+++ /dev/null
-The really new thing about release 0.06 is this: if you can get
-your program through the compiler, then it should actually work when you
-run it!
-
-Another thing we have worked hard on recently is {\em documentation} (see
-next section).
-
-%************************************************************************
-%* *
-\subsection[0-06-new-docs]{New documentation, especially for hackers!}
-%* *
-%************************************************************************
-
-See the file \tr{docs/README} for a full ``roadmap'' to all known
-documentation.
-
-\begin{description}
-%-------------------------------------------------------------------
-\item[STG-machine paper.]
-A monster (70+-page) paper which gives a detailed description of the
-Spineless Tagless G-machine, on which the back end of the compiler is based.
-Simon is Jolly Proud of this paper.
-
-This paper isn't in the distribution, but is available by asking
-Simon, or by FTP from \tr{ftp.dcs.glasgow.ac.uk:pub/glasgow-fp/stg.dvi}.
-%-------------------------------------------------------------------
-\item[\tr{imports/SMinterface.lh}.]
-The storage manager is carefully isolated from the rest of the runtime
-system behind a carefully identified interface. This paper documents
-the interface, and says a little about the implementation. NB:
-``literate'' \tr{.h} file!
-%-------------------------------------------------------------------
-\item[\tr{docs/C_optimisation}.]
-Lots of details about how we use C as a target language, and
-the tricks we use to make it go fast. Still drafty.
-%-------------------------------------------------------------------
-\item[\tr{docs/runtime}.]
-The {\em beginnings} of a description of details of the runtime system
-which aren't covered by the STG paper above.
-%-------------------------------------------------------------------
-\item[\tr{docs/typecheck}.]
-The {\em beginnings} of a description of tricky corners of the type checker.
-%-------------------------------------------------------------------
-\item[\tr{docs/arrays}.]
-A work-in-progress on how to handle arrays properly.
-%-------------------------------------------------------------------
-\item[\tr{docs/core-overview}:]
-The beginnings of a description of the Core data type, plus the other
-data types you need to know about to write programs which manipulate
-the Core data type.
-
-The ``how to add to the compiler'' document
-(\tr{docs/add_to_compiler}) has some of this stuff in it, too.
-%-------------------------------------------------------------------
-\item[Type classes paper:]
-This is a short (20-page) form of the massive ``Static Semantics of
-Haskell'' paper. We submitted it to Lisp and FP 1992, but they
-(unaccountably) rejected it.
-
-This paper isn't in the distribution; please ask for it.
-\end{description}
-
-%************************************************************************
-%* *
-\subsection[0-06-new-in-compiler]{To do with the compiler proper}
-%* *
-%************************************************************************
-
-\begin{description}
-%-------------------------------------------------------------------
-%-------------------------------------------------------------------
-\item[1.2 syntax:]
-The parser handles the Haskell syntax given in the Haskell report,
-version~1.2. See \tr{parsers/hsp}.
-
-%-------------------------------------------------------------------
-\item[Graph reduction:]
-Updates are in and we're doing graph reduction! (All the bells and
-whistles for doing a good job of [avoiding] updates are not
-in yet.)
-
-See \tr{compiler/codeGen/{CodeGen,CgClosure}.lhs} and
-\tr{runtime/main/Update.lhc} for the main bits.
-
-%-------------------------------------------------------------------
-\item[Closure layout less deeply wired into compiler:]
-Rather than knowing word-for-word how each closure is layed out in
-memory, the compiler emits C macro calls to access/fill-in the ``fixed
-header'' and ``variable header'' parts of each closure (all described
-in the storage-manager document).
-
-This means, for example, that the very same C code used on sequential
-machines can be used on GRIP as well, even though closures in GRIP
-have some extra fields---all that is required is suitable \tr{.h}
-files to define the header macros accordingly!
-
-Anyone whose efforts involve munging around in or pinning things onto
-closures should like this ``feature.''
-
-%-------------------------------------------------------------------
-\item[Statistics about program execution:]
-The compiler emits macro calls into the C output which, if expanded
-(use @-DDO_RUNTIME_PROFILING@, default: on), will accumulate
-statistics about program behaviour. To have those statistics printed
-out (to @stderr@), give your program the @-p@ RTS flag, thusly:
-
-\begin{verbatim}
-% a.out +RTS -p
-\end{verbatim}
-
-We welcome any interesting profiles that you may churn up!
-
-See \tr{imports/StgProfile.h} and \tr{runtime/main/StgProfile.lc},
-plus insertions of those macro calls in
-\tr{compiler/codeGen}.
-
-%-------------------------------------------------------------------
-\item[New simplifier/transformation stuff:]
-Contributed by research students Andr\'e Santos and Andy Gill. In
-\tr{compiler/simplify} and \tr{compiler/stranal-triv}; it's still
-thoroughly experimental.
-
-The old-but-reliable brain-damaged simplifier is now in
-\tr{compiler/simplify0} and is still the default.
-
-%-------------------------------------------------------------------
-%\item[Faster compiler:]
-% (NOT QUITE YET) The compiler is again faster than the previous release
-% (version~0.05). The C output is also smaller.
