-Guile NEWS --- history of user-visible changes. -*- text -*-
-Copyright (C) 1996, 1997, 1998 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+Guile NEWS --- history of user-visible changes.
+Copyright (C) 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
See the end for copying conditions.
Please send Guile bug reports to bug-guile@gnu.org.
+
+Each release reports the NEWS in the following sections:
+
+* Changes to the distribution
+* Changes to the stand-alone interpreter
+* Changes to Scheme functions and syntax
+* Changes to the C interface
+
+\f
+Changes since the stable branch:
+
+* Changes to the distribution
+
+** Guile is now licensed with the GNU Lesser General Public License.
+
+** Guile now requires GNU MP (http://swox.com/gmp).
+
+Guile now uses the GNU MP library for arbitrary precision arithmetic.
+At the moment it is being used to handle Guile's bignums.
+
+** Guile now has separate private and public configuration headers.
+
+Guile now has config.h and libguile/scmconfig.h. The former is not
+installed and is private. The latter is installed and used by Guile's
+public headers. config.h is generated by configure and autoheader,
+and scmconfig.h is generated by a small C program, gen-scmconfig at
+build time based in part on the contents of config.h.
+
+Seen libguile/__scm.h and gen-scmconfig.c for more information.
+
+Note too that nearly all public defines are now set to either 1 or 0
+rather than being set to 1 or left undefined. See gen-scmconfig.c and
+the GNU Coding Guidelines for the rationale. However, pre-existing
+defines that were not renamed were not changed. i.e. GUILE_DEBUG is
+still either 1 or undefined.
+
+** The INSTALL file is now the generic automake installed one.
+
+Guile specific instructions can be found in the README.
+
+** Guile now provides and uses an "effective" version number.
+
+Guile now provides scm_effective_version and effective-version
+functions which return the "effective" version number. This is just
+the normal full version string without the final micro-version number,
+so the current effective-version is "1.6". The effective version
+should remain unchanged during a stable series, and should be used for
+items like the versioned share directory name
+i.e. /usr/share/guile/1.6.
+
+Providing an unchanging version number during a stable release for
+things like the versioned share directory can be particularly
+important for Guile "add-on" packages, since it provides a directory
+that they can install to that won't be changed out from under them
+with each micro release during a stable series.
+
+** There are two new thread implementation options: "null" and "coop-pthreads".
+
+When you configure "--with-threads=null", you will get the usual
+threading API (call-with-new-thread, make-mutex, etc), but you can't
+actually create new threads. Also, "--with-threads=no" is now
+equivalent to "--with-threads=null". This means that the thread API
+is always present, although you might not be able to create new
+threads.
+
+The "coop-pthread" (or shorter: "copt") thread implementation will use
+portable POSIX threads but will restrict them so that only one thread
+can execute 'in Guile' at any one time. This option will give you the
+same basic behavior as the old "coop" option, but hopefully in a more
+portable way.
+
+The default is now "coop-pthread", unless your platform doesn't have
+pthreads, in which case "null" threads are used.
+
+** New module (ice-9 serialize):
+
+(serialize FORM1 ...) and (parallelize FORM1 ...) are useful when
+you don't trust the thread safety of most of your program, but
+where you have some section(s) of code which you consider can run
+in parallel to other sections.
+
+They "flag" (with dynamic extent) sections of code to be of
+"serial" or "parallel" nature and have the single effect of
+preventing a serial section from being run in parallel with any
+serial section (including itself).
+
+Both serialize and parallelize can be nested. If so, the
+inner-most construct is in effect.
+
+NOTE 1: A serial section can run in parallel with a parallel
+section.
+
+NOTE 2: If a serial section S is "interrupted" by a parallel
+section P in the following manner: S = S1 P S2, S2 is not
+guaranteed to be resumed by the same thread that previously
+executed S1.
+
+WARNING: Spawning new threads within a serial section have
+undefined effects. It is OK, though, to spawn threads in unflagged
+sections of code where neither serialize or parallelize is in
+effect.
+
+A typical usage is when Guile is used as scripting language in some
+application doing heavy computations. If each thread is
+encapsulated with a serialize form, you can then put a parallelize
+form around the code performing the heavy computations (typically a
+C code primitive), enabling the computations to run in parallel
+while the scripting code runs single-threadedly.
+
+** Guile now includes its own version of libltdl.
+
+We now use a modified version of libltdl that allows us to make
+improvements to it without having to rely on libtool releases.
+
+* Changes to the standalone interpreter
+
+** New command line option `--no-debug'.
+
+Specifying `--no-debug' on the command line will keep the debugging
+evaluator turned off, even for interactive sessions.
+
+** User-init file ~/.guile is now loaded with the debugging evaluator.
+
+Previously, the normal evaluator would have been used. Using the
+debugging evaluator gives better error messages.
+
+* Changes to Scheme functions and syntax
+
+** 'call-with-current-continuation' is now also available under the name
+ 'call/cc'.
+
+** Checking for duplicate bindings in module system
+
+The module system now can check for name conflicts among imported
+bindings.
+
+The behavior can be controlled by specifying one or more duplicates
+handlers. For example, to make Guile return an error for every name
+collision, write:
+
+(define-module (foo)
+ :use-module (bar)
+ :use-module (baz)
+ :duplicates check)
+
+The new default behavior of the module system when a name collision
+has been detected is to
+
+ 1. Give priority to bindings marked as a replacement.
+ 2. Issue a warning (different warning if overriding core binding).
+ 3. Give priority to the last encountered binding (this corresponds to
+ the old behavior).
+
+If you want the old behavior back without replacements or warnings you
+can add the line:
+
+ (default-duplicate-binding-handler 'last)
+
+to your .guile init file.
+
+The syntax for the :duplicates option is:
+
+ :duplicates HANDLER-NAME | (HANDLER1-NAME HANDLER2-NAME ...)
+
+Specifying multiple handlers is useful since some handlers (such as
+replace) can defer conflict resolution to others. Each handler is
+tried until a binding is selected.
+
+Currently available duplicates handlers are:
+
+ check report an error for bindings with a common name
+ warn issue a warning for bindings with a common name
+ replace replace bindings which have an imported replacement
+ warn-override-core issue a warning for imports which override core bindings
+ and accept the override
+ first select the first encountered binding (override)
+ last select the last encountered binding (override)
+
+These two are provided by the (oop goops) module:
+
+ merge-generics merge generic functions with a common name
+ into an <extended-generic>
+ merge-accessors merge accessors with a common name
+
+The default duplicates handler is:
+
+ (replace warn-override-core warn last)
+
+A recommended handler (which is likely to correspond to future Guile
+behavior) can be installed with:
+
+ (default-duplicate-binding-handler '(replace warn-override-core check))
+
+** New define-module option: :replace
+
+:replace works as :export, but, in addition, marks the binding as a
+replacement.
+
+A typical example is `format' in (ice-9 format) which is a replacement
+for the core binding `format'.
+
+** Adding prefixes to imported bindings in the module system
+
+There is now a new :use-module option :prefix. It can be used to add
+a prefix to all imported bindings.
+
+ (define-module (foo)
+ :use-module ((bar) :prefix bar:))
+
+will import all bindings exported from bar, but rename them by adding
+the prefix `bar:'.
+
+** Merging generic functions
+
+It is sometimes tempting to use GOOPS accessors with short names.
+For example, it is tempting to use the name `x' for the x-coordinate
+in vector packages.
+
+Assume that we work with a graphical package which needs to use two
+independent vector packages for 2D and 3D vectors respectively. If
+both packages export `x' we will encounter a name collision.
+
+This can now be resolved automagically with the duplicates handler
+`merge-generics' which gives the module system license to merge all
+generic functions sharing a common name:
+
+(define-module (math 2D-vectors)
+ :use-module (oop goops)
+ :export (x y ...))
+
+(define-module (math 3D-vectors)
+ :use-module (oop goops)
+ :export (x y z ...))
+
+(define-module (my-module)
+ :use-module (math 2D-vectors)
+ :use-module (math 3D-vectors)
+ :duplicates merge-generics)
+
+x in (my-module) will now share methods with x in both imported
+modules.
+
+There will, in fact, now be three distinct generic functions named
+`x': x in (2D-vectors), x in (3D-vectors), and x in (my-module). The
+last function will be an <extended-generic>, extending the previous
+two functions.
+
+Let's call the imported generic functions the "ancestor functions". x
+in (my-module) is, in turn, a "descendant function" of the imported
+functions, extending its ancestors.
+
+For any generic function G, the applicable methods are selected from
+the union of the methods of the descendant functions, the methods of G
+itself and the methods of the ancestor functions.
