X-Git-Url: http://git.chise.org/gitweb/?p=chise%2Fxemacs-chise.git.1;a=blobdiff_plain;f=etc%2FNEWS;h=d7022086ef00f13d23d5b2298df907e6f52e00f6;hp=ffd49893cfedcb6504105f34107657aca8f901a2;hb=cdaf61cc52603254a32fd16603fbb7d868ee5551;hpb=fb022c5b8ea6aca36b9661a6b2707afdd07e4c05 diff --git a/etc/NEWS b/etc/NEWS index ffd4989..d702208 100644 --- a/etc/NEWS +++ b/etc/NEWS @@ -3,13 +3,16 @@ * Introduction ============== -This file presents some general information about XEmacs. It is -primarily about the changes in recent XEmacs versions and its release -history. +This file presents the changes in recent XEmacs versions. It +primarily documents user-visible (interface) changes, but also +includes internal changes of possible interest to the users. When +describing new features, we try to also document ways of reverting to +the old behavior, where applicable. If you dislike a recent change in +how XEmacs behaves, this file might contain a remedy. Use `C-c C-f' to move to the next equal level of outline, and `C-c C-b' to move to previous equal level. `C-h m' will give more -info about the Outline mode. Many commands are also available through +info about the Outline mode. Many commands are also available through the menubar. Users who would like to know which capabilities have been introduced @@ -17,45 +20,873 @@ in each release should look at the appropriate section of this file. Starting with version 20.0, XEmacs includes ChangeLogs, which can be consulted for a more detailed list of changes. -Users interested in some of the details of how XEmacs differs from GNU -Emacs should read the section "What's Different?" near the end of this -file. - N.B. The term "GNU Emacs" refers to any release of Emacs Version 19 from the Free Software Foundation's GNU Project. (We do not say just "Emacs" as Richard M. Stallman ["RMS"] prefers, because it is clearly a more generic term.) The term "XEmacs" refers to - this program or to its predecessors "Era" and "Lucid Emacs". The - predecessor of all these program is called "Emacs 18". When no - particular version is implied, "Emacs" will be used. + this program or sometimes to its predecessors "Era" and "Lucid + Emacs". The predecessor of all these program is called "Emacs + 18". When no particular version is implied, "Emacs" will be used. -* Changes in XEmacs 21.2 +* Changes in XEmacs 21.4 ======================== -*** You can now create an "indirect buffer", like in GNU Emacs. An -indirect buffer shares its text with another buffer ("base buffer"), -but has its own major mode, local variables, extents, and narrowing. -An indirect buffer has a name of its own, distinct from those of the -base buffer and all other buffers. An indirect buffer cannot itself -be visiting a file (though its base buffer can be). The base buffer -cannot itself be indirect. +** Summary of user-visible changes: + -- Motif is now deprecated on linux and cygwin. + -- On UNIX and linux, '--with-widgets=no' is now the default. If + you want buffer tabs or the progress bar, you must run configure + with the option '--with-widgets=lucid' or a different toolkit. + -- PUI related changes (Package User Interface) + - A minor rearrangement of the "Tools -> Packages" menu. + - Only a single package download site can be selected. + - Managing packages via the `customize' interface is no longer + supported. + - Non-Mule XEmacsen can not install Mule packages. + - The "mule-base" package is not needed to "bootstrap" PUI for + Mule enabled XEmacsen. + - The default for PGP verifying the package-index file is "off" in + 21.4. + - The default package-index filename has changed to + `package-index.LATEST.gpg'. + - The location of the local index file is customisable. See + `package-get-package-index-file-location'. + - `pui-add-install-directory' has been obsoleted and replaced by + `pui-set-local-package-get-directory'. + -- The delete key now deletes forward by default. + -- Shifted motion keys now select text by default. + -- You can now build XEmacs with support for GTK+ widget set. + -- ~/.xemacs/init.el is now the preferred location for the init file. + - XEmacs now supports a `~/.xemacs/init.el' startup file. + - Custom file will move to ~/.xemacs/custom.el. + -- Much-improved sample init.el, showing how to use many useful features. + -- XEmacs support for menu accelerators has been much improved. + -- Default menubar improvements. + - Default menubar has many new commands and better organization. + - The font-menu is now available under MS Windows. + -- Dialog box improvements, including a real file dialog box. + - XEmacs now has a proper file dialog box under MS Windows (and GTK)! + - The old clunky file dialog box is improved. + - Keyboard traversal now works correctly in MS Windows dialog boxes. + - There is a Search dialog box available from Edit->Find... + -- New buffer tabs. + -- There is a new MS Windows installer, netinstall, ported from Cygwin. + -- The subprocess quote-handling mechanism under Windows is much improved. + -- Printing support now available under MS Windows. + -- Selection improvements. + - Kill and yank now interact with the clipboard under Windows. + - MS Windows support for selection is now much more robust. + - Motif selection support is now more correct (but slower). + -- Mail spool locking now works correctly. + -- International support changes. + - The default coding-priority-list is now safer. + - International keysyms are now supported under X. + - MS Windows 1251 code page now supported. + - Czech, Thai, Cyrillic-KOI8, Vietnamese, Ethiopic now supported. + - Proper support for words in Latin 3 and Latin 4. + -- Help buffers contain hyperlinks, and other changes. + -- The modeline's text is now scrollable. + -- The mouse wheel under MS Windows now functions correctly. + -- Interactive searching and matching case improvements. + - Incremental search will now