesswork.










      share|improve this question
















      In LaTeX code written by other people, I sometimes see a date specified as an optional argument for usepackage:



      usepackage{iftex}[2013/04/04]


      Intuition tells me that this is some way to ensure that the package version meets a certain minimal requirement, but I would like to read about its usage in the official manual, as opposed to blindly paste it in my code based on guesswork.







      packages optional-arguments package-options






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      edited 33 mins ago









      Peter Mortensen

      55537




      55537










      asked 7 hours ago









      ScumCoderScumCoder

      511411




      511411






















          2 Answers
          2






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          10














          From source2e.pdf, page 479 (CTAN page or texdoc source2e in a terminal):




          <code>usepackage[<package-option-list>]{<package-list>}[<version>]</code>//There can be any number of these declarations. All packages in <code><package-list></code> are called with the same options.//Each <code><package></code> file defines new elements (or modifies those defined in the <code><class></code>), and thus extends the range of documents which can be processed. The <code><package-option-list></code> is a list of options which can modify the formatting of elements defined in the <code><package></code> file. The <code><version></code> is a version number, beginning with a date in the format <code>YYYY/MM/DD</code>. If an older version of the package is found, a warning is issued.







          share|improve this answer


























          • Perfect. (I guess I failed to find it myself because of the non-obvious name of the manual file).

            – ScumCoder
            7 hours ago













          • @ScumCoder There are probably other documents saying this :) (sorry, but 7 what?)

            – Phelype Oleinik
            7 hours ago











          • @PhelypeOleinik we should update that documentation.....

            – David Carlisle
            5 hours ago











          • @DavidCarlisle Ooh, Frank's format :)

            – Phelype Oleinik
            5 hours ago



















          5














          Phelype Oleinik pointed you at the LaTeX sources but there is also a user guide called usrguide.pdf



           texdoc usrguide


          will open the document in texlive. Section 3.2 on preamble commands has the syntax for usepackage.



          This argument was extended with new syntax last year so you may also want to look at LaTeX News 28 in texdoc ltnews which points you at this article from TUGBoat on the project website



          https://www.latex-project.org/publications/2018-FMi-TUB-tb122mitt-version-rollback.pdf






          share|improve this answer























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            2 Answers
            2






            active

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            2 Answers
            2






            active

            oldest

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            active

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            active

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            10














            From source2e.pdf, page 479 (CTAN page or texdoc source2e in a terminal):




            <code>usepackage[<package-option-list>]{<package-list>}[<version>]</code>//There can be any number of these declarations. All packages in <code><package-list></code> are called with the same options.//Each <code><package></code> file defines new elements (or modifies those defined in the <code><class></code>), and thus extends the range of documents which can be processed. The <code><package-option-list></code> is a list of options which can modify the formatting of elements defined in the <code><package></code> file. The <code><version></code> is a version number, beginning with a date in the format <code>YYYY/MM/DD</code>. If an older version of the package is found, a warning is issued.







            share|improve this answer


























            • Perfect. (I guess I failed to find it myself because of the non-obvious name of the manual file).

              – ScumCoder
              7 hours ago













            • @ScumCoder There are probably other documents saying this :) (sorry, but 7 what?)

              – Phelype Oleinik
              7 hours ago











            • @PhelypeOleinik we should update that documentation.....

              – David Carlisle
              5 hours ago











            • @DavidCarlisle Ooh, Frank's format :)

              – Phelype Oleinik
              5 hours ago
















            10














            From source2e.pdf, page 479 (CTAN page or texdoc source2e in a terminal):




            <code>usepackage[<package-option-list>]{<package-list>}[<version>]</code>//There can be any number of these declarations. All packages in <code><package-list></code> are called with the same options.//Each <code><package></code> file defines new elements (or modifies those defined in the <code><class></code>), and thus extends the range of documents which can be processed. The <code><package-option-list></code> is a list of options which can modify the formatting of elements defined in the <code><package></code> file. The <code><version></code> is a version number, beginning with a date in the format <code>YYYY/MM/DD</code>. If an older version of the package is found, a warning is issued.







            share|improve this answer


























            • Perfect. (I guess I failed to find it myself because of the non-obvious name of the manual file).

              – ScumCoder
              7 hours ago













            • @ScumCoder There are probably other documents saying this :) (sorry, but 7 what?)

              – Phelype Oleinik
              7 hours ago











            • @PhelypeOleinik we should update that documentation.....