-
-%-------------------------------------------------------------------
-\item[Compiler is compilable with Chalmers's HBC or Glasgow prototype compiler:]
-The default set of \tr{compiler/*/*.hi} interface files in the
-distribution are for compiling with HBC (this seems to be the people's
-preference); version 0.997.3 or greater, please.
-
-A separate set of \tr{.hi} files are provided for those who use the
-Glasgow prototype compiler. These are in the file
-\tr{ghc-0.06-proto-hi-files.tar.Z}, available wherever you got the
-basic distribution. The installation document says how to deal with
-these various blobs of files.
-
-The possibility of using HBC means you can compile the Glasgow Haskell
-compiler on any machine supported for HBC (Sun3s, Sun4s, DEC 3100s
-[and one or two more flavours?]).
-\end{description}
-
-%************************************************************************
-%* *
-\subsection[0-06-new-in-compiler-contrib]{In contributed bits of the compiler}
-%* *
-%************************************************************************
-
-\begin{description}
-%-------------------------------------------------------------------
-\item[Semantique strictness analyser:]
-The one in the distribution now builds; in \tr{compiler/stranal-sem}.
-This would only be of interest to those who might want to play with
-it. The rest of the compiler can't use its results.
-
-If you want to build this strictness analyser, you need to configure
-appropriately (see \tr{mkworld/Project-ghc-full.*}, when you get to
-that part of the installation instructions).
-\end{description}
-
-Please send us {\em your} bits for next time!
-
-%************************************************************************
-%* *
-\subsection[0-06-new-in-libraries]{In @Prelude@ and runtime support}
-%* *
-%************************************************************************
-
-\begin{description}
-%-------------------------------------------------------------------
-\item[``Binary bloat'' from the prelude, ameliorated:]
-The C files produced from compiling the prelude are chopped into
-some 400 separate C files, which are individually compiled and
-banged into an archive. Result is that you only get the bits you
-``need,'' and binary sizes have about halved.
-(There is more work to do in this department.)
-
-%-------------------------------------------------------------------
-\item[Naive implementation of Haskell I/O:]
-At least \tr{ReadChan stdin} and \tr{AppendChan stdout} requests work.
-It shouldn't be too hard to add support for other requests in
-\tr{lib/io/DialogueToIO.lhs}. (Only [extended] Haskell hacking needed!)
-
-%-------------------------------------------------------------------
-\item[Storage management moved behind a safe wall:]
-
-It's now in \tr{runtime/storage/.} All four flavours of garbage
-collector (two-space copying, one-space compacting, dual-mode, and
-Appel-like generational) seem to work.
-
-Patrick Sansom, research student and hacker extraordinaire, did all
-of this.
-
-%-------------------------------------------------------------------
-\item[Flags-to-RTS machinery in place:]
-
-When your @ghc@-compiled Haskell program starts up, any command-line
-arguments bracketted by @+RTS@ and @-RTS@ (or the end of the arguments)
-are assumed to be flags for the runtime system. These flags are used
-to alter the heap size, ask for garbage-collection stats, etc.
-
-To see what flags are available, try: \tr{myprog +RTS -f}.
-
-Patrick did this, too.
-
-%-------------------------------------------------------------------
-\item[C-optimisation sleaziness also better hidden:]
-
-It is in \tr{runtime/c-as-asm/}. (It needs to be tidier, but...)
-
-We are still actively working on getting this right. Please get in
-touch if you are interested.
-\end{description}
-
-%************************************************************************
-%* *
-\subsection[0-06-new-in-mkworld]{In distribution/build/installation machinery}
-%* *
-%************************************************************************
-
-\begin{description}
-%-------------------------------------------------------------------
-\item[Better line numbers, and Emacs-able TAGS files:]
-(Yes, they're related!) Error messages should come out with better
-line numbers than before.
-
-The distribution now includes tags-making things: souped-up \tr{etags}
-program [for C], \tr{perltags} [for perl], and \tr{hstags} [for
-Haskell] (mostly in \tr{utils/scripts}). The Haskell tags program
-uses the parser, so it Does It Right.
-
-\tr{make tags fulltags} at the top of the distribution tree will make a
-huge TAGS file for the whole compilation system.
-
-%-------------------------------------------------------------------
-\item[\tr{make install} might do something sensible:]
-Yes, it does. But you'd be well advised to do a \tr{make -n install}
-just to check first!
-\end{description}
-
-%************************************************************************
-%* *
-\subsection[0-06-new-misc]{Miscellaneous new things}
-%* *
-%************************************************************************
-
-\begin{description}
-%-------------------------------------------------------------------
-\item[Consistency-checking for executables:]
-Given that our system can generate \tr{.o} object files which are
-seriously {\em incompatible} with each other, depending on choice of
-garbage collector, degree of optimisation, whether or not compiling
-for GRIP, etc., we have implemented a scheme (in the driver \tr{ghc})
-that checks that all the linked bits in an executable ``belong''
-together.
-
-%-------------------------------------------------------------------
-\item[Scripts from Denis Howe:]
-We have included his \tr{fptags} and \tr{mira2hs} scripts that he
-posted to \tr{comp.lang.functional}.
-\end{description}
projects / ghc-hetmet.git / blobdiff