highlight all visible matches. + - Interactive searches always respect uppercase characters. + -- Rectangle functions rewritten to avoid inserting extra spaces. + -- New command `kill-entire-line' that always kills the entire line. + -- Default values correctly stored in minibuffer histories. + -- You can now create "indirect buffers", like in GNU Emacs. + -- Pixel-based scrolling has been implemented. + -- Operation progress can be displayed using graphical widgets. + -- User names following a tilde can now be completed at file name prompts. + -- XEmacs can now play sound using Enlightenment Sound Daemon (ESD). + -- X-Face support is now available under MS Windows. + -- The PostgreSQL Relational Database Management System is now supported. + -- Indentation no longer indents comments that begin at column zero. + -- Face and variable settings can have comments in Customize. + -- New locations for early package hierarchies. + -- The `auto-save' library has been greatly improved. + -- New variable `mswindows-alt-by-itself-activates-menu'. + -- Other init-file-related changes. + - Init file in your home directory may be called `.emacs.el'. + - New command-line switches -user-init-file and -user-init-directory. + -- Etags changes. + - In DOS, etags looks for file.cgz if it cannot find file.c. + - New option --ignore-case-regex is an alternative to --regex. + - New option --declarations, for C-type languages. + - In C++, tags are created for "operator". + - Ada now supported. + - In Fortran, procedure is no longer tagged. + - In Java, tags are created for "interface". + - In Lisp, def-type constructs are now tagged. + - In Perl, the --globals option tags global variables. + - Python now supported. + - New file extensions recognized: .ss, .pdb, .psw. + -- Fixed ldap libraries configuration. + -- Fixed `LDAP_OPT_ON' libraries configuration. + +** The delete key now deletes forward by default. + +This is regulated by the variable `delete-key-deletes-forward', which +now defaults to t. `delete-key-deletes-forward' takes effect only on +the systems that offer both a backspace and a delete key. If set to +nil, the key labeled "Delete" will always delete backward. If set to +non-nil, the "Delete" key will delete forward, except on keyboards +where a "Backspace" key is not provided (e.g. old DEC keyboards). + +Unless our implementation has bugs, the only reason why you would want +to set `delete-key-deletes-forward' to nil is if you want to use the +Delete key to delete backwards, despite the presence (according to +Xlib) of a BackSpace key on the keyboard. + +** Shifted motion keys now select text by default. + +You can turn this off by setting `shifted-motion-keys-select-region' +to nil. This works based off of particular keys, not particular +commands: Thus, the arrow keys will normally trigger selection when +the Shift key is held down regardless of their bindings, and non-arrow +keys with the same bindings (e.g. C-f) will not work this way. You +can control which keys trigger shifted motion using +`motion-keys-for-shifted-motion'. See also +`unshifted-motion-keys-deselect-region'. + +** You can now build XEmacs with support for GTK+ widget set. + +XEmacs built that way uses GTK+ to draw menubars, scrollbars, and +other GUI components, as well GDK for drawing text, choosing fonts, +allocating colors, etc. Additionally, GTK-XEmacs supports Lisp +functions for writing your own GTK programs in Emacs Lisp! + +To use this, build XEmacs with the `--with-gtk' configure flag. (Of +course, you'll need to have the GTK+ libraries and header files on the +system.) Gnome widgets and functionality are supported where +available, and can be turned off. + +** ~/.xemacs/init.el is now the preferred location for the init file. + +*** XEmacs now supports a `~/.xemacs/init.el' startup file. +If it exists, XEmacs will prefer it over `.emacs' and `.emacs.el'. +The file may be byte-compiled as `~/.xemacs/init.elc'. + +If present, the `~/.xemacs/' directory may contain startup files for +XEmacs packages that support it. + +The first time you start up XEmacs, it will ask you if you would like +to migrate your `.emacs' to the new location. (Your custom settings +will also be moved, to `~/.xemacs/custom.el' -- see below.) If so, you +will also be asked whether you would like to create a compatibility +`.emacs' for backward compatibility with previous versions of XEmacs +and with GNU Emacs. (This compatibility `.emacs' simply loads the new +init and custom files.) Doing this is generally a good idea -- new +versions of XEmacs will prefer `~/.xemacs/init.el' over `~/.emacs' in +any case. + +You can manually migrate at any time with `migrate-user-init-file', +and undo any migration with `unmigrate-user-init-file'. The function +`create-compatibility-dot-emacs' also lets you manually create a +compatibility `.emacs'. + +NOTE: Under MS Windows, your home directory (i.e. the directory named +`~') is specified by the HOME environment variable, and defaults to +C:\. To set this variable, modify AUTOEXEC.BAT under Windows 95/98, +or select Control Panel->System->Advanced->Environment Variables... +under Windows NT/2000. + +*** Custom file will move to ~/.xemacs/custom.el. + +Whereas customize settings were formerly stored in the regular init +file, XEmacs now prefers them to be in a separate file +`~/.xemacs/custom.el', completely under automatic control. This +change goes with the migration of the init file, and XEmacs offers +automatic migration upon startup. + +** Much-improved sample init.el, showing how to use many useful features. + +The sample init file, located in the `etc/' directory of the XEmacs +installation, has been renamed from `sample.emacs' to `sample.init.el', +and pretty much rewritten from scratch. (You can view it by selecting +the menu item Help->Samples->Sample init.el.) Many of the most-useful +optional features in XEmacs have been enabled, and other features that +are useful but may be annoying to some are present but commented out. +There is also extensive documentation on how to add your own +improvements to the init file and where to find more documentation +elsewhere in XEmacs. The file has been specifically designed so that +most people can simply make it their own init file by copying it to +~/.xemacs/init.el, and they will be satisfied with the results. + +** XEmacs support for menu accelerators has been much improved. + +It now works properly under MS Windows, for example. To enable +accelerators, set `menu-accelerator-enabled' to `menu-force'. Menus +now have accelerators by default, currently on the first letter of the +menu item unless another letter was indicated as the accelerator using +%_ in the menu string. These %_ specifications are automatically +removed when displaying the menu item, and are handled correctly in +functions such as `normalize-menu-item-name'. Some auto-generated +menus will have accelerators added dynamically, using numbers 1-9 and +letters; to add this feature yourself, use the Lisp command +`submenu-generate-accelerator-spec' in a menu filter. The feature +`menu-accelerator-support' has been added so that packages can check +whether this support exists. + +** Default menubar improvements. + +*** Default menubar has many new commands and better organization. + +The default menubar has been extensively reorganized. Many more +commands are available, and they are more logically organized. The +Options menu, in particular, has been significantly expanded, and almost +everything on the new Cmds menu is new. (Much of the useful +functionality from the `big-menubar' package has been imported.) + +*** The font-menu is now available under MS Windows. + +** Dialog box improvements, including a real file dialog box. + +*** XEmacs now has a proper file dialog box under MS Windows (and GTK)! +This will appear whenever you select a menu item that requires a file +as an argument. + +*** The old clunky file dialog box is improved. +The in-buffer file dialog box (visible on non-MS-Windows, non-GTK +systems) is still clunky but has had many improvements to make it work +significantly better. + +*** Keyboard traversal now works correctly in MS Windows dialog boxes. + +*** There is a Search dialog box available from Edit->Find... +However, it's very experimental and needs a lot of work. + +** New buffer tabs. + +You can now use buffer tabs to switch between buffers. + +The tabs are located between the toolbar and the uppermost window, in +a location called the "gutter". If you dislike the buffer tabs, you can +disable them using the menu item `Options->Display->Buffers Tab Visible' +by customizing `gutter-buffers-tab-visible-p', or by placing this in +your .xemacs/init.el: + + (custom-set-variables '(gutter-buffers-tab-visible-p nil)) + +You can change the location of the gutter using the menu item +`Options->Display->Default Gutter Location' or with (e.g.) + + (custom-set-variables '(default-gutter-position 'left)) + +However, currently only MS Windows supports tab widgets with +orientations other than vertical, and it doesn't currently support +gutters on the bottom of the frame. + +** There is a new MS Windows installer, netinstall, ported from Cygwin. + +Nearly complete automation of the XEmacs install process from +ftp.xemacs.org. Includes selection of Lisp packages to install, etc. + +** The subprocess quote-handling mechanism under Windows is much improved. + +Specifically, the quote-handling mechanism has been completely rewritten, +and you should now be able to use single or double quotes to quote arguments +just like under Unix, and expect to get correct results regardless of the +shell you are using (e.g. CMD.EXE, bash from Cygwin, etc.). For example, +the following command: + +M-x grep '<<<<<<<' *.c + +should work as intended. + +** Printing support now available under MS Windows. + +The File->Print... menu item pretty-prints using the standard MS +Windows printing facilities. Unfortunately it's still rather +experimental. There is a separate `msprinter' device tag for MS +Windows printers, and so you can control the way that faces appear on +the printer by using this tag to specify device-specific face +settings. + +** Selection improvements. + +*** Kill and yank now interact with the clipboard under Windows. + +This was done by changing the default value of `interprogram-cut-function' +and `interprogram-paste-function'. You can get the old behavior by +setting these to nil, and there is an option on the options menu to do +this. + +*** MS Windows support for selection is now much more robust. + +Generally selection should now do what you would expect under +MS Windows: the middle mouse button will paste your current selection +or the clipboard; conversions from different types of selection to the +clipboard can be made; the kill-ring and friends will be updated as +per X. + +The only thing selection doesn't do is set the clipboard automatically +as this would break the MS Windows model. If you want this behavior +then set `selection-sets-clipboard' to t. + +*** Motif selection support is now more correct (but slower). + +Changes have been made to allow correct operation of cut/copy/paste +operations between native widgets and XEmacs buffers. However, this +can lead to a lot of X traffic which slows down the performance of +`C-k'. If you want the old behaviour then set +`x-selection-strict-motif-ownership' to nil. + +** Mail spool locking now works correctly. + +XEmacs has always come with a little auxiliary program, movemail, +which moves mail out of the system's spool area into user storage. To +coordinate between XEmacs, the mail delivery agent, and other mail +user agents, movemail needs to properly lock the spool file before +moving