+
+This, ancestor functions share methods with their descendants and vice
+versa. This implies that x in (math 2D-vectors) can will share the
+methods of x in (my-module) and vice versa, while x in (math 2D-vectors)
+doesn't share the methods of x in (math 3D-vectors), thus preserving
+modularity.
+
+Sharing is dynamic, so that adding new methods to a descendant implies
+adding it to the ancestor.
+
+If duplicates checking is desired in the above example, the following
+form of the :duplicates option can be used instead:
+
+ :duplicates (merge-generics check)
+
+** New function: effective-version
+
+Returns the "effective" version number. This is just the normal full
+version string without the final micro-version number. See "Changes
+to the distribution" above.
+
+** Futures
+
+Futures is a way of providing an alternative evaluation policy, very
+similar in principle to "promises". Like promises, futures allow the
+main process to continue instantly, but while promises postpone
+evaluation ("lazy" evaluation) until the value is requested, futures
+immediately starts evaluation in a parallel thread.
+
+Futures are good when you want to express that "I'll need the value of
+this computation sometime soon" and want to allow processing to go on
+in the background until that time arrives.
+
+** New syntax: future FORM
+
+Begin evaluation of FORM in a parallel thread and return the future
+immediately. (Akin to 'delay'.)
+
+** New procedure: future-ref FUTURE
+
+Return the computed value of the future. Wait if the computation is
+not finished. (Akin to 'force'.)
+
+** New syntax: parallel FORM ...
+
+Compute the results of FORM ... in parallel (in a separate thread for
+each form) and return them as multiple values.
+
+** New syntax: letpar ((VAR EXP) ...) BODYFORM ...
+
+Like 'let' but evaluates the binding expressions EXP ... in parallel.
+
+** New functions: par-map, par-for-each PROC ARGLIST ...
+
+Like 'map' and 'for-each' but evaluate the procedure PROC in a
+separate thread for each (set of) argument(s). All applications are
+guaranteed to be completed before the procedure returns.
+
+** New functions: n-par-map, n-par-for-each N PROC ARGLIST ...
+
+Like 'par-map' and 'par-for-each' but evaluate the procedure PROC in N
+threads. This is useful when PROC uses large amounts of resources
+and/or the argument list(s) is/are long so that one thread per (set
+of) argument(s) would consume too much system resources. On a
+dual-CPU system, N = 4 would often be a good choice.
+
+** New function: n-for-each-par-map N S-PROC P-PROC ARGLIST ...
+
+Using N parallel processes, apply S-PROC in serial order to each
+result of applying P-PROC to each set of arguments in the argument
+lists ARGLIST ...
+
+Like a composition of 'for-each' and 'n-par-map', but allows S-PROC to
+start processing while the results of P-PROC are being produced.
+
+** Fair mutexes and condition variables
+
+Fair mutexes and condition variables have been added. The fairness
+means that scheduling is arranged to give as equal time shares as
+possible and that threads are awakened in a first-in-first-out
+manner. This is not guaranteed with standard mutexes and condition
+variables.
+
+In addition, fair mutexes are recursive. Locking a fair mutex that
+you have already locked will succeed. Every call to lock-mutex must
+be matched with a call to unlock-mutex. Only the last call to
+unlock-mutex will actually unlock the mutex.
+
+A fair condition variable must be used together with a fair mutex,
+just as a standard condition variable must be used together with a
+standard mutex.
+
+** New functions: make-fair-mutex, make-fair-condition-variable'
+
+Make a new fair mutex and a new fair condition variable respectively.
+
+** New function 'try-mutex'.
+
+This function will attempt to lock a mutex but will return immediately
+instead if blocking and indicate failure.
+
+** Waiting on a condition variable can have a timeout.
+
+The funtion 'wait-condition-variable' now takes a third, optional
+argument that specifies the point in time where the waiting should be
+aborted.
+
+** New function 'broadcast-condition-variable'.
+
+** New functions 'all-threads' and 'current-thread'.
+
+** Signals and system asyncs work better with threads.
+
+The function 'sigaction' now takes a fourth, optional, argument that
+specifies the thread that the handler should run in. When the
+argument is omitted, the handler will run in the thread that called
+'sigaction'.
+
+Likewise, 'system-async-mark' takes a second, optional, argument that
+specifies the thread that the async should run in. When it is
+omitted, the async will run in the thread that called
+'system-async-mark'.
+
+C code can use the new functions scm_sigaction_for_thread and
+scm_system_async_mark_for_thread to pass the new thread argument.
+
+** The function 'system-async' is deprecated.
+
+You can now pass any zero-argument procedure to 'system-async-mark'.
+The function 'system-async' will just return its argument unchanged
+now.
+
+** New functions 'call-with-blocked-asyncs' and
+ 'call-with-unblocked-asyncs'
+
+The expression (call-with-blocked-asyncs PROC) will call PROC and will
+block execution of system asyncs for the current thread by one level
+while PROC runs. Likewise, call-with-unblocked-asyncs will call a
+procedure and will unblock the execution of system asyncs by one
+level for the current thread.
+
+Only system asyncs are affected by these functions.
+
+** The functions 'mask-signals' and 'unmask-signals' are deprecated.
+
+Use 'call-with-blocked-asyncs' or 'call-with-unblocked-asyncs'
+instead. Those functions are easier to use correctly and can be
+nested.
+
+** New function 'unsetenv'.
+
+** New macro 'define-syntax-public'.
+
+It works like 'define-syntax' and also exports the defined macro (but
+only on top-level).
+
+** There is support for Infinity and NaNs.
+
+Following PLT Scheme, Guile can now work with infinite numbers, and
+'not-a-numbers'.
+
+There is new syntax for numbers: "+inf.0" (infinity), "-inf.0"
+(negative infinity), "+nan.0" (not-a-number), and "-nan.0" (same as
+"+nan.0"). These numbers are inexact and have no exact counterpart.
+
+Dividing by an inexact zero returns +inf.0 or -inf.0, depending on the
+sign of the dividend. The infinities are integers, and they answer #t
+for both 'even?' and 'odd?'. The +nan.0 value is not an integer and is
+not '=' to itself, but '+nan.0' is 'eqv?' to itself.
+
+For example
+
+ (/ 1 0.0)
+ => +inf.0
+
+ (/ 0 0.0)
+ => +nan.0
+
+ (/ 0)
+ ERROR: Numerical overflow
+
+Two new predicates 'inf?' and 'nan?' can be used to test for the
+special values.
+
+** Inexact zero can have a sign.
+
+Guile can now distinguish between plus and minus inexact zero, if your
+platform supports this, too. The two zeros are equal according to
+'=', but not according to 'eqv?'. For example
+
+ (- 0.0)
+ => -0.0
+
+ (= 0.0 (- 0.0))
+ => #t
+
+ (eqv? 0.0 (- 0.0))
+ => #f
+
+** We now have uninterned symbols.
+
+The new function 'make-symbol' will return a uninterned symbol. This
+is a symbol that is unique and is guaranteed to remain unique.
+However, uninterned symbols can not yet be read back in.
+
+Use the new function 'symbol-interned?' to check whether a symbol is
+interned or not.
+
+** pretty-print has more options.
+
+The function pretty-print from the (ice-9 pretty-print) module can now
+also be invoked with keyword arguments that control things like
+maximum output width. See its online documentation.
+
+** Variables have no longer a special behavior for `equal?'.
+
+Previously, comparing two variables with `equal?' would recursivly
+compare their values. This is no longer done. Variables are now only
+`equal?' if they are `eq?'.
+
+** `(begin)' is now valid.
+
+You can now use an empty `begin' form. It will yield #<unspecified>
+when evaluated and simply be ignored in a definition context.
+
+** Removed: substring-move-left!, substring-move-right!
+
+Use `substring-move!' instead.
+
+** Deprecated: procedure->macro
+
+Change your code to use either procedure->memoizing-macro or, probably better,
+to use r5rs macros. Also, be aware that macro expansion will not be done
+during evaluation, but prior to evaluation.
+
+** Soft ports now allow a `char-ready?' procedure
+
+The vector argument to `make-soft-port' can now have a length of
+either 5 or 6. (Previously the length had to be 5.) The optional 6th
+element is interpreted as an `input-waiting' thunk -- i.e. a thunk
+that returns the number of characters that can be read immediately
+without the soft port blocking.
+
+** New debugging feature: breakpoints.
+
+Guile now has breakpoints. For details see the `Debugging Features'
+chapter in the reference manual.
+
+** Deprecated: undefine
+
+There is no replacement for undefine.
+
+* Changes to the C interface
+
+** Many public #defines with generic names have been made private.
