[Doc-SIG] Released: Docutils 0.4

[Felix Wiemann]

=======================
 Docutils 0.4 Released
=======================

Docutils 0.4 has been released.  You can download it from
<http://prdownloads.sf.net/docutils/docutils-0.4.tar.gz?download>.


What Is Docutils?
=================

Docutils is a system for processing plaintext documentation into various
useful formats, such as HTML or LaTeX.  It includes reStructuredText,
the easy to read, easy to use, what-you-see-is-what-you-get plaintext
markup language.


Major Changes Since The Previous Release (0.3.9)
================================================

* Added an S5/HTML writer and the rst2s5.py front end: multi-platform,
  multi-browser HTML slide shows.  See
  <http://docutils.sf.net/docs/user/slide-shows.html> and
  <http://docutils.sf.net/docs/user/tools.html#rst2s5-py>.

* The newlatex2e writer is nearing completion.

* Added a DocTree reader, ``publish_doctree`` and
  ``publish_from_doctree`` convenience functions, for document tree
  extraction and reprocessing.

* Added directives: "container" (generic block-level container),
  "default-role" (role used for `backtick` syntax), "title" (document
  title metadata), and "date" (generate the current local date, for
  substitution definitions).  See
  <http://docutils.sf.net/docs/ref/rst/directives.html>.

* Length units are now supported for image sizes; see
  <http://docutils.sf.net/docs/ref/rst/directives.html#image>.

* Added standard definition files for special characters etc.; see
  <http://docutils.sf.net/docs/ref/rst/definitions.html>.

* Added Japanese and Simplified Chinese language mappings, and support
  for double-width CJK-characters in tables and section titles.

* Added a guide for distributors
  (http://docutils.sf.net/docs/dev/distributing.html) and a guide for
  developers (http://docutils.sf.net/docs/dev/hacking.html).

* Added significant Emacs support for reST; see
  <http://docutils.sf.net/docs/user/emacs.html>.

* Added a --strip-comments option; see
  <http://docutils.sf.net/docs/user/config.html#strip-comments>.

* --embed-stylesheet is now the default for the HTML writer (rather
  than --link-stylesheet).


Compatibility Note
==================

Docutils 0.4.x is the last version that will support Python 2.1.
Docutils 0.5 will *not* be compatible with Python 2.1; Python 2.2 or
later will be required.

Docutils 0.4.x is the last version that will make compromises in its
HTML output for Netscape Navigator 4.  Docutils 0.5 will require more
up-to-date browsers (the exact definition is to be determined).


-- 
Felix Wiemann -- http://www.ososo.de/