RE: Query re `format-mode-line'

[Drew Adams]

        Do only bug fixes go into minor version updates such as
        21.4?  Or put another way, have there been no new functions
        introduced into the Emacs that most people use since 2001?

    Yes.

Does this mean that adding new features "after the release" really means
they won't be available until the next major release (circa 2048)? We and
our great grandchildren will miss them. ;-)