+
+#defines with generic names like HAVE_FOO or SIZEOF_FOO have been made
+private or renamed with a more suitable public name. See below for
+the ones which have been renamed.
+
+** HAVE_STDINT_H and HAVE_INTTYPES_H have been removed from public use.
+
+HAVE_STDINT_H and HAVE_INTTYPES_H removed from public use. These are
+no longer needed since the older uses of stdint.h and inttypes.h are
+now handled by configure.in and gen-scmconfig.c.
+
+** USE_DLL_IMPORT is no longer defined publically.
+
+gen-scmconfig now uses it to decide what contents to place in the
+public scmconfig.h header without adding the USE_DLL_IMPORT itself.
+
+** HAVE_LIMITS_H has been removed from public use.
+
+gen-scmconfig now just uses HAVE_LIMITS_H to decide whether or not to
+add a limits.h include in scmconfig.h.
+
+** time.h, sys/time.h, etc. #ifdefery has been removed from public headers.
+
+gen-scmconfig now just uses the same logic to decide what time related
+#includes to add to scmconfig.h.
+
+** HAVE_STRUCT_TIMESPEC has been removed from public use.
+
+scmconfig.h now just defines scm_t_timespec.
+
+** HAVE_PTRDIFF has been removed from public use and Guile doesn't
+ define ptrdiff_t.
+
+Guile now publically defines scm_t_ptrdiff and
+SCM_SIZEOF_SCM_T_PTRDIFF in scmconfig.h, and all occurrences of
+ptrdiff_t have been replaced with scm_t_ptrdiff.
+
+Guile defines its own type this rather than just relying on ptrdiff_t
+and SCM_SIZEOF_PTRDIFF_T because Guile actually typedefs long to
+scm_t_ptrdiff when ptrdiff_t isn't available. A public "typedef long
+ptrdiff_t" could conflict with other headers.
+
+** HAVE_UINTPTR_T and HAVE_UINTPTR_T have been removed from public use.
+
+They are replaced by public definitions of SCM_SIZEOF_UINTPTR_T and
+SCM_SIZEOF_INTPTR_T. These are defined to 0 if the corresponding type
+is not available.
+
+** The public #define STDC_HEADERS has been renamed to SCM_HAVE_STDC_HEADERS.
+
+The previous name was too generic for the global public namespace.
+
+** The public #define HAVE_SYS_SELECT has been renamed to
+ SCM_HAVE_SYS_SELECT_H.
+
+The previous name was too generic for the global public namespace.
+
+** The public #define HAVE_FLOATINGPOINT_H has been renamed to
+ SCM_HAVE_FLOATINGPOINT_H.
+
+The previous name was too generic for the global public namespace.
+
+** The public #define HAVE_IEEEFP_H has been renamed to SCM_HAVE_IEEEFP_H.
+
+The previous name was too generic for the global public namespace.
+
+** The public #define HAVE_NAN_H has been renamed to SCM_HAVE_NAN_H.
+
+The previous name was too generic for the global public namespace.
+
+** The public #define HAVE_WINSOCK2_H has been renamed to SCM_HAVE_WINSOCK2_H.
+
+The previous name was too generic for the global public namespace.
+
+** The public #define HAVE_ARRAYS has been renamed to SCM_HAVE_ARRAYS.
+
+The previous name was too generic for the global public namespace.
+
+** The public #define STACK_GROWS_UP has been renamed to SCM_STACK_GROWS_UP.
+
+The previous name was too generic for the global public namespace.
+
+** The public #define USE_PTHREAD_THREADS has been renamed to
+ SCM_USE_PTHREAD_THREADS.
+
+The previous name was too generic for the global public namespace.
+
+** The public #define USE_NULL_THREADS has been renamed to
+ SCM_USE_NULL_THREADS.
+
+The previous name was too generic for the global public namespace.
+
+** The public #define USE_COOP_THREADS has been renamed to
+ SCM_USE_COOP_THREADS.
+
+The previous name was too generic for the global public namespace.
+
+** SCM_C_INLINE is publically defined if possible.
+
+If the platform has a way to define inline functions, SCM_C_INLINE
+will be defined to that text. Otherwise it will be undefined. This
+is a little bit different than autoconf's normal handling of the
+inline define via AC_C_INLINE.
+
+** Guile now publically defines some basic type infrastructure.
+
+Guile always defines
+
+ SCM_SIZEOF_CHAR
+ SCM_SIZEOF_UNSIGNED_CHAR
+ SCM_SIZEOF_SHORT
+ SCM_SIZEOF_UNSIGNED_SHORT
+ SCM_SIZEOF_LONG
+ SCM_SIZEOF_UNSIGNED_LONG
+ SCM_SIZEOF_INT
+ SCM_SIZEOF_UNSIGNED_INT
+ SCM_SIZEOF_LONG_LONG /* defined to 0 if type not available */
+ SCM_SIZEOF_UNSIGNED_LONG_LONG /* defined to 0 if type not available */
+
+ scm_t_int8
+ scm_t_uint8
+ scm_t_int16
+ scm_t_uint16
+ scm_t_int32
+ scm_t_uint32
+
+Guile always defines
+
+ SCM_HAVE_T_INT64
+ SCM_HAVE_T_UINT64
+
+and when either of these are defined to 1, optionally defines
+
+ scm_t_int64
+ scm_t_uint64
+
+respectively.
+
+Guile always defines
+
+ scm_t_timespec
+
+** The preprocessor define USE_THREADS has been deprecated.
+
+Going forward, assume that the thread API is always present.
+
+** The preprocessor define GUILE_ISELECT has been deprecated.
+
+Going forward, assume that scm_internal_select is always present.
+
+** The preprocessor define READER_EXTENSIONS has been deprecated.
+
+Going forward, assume that the features represented by
+READER_EXTENSIONS are always present.
+
+** The preprocessor define DEBUG_EXTENSIONS has been deprecated.
+
+Going forward, assume that the features represented by
+DEBUG_EXTENSIONS are always present.
+
+** The preprocessor define DYNAMIC_LINKING has been deprecated.
+
+Going forward, assume that the features represented by
+DYNAMIC_LINKING are always present.
+
+** The preprocessor define STACK_DIRECTION has been deprecated.
+
+There should be no need to know about the stack direction for ordinary
+programs. (Do not use.)
+
+** New function: scm_effective_version
+
+Returns the "effective" version number. This is just the normal full
+version string without the final micro-version number. See "Changes
+to the distribution" above.
+
+** The function scm_call_with_new_thread has a new prototype.
+
+Instead of taking a list with the thunk and handler, these two
+arguments are now passed directly:
+
+ SCM scm_call_with_new_thread (SCM thunk, SCM handler);
+
+This is an incompatible change.
+
+** The value 'scm_mask_ints' is no longer writable.
+
+Previously, you could set scm_mask_ints directly. This is no longer
+possible. Use scm_c_call_with_blocked_asyncs and
+scm_c_call_with_unblocked_asyncs instead.
+
+** New functions scm_c_call_with_blocked_asyncs and
+ scm_c_call_with_unblocked_asyncs
+
+Like scm_call_with_blocked_asyncs etc. but for C functions.
+
+** New snarfer macro SCM_DEFINE_PUBLIC.
+
+This is like SCM_DEFINE, but also calls scm_c_export for the defined
+function in the init section.
+
+** The snarfer macro SCM_SNARF_INIT is now officially supported.
+
+** New macros SCM_VECTOR_REF and SCM_VECTOR_SET.
+
+Use these in preference to SCM_VELTS.
+
+** The SCM_VELTS macros now returns a read-only vector. For writing,
+use the new macros SCM_WRITABLE_VELTS or SCM_VECTOR_SET. The use of
+SCM_WRITABLE_VELTS is discouraged, though.
+
+** Garbage collector rewrite.
+
+The garbage collector is cleaned up a lot, and now uses lazy
+sweeping. This is reflected in the output of (gc-stats); since cells
+are being freed when they are allocated, the cells-allocated field
+stays roughly constant.
+
+For malloc related triggers, the behavior is changed. It uses the same
+heuristic as the cell-triggered collections. It may be tuned with the
+environment variables GUILE_MIN_YIELD_MALLOC. This is the percentage
+for minimum yield of malloc related triggers. The default is 40.
+GUILE_INIT_MALLOC_LIMIT sets the initial trigger for doing a GC. The
+default is 200 kb.
+
+Debugging operations for the freelist have been deprecated, along with
+the C variables that control garbage collection. The environment
+variables GUILE_MAX_SEGMENT_SIZE, GUILE_INIT_SEGMENT_SIZE_2,
+GUILE_INIT_SEGMENT_SIZE_1, and GUILE_MIN_YIELD_2 should be used.
