I'm going to make the next release in the next day or two. I've compiled
what is no doubt a partial list of features and other achievements in the
NEWS file in the svn repo. Please check this for completeness and mail me
anything I've left out. (Copy the list if you like.)
Here for your convenience is the current description of the next release:
- New languages: PHP ("Plumhead"), Forth
- Updated languages: Ruby ("Cardinal"), Tcl, Lua
- Remove old Python implementation from Parrot repository; the new Python
language code is hosted at http://pirate.tangentcode.com
- Compilers:
+ PGE updated with more expressions, latest changes to S05
+ new Perl6 grammar compiler
- Integration:
+ Perl 5 module "Parrot::Embed" allows easy embedding of a Parrot
runtime into a Perl 5 program
- PIR:
+ new :init pragma for subs that must run before the main function
+ new :vtable pragma to identify subs that override PMC vtable methods,
eliminating the need for special subroutine names
+ PIR parser/compiler does not stop on first syntax error
+ Vanilla register allocator ("register alligator") greatly improves
performance compiling large functions
+ Eliminated limit on number of PIR macros
- PMCs:
+ hash lookups return null instead of None for missing keys
- Design:
+ PDD13 "Bytecode files: format and manipulation" - new
+ PDD10 "Embedding" - new
+ PDD25 "Concurrency" - rewritten
+ PDD15 "Objects" - new section on redesign requirements
+ PDD07 "Coding standards" - significant updates and automated tests
- Test Suite:
+ Many many more new tests
- Build Process:
+ autoconf compatible install options
- Misc:
+ Namespace refinements
+ Coroutine improvements
+ An impressive swarm of other bugfixes and enhancements
--
Chip Salzenberg <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
