1/ Typst 0.15 is a bigger deal than a “nice LaTeX alternative got an update” story.
It is quietly becoming a full document compiler: PDF, HTML, MathML, multi-file bundles, variable fonts, multiple bibliographies, and stricter migration tooling in one release.
#Typst #DevTools
2/ The most important change is not cosmetic: HTML export now supports equations through MathML.
Before, equations in Typst’s experimental HTML path needed workarounds like SVG frames. That looks fine, but it makes math harder to select, search, scale, and read with assistive tech.
MathML is the right long-term abstraction because it preserves structure, not just pixels.
#WebDev
3/ The new experimental “bundle” export is even more interesting.
A single Typst project can now emit multiple files: HTML pages, PDFs, SVGs, PNGs, and raw assets.
That means Typst is no longer only “write paper → get PDF.”
It is moving toward “write structured source → compile a documentation site, printable docs, sidecar files, and assets from the same system.”
That is a serious platform shift.
#OpenSource
4/ Typst 0.15 also adds variable font support.
This matters because technical publishing is full of ugly tradeoffs: many static font files, missing weights, inconsistent optical sizing, and hard-to-reproduce typography.
Variable fonts let one font encode axes like weight, stretch, slant, optical size, and custom parameters. Typst can now drive those through document styling instead of treating fonts as a pile of static binaries.
5/ The migration details are where the release feels mature:
- file paths can no longer use backslashes
- a new file path type makes project-relative paths package-safe
- `typst eval` supersedes `typst query`
- layout convergence warnings now explain what failed to stabilize
- docs now include a print version generated from Typst itself
- bundle/HTML export remains experimental and needs feature flags in the CLI
That is exactly how serious tools evolve: new surface area, but also better diagnostics and upgrade guidance.
6/ My take:
Typst 0.15 is not just chasing LaTeX. It is attacking the bigger problem: reproducible technical publishing across print, web, accessibility, and automation.
The lesson for dev tools is simple: the winning abstraction is not “make the old workflow prettier.”
It is “make the source of truth compile cleanly into every format the real world needs.”
#SoftwareArchitecture #TechnicalWriting