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% Copyright (c) Markus Kohm, 2008-2026
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\KOMAProvidesFile{preface-en.tex}
                 [$Date: 2026-10-19 10:36:35 +0200 (Mo, 19. Okt 2026) $
                  preface to dedicated version]
\translator{Markus Kohm\and DeepL}

\addchap{Preface to \KOMAScript~3.49.3}

The long-documented restructuring of \KOMAScript{} has entered a decisive
phase with this release. For the first time, options and commands are being
removed from classes and packages on a large scale. This affects all options
whose use has long been deprecated.

So, for example, anyone who—despite all warnings—still uses an option that has
been obsolete for twenty years, such as \Option{noheadsepline}, will at most
receive a warning in the current version. The actual functionality is reserved
for the current and documented options.  Anyone who—despite all warnings—still
uses a deprecated command will even receive an error message.

Users should be aware that, starting with \KOMAScript~3.50, there will no
longer be any warnings for deprecated options. Furthermore, the ability to
revert settings using the \Option{version} option will no longer be available
as of that version.

For users who have missed this transition phase, there is a list of
\href{https://sourceforge.net/p/koma-script/wiki-en/Messages/}{error messages
  and warnings} in the Wiki. In addition, there is a post with instructions on
\href{https://sourceforge.net/p/koma-script/wiki-en/HowTo_DeprecatedOptions/}{how
  to replace deprecated options}.

I am aware that some users will not be pleased with this apparent change in
paradigm. But absolute compatibility in both the output and the code has long
been an illusion anyway. With the rapid development of the \LaTeX{} kernel and
widely used packages, it has long since become impossible to achieve,
depending on the document. At least, adjustments are generally easy to make.

For me as a developer, simplifying the code brings a significant reduction in
effort. Anyway, this change had been announced a long time ago.

I would like to take this opportunity to express my special thanks to Marei
Peischl.  She is currently the driving force behind PDF tagging with
\KOMAScript. That gave me the impetus to continue pushing forward with the
restructuring work. If it were up to her, this release would already support
\Macro{DocumentMetadata}. The fact that this was postponed at short notice—and
hopefully only temporarily—is entirely my responsibility. The same applies to
any bugs found in this release.

\bigskip\noindent
Markus Kohm, Neckarhausen in October 2026.

\bigskip\bigskip\noindent Please note that this preface was translated largely automatically
using \href{https://www.deepl.com}{DeepL}. The rest of the manual, however,
was translated primarily by human translators.

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