+
+** The function scm_definedp has been renamed to scm_defined_p
+
+The name scm_definedp is deprecated.
+
+** The struct scm_cell has been renamed to scm_t_cell
+
+This is in accordance to Guile's naming scheme for types. Note that
+the name scm_cell is now used for a function that allocates and
+initializes a new cell (see below).
+
+** New functions for memory management
+
+A new set of functions for memory management has been added since the
+old way (scm_must_malloc, scm_must_free, etc) was error prone and
+indeed, Guile itself contained some long standing bugs that could
+cause aborts in long running programs.
+
+The new functions are more symmetrical and do not need cooperation
+from smob free routines, among other improvements.
+
+The new functions are scm_malloc, scm_realloc, scm_calloc, scm_strdup,
+scm_strndup, scm_gc_malloc, scm_gc_calloc, scm_gc_realloc,
+scm_gc_free, scm_gc_register_collectable_memory, and
+scm_gc_unregister_collectable_memory. Refer to the manual for more
+details and for upgrading instructions.
+
+The old functions for memory management have been deprecated. They
+are: scm_must_malloc, scm_must_realloc, scm_must_free,
+scm_must_strdup, scm_must_strndup, scm_done_malloc, scm_done_free.
+
+** New function: scm_str2string
+
+This function creates a scheme string from a 0-terminated C string. The input
+string is copied.
+
+** Declarations of exported features are marked with SCM_API.
+
+Every declaration of a feature that belongs to the exported Guile API
+has been marked by adding the macro "SCM_API" to the start of the
+declaration. This macro can expand into different things, the most
+common of which is just "extern" for Unix platforms. On Win32, it can
+be used to control which symbols are exported from a DLL.
+
+If you `#define SCM_IMPORT' before including <libguile.h>, SCM_API
+will expand into "__declspec (dllimport) extern", which is needed for
+linking to the Guile DLL in Windows.
+
+There are also SCM_RL_IMPORT, QT_IMPORT, SCM_SRFI1314_IMPORT, and
+SCM_SRFI4_IMPORT, for the corresponding libraries.
+
+** SCM_NEWCELL and SCM_NEWCELL2 have been deprecated.
+
+Use the new functions scm_cell and scm_double_cell instead. The old macros
+had problems because with them allocation and initialization was separated and
+the GC could sometimes observe half initialized cells. Only careful coding by
+the user of SCM_NEWCELL and SCM_NEWCELL2 could make this safe and efficient.
+
+** CHECK_ENTRY, CHECK_APPLY and CHECK_EXIT have been deprecated.
+
+Use the variables scm_check_entry_p, scm_check_apply_p and scm_check_exit_p
+instead.
+
+** SRCBRKP has been deprecated.
+
+Use scm_c_source_property_breakpoint_p instead.
+
+** Deprecated: scm_makmacro
+
+Change your code to use either scm_makmmacro or, probably better, to use r5rs
+macros. Also, be aware that macro expansion will not be done during
+evaluation, but prior to evaluation.
+
+** Removed from scm_root_state: def_inp, def_outp, def_errp, together
+with corresponding macros scm_def_inp, scm_def_outp and scm_def_errp.
+These were undocumented and unused copies of the standard ports at the
+time that Guile was initialised. Normally the current ports should be
+used instead, obtained from scm_current_input_port () etc. If an
+application needs to retain earlier ports, it should save them in a
+gc-protected location.
+
+** Removed compile time option MEMOIZE_LOCALS
+
+Now, caching of local variable positions during memoization is mandatory.
+However, the option to disable the caching has most probably not been used
+anyway.
+
+** Removed compile time option SCM_RECKLESS
+
+Full number of arguments checking of closures is mandatory now. However, the
+option to disable the checking has most probably not been used anyway.
+
+** Removed compile time option SCM_CAUTIOUS
+
+Full number of arguments checking of closures is mandatory now. However, the
+option to disable the checking has most probably not been used anyway.
+
+** Deprecated configure flags USE_THREADS and GUILE_ISELECT
+
+Previously, when the C preprocessor macro USE_THREADS was defined,
+libguile included a thread API. This API is now always included, even
+when threads are not really supported. Thus, you don't need to test
+for USE_THREADS.
+
+Analogously, GUILE_ISELECT was defined when the function
+scm_internal_select was provided by Guile. This function is now
+always defined, and GUILE_ISELECT with it.
+
+** New function scm_c_port_for_each.
+
+This function is like scm_port_for_each but takes a pointer to a C
+function as the callback instead of a SCM value.
+
+** Removed definitions: scm_lisp_nil, scm_lisp_t, s_nil_ify,
+scm_m_nil_ify, s_t_ify, scm_m_t_ify, s_0_cond, scm_m_0_cond, s_0_ify,
+scm_m_0_ify, s_1_ify, scm_m_1_ify, scm_debug_newcell,
+scm_debug_newcell2, scm_tc16_allocated, SCM_SET_SYMBOL_HASH,
+SCM_IM_NIL_IFY, SCM_IM_T_IFY, SCM_IM_0_COND, SCM_IM_0_IFY,
+SCM_IM_1_IFY, SCM_GC_SET_ALLOCATED, scm_debug_newcell,
+scm_debug_newcell2, SCM_HUP_SIGNAL, SCM_INT_SIGNAL, SCM_FPE_SIGNAL,
+SCM_BUS_SIGNAL, SCM_SEGV_SIGNAL, SCM_ALRM_SIGNAL, SCM_GC_SIGNAL,
+SCM_TICK_SIGNAL, SCM_SIG_ORD, SCM_ORD_SIG, SCM_NUM_SIGS,
+*top-level-lookup-closure*, scm_top_level_lookup_closure_var,
+scm_system_transformer, scm_eval_3, scm_eval2,
+root_module_lookup_closure, SCM_SLOPPY_STRINGP, SCM_RWSTRINGP,
+SCM_STRING_UCHARS, SCM_STRING_CHARS, scm_read_only_string_p,
+scm_makstr, scm_makfromstr, scm_make_shared_substring,
+scm_tc7_substring, sym_huh, scm_variable_set_name_hint,
+scm_builtin_variable, SCM_VARVCELL, SCM_UDVARIABLEP, SCM_DEFVARIABLEP,
+scm_internal_with_fluids, scm_make_gsubr, scm_make_gsubr_with_generic,
+scm_create_hook, list*, SCM_LIST0, SCM_LIST1, SCM_LIST2, SCM_LIST3,
+SCM_LIST4, SCM_LIST5, SCM_LIST6, SCM_LIST7, SCM_LIST8, SCM_LIST9,
+scm_listify, scm_sloppy_memq, scm_sloppy_memv, scm_sloppy_member,
+scm_end_of_file_key, scm_read_and_eval_x, scm_mkbig, scm_big2inum,
+scm_adjbig, scm_normbig, scm_copybig, scm_2ulong2big, scm_dbl2big,
+scm_big2dbl, SCM_FIXNUM_BIT, scm_subr_entry, SCM_SUBR_DOC,
+scm_make_subr_opt, scm_make_subr, scm_make_subr_with_generic,
+setjmp_type, setjmp_type, scm_call_catching_errors,
+scm_make_smob_type_mfpe, scm_set_smob_mfpe, scm_strprint_obj,
+scm_read_0str, scm_eval_0str, SCM_CHARS, SCM_UCHARS, SCM_SETCHARS,
+SCM_SLOPPY_SUBSTRP, SCM_SUBSTR_STR, SCM_SUBSTR_OFFSET, SCM_LENGTH_MAX,
+SCM_LENGTH, SCM_SETLENGTH, SCM_ROSTRINGP, SCM_ROLENGTH, SCM_ROCHARS,
+SCM_ROUCHARS, SCM_SUBSTRP, SCM_COERCE_SUBSTR, scm_strhash,
+scm_sym2vcell, scm_sym2ovcell_soft, scm_sym2ovcell,
+scm_intern_obarray_soft, scm_intern_obarray, scm_intern, scm_intern0,
+scm_sysintern, scm_sysintern0, scm_sysintern0_no_module_lookup,
+scm_symbol_value0, scm_string_to_obarray_symbol, scm_intern_symbol,
+scm_unintern_symbol, scm_symbol_binding, scm_symbol_interned_p,
+scm_symbol_bound_p, scm_symbol_set_x, scm_gentemp,
+scm_init_symbols_deprecated, s_vector_set_length_x,
+scm_vector_set_length_x, scm_contregs, scm_debug_info,
+scm_debug_frame, SCM_DSIDEVAL, SCM_OPDIRP, scm_fport, scm_option,
+SCM_CONST_LONG, SCM_VCELL, SCM_GLOBAL_VCELL, SCM_VCELL_INIT,
+SCM_GLOBAL_VCELL_INIT, scm_srcprops, scm_srcprops_chunk,
+scm_info_frame, scm_stack, scm_array, scm_array_dim,
+SCM_ARRAY_CONTIGUOUS, SCM_HUGE_LENGTH, SCM_FUNC_NAME, SCM_WTA,
+RETURN_SCM_WTA, SCM_VALIDATE_NUMBER_COPY,
+SCM_VALIDATE_NUMBER_DEF_COPY, SCM_VALIDATE_STRINGORSUBSTR,
+SCM_VALIDATE_ROSTRING, SCM_VALIDATE_ROSTRING_COPY,
+SCM_VALIDATE_NULLORROSTRING_COPY, SCM_VALIDATE_RWSTRING,
+SCM_VALIDATE_OPDIR, DIGITS, scm_small_istr2int, scm_istr2int,
+scm_istr2flo, scm_istring2number, scm_istr2int, scm_istr2flo,
+scm_istring2number, scm_vtable_index_vcell, scm_si_vcell, SCM_ECONSP,
+SCM_NECONSP, SCM_GLOC_VAR, SCM_GLOC_VAL, SCM_GLOC_SET_VAL,
+SCM_GLOC_VAL_LOC, scm_make_gloc, scm_gloc_p, scm_tc16_variable
+
+Changes since Guile 1.4:
+
+* Changes to the distribution
+
+** A top-level TODO file is included.
