Start 24.12.

docs/index.md

@@ -27,10 +27,10 @@ and
 Its high-level interface with
 [`fontspec`](https://ctan.org/pkg/fontspec?lang=en) allows for seamless
 integration with **OpenType** technologies in `xetex` and `luatex`,
-enabling effortless use of advanced typographic features, and
-fine-grained control and customization. Additionally, lazy locale and
-font loading facilitate integration into **automated document
-generation workflows**, and makes it adept at handling complex
+enabling effortless, robust and flexible use of advanced typographic
+features, and fine-grained control and customization. Additionally,
+lazy locale and font loading facilitate integration into **automated
+document generation workflows**, and makes it adept at handling complex
 documents with **multiple languages**.
 
 Many locales in Babel are built on a **modern core** that utilizes
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ case, it's advisable to install TeXLive.)
 
 | Version | Most relevant changes
 | --- | --- |
+| [24.12](news/whats-new-in-babel-24.12.html) | (dev) Manual revised. `\PassOptionsToLocale` |
 | [24.11](news/whats-new-in-babel-24.11.html) | Manual revised. Transform variables. |
 | [24.10](news/whats-new-in-babel-24.10.html) | `\localename`, `\mainlocalename`, `\babelhyphenmins` |
 | [24.9](news/whats-new-in-babel-24.9.html) | Transforms: `digits.native`, CJK spacing (tentative). |

docs/news/whats-new-in-babel-24.12.md

@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+# What's new in babel 24.12
+
+**Draft**
+
+## Manual revised (continued)
+
+As in the previous version, outdated comments have been revised, certain
+explanations expanded, and examples added.
+
+## Multilingual document automation 
+
+One on the aims of `babel` is to ease its integration with automated
+document generation or conversion workflows (like
+[Pandoc](https://pandoc.org/), [Sphynx](https://www.sphinx-doc.org/) or
+[Asciidoctor](https://asciidoctor.org/), and there has been steps in
+this direction with, for example, lazy loading of locales (not
+requiring explicit declaration in the preamble) and fonts (loaded only
+if actually used in the document), as well as BCP-47 tags.
+
+There are now a couple of tools to preset the options for locales even
+before loading `babel`, by means of the LaTeX hooking mechanism. 
+
+The hook `babel/presets` is executed just before locale files (either
+`ini` or `ldf`) are loaded. It’s in fact, similar to the `config`
+files, but it’s executed later and there is no need to a separate file.
+
+`\PassOptionsToLocale` was devised for this hook and its purpose is
+what its name suggests. For example, you can write in a class (with
+`luatex`).
+```tex
+\AddToHook{babel/presets}{%
+  \PassOptionsToLocale{mapdigits}{sanskrit}%
+  \PassOptionsToLocale{transforms=punctuation.space}{french}%
+}
+```
+
+Other candidates for `babel/presets` are `\AfterBabelLanguage` and
+`\DeclareOption` (although the latter can be somewhat dangerous).
+
+## Fixes
+
+* Some numerals in Greek `ini` files printed the wrong sigma.
+* Dates were missing with lazy locale loading.
+* ‘Complex’ class options involving characters like `=`, `{`, `}`,
+  mislead `babel`.
+
+
+
+
+
+