it. Movemail now correctly respects the --mail-locking option +to configure. Moreover, movemail's locking behavior can be specified +at run-time, via a new command-line option -m to movemail, or through +the environment variable EMACSLOCKMETHOD. + +When installing XEmacs, make sure you configure it according to your +environment's mail spool locking conventions. When you're using a +binary kit, set the `mail-lock-method' variable at startup, or the +EMACSLOCKMETHOD environment variable. + +** International support changes. + +*** The default coding-priority-list is now safer. + +This means that if you have no language environment set, Mule no +longer automatically recognizes ISO 2022 escapes in your files. This +makes editing binary files safe. + +*** International keysyms are now supported under X. + +This means that XEmacs running under Mule will automatically recognize +the keysym `scaron' to be the lower-case `s' with caron in the Latin 2 +character set. (Specifically, it will bind the keysym to +`self-insert' and augment its `ascii-character' property.) This is +very useful with XFree under European locales as shipped by recent +Linux distributions. If XEmacs is compiled without Mule support, the +feature still works, but it is unaware of different character sets -- +it unconditionally sets the `ascii-character' property to values in +the [160, 256) range. + +*** MS Windows 1251 code page now supported. + +It's available as coding system `windows-1251'. + +*** Czech, Thai, Cyrillic-KOI8, Vietnamese, Ethiopic now supported. + +*** Proper support for words in Latin 3 and Latin 4. + +The appropriate characters in Latin 3 and Latin 4 character sets are +correctly defined as words. + +** Help buffers contain hyperlinks, and other changes. + +The help buffers created by C-h commands now contain hyperlinks to +other commands, functions and variables mentioned in the documentation. +Use button2 to follow a link. Use button3 to bring up a context menu +that lets you follow the link, find the source for the item, do a tag +search, etc. The buffers are also syntax-highlighted. + +Help functions (e.g. `C-h f') now know how to print macro argument +lists. If your macro definition included an argument list for the sake +of help output, you no longer need to do that. + +** The modeline's text is now scrollable. + +This is controlled by the variable `modeline-scrolling-method', which +you need to set to a non-nil value. You can also choose scrolling +types; see the docstring of `modeline-scrolling-method' for more +information. + +** The mouse wheel under MS Windows now functions correctly. + +It scrolls the XEmacs window under the pointer, not the selected +window. + +** Interactive searching and matching case improvements. + +*** Incremental search will now highlight all visible matches. + +This makes it easier to anticipate where consecutive C-s or C-r will +place the point. If you want to disable the feature, set +`isearch-highlight-all-matches' to nil. + +*** Interactive searches always respect uppercase characters. + +Case sensitiveness in searching operations is normally controlled +by the variable `case-fold-search' (if non-nil, case is ignored while +searching). This mechanism has now been slightly improved for +interactive searches: if the search string (or regexp) contains +uppercase characters, the searching is forced to be case-sensitive, +`case-fold-search'. + +The new behavior affects all functions performing interactive +searches, like `zap-to-char', `list-matching-lines', `tags-search' +etc. The incremental search facility has always behaved that way. + +** Rectangle functions rewritten to avoid inserting extra spaces. + +The rectangle functions have been almost completely rewritten in +order to avoid inserting undesirable spaces, notably at the end of +lines. Two typical examples of the old behavior were +`string-rectangle', which filled all lines up to the right side of the +rectangle, and `clear-rectangle', which filled even empty lines up to +the left side. All functions have been rewritten to avoid inserting +unwanted spaces, and an optional prefix now allows them to behave the +old way. + +Also, the behavior of `string-rectangle' is now compliant with +`pending-delete-mode': if this mode is active, then the string +replaces the region rectangle. Otherwise, the command does not delete +or overwrite any existing text. For those who want that feature but do +not use pending-delete-mode, a new function, `replace-rectangle', is +available. + +As a side effect, the FORCE argument to `move-to-column' now +understands the special value `coerce', which means that the line +should not be filled if it is too short to reach the desired column. + +** New command `kill-entire-line' that always kills the entire line. + +This kills the entire line at point, regardless of whether the point +is at the beginning of line, and regardless of the setting of +`kill-whole-line'. + +** Default values correctly stored in minibuffer histories. + +When you press RET at a minibuffer prompt that provides a default +value, the value is stored in history instead of an empty line. Also, +you can now edit the default value by pressing the down arrow, +accessing the logical "future" value. Not all minibuffer prompts have +yet been converted to support this feature. + +** You can now create "indirect buffers", like in GNU Emacs. + +An indirect buffer shares its text with another buffer ("base +buffer"), but has its own major mode, local variables, extents, and +narrowing. An indirect buffer has a name of its own, distinct from +those of the base buffer and all other buffers. An indirect buffer +cannot itself be visiting a file (though its base buffer can be). +The base buffer cannot itself be indirect. Use (make-indirect-buffer BASE-BUFFER NAME) to make an indirect buffer -named NAME whose base is