+
+** Guile now uses a versioning scheme similar to that of the Linux kernel.
+
+Guile now always uses three numbers to represent the version,
+i.e. "1.6.5". The first number, 1, is the major version number, the
+second number, 6, is the minor version number, and the third number,
+5, is the micro version number. Changes in major version number
+indicate major changes in Guile.
+
+Minor version numbers that are even denote stable releases, and odd
+minor version numbers denote development versions (which may be
+unstable). The micro version number indicates a minor sub-revision of
+a given MAJOR.MINOR release.
+
+In keeping with the new scheme, (minor-version) and scm_minor_version
+no longer return everything but the major version number. They now
+just return the minor version number. Two new functions
+(micro-version) and scm_micro_version have been added to report the
+micro version number.
+
+In addition, ./GUILE-VERSION now defines GUILE_MICRO_VERSION.
+
+** New preprocessor definitions are available for checking versions.
+
+version.h now #defines SCM_MAJOR_VERSION, SCM_MINOR_VERSION, and
+SCM_MICRO_VERSION to the appropriate integer values.
+
+** Guile now actively warns about deprecated features.
+
+The new configure option `--enable-deprecated=LEVEL' and the
+environment variable GUILE_WARN_DEPRECATED control this mechanism.
+See INSTALL and README for more information.
+
+** Guile is much more likely to work on 64-bit architectures.
+
+Guile now compiles and passes "make check" with only two UNRESOLVED GC
+cases on Alpha and ia64 based machines now. Thanks to John Goerzen
+for the use of a test machine, and thanks to Stefan Jahn for ia64
+patches.
+
+** New functions: setitimer and getitimer.
+
+These implement a fairly direct interface to the libc functions of the
+same name.
+
+** The #. reader extension is now disabled by default.
+
+For safety reasons, #. evaluation is disabled by default. To
+re-enable it, set the fluid read-eval? to #t. For example:
+
+ (fluid-set! read-eval? #t)
+
+but make sure you realize the potential security risks involved. With
+read-eval? enabled, reading a data file from an untrusted source can
+be dangerous.
+
+** New SRFI modules have been added:
+
+SRFI-0 `cond-expand' is now supported in Guile, without requiring
+using a module.
+
+(srfi srfi-1) is a library containing many useful pair- and list-processing
+ procedures.
+
+(srfi srfi-2) exports and-let*.
+
+(srfi srfi-4) implements homogeneous numeric vector datatypes.
+
+(srfi srfi-6) is a dummy module for now, since guile already provides
+ all of the srfi-6 procedures by default: open-input-string,
+ open-output-string, get-output-string.
+
+(srfi srfi-8) exports receive.
+
+(srfi srfi-9) exports define-record-type.
+
+(srfi srfi-10) exports define-reader-ctor and implements the reader
+ extension #,().
+
+(srfi srfi-11) exports let-values and let*-values.
+
+(srfi srfi-13) implements the SRFI String Library.
+
+(srfi srfi-14) implements the SRFI Character-Set Library.
+
+(srfi srfi-17) implements setter and getter-with-setter and redefines
+ some accessor procedures as procedures with getters. (such as car,
+ cdr, vector-ref etc.)
+
+(srfi srfi-19) implements the SRFI Time/Date Library.
+
+** New scripts / "executable modules"
+
+Subdirectory "scripts" contains Scheme modules that are packaged to
+also be executable as scripts. At this time, these scripts are available:
+
+ display-commentary
+ doc-snarf
+ generate-autoload
+ punify
+ read-scheme-source
+ use2dot
+
+See README there for more info.
+
+These scripts can be invoked from the shell with the new program
+"guile-tools", which keeps track of installation directory for you.
+For example:
+
+ $ guile-tools display-commentary srfi/*.scm
+
+guile-tools is copied to the standard $bindir on "make install".
+
+** New module (ice-9 stack-catch):
+
+stack-catch is like catch, but saves the current state of the stack in
+the fluid the-last-stack. This fluid can be useful when using the
+debugger and when re-throwing an error.
+
+** The module (ice-9 and-let*) has been renamed to (ice-9 and-let-star)
+
+This has been done to prevent problems on lesser operating systems
+that can't tolerate `*'s in file names. The exported macro continues
+to be named `and-let*', of course.
+
+On systems that support it, there is also a compatibility module named
+(ice-9 and-let*). It will go away in the next release.
+
+** New modules (oop goops) etc.:
+
+ (oop goops)
+ (oop goops describe)
+ (oop goops save)
+ (oop goops active-slot)
+ (oop goops composite-slot)
+
+The Guile Object Oriented Programming System (GOOPS) has been
+integrated into Guile. For further information, consult the GOOPS
+manual and tutorial in the `doc' directory.
+
+** New module (ice-9 rdelim).
+
+This exports the following procedures which were previously defined
+in the default environment:
+
+read-line read-line! read-delimited read-delimited! %read-delimited!
+%read-line write-line
+
+For backwards compatibility the definitions are still imported into the
+default environment in this version of Guile. However you should add:
+
+(use-modules (ice-9 rdelim))
+
+to any program which uses the definitions, since this may change in
+future.
+
+Alternatively, if guile-scsh is installed, the (scsh rdelim) module
+can be used for similar functionality.
+
+** New module (ice-9 rw)
+
+This is a subset of the (scsh rw) module from guile-scsh. Currently
+it defines two procedures:
+
+*** New function: read-string!/partial str [port_or_fdes [start [end]]]
+
+ Read characters from a port or file descriptor into a string STR.
+ A port must have an underlying file descriptor -- a so-called
+ fport. This procedure is scsh-compatible and can efficiently read
+ large strings.
+
+*** New function: write-string/partial str [port_or_fdes [start [end]]]
+
+ Write characters from a string STR to a port or file descriptor.
+ A port must have an underlying file descriptor -- a so-called
+ fport. This procedure is mostly compatible and can efficiently
+ write large strings.
+
+** New module (ice-9 match)
+
+This module includes Andrew K. Wright's pattern matcher. See
+ice-9/match.scm for brief description or
+
+ http://www.star-lab.com/wright/code.html
+
+for complete documentation.
+
+** New module (ice-9 buffered-input)
+
+This module provides procedures to construct an input port from an
+underlying source of input that reads and returns its input in chunks.
+The underlying input source is a Scheme procedure, specified by the
+caller, which the port invokes whenever it needs more input.
+
+This is useful when building an input port whose back end is Readline
+or a UI element such as the GtkEntry widget.
+
+** Documentation
+
+The reference and tutorial documentation that was previously
+distributed separately, as `guile-doc', is now included in the core
+Guile distribution. The documentation consists of the following
+manuals.
+
+- The Guile Tutorial (guile-tut.texi) contains a tutorial introduction
+ to using Guile.
+
+- The Guile Reference Manual (guile.texi) contains (or is intended to
+ contain) reference documentation on all aspects of Guile.
+
+- The GOOPS Manual (goops.texi) contains both tutorial-style and
+ reference documentation for using GOOPS, Guile's Object Oriented
+ Programming System.
+
+- The Revised^5 Report on the Algorithmic Language Scheme
+ (r5rs.texi).
+
+See the README file in the `doc' directory for more details.
+
+** There are a couple of examples in the examples/ directory now.
