[tex-k] Version numbers in TeXbook and MFbook

[Andrew Komornicki]

Hi Igor,

 I have done some digging, and there is a TUGboat article in 1989 where
Knuth released new versions of TeX and Metafont.  Many of us were using
plain TeX back in the 1980's to write our scientific papers.  So all of
this seems consistent.  Tex 3.0 was released in 1989.

  Have also looked on my bookshelf and found that Chapter 29 in "Digital
Typography" is entitled, "A new version of TeX and Metafont" which
appears to be a reprint of that article.

Seems like the time lines are correct.
regards,
Andrew

 Andrew Komornicki



On 1/20/2022 6:00 PM, Igor Liferenko wrote:
> Hi all,
> 
> tex.web:
> % Version 3.141 more of same; reconstituted ligatures better (March 1992).
> texbook.tex:
> This is TeX, Version 3.141 (preloaded format=plain 89.7.15)
> 
> mf.web:
> % Version 2.0 fixed bug in addto; released with TeX version 3.0 (March 1990).
> mfbook.tex:
> This\\is\\METAFONT,\\Version\\2.0\\(preloaded\\base=plain 89.11.8)}
> This is METAFONT, Version 2.0 (INIMF)  8 NOV 1989 10:09
> 
> How can it be that versions which were not released yet appear in the
> program output?
> 
> Greetings,
> Igor
>