BASE-BUFFER. If BASE-BUFFER is an indirect -buffer, its base buffer is used as the base for the new buffer. +named NAME whose base is BASE-BUFFER. If BASE-BUFFER is itself an +indirect buffer, its base buffer is used as the base for the new +buffer. You can make an indirect buffer current, or switch to it in a window, just as you would a non-indirect buffer. -The function `buffer-base-buffer', given an indirect buffer, returns -its base buffer. It returns nil when given an ordinary buffer (not -indirect). `buffer-indirect-children' returns a list of the indirect -children of a base buffer. +The function `buffer-base-buffer' returns a buffer's base buffer or +nil, if given an ordinary (non-indirect) buffer. The function +`buffer-indirect-children' returns a list of the indirect children of +a base buffer. + +** Pixel-based scrolling has been implemented. +By default this will attempt to scroll in increments equal to the +height of the default face. Set `window-pixel-scroll-increment' to +modify this behavior. + +** Operation progress can be displayed using graphical widgets. +See `progress-feedback' for details. This support has been switched +on by default for font-lock and some web browsing functions. If you +do not like this behavior, set `progress-feedback-use-echo-area' to +nil. + +** User names following a tilde can now be completed at file name prompts. +e.g. `C-x C-f ~hni' will complete to `~hniksic/'. To make this +operation faster, a cache of user names is maintained internally. + +The new primitives available for this purpose are functions named +`user-name-completion' and `user-name-all-completions'. + +** XEmacs can now play sound using Enlightenment Sound Daemon (ESD). +It will try NAS first, then ESD, then playing native sound directly. + +** X-Face support is now available under MS Windows. +If an X-Face library built under MS Windows is available then XEmacs +will use this at build time. + +** The PostgreSQL Relational Database Management System is now supported. +It is now possible to build XEmacs so that the programming interface +to the PostgreSQL RDBMS (libpq) is available in XEmacs Lisp. +Supported versions of PostgreSQL are 6.5.3 (earlier versions may work, +but have not been tested) and 7.0-beta1. + +** Indentation no longer indents comments that begin at column zero. +This makes it easy to deal with commented out regions of code. + +** Face and variable settings can have comments in Customize. +Customize now supports adding comments about your face and variable +settings using a new menu entry. Comments for variables can also be +assigned by calling `customize-set-(value|variable)' with a prefix +argument. + +** New locations for early package hierarchies. +XEmacs now locates the early package hierarchies at +~/.xemacs/mule-packages/ and ~/.xemacs/xemacs-packages/. Previously, +the early packages were located in ~/.xemacs/. + +** The `auto-save' library has been greatly improved. +(This lets you group all your auto-save files into one directory, and +is provided standardly with XEmacs. See `etc/sample.init.el', +available on the Help menu, for more info on how to set it up.) +Specifically, it now works under MS Windows, and it uses a completely +reversible encoding (basically quoted-printable), so that all +filenames (as well as non-filename buffers) are successfully handled +regardless of any special characters in their names. + +** New variable `mswindows-alt-by-itself-activates-menu'. +If you set this variable to nil then pressing and releasing the Alt +key under MS Windows will no longer activate the menubar. The default +is t. This is not to be confused with `menu-accelerator-enabled', +which enables the use of Alt+ accelerators to invoke the +menus. + +** Other init-file-related changes. + +*** Init file in your home directory may be called `.emacs.el'. + +Like in GNU Emacs 20.4 and on, you can now name the XEmacs init file +located in your home directory `.emacs.el'. Formerly the name had to +be `.emacs'. If you use the name `.emacs.el', you can byte-compile +the file in the usual way. + +If both `.emacs' and `.emacs.el' exist, the latter file is the one +that is used. + +*** New command-line switches -user-init-file and -user-init-directory. + +These can be used to specify alternate locations for what is normally +~/.emacs and ~/.xemacs. -#### The library `noutline' has versions of Outline mode and Outline -minor mode which let you display different parts of the outline in -different indirect buffers. +Moreover, the `-user ' command-line option (which used to only +work in unpredictable ways) is now equivalent to `-user-init-file +~/.xemacs/init.el -user-init-directory ~/.xemacs', or +`-user-init-file ~/.emacs -user-init-directory ~/.xemacs', +whichever init file comes first. + +** Etags changes. + +*** In DOS, etags looks for file.cgz if it cannot find file.c. + +*** New option --ignore-case-regex is an alternative to --regex. +It is now possible to bind a regexp to a language, by prepending the +regexp with {lang}, where lang is one of the languages that `etags +--help' prints out. This feature is useful especially for regex +files, where each line contains a regular expression. The manual +contains details. + +*** New option --declarations, for C-type languages. +In C and derived languages, etags creates tags for function +declarations when given the --declarations option. + +*** In C++, tags are created for "operator". +The tags have the form "operator+", without spaces between the +keyword and the operator. + +*** Ada now supported. +Tags are functions, procedures, packages, tasks, and types. + +*** In Fortran, procedure is no longer tagged. + +*** In Java, tags are created for "interface". + +*** In Lisp, def-type constructs are now tagged. +This includes "(defstruct (foo", "(defun (operator" and similar constructs. + +*** In Perl, the --globals