+++ /dev/null
-Release~0.22 is the fourth public release of Glasgow Haskell.
-It incorporates our new work for the first half of 1994.
-
-The announcement for this release is distributed as \tr{ANNOUNCE-0.22}
-in the top-level directory.
-
-%************************************************************************
-%* *
-\subsection[0-22-ports]{What machines GHC~0.22 runs on}
-%* *
-%************************************************************************
-
-We use Sun4s running SunOS~4.1.3 and DEC~Alphas running OSF/1~V2.0, so
-those are the ``fully-supported'' platforms, unsurprisingly. For
-Sun4s, we have a native-code generator, which makes for somewhat
-quicker compilations. (We actually produce better code by compiling
-intermediate C with GCC.)
-
-The GHC hierarchy of Porting Goodness: (a)~Best is a native-code
-generator [only for Sun4s, now]; (b)~next best is a ``registerised''
-port; (c)~the bare minimum is an ``unregisterised'' port.
-``Unregisterised'' Haskell programs are much bigger and slower,
-but the port is much easier to get going.
-
-Here's everything that's known about GHC ports, as of 0.22:
-\begin{description}
-%-------------------------------------------------------------------
-\item[Sun4 running SunOS~4.1.3:]
-Fully supported, including native-code generator.
-
-%-------------------------------------------------------------------
-\item[DEC Alpha running OSF/1 V2.0:]
-Fully supported, but no native-code generator (none planned).
-
-%-------------------------------------------------------------------
-\item[Sun3 running SunOS~4.1.3:]
-GHC~0.22 should work, registerised. (0.21 did work.)
-
-%-------------------------------------------------------------------
-\item[Sun4 running Solaris 2.x:]
-We expect to finish a ``registerised'' port ourselves, in the
-foreseeable future. Feel free to ask about it, if interested. Not
-sure about native-code...
-
-%-------------------------------------------------------------------
-\item[HP-PA box running HP/UX 9.x:]
-An unregisterised port of 0.21 (last ``internal'' release before 0.22)
-seems to work, except that floating-point is definitely busted.
-0.22~should be the same.
-
-%-------------------------------------------------------------------
-\item[Silicon Graphics box running IRIX 5.x:]
-An unregisterised port of 0.21
-seemed to work. 0.22~should be the same.
-
-%-------------------------------------------------------------------
-\item[DECstation (MIPS-based):]
-An unregisterised port back around the time of 0.17 seemed to work;
-0.22~should be the same, modulo a little bit-rot.
-
-%-------------------------------------------------------------------
-\item[x86 PCs running Linux/NetBSD/FreeBSD:]
-This really needs a native-code generator to be viable. No
-recent progress.
-
-%-------------------------------------------------------------------
-\item[GRIP multiprocessor:]
-GRIP is a 68020-based multiprocessor for running parallel Haskell
-programs; too bad we have the only machine! We run GHC~0.16 on it,
-with no plans to upgrade.
-
-We are working on other parallel stuff. Stay tuned.
-
-%-------------------------------------------------------------------
-\item[NeXT box running whatever NeXTs run:]
-Carsten Schultz succeeded with a ``registerised'' port of GHC~0.19.
-There's probably a little bit-rot since then, but otherwise it should
-still be fine.
-
-%-------------------------------------------------------------------
-\item[Macintosh, using MPW:]
-As mind-blowing at it may seem, David Wright in Tasmania has actually
-gotten GHC to run on a Macintosh. Ditto James Thomson here at Glasgow.
-You may be able to get Thomson's from here. (Not sure that it will
-excite you to death, but...)
-\end{description}
-
-%************************************************************************
-%* *
-\subsection[0-22-user-visible]{User-visible changes in 0.22, including incompatibilities}
-%* *
-%************************************************************************
-
-You'll need to recompile everything if you're switching from a
-previous version of GHC. (If you don't, you'll get ``consistency
-errors''.)
-
-Lazy pattern-matching (e.g., \tr{let (x,y) = ... in ...}) no longer
-carries with it the threat of a space leak. (It used to be that, as
-long as {\em either} of \tr{x} or \tr{y} was ``live,'' the storage
-manager would hang onto {\em both} chunks of graph.) No longer.