+
+* Changes to the stand-alone interpreter
+
+** New command line option `--use-srfi'
+
+Using this option, SRFI modules can be loaded on startup and be
+available right from the beginning. This makes programming portable
+Scheme programs easier.
+
+The option `--use-srfi' expects a comma-separated list of numbers,
+each representing a SRFI number to be loaded into the interpreter
+before starting evaluating a script file or the REPL. Additionally,
+the feature identifier for the loaded SRFIs is recognized by
+`cond-expand' when using this option.
+
+Example:
+$ guile --use-srfi=8,13
+guile> (receive (x z) (values 1 2) (+ 1 2))
+3
+guile> (string-pad "bla" 20)
+" bla"
+
+** Guile now always starts up in the `(guile-user)' module.
+
+Previously, scripts executed via the `-s' option would run in the
+`(guile)' module and the repl would run in the `(guile-user)' module.
+Now every user action takes place in the `(guile-user)' module by
+default.
+
+* Changes to Scheme functions and syntax
+
+** Character classifiers work for non-ASCII characters.
+
+The predicates `char-alphabetic?', `char-numeric?',
+`char-whitespace?', `char-lower?', `char-upper?' and `char-is-both?'
+no longer check whether their arguments are ASCII characters.
+Previously, a character would only be considered alphabetic when it
+was also ASCII, for example.
+
+** Previously deprecated Scheme functions have been removed:
+
+ tag - no replacement.
+ fseek - replaced by seek.
+ list* - replaced by cons*.
+
+** It's now possible to create modules with controlled environments
+
+Example:
+
+(use-modules (ice-9 safe))
+(define m (make-safe-module))
+;;; m will now be a module containing only a safe subset of R5RS
+(eval '(+ 1 2) m) --> 3
+(eval 'load m) --> ERROR: Unbound variable: load
+
+** Evaluation of "()", the empty list, is now an error.
+
+Previously, the expression "()" evaluated to the empty list. This has
+been changed to signal a "missing expression" error. The correct way
+to write the empty list as a literal constant is to use quote: "'()".
+
+** New concept of `Guile Extensions'.
+
+A Guile Extension is just a ordinary shared library that can be linked
+at run-time. We found it advantageous to give this simple concept a
+dedicated name to distinguish the issues related to shared libraries
+from the issues related to the module system.
+
+*** New function: load-extension
+
+Executing (load-extension lib init) is mostly equivalent to
+
+ (dynamic-call init (dynamic-link lib))
+
+except when scm_register_extension has been called previously.
+Whenever appropriate, you should use `load-extension' instead of
+dynamic-link and dynamic-call.
+
+*** New C function: scm_c_register_extension
+
+This function registers a initialization function for use by
+`load-extension'. Use it when you don't want specific extensions to
+be loaded as shared libraries (for example on platforms that don't
+support dynamic linking).
+
+** Auto-loading of compiled-code modules is deprecated.
+
+Guile used to be able to automatically find and link a shared
+library to satisfy requests for a module. For example, the module
+`(foo bar)' could be implemented by placing a shared library named
+"foo/libbar.so" (or with a different extension) in a directory on the
+load path of Guile.
+
+This has been found to be too tricky, and is no longer supported. The
+shared libraries are now called "extensions". You should now write a
+small Scheme file that calls `load-extension' to load the shared
+library and initialize it explicitely.
+
+The shared libraries themselves should be installed in the usual
+places for shared libraries, with names like "libguile-foo-bar".
+
+For example, place this into a file "foo/bar.scm"
+
+ (define-module (foo bar))
+
+ (load-extension "libguile-foo-bar" "foobar_init")
+
+** Backward incompatible change: eval EXP ENVIRONMENT-SPECIFIER
+
+`eval' is now R5RS, that is it takes two arguments.
+The second argument is an environment specifier, i.e. either
+
+ (scheme-report-environment 5)
+ (null-environment 5)
+ (interaction-environment)
+
+or
+
+ any module.
+
+** The module system has been made more disciplined.
+
+The function `eval' will save and restore the current module around
+the evaluation of the specified expression. While this expression is
+evaluated, `(current-module)' will now return the right module, which
+is the module specified as the second argument to `eval'.
+
+A consequence of this change is that `eval' is not particularly
+useful when you want allow the evaluated code to change what module is
+designated as the current module and have this change persist from one
+call to `eval' to the next. The read-eval-print-loop is an example
+where `eval' is now inadequate. To compensate, there is a new
+function `primitive-eval' that does not take a module specifier and
+that does not save/restore the current module. You should use this
+function together with `set-current-module', `current-module', etc
+when you want to have more control over the state that is carried from
+one eval to the next.
+
+Additionally, it has been made sure that forms that are evaluated at
+the top level are always evaluated with respect to the current module.
+Previously, subforms of top-level forms such as `begin', `case',
+etc. did not respect changes to the current module although these
+subforms are at the top-level as well.
+
+To prevent strange behavior, the forms `define-module',
+`use-modules', `use-syntax', and `export' have been restricted to only
+work on the top level. The forms `define-public' and
+`defmacro-public' only export the new binding on the top level. They
+behave just like `define' and `defmacro', respectively, when they are
+used in a lexical environment.
+
+Also, `export' will no longer silently re-export bindings imported
+from a used module. It will emit a `deprecation' warning and will
+cease to perform any re-export in the next version. If you actually
+want to re-export bindings, use the new `re-export' in place of
+`export'. The new `re-export' will not make copies of variables when
+rexporting them, as `export' did wrongly.
+
+** Module system now allows selection and renaming of imported bindings
+
+Previously, when using `use-modules' or the `#:use-module' clause in
+the `define-module' form, all the bindings (association of symbols to
+values) for imported modules were added to the "current module" on an
+as-is basis. This has been changed to allow finer control through two
+new facilities: selection and renaming.
+
+You can now select which of the imported module's bindings are to be
+visible in the current module by using the `:select' clause. This
+clause also can be used to rename individual bindings. For example:
+
+ ;; import all bindings no questions asked
+ (use-modules (ice-9 common-list))
+
+ ;; import four bindings, renaming two of them;
+ ;; the current module sees: every some zonk-y zonk-n
+ (use-modules ((ice-9 common-list)
+ :select (every some
+ (remove-if . zonk-y)
+ (remove-if-not . zonk-n))))
+
+You can also programmatically rename all selected bindings using the
+`:renamer' clause, which specifies a proc that takes a symbol and
+returns another symbol. Because it is common practice to use a prefix,
+we now provide the convenience procedure `symbol-prefix-proc'. For
+example:
+
+ ;; import four bindings, renaming two of them specifically,
+ ;; and all four w/ prefix "CL:";
+ ;; the current module sees: CL:every CL:some CL:zonk-y CL:zonk-n
+ (use-modules ((ice-9 common-list)
+ :select (every some
+ (remove-if . zonk-y)
+ (remove-if-not . zonk-n))
+ :renamer (symbol-prefix-proc 'CL:)))
+
+ ;; import four bindings, renaming two of them specifically,
+ ;; and all four by upcasing.
+ ;; the current module sees: EVERY SOME ZONK-Y ZONK-N
+ (define (upcase-symbol sym)
+ (string->symbol (string-upcase (symbol->string sym))))
+
+ (use-modules ((ice-9 common-list)
+ :select (every some
+ (remove-if . zonk-y)
+ (remove-if-not . zonk-n))
+ :renamer upcase-symbol))
+
+Note that programmatic renaming is done *after* individual renaming.
+Also, the above examples show `use-modules', but the same facilities are
+available for the `#:use-module' clause of `define-module'.
+
+See manual for more info.
+
+** The semantics of guardians have changed.
+
+The changes are for the most part compatible. An important criterion
+was to keep the typical usage of guardians as simple as before, but to
+make the semantics safer and (as a result) more useful.
+
+*** All objects returned from guardians are now properly alive.
+
+It is now guaranteed that any object referenced by an object returned
+from a guardian is alive. It's now impossible for a guardian to
+return a "contained" object before its "containing" object.
+
+One incompatible (but probably not very important) change resulting
+from this is that it is no longer possible to guard objects that
+indirectly reference themselves (i.e. are parts of cycles). If you do
+so accidentally, you'll get a warning.
+
+*** There are now two types of guardians: greedy and sharing.
+
+If you call (make-guardian #t) or just (make-guardian), you'll get a
+greedy guardian, and for (make-guardian #f) a sharing guardian.
+
+Greedy guardians are the default because they are more "defensive".
+You can only greedily guard an object once. If you guard an object
+more than once, once in a greedy guardian and the rest of times in
+sharing guardians, then it is guaranteed that the object won't be
+returned from sharing guardians as long as it is greedily guarded
+and/or alive.