option tags global variables. +my and local variables are tagged. + +*** Python now supported. +def and class at the beginning of a line are tags. + +*** New file extensions recognized: .ss, .pdb, .psw. +.ss files are Scheme files, .pdb is Postscript with C syntax, .psw is +for PSWrap. + +** Fixed ldap libraries configuration. + +It used to fail when `-lldap' requires `-llber'. Introduced in +upstream `configure.in' revision 1.151.2.31 (2005/01/31 02:54:47 +0). + +*** Fixed `LDAP_OPT_ON' libraries configuration. + +The original fix of local `configure.in' revision 1.19 (2004/12/19 +21:10:02 +0) introduced lossage on another class of systems. In some +openldap versions `ldap_*' functions may link successfully without +`-lber', but compiling and linking program with `LDAP_OPT_ON' may +require `-lber'. When configuring ldap libraries, check for such +systems, and in a cleaner way than in upstream. + + +* Lisp and internal changes in XEmacs 21.4 +========================================== + +** A new portable dumper is available. + +Olivier Galibert has written a portable dumper for XEmacs, based on +initial work by Kyle Jones. To perform even the most basic editor +functions, XEmacs requires some amount of Lisp code to be loaded. To +avoid repeating the expensive loading process at every startup, XEmacs +is built in a special way. Its C sources link into an executable +called `temacs', which loads the bootstrap Lisp code and uses a +special "unexec" call to dump the resulting memory image into a proper +`xemacs' executable on disk. The unexec() process is hard to +implement correctly and makes XEmacs very hard to port to new +operating systems, or even to new releases of old systems. + +The new portable dumper uses a different approach to dumping: instead +of dumping full-fledged executable, it only dumps out the initialized +data structures (both Lisp and C) into an external file. A normally +running XEmacs only needs to mmap that file and relocate a bit to get +to the initialized data. In that scheme, there is no difference +between `temacs' and `xemacs'. + +The portable dumper will not be used by default in this release, +however, if you wish to experiment with it, or if you need to compile +XEmacs on a new and unsupported platform, you can test it by +configuring XEmacs using the `--pdump' flag. + +** Much effort has been invested to make XEmacs Lisp faster: + +*** Many basic lisp operations are now faster. +This is especially the case when running a Mule-enabled XEmacs. + +A general overhaul of the lisp engine should produce a speedup of 1.4 +in a non-Mule XEmacs, and 2.1 in a Mule XEmacs. These numbers were +obtained running `(byte-compile "simple.el")', which should be a +pretty typical test of "pure" Lisp. + +*** Lisp hash tables have been re-implemented. The Common Lisp style +hash table interface has been made standard, and moved from cl.el into +fast C code (See the section on hash tables in the XEmacs Lisp +Reference). A speedup factor of 3 can be expected with code that +makes intensive use of hash tables. + +*** The garbage collector has been tuned, leading to a speedup of +1.16. + +*** The byte-compiler and the byte-optimizer have been tuned to +produce better code in many small ways. + +*** The family of functions that iterate over lists, like `memq', and +`rassq', have been made a little faster (typically 1.3). + +*** Lisp function calls are faster, by approximately a factor of two. +However, defining inline functions (via defsubst) still makes sense +for tight loops. + +*** Finally, a few functions have had dramatic performance +improvements. For example, `(last long-list)' is now 30 times faster. + +Of course, your mileage will vary. + +Many operations do not see any improvement. Surprisingly, running +(font-lock-fontify-buffer) does not use the Lisp engine much at all. +Speeding up your favorite slow operation is an excellent project to +improve XEmacs. Don't forget to profile! + +** Native widgets can be displayed in buffers. + +The glyph system has been extended to allow the display of glyphs that +are implemented as native window-system widgets. Thus you can embed +buttons, scrollbars, combo boxes, edit fields and progress gauges in a +buffer. As a side effect subwindow support now works once again. + +All of this is still fairly experimental and there is no +documentation. The current APIs might change in a future version of +XEmacs. Some widgets are only available under MS Windows. See the +file glyphs-test.el in the XEmacs src distribution for examples of +usage. + +The buffers-tab functionality and progress gauge have been implemented +using this feature. + +** Case translation now supports international characters. + +*** Instead of being lists of 256-character strings, case tables are +now opaque objects. The interface to access them is almost the same, +except it now works for international characters, and you can set the +case pairs using `put-case-table-pair'. `set-case-table' and friends +still support the old list/string based interface for backward +compatibility. + +*** As a consequence of this change, functions `downcase' and `upcase' +as well as all the case-transformation commands now work with +non-ASCII characters. Built-in tables cover all the Latin character +sets that we support. If your language has a distinction between +upper and lower case that is not handled by XEmacs/Mule, please let us +know. + +*** The code that implements case-insensitive search has been modified +to respect the case table settings. This also applies to regexp +search. + +** Syntax tables may now be specified for a part of a buffer by +attaching the `syntax-table' property to an extent. For compatibility +with GNU Emacs, you may use the text-property interface to achieve the +same result. + +** Values of variables `user-init-file' and `user-init-directory' are +now