-
-We've done a complete overhaul of the state-transformer stuff which
-underlies our array, I/O, and C-calling support. The ``state
-interface document,'' distributed in \tr{ghc/docs/state-interface.dvi}
-defines what we have done. You may wish to check our abstracts
-(\tr{ghc/docs/abstracts/}) to find papers about this stuff. If you've
-written code that grovels around in GHC innards (e.g., uses
-``primitive operations'' directly), it will probably need updating.
-
-We do {\em not} support Haskell~1.3 monadic I/O (any draft version),
-but we will once the dust settles. We still support the
-\tr{PreludeGlaIO} interface that we have had for some time.
-
-You can now build GHC to support ``threaded'' execution. (Configure
-\tr{--with-threads=yes}, then use GHC with a \tr{-threads} option.)
-Using the \tr{_seq_} and \tr{_par_} constructs,
-
-GHC does a better job of not stealing from the user's name space (for
-its own extensions, etc.). For example, the ``set cost-centre''
-keyword is now \tr{_scc_}, rather than \tr{scc} (though the latter
-will continue to be accepted for a while). With the
-\tr{-fglasgow-exts} flag on, names may begin with an underscore
-(\tr{_}).
-
-We have friendly interaction between ``Haskell land'' and ``C land''
-via (a)~{\em stable pointers} (pass Haskell pointers to C and have the
-garbage-collector not forget about them); and (b)~{\em malloc
-pointers} (return C pointers to Haskell and tell Haskell ``throw this
-away when you're finished with it''). See the User's Guide for more
-info.
-
-%************************************************************************
-%* *
-\subsection[0-22-support]{New in support tools (e.g., profiling)}
-%* *
-%************************************************************************
-
-The profiling system of GHC has been improved in version~0.22 in the
-following ways:
-\begin{description}
-\item[Now uses the ``hybrid scheme'':] (Rather than pure ``lexical
-scoping'') What this means for you: ``CAF'' cost-centres will no
-longer be blamed for gigantic chunks of the time in your program.
-
-\item[Uses the generational garbage-collector:] (At least when doing
-time profiling) It used to use a two-space copying GC; it still does
-when space profiling. You should be able to profile larger programs.
-\end{description}
-
-%************************************************************************
-%* *
-\subsection[0-22-new-in-compiler]{New in the compiler proper}
-%* *
-%************************************************************************
-
-The ``simplifier''---the program-transformation engine in the middle
-of the compiler---has settled down (at least until Simon has another
-Brain Wave). We've made ``per-simplification'' flags, so that each
-run of the simplifier can be controlled separately---this allows very
-precise control. (But makes it pretty hard to exercise any control
-from the command-line.) More in the docs.
-
-Related to simplifier stuff was a revision of the ``unfoldery''
-machinery. We try very hard to find and exploit unfolding (or
-inlining), including across module boundaries.
-
-%************************************************************************
-%* *
-\subsection[0-22-new-in-libraries]{In the prelude and runtime support}
-%* *
-%************************************************************************
-
-We've introduced a ``GHC system library,'' similar to the ``HBC system
-library'' which we have supported for some time. Just say
-\tr{-syslib ghc} and the GHC library stuff is at your fingertips.
-See the User's Guide for exactly what's on offer (not a lot right now,
-but more will show up).
-
-The @PackedString@ module that comes with the system is even beefier
-than before; see the User's Guide. (This module really should be
-in the GHC library.)
-
-%************************************************************************
-%* *
-\subsection[0-22-new-elsewhere]{Other new stuff}
-%* *
-%************************************************************************
-
-We have two new mailing lists about Glasgow Haskell.
-\begin{description}
-\item[glasgow-haskell-users:]
-This list is for GHC users to chat among themselves. Subscribe by
-sending mail to \tr{glasgow-haskell-users-request@dcs.glasgow.ac.uk}.
-Messages for the list go to \tr{glasgow-haskell-users}.
-
-\item[glasgow-haskell-bugs:]
-This used to be an address for some lonely person who received bug
-reports. It is now a mailing list for the sort of people who discuss,
-well, bug reports when they go to a party.
-
-Subscribe via \tr{glasgow-haskell-bugs-request@dcs.glasgow.ac.uk};
-send bug reports and rumination thereupon go to
-\tr{glasgow-haskell-bugs}.
-\end{description}
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