+
+Guardians returned by calls to `make-guardian' can now take one more
+optional parameter, which says whether to throw an error in case an
+attempt is made to greedily guard an object that is already greedily
+guarded. The default is true, i.e. throw an error. If the parameter
+is false, the guardian invocation returns #t if guarding was
+successful and #f if it wasn't.
+
+Also, since greedy guarding is, in effect, a side-effecting operation
+on objects, a new function is introduced: `destroy-guardian!'.
+Invoking this function on a guardian renders it unoperative and, if
+the guardian is greedy, clears the "greedily guarded" property of the
+objects that were guarded by it, thus undoing the side effect.
+
+Note that all this hair is hardly very important, since guardian
+objects are usually permanent.
+
+** Continuations created by call-with-current-continuation now accept
+any number of arguments, as required by R5RS.
+
+** New function `issue-deprecation-warning'
+
+This function is used to display the deprecation messages that are
+controlled by GUILE_WARN_DEPRECATION as explained in the README.
+
+ (define (id x)
+ (issue-deprecation-warning "`id' is deprecated. Use `identity' instead.")
+ (identity x))
+
+ guile> (id 1)
+ ;; `id' is deprecated. Use `identity' instead.
+ 1
+ guile> (id 1)
+ 1
+
+** New syntax `begin-deprecated'
+
+When deprecated features are included (as determined by the configure
+option --enable-deprecated), `begin-deprecated' is identical to
+`begin'. When deprecated features are excluded, it always evaluates
+to `#f', ignoring the body forms.
+
+** New function `make-object-property'
+
+This function returns a new `procedure with setter' P that can be used
+to attach a property to objects. When calling P as
+
+ (set! (P obj) val)
+
+where `obj' is any kind of object, it attaches `val' to `obj' in such
+a way that it can be retrieved by calling P as
+
+ (P obj)
+
+This function will replace procedure properties, symbol properties and
+source properties eventually.
+
+** Module (ice-9 optargs) now uses keywords instead of `#&'.
+
+Instead of #&optional, #&key, etc you should now use #:optional,
+#:key, etc. Since #:optional is a keyword, you can write it as just
+:optional when (read-set! keywords 'prefix) is active.
+
+The old reader syntax `#&' is still supported, but deprecated. It
+will be removed in the next release.
+
+** New define-module option: pure
+
+Tells the module system not to include any bindings from the root
+module.
+
+Example:
+
+(define-module (totally-empty-module)
+ :pure)
+
+** New define-module option: export NAME1 ...
+
+Export names NAME1 ...
+
+This option is required if you want to be able to export bindings from
+a module which doesn't import one of `define-public' or `export'.
+
+Example:
+
+ (define-module (foo)
+ :pure
+ :use-module (ice-9 r5rs)
+ :export (bar))
+
+ ;;; Note that we're pure R5RS below this point!
+
+ (define (bar)
+ ...)
+
+** New function: object->string OBJ
+
+Return a Scheme string obtained by printing a given object.
+
+** New function: port? X
+
+Returns a boolean indicating whether X is a port. Equivalent to
+`(or (input-port? X) (output-port? X))'.
+
+** New function: file-port?
+
+Determines whether a given object is a port that is related to a file.
+
+** New function: port-for-each proc
+
+Apply PROC to each port in the Guile port table in turn. The return
+value is unspecified. More specifically, PROC is applied exactly once
+to every port that exists in the system at the time PORT-FOR-EACH is
+invoked. Changes to the port table while PORT-FOR-EACH is running
+have no effect as far as PORT-FOR-EACH is concerned.
+
+** New function: dup2 oldfd newfd
+
+A simple wrapper for the `dup2' system call. Copies the file
+descriptor OLDFD to descriptor number NEWFD, replacing the
+previous meaning of NEWFD. Both OLDFD and NEWFD must be integers.
+Unlike for dup->fdes or primitive-move->fdes, no attempt is made
+to move away ports which are using NEWFD. The return value is
+unspecified.
+
+** New function: close-fdes fd
+
+A simple wrapper for the `close' system call. Close file
+descriptor FD, which must be an integer. Unlike close (*note
+close: Ports and File Descriptors.), the file descriptor will be
+closed even if a port is using it. The return value is
+unspecified.
+
+** New function: crypt password salt
+
+Encrypts `password' using the standard unix password encryption
+algorithm.
+
+** New function: chroot path
+
+Change the root directory of the running process to `path'.
+
+** New functions: getlogin, cuserid
+
+Return the login name or the user name of the current effective user
+id, respectively.
+
+** New functions: getpriority which who, setpriority which who prio
+
+Get or set the priority of the running process.
+
+** New function: getpass prompt
+
+Read a password from the terminal, first displaying `prompt' and
+disabling echoing.
+
+** New function: flock file operation
+
+Set/remove an advisory shared or exclusive lock on `file'.
+
+** New functions: sethostname name, gethostname
+
+Set or get the hostname of the machine the current process is running
+on.
+
+** New function: mkstemp! tmpl
+
+mkstemp creates a new unique file in the file system and returns a
+new buffered port open for reading and writing to the file. TMPL
+is a string specifying where the file should be created: it must
+end with `XXXXXX' and will be changed in place to return the name
+of the temporary file.
+
+** New function: open-input-string string
+
+Return an input string port which delivers the characters from
+`string'. This procedure, together with `open-output-string' and
+`get-output-string' implements SRFI-6.
+
+** New function: open-output-string
+
+Return an output string port which collects all data written to it.
+The data can then be retrieved by `get-output-string'.
+
+** New function: get-output-string
+
+Return the contents of an output string port.
+
+** New function: identity
+
+Return the argument.
+
+** socket, connect, accept etc., now have support for IPv6. IPv6 addresses
+ are represented in Scheme as integers with normal host byte ordering.
+
+** New function: inet-pton family address
+
+Convert a printable string network address into an integer. Note that
+unlike the C version of this function, the result is an integer with
+normal host byte ordering. FAMILY can be `AF_INET' or `AF_INET6'.
+e.g.,
+
+ (inet-pton AF_INET "127.0.0.1") => 2130706433
+ (inet-pton AF_INET6 "::1") => 1
+
+** New function: inet-ntop family address
+
+Convert an integer network address into a printable string. Note that
+unlike the C version of this function, the input is an integer with
+normal host byte ordering. FAMILY can be `AF_INET' or `AF_INET6'.
+e.g.,
+
+ (inet-ntop AF_INET 2130706433) => "127.0.0.1"
+ (inet-ntop AF_INET6 (- (expt 2 128) 1)) =>
+ ffff:ffff:ffff:ffff:ffff:ffff:ffff:ffff
+
+** Deprecated: id
+
+Use `identity' instead.
+
+** Deprecated: -1+
+
+Use `1-' instead.
+
+** Deprecated: return-it
+
+Do without it.
+
+** Deprecated: string-character-length
+
+Use `string-length' instead.
+
+** Deprecated: flags
+
+Use `logior' instead.
+
+** Deprecated: close-all-ports-except.
+
+This was intended for closing ports in a child process after a fork,
+but it has the undesirable side effect of flushing buffers.
+port-for-each is more flexible.
+
+** The (ice-9 popen) module now attempts to set up file descriptors in
+the child process from the current Scheme ports, instead of using the
+current values of file descriptors 0, 1, and 2 in the parent process.
+
+** Removed function: builtin-weak-bindings
+
+There is no such concept as a weak binding any more.
+
+** Removed constants: bignum-radix, scm-line-incrementors
+
+** define-method: New syntax mandatory.
+
+The new method syntax is now mandatory:
+
+(define-method (NAME ARG-SPEC ...) BODY ...)
+(define-method (NAME ARG-SPEC ... . REST-ARG) BODY ...)
+
+ ARG-SPEC ::= ARG-NAME | (ARG-NAME TYPE)
+ REST-ARG ::= ARG-NAME
+
+If you have old code using the old syntax, import
+(oop goops old-define-method) before (oop goops) as in:
+
+ (use-modules (oop goops old-define-method) (oop goops))
+
+** Deprecated function: builtin-variable
+ Removed function: builtin-bindings
+
+There is no longer a distinction between builtin or other variables.
+Use module system operations for all variables.
+
+** Lazy-catch handlers are no longer allowed to return.
+
+That is, a call to `throw', `error', etc is now guaranteed to not
+return.
+
+** Bugfixes for (ice-9 getopt-long)
+
+This module is now tested using test-suite/tests/getopt-long.test.
+The following bugs have been fixed:
+
+*** Parsing for options that are specified to have `optional' args now checks
+if the next element is an option instead of unconditionally taking it as the
+option arg.