absolute file/directory names. Previously, both variables used to +be relative to `(concat "~" init-file-user)'. This turned out to be +too complicated for most packages (and some core Lisp files) to use +correctly. Also, the `init-file-user' variable has been obsoleted in +the process. + +The user-visible options like `-u' have not changed their behavior. + +** XEmacs finally has an automated test suite! +Although this is not yet very sophisticated, it is already responsible +for several important bug fixes in XEmacs. To try it out, simply use +the makefile target `make check' after building XEmacs. + +** Hash tables have been reimplemented. +As was pointed out above, the standard interface to hash tables is now +the Common Lisp interface, as described in Common Lisp, the Language +(CLtL2, by Steele). The older interface (functions with names +containing the phrase `hashtable') will continue to work, but the +preferred interface now has names containing the phrase `hash-table'. + +Here's the executive overview: create hash tables using +make-hash-table, and use gethash, puthash, remhash, maphash and +clrhash to manipulate entries in the hash table. See the (updated) +Lisp Reference Manual for details. + +** Lisp code handles circular lists much more robustly. +Many basic lisp functions used to loop forever when given a circular +list, expecting you to C-g (quit) out of the loop. Now this is more +likely to trigger a `circular-list' error. Printing a circular list +now results in something like this: + + (let ((x (cons 'foo 'foo))) + (setcdr x x) + x) + => (foo ... ) + +An extra bonus is that checking for circularities is not just +friendlier, but actually faster than checking for C-g. + +** Functions for decoding base64 encoding are now available; see +`base64-encode-region', `base64-encode-string', `base64-decode-region' +and `base64-decode-string'. + +** The functions `read-string', `read-expression', `eval-minibuffer', +`read-variable', `read-command', `read-function', `read-number', +`read-shell-command', `read-from-minibuffer', and `completing-read' +now take an additional argument which specifies the default value. If +this argument is non-nil, it should be a string; that string is used +in two ways: + + * It is returned if the user enters empty input. + * It is available as the logical "future" entry, by pressing the down + arrow. + +** LDAP changes. + +*** The LDAP interface now consists of two layers, a low-level layer +that closely matches the LDAP C API, and a more convenient +higher-level set of functions. + +*** The low-level functions that used to be named *-internal are now +named more simply: `ldap-open', `ldap-close', `ldap-search-basic', +`ldap-add', and `ldap-modify'. They should be used directly for very +specific purposes (such as multiple operations on a connection) only. + +*** The higher-level functions provide a more convenient way to access +LDAP directories hiding the subtleties of handling the connection, +translating arguments and ensuring compliance with LDAP +internationalization rules and formats (currently partly implemented +only.) This layer provides atomic operations for searches, +modification, addition and deletion of multiple entries at once: +`ldap-search-entries', `ldap-add-entries', `ldap-delete-entries', and +`ldap-modify-entries'. + +*** To maintain compatibility with previous code, the now obsolete +function `ldap-search' is now merely a wrapper that calls either +`ldap-search-basic' or `ldap-search-entries'. Please don't use the +`ldap-search' function in your new programs -- a direct call to one of +the two replacements is more efficient and unambiguous. + +** The arguments to `locate-file' are now more Lisp-like. As before, +the usage is: + + (locate-file FILENAME PATH-LIST &optional SUFFIXES MODE) + +Except that SUFFIXES are now a list of strings instead of a single, +colon-separated string. MODE is now a symbol or a list of symbols +(symbols `exists', `executable', `writable', and `readable' are +supported) instead of an integer code. See the documentation for +details. Of course, the old form is still accepted for backward +compatibility. + +Several bugs in locate-file have been fixed, most notably its failure +to call expand-file-name on elements of PATH-LIST. Because of that +elements of load-path of the form "~/..." used to not work. +locate-file is now guaranteed to expand files during its course of +operation. + +** `translate-region' has been improved in several ways. Its TABLE +argument used to be a 256-character string. In addition to this, it +can now also be a vector or a char-table, which makes the function +useful for Mule, which it wasn't. If TABLE is a vector or a generic +char-table, you can map characters to strings instead of to other +characters. For instance: + + (let ((table (make-char-table 'generic))) + (put-char-table ?a "the letter a" table) + (put-char-table ?b "" table) + (put-char-table ?c ?\n table) + (translate-region (point-min) (point-max) table)) + +** The new form `ignore-file-errors', similar to `ignore-errors' may +be used as a short-hand for condition-case when you wish to ignore +file-related error. For example: + + (ignore-file-errors (delete-file "foo")) + +** The first argument to `intern-soft' may now also be a symbol, like +with `unintern'. If given a symbol, `intern-soft' will look for that +exact symbol rather than for any string. This is useful when you want +to check whether a specific symbol is interned in an obarray, e.g.: + + (intern "foo") + (intern-soft "foo") + => foo + (intern-soft (make-symbol "foo")) + => nil + +** The `keywordp' function now returns non-nil only on symbols +interned in the global obarray. For example: + + (keywordp (intern ":foo" [0])) + => nil + (keywordp (intern ":foo")) ; The same as (keywordp :foo) + => t + +This behavior is compatible with other code