stk/Doc/Reference/Appendix-E.tex

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% STk Reference manual (Appendix: Changes)
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%           Author: Erick Gallesio [eg@unice.fr]
%    Creation date: 21-Dec-1997 20:09
% Last file update: 18-Apr-1998 13:36
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\section*{Introduction}

This appendix lists the main differences\footnote{ Only the
  differences which affect the language or new ports are reported here.
  In particular, internal changes, packages written in Scheme or
  performance enhancement are not discussed here.} among the various
recent versions of STk.  Differences with older versions as well as
implementation changes are described in the CHANGES file located in
the main directory of the STk distribution.

\section*{Release 3.99.0}
\small{\emph{Release date: 04/10/98}}

Changes can be classified in three categories:
\begin{itemize}
\item About Scheme
  \begin{itemize}
  \item A module system has been added
    
  \item Integration of the Bigloo \ide{match-case} and
    \ide{match-lambda} primitives. Furthermore, the file \emph{bigloo.stk}
    provides some compatibility between {\stk} and bigloo modules.

  \item A simple Foreign Function Interface has been added. 
    
  \item integrates the {\rfive} \ide{values} and \ide{call-with-values}

  \item multi-line comments have been added.
    
  \item new file primitives: \texttt{remove-file}, \texttt{rename-file} and 
    \texttt{temporary-file-name}.
    
  \item new list primitives: \texttt{append!}, \texttt{last-pair},
    \texttt{remq}, \texttt{remv} and \texttt{remove}.

  \item \texttt{load}, \texttt{try-load} and \texttt{autoload?} can nw
    be called with a module as second parameter. If this second parameter is
    present, the loading is done in the environment of the given module.
  \end{itemize}

\item About Tk
  \begin{itemize}
  \item Integration of the Tk8.0 toolkit
  \item Buttons, Checkbuttons and Radiobuttons can use a
    \texttt{:variable} and \texttt{:textvariable} in a given
    environment. This environment is given with the new \texttt{:environment}
    option.
  \end{itemize}

\item About STklos
  \begin{itemize}
  \item The MOP of {\stklos} is now very similar to the CLOS's MOP. In
    particular generic function has been added for controlling slot
    accesses, as well as numerous introspection functions.
  \item  When a class is redefined, the instances and methods which uses it
    are redefined accordingly, as in CLOS (i.e. if anew slot is added in a
    class, all its -- direct or indirect -- instances will have the new
    slot added dynamically. 
  \end{itemize}
\end{itemize}


\section*{Release 3.1.1}

\small{\emph{Release date: 09/26/96}}

This release is a bug correction release. It corrects a lot of bugs.
A lot of these bugs prevent to install it on some architectures.


\section*{Release 3.1}

\small{\emph{Release date: 07/24/96}}

\begin{itemize}
\item Version of Tk is now at Tk4.1 level.
\item STk has been ported on Windows 95 and Windows NT. 
\item Ports can have a handler which is executed when port becomes
  readable or writable (see primitives \texttt{when-port-readable} and
  \texttt{when-port-writable}.
\item Sockets in server mode allow multiple concurrent connection.
\item \stklos{}: Two new methods: \texttt{object-eqv?} and
  \texttt{object-equal?} which are called when applying \texttt{eqv?} 
  or \texttt{equal?} to instances.
\item New primitive:\texttt{setenv!}
  
\end{itemize}
\section*{Release 3.0} 

\small{\emph{Release date: 01/22/96}}
\begin{itemize}
\item Version of Tk is at Tk4.0p2 level.
\item Closures are fully supported by Tk. That means that a callback can be 
  now a  Scheme closure with its environment. GC problems with closures
  and usage of the dirty \texttt{address-of} are definitively gone.
\item Strings can contain null charters (printing of strings is more
  friendly in write mode).
\item Signals can  be redirected to Scheme closures. The end of a GC 
 is seen as a signal.
\item Traces on variables are changed (and re-work now): the
  associated trace must be a thunk.
\item  New options for some widgets to be more friendly with Scheme world
\item \stklos{}: if a method M is defined and if it is already bound
  to a procedure, the old procedure is called when no method is
  applicable.
  \begin{scheme}
(define-method car ((x <integer>)) (- x 1))
(car 10)           \lev 9
(car (cons 'a 'b)) \lev a
  \end{scheme}
\item Small change in the STklos hierarchy. \texttt{<widget>} is now a
  subclass of \texttt{<procedure>} and its meta class is 
  \texttt{<procedure-metaclass>}.
\end{itemize}

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