[project @ 2002-07-03 11:27:43 by simonmar]

Announce for 5.04

diff --git a/ghc/ANNOUNCE b/ghc/ANNOUNCE
index 4f0e1cf..3f4e131 100644 (file)
--- a/ghc/ANNOUNCE
+++ b/ghc/ANNOUNCE
@@ -1,36 +1,26 @@
 
    ============================================================
 
    ============================================================

-    The (Interactive) Glasgow Haskell Compiler -- version 5.02
+    The (Interactive) Glasgow Haskell Compiler -- version 5.04

    ============================================================
 
 We are pleased to announce a new major release of the Glasgow Haskell
    ============================================================
 
 We are pleased to announce a new major release of the Glasgow Haskell

-Compiler (GHC), version 5.02.  
+Compiler (GHC), version 5.04.

 
 

-This is the first version of GHC that has all of the following:
+Highlights include:

 
 

-  * An interactive read-eval-print loop, similar to Hugs.
-    You can load a mixture of compiled and interpreted modules;
-    in particular, you automatically use the precompiled libraries,
-    so your "interpreted" programs often run pretty fast.
+  * Hierarchical libraries, with documentation produced by Haddock.

 
 

-  * Works solidly on Windows platforms.  Installation is simple
-    (Installshield); you don't have to install anything else; 
-    and GHC does not get confused if you also happen to 
-    have (say) Cygwin installed.
+  * New type system extensions: full rank-N types and kind
+    annotations.
+ 
+  * New heap profiling facilities (retainer profiling, biographical
+    profiling).

 
 

-  * Implements the changes adopted for the (now almost finalised)
-    Revised Haskell 98 Language and Library Reports.
+  * MacOS X support

 
 

-  * The ability to emit "External Core", a documented typed 
-    intermediate language, suitable for slurping up into other
-    tools.  [Andrew Tolmach's work.]
+See the release notes for a full list of the changes:

 
 

-  * A particularly thorough pre-release test programme.
-    Some releases are more solid than others; this one is
-    at the solid end of the spectrum.  We fondly hope.
-
-So if you have been waiting to upgrade your GHC 4.08, this is 
-the moment. 
+   http://www.haskell.org/ghc/docs/latest/users_guide/release-5-04.html

 
 
 How to get it
 
 
 How to get it

@@ -49,53 +39,6 @@ Once you have the distribution, please follow the pointers in the
 README file to find all of the documentation about this release.
 
 
 README file to find all of the documentation about this release.
 
 

-More details about what's new
-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-
-5.02 incorporates many small refinements and bug fixes over the previous 
-stable release (5.00.2).  There are no major language changes.
-
-   - Implements Haskell 98 (revised)
-
-   - Ability to emit External Core.  (But GhC can't read External Core
-     back in.  Yet.)
-
-   - Much improved support for Windows platforms.  Binary builds are
-     now entirely freestanding.  There's no need to install Cygwin or
-     Mingwin to use it.  It's a one-click-install-and-off-you-go story now.
-
-   - Several small changes to bring GHC into line with the newest Haskell 98 
-     report.
-
-   - GHCi (the interactive system) now works on Windows.
-
-   - Partial FFI support in GHCi.  At the moment, foreign import (both
-     static and dynamic) is supported on x86 and sparc platforms.
-
-   - A compacting garbage collector, to try and reduce space use.
-
-   - Ability to disconnect built-in numeric syntax from the supplied 
-     Prelude. This allows you to define your own arithmetic packages,
-     which Haskell98 doesn't quite support.
-
-   - Experimental: partial support for hierarchical module names.
-
-   - Experimental: following heroic hacking by Ken Shan, 5.02 now
-     works on Alpha (Tru64 only).  Many 64-bit bugs have been shaken
-     out.  At the moment only the batch-mode compiler works -- no GHCi
-     or native code generator yet.
-
-We've found and fixed more bugs than you could possibly imagine.  A
-big thank-you to all those who reported bugs in the 5.00.X series.  We
-claim to have fixed almost all reported bugs.  In general we've spent
-a large amount of effort trying to improve the stability of the
-system relative to 5.00.X.  (Famous last words ...)
-
-For full details see the release notes:
-
-        http://www.haskell.org/ghc/docs/5.02/set/release-5-02.html
-
-

 Background
 ~~~~~~~~~~
 Haskell is a standard lazy functional programming language; the
 Background
 ~~~~~~~~~~
 Haskell is a standard lazy functional programming language; the

@@ -113,13 +56,7 @@ BSD-style open source license.
 A wide variety of Haskell related resources (tutorials, libraries,
 specifications, documentation, compilers, interpreters, references,
 contact information, links to research groups) are available from the
 A wide variety of Haskell related resources (tutorials, libraries,
 specifications, documentation, compilers, interpreters, references,
 contact information, links to research groups) are available from the

-Haskell home page at
-
-        http://www.haskell.org/
-
-GHC's Web page lives at
-
-        http://www.haskell.org/ghc/
+Haskell home page (see below).

 
 
 On-line GHC-related resources
 
 
 On-line GHC-related resources

@@ -151,13 +88,12 @@ wunderhacker), but haven't been tested due to lack of time/hardware:
   * mips-sgi-irix{5,6}
   * {rs6000,powerpc}-ibm-aix
 
   * mips-sgi-irix{5,6}
   * {rs6000,powerpc}-ibm-aix
 

-The builder's guide included in distribution gives a complete
-run-down of what ports work; an on-line version can be found at
+The builder's guide on the web site gives a complete run-down of what
+ports work; it can be found at

 
    http://www.haskell.org/ghc/docs/latest/building/building-guide.html
 
 
 
    http://www.haskell.org/ghc/docs/latest/building/building-guide.html
 
 

-

 Mailing lists
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 We run mailing lists for GHC users and bug reports; to subscribe, use
 Mailing lists
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 We run mailing lists for GHC users and bug reports; to subscribe, use