which treats symbols +beginning with colon as keywords only if they are interned in the +global obarray. `keywordp' used to wrongly return t in both above +cases. + +** The function `replace-in-string' has been rewritten to use +`replace-match'. This not only makes it much faster, but adds all the +features of `replace-match'. + +** New variables `this-command-properties' and +`last-command-properties' are now available for communication between +consecutive commands. Commands should use these to communicate with +the pre/post-command hooks, subsequent commands, wrapping commands, +etc. in preference to looking at and/or setting `this-command'. + +** New functions `add-one-shot-hook' and `add-local-one-shot-hook' make +it possible to add a "one-shot" hook, which is to say a hook that runs +only once, and automatically removes itself after the first time it +has run. + +** The descriptor that specifies the text of a menu item can now be an +evaluated expression. This makes it parallel with other descriptors, +which can also be expressions. * Changes in XEmacs 21.0 @@ -87,8 +918,18 @@ will have to set them all again through the menu, and remove the code loading ** When the Zmacs region is active, `M-x query-replace' and the other replace commands now operate on the region contents only. -** Using the new `-private' option, you can make XEmacs use a private -colormap. +** XEmacs now is able to choose X visuals and use private colormaps. +The '-visual ' command line option or the '.EmacsVisual' +Xresource controls which visual XEmacs will use, and +'-privateColormap' or '.privateColormap' will force XEmacs to create a +private colormap for use. The syntax for the visual string is +"" where is one of 'StaticColor', +'TrueColor', 'GrayScale', 'PseudoColor' or 'DirectColor' and + is the appropriate number of bits per pixel. If an invalid +or non-supported combination is entered, XEmacs attempts to find a happy +medium. The X creation mechanism will then determine if it needs to +create a colormap for use, or the presence of the private flags will +force it to create it. ** The `imenu' package has been ported to XEmacs and is available as a package. @@ -107,15 +948,15 @@ and then through inexact matches, as one would expect. ** The new variable `user-full-name' can be used to customize one's name when using the Emacs mail and news reading facilities. -Normally, `user-full-name' is a function that returns the full name of +Normally, `user-full-name' is a function that returns the full name of a user or UID, as specified by the system -- for instance, -(user-full-name "root") returns something like "Super-User". However, +(user-full-name "root") returns something like "Super-User". However, when the function is called without arguments, it will return the -value of the `user-full-name' variable. The `user-full-name' variable +value of the `user-full-name' variable. The `user-full-name' variable is initialized using the environment variable NAME and (failing that) the user's system name. -The behaviour of the `user-full-name' function with an argument +The behavior of the `user-full-name' function with an argument specified is unchanged. ** The new command `M-x customize-changed-options' lets you customize @@ -181,6 +1022,12 @@ commands attached to them. To use it, add the following to `.emacs': It has been greatly enhanced with respect to the one once included with the ilisp package and should work well under XEmacs 21.0. +** Gnuserv changes + +*** Like the old 'gnudoit' program. Gnuclient -batch now can read from stdin. + +*** Gnuclient -batch no longer breaks off the output at the first LF. + ** C mode changes *** Multiline macros are now handled, both as they affect indentation, @@ -274,7 +1121,7 @@ limit. *** \\1-expressions are now valid in `nnmail-split-methods'. -*** The `custom-face-lookup' function has been removed. +*** The `custom-face-lookup' function has been removed. If you used this function in your initialization files, you must rewrite them to use `face-spec-set' instead. @@ -324,7 +1171,7 @@ updated by the `gnus-start-date-timer' command. subsystem. If the `dir' file does not exist in an Info directory, the relevant information will be generated on-the-fly. -This behaviour can be customized, look for `Info-auto-generate-directory' +This behavior can be customized, look for `Info-auto-generate-directory' and `Info-save-auto-generated-dir' in the `info' customization group. @@ -364,7 +1211,7 @@ this is set to nil, the vertical dividers between windows are shown only when needed, and they are not draggable. Other properties of the vertical dividers may be controlled using -`vertical-divider-shadow-thickness', `vertical-divider-line-width' and +`vertical-divider-shadow-thickness', `vertical-divider-line-width' and `vertical-divider-spacing' specifiers, which see. ** Frame focus management changes. @@ -436,8 +1283,10 @@ instance: ** It is now possible to build XEmacs with LDAP support. You will need to install a LDAP library first. The following have been tested: - - LDAP 3.3 from the University of Michigan + - LDAP 3.3 from the University of Michigan (get it from ) + - OpenLDAP 1.0.3 from the OpenLDAP Foundation + (get it from ) - LDAP SDK 1.0 from Netscape Corp. (get it from ) @@ -521,10 +1370,13 @@ directory hierarchy has been rewritten to support the package system. Look under "Startup Paths" in the Info documentation for more information. -*** site-lisp is now longer part of the load-path by default. +*** site-lisp is no longer part of the load-path by default. Its use is deprecated, but you can specify --with-site-lisp=yes at the configure command line to get it back. *** `Info-default-directory-list' is now obsolete. If you want to change the path which XEmacs uses to search for info files, set `Info-directory-list' instead. + + +* For older news, see the file ONEWS.