              – David Carlisle
              5 hours ago











            • @DavidCarlisle Ooh, Frank's format :)

              – Phelype Oleinik
              5 hours ago














            10












            10








            10







            From source2e.pdf, page 479 (CTAN page or texdoc source2e in a terminal):




            <code>usepackage[<package-option-list>]{<package-list>}[<version>]</code>//There can be any number of these declarations. All packages in <code><package-list></code> are called with the same options.//Each <code><package></code> file defines new elements (or modifies those defined in the <code><class></code>), and thus extends the range of documents which can be processed. The <code><package-option-list></code> is a list of options which can modify the formatting of elements defined in the <code><package></code> file. The <code><version></code> is a version number, beginning with a date in the format <code>YYYY/MM/DD</code>. If an older version of the package is found, a warning is issued.







            share|improve this answer















            From source2e.pdf, page 479 (CTAN page or texdoc source2e in a terminal):




            <code>usepackage[<package-option-list>]{<package-list>}[<version>]</code>//There can be any number of these declarations. All packages in <code><package-list></code> are called with the same options.//Each <code><package></code> file defines new elements (or modifies those defined in the <code><class></code>), and thus extends the range of documents which can be processed. The <code><package-option-list></code> is a list of options which can modify the formatting of elements defined in the <code><package></code> file. The <code><version></code> is a version number, beginning with a date in the format <code>YYYY/MM/DD</code>. If an older version of the package is found, a warning is issued.








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            share|improve this answer








            edited 6 hours ago









            moewe

            90.7k10114343




            90.7k10114343










            answered 7 hours ago









            Phelype OleinikPhelype Oleinik

            23.1k54584




            23.1k54584













            • Perfect. (I guess I failed to find it myself because of the non-obvious name of the manual file).

              – ScumCoder
              7 hours ago













            • @ScumCoder There are probably other documents saying this :) (sorry, but 7 what?)

              – Phelype Oleinik
              7 hours ago











            • @PhelypeOleinik we should update that documentation.....

              – David Carlisle
              5 hours ago











            • @DavidCarlisle Ooh, Frank's format :)

              – Phelype Oleinik
              5 hours ago



















            • Perfect. (I guess I failed to find it myself because of the non-obvious name of the manual file).

              – ScumCoder
              7 hours ago













            • @ScumCoder There are probably other documents saying this :) (sorry, but 7 what?)

              – Phelype Oleinik
              7 hours ago











            • @PhelypeOleinik we should update that documentation.....

              – David Carlisle
              5 hours ago











            • @DavidCarlisle Ooh, Frank's format :)

              – Phelype Oleinik
              5 hours ago

















            Perfect. (I guess I failed to find it myself because of the non-obvious name of the manual file).

            – ScumCoder
            7 hours ago







            Perfect. (I guess I failed to find it myself because of the non-obvious name of the manual file).

            – ScumCoder
            7 hours ago















            @ScumCoder There are probably other documents saying this :) (sorry, but 7 what?)

            – Phelype Oleinik
            7 hours ago





            @ScumCoder There are probably other documents saying this :) (sorry, but 7 what?)

            – Phelype Oleinik
            7 hours ago













            @PhelypeOleinik we should update that documentation.....

            – David Carlisle
            5 hours ago





            @PhelypeOleinik we should update that documentation.....

            – David Carlisle
            5 hours ago













            @DavidCarlisle Ooh, Frank's format :)

            – Phelype Oleinik
            5 hours ago





            @DavidCarlisle Ooh, Frank's format :)

            – Phelype Oleinik
            5 hours ago











            5














            Phelype Oleinik pointed you at the LaTeX sources but there is also a user guide called usrguide.pdf



             texdoc usrguide


            will open the document in texlive. Section 3.2 on preamble commands has the syntax for usepackage.



            This argument was extended with new syntax last year so you may also want to look at LaTeX News 28 in texdoc ltnews which points you at this article from TUGBoat on the project website



            https://www.latex-project.org/publications/2018-FMi-TUB-tb122mitt-version-rollback.pdf






            share|improve this answer




























              5














              Phelype Oleinik pointed you at the LaTeX sources but there is also a user guide called usrguide.pdf



               texdoc usrguide


              will open the document in texlive. Section 3.2 on preamble commands has the syntax for usepackage.



              This argument was extended with new syntax last year so you may also want to look at LaTeX News 28 in texdoc ltnews which points you at this article from TUGBoat on the project website



              https://www.latex-project.org/publications/2018-FMi-TUB-tb122mitt-version-rollback.pdf






              share|improve this answer


























                5












                5








                5







                Phelype Oleinik pointed you at the LaTeX sources but there is also a user guide called usrguide.pdf



                 texdoc usrguide


                will open the document in texlive. Section 3.2 on preamble commands has the syntax for usepackage.



                This argument was extended with new syntax last year so you may also want to look at LaTeX News 28 in texdoc ltnews which points you at this article from TUGBoat on the project website



                https://www.latex-project.org/publications/2018-FMi-TUB-tb122mitt-version-rollback.pdf






                share|improve this answer













                Phelype Oleinik pointed you at the LaTeX sources but there is also a user guide called usrguide.pdf



                 texdoc usrguide


                will open the document in texlive. Section 3.2 on preamble commands has the syntax for usepackage.



                This argument was extended with new syntax last year so you may also want to look at LaTeX News 28 in texdoc ltnews which points you at this article from TUGBoat on the project website



                https://www.latex-project.org/publications/2018-FMi-TUB-tb122mitt-version-rollback.pdf







                share|improve this answer












                share|improve this answer



                share|improve this answer










                answered 6 hours ago









                David CarlisleDavid Carlisle

                490k4111321881




                490k4111321881






























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