+
+*** An error is now thrown for `--opt=val' when the option description
+does not specify `(value #t)' or `(value optional)'. This condition used to
+be accepted w/o error, contrary to the documentation.
+
+*** The error message for unrecognized options is now more informative.
+It used to be "not a record", an artifact of the implementation.
+
+*** The error message for `--opt' terminating the arg list (no value), when
+`(value #t)' is specified, is now more informative. It used to be "not enough
+args".
+
+*** "Clumped" single-char args now preserve trailing string, use it as arg.
+The expansion used to be like so:
+
+ ("-abc5d" "--xyz") => ("-a" "-b" "-c" "--xyz")
+
+Note that the "5d" is dropped. Now it is like so:
+
+ ("-abc5d" "--xyz") => ("-a" "-b" "-c" "5d" "--xyz")
+
+This enables single-char options to have adjoining arguments as long as their
+constituent characters are not potential single-char options.
+
+** (ice-9 session) procedure `arity' now works with (ice-9 optargs) `lambda*'
+
+The `lambda*' and derivative forms in (ice-9 optargs) now set a procedure
+property `arglist', which can be retrieved by `arity'. The result is that
+`arity' can give more detailed information than before:
+
+Before:
+
+ guile> (use-modules (ice-9 optargs))
+ guile> (define* (foo #:optional a b c) a)
+ guile> (arity foo)
+ 0 or more arguments in `lambda*:G0'.
+
+After:
+
+ guile> (arity foo)
+ 3 optional arguments: `a', `b' and `c'.
+ guile> (define* (bar a b #:key c d #:allow-other-keys) a)
+ guile> (arity bar)
+ 2 required arguments: `a' and `b', 2 keyword arguments: `c'
+ and `d', other keywords allowed.
+ guile> (define* (baz a b #:optional c #:rest r) a)
+ guile> (arity baz)
+ 2 required arguments: `a' and `b', 1 optional argument: `c',
+ the rest in `r'.
+
+* Changes to the C interface
+
+** Types have been renamed from scm_*_t to scm_t_*.
+
+This has been done for POSIX sake. It reserves identifiers ending
+with "_t". What a concept.
+
+The old names are still available with status `deprecated'.
+
+** scm_t_bits (former scm_bits_t) is now a unsigned type.
+
+** Deprecated features have been removed.
+
+*** Macros removed
+
+ SCM_INPORTP, SCM_OUTPORTP SCM_ICHRP, SCM_ICHR, SCM_MAKICHR
+ SCM_SETJMPBUF SCM_NSTRINGP SCM_NRWSTRINGP SCM_NVECTORP SCM_DOUBLE_CELLP
+
+*** C Functions removed
+
+ scm_sysmissing scm_tag scm_tc16_flo scm_tc_flo
+ scm_fseek - replaced by scm_seek.
+ gc-thunk - replaced by after-gc-hook.
+ gh_int2scmb - replaced by gh_bool2scm.
+ scm_tc_dblr - replaced by scm_tc16_real.
+ scm_tc_dblc - replaced by scm_tc16_complex.
+ scm_list_star - replaced by scm_cons_star.
+
+** Deprecated: scm_makfromstr
+
+Use scm_mem2string instead.
+
+** Deprecated: scm_make_shared_substring
+
+Explicit shared substrings will disappear from Guile.
+
+Instead, "normal" strings will be implemented using sharing
+internally, combined with a copy-on-write strategy.
+
+** Deprecated: scm_read_only_string_p
+
+The concept of read-only strings will disappear in next release of
+Guile.
+
+** Deprecated: scm_sloppy_memq, scm_sloppy_memv, scm_sloppy_member
+
+Instead, use scm_c_memq or scm_memq, scm_memv, scm_member.
+
+** New functions: scm_call_0, scm_call_1, scm_call_2, scm_call_3
+
+Call a procedure with the indicated number of arguments.
+
+Example:
+
+ scm_call_1 (proc, arg1);
+
+** New functions: scm_apply_0, scm_apply_1, scm_apply_2, scm_apply_3
+
+Call a procedure with the indicated number of arguments and a list
+of arguments.
+
+Example:
+
+ scm_apply_1 (proc, arg1, args);
+
+** New functions: scm_list_1, scm_list_2, scm_list_3, scm_list_4, scm_list_5
+
+Create a list of the given number of elements.
+
+** Renamed function: scm_listify has been replaced by scm_list_n.
+
+** Deprecated macros: SCM_LIST0, SCM_LIST1, SCM_LIST2, SCM_LIST3, SCM_LIST4,
+SCM_LIST5, SCM_LIST6, SCM_LIST7, SCM_LIST8, SCM_LIST9.
+
+Use functions scm_list_N instead.
+
+** New function: scm_c_read (SCM port, void *buffer, scm_sizet size)
+
+Used by an application to read arbitrary number of bytes from a port.
+Same semantics as libc read, except that scm_c_read only returns less
+than SIZE bytes if at end-of-file.
+
+Warning: Doesn't update port line and column counts!
+
+** New function: scm_c_write (SCM port, const void *ptr, scm_sizet size)
+
+Used by an application to write arbitrary number of bytes to an SCM
+port. Similar semantics as libc write. However, unlike libc
+write, scm_c_write writes the requested number of bytes and has no
+return value.
+
+Warning: Doesn't update port line and column counts!
+
+** New function: scm_init_guile ()
+
+In contrast to scm_boot_guile, scm_init_guile will return normally
+after initializing Guile. It is not available on all systems, tho.
+
+** New functions: scm_str2symbol, scm_mem2symbol
+
+The function scm_str2symbol takes a const char* pointing to a zero-terminated
+field of characters and creates a scheme symbol object from that C string.
+The function scm_mem2symbol takes a const char* and a number of characters and
+creates a symbol from the characters in that memory area.
+
+** New functions: scm_primitive_make_property
+ scm_primitive_property_ref
+ scm_primitive_property_set_x
+ scm_primitive_property_del_x
+
+These functions implement a new way to deal with object properties.
+See libguile/properties.c for their documentation.
+
+** New function: scm_done_free (long size)
+
+This function is the inverse of scm_done_malloc. Use it to report the
+amount of smob memory you free. The previous method, which involved
+calling scm_done_malloc with negative argument, was somewhat
+unintuitive (and is still available, of course).
+
+** New function: scm_c_memq (SCM obj, SCM list)
+
+This function provides a fast C level alternative for scm_memq for the case
+that the list parameter is known to be a proper list. The function is a
+replacement for scm_sloppy_memq, but is stricter in its requirements on its
+list input parameter, since for anything else but a proper list the function's
+behaviour is undefined - it may even crash or loop endlessly. Further, for
+the case that the object is not found in the list, scm_c_memq returns #f which
+is similar to scm_memq, but different from scm_sloppy_memq's behaviour.
+
+** New functions: scm_remember_upto_here_1, scm_remember_upto_here_2,
+scm_remember_upto_here
+
+These functions replace the function scm_remember.
+
+** Deprecated function: scm_remember
+
+Use one of the new functions scm_remember_upto_here_1,
+scm_remember_upto_here_2 or scm_remember_upto_here instead.
+
+** New function: scm_allocate_string
+
+This function replaces the function scm_makstr.
+
+** Deprecated function: scm_makstr
+
+Use the new function scm_allocate_string instead.
+
+** New global variable scm_gc_running_p introduced.
+
+Use this variable to find out if garbage collection is being executed. Up to
+now applications have used scm_gc_heap_lock to test if garbage collection was
+running, which also works because of the fact that up to know only the garbage
+collector has set this variable. But, this is an implementation detail that
+may change. Further, scm_gc_heap_lock is not set throughout gc, thus the use
+of this variable is (and has been) not fully safe anyway.
+
+** New macros: SCM_BITVECTOR_MAX_LENGTH, SCM_UVECTOR_MAX_LENGTH
+
+Use these instead of SCM_LENGTH_MAX.
+
+** New macros: SCM_CONTINUATION_LENGTH, SCM_CCLO_LENGTH, SCM_STACK_LENGTH,
+SCM_STRING_LENGTH, SCM_SYMBOL_LENGTH, SCM_UVECTOR_LENGTH,
+SCM_BITVECTOR_LENGTH, SCM_VECTOR_LENGTH.
+
+Use these instead of SCM_LENGTH.
+
+** New macros: SCM_SET_CONTINUATION_LENGTH, SCM_SET_STRING_LENGTH,
+SCM_SET_SYMBOL_LENGTH, SCM_SET_VECTOR_LENGTH, SCM_SET_UVECTOR_LENGTH,
+SCM_SET_BITVECTOR_LENGTH
+
+Use these instead of SCM_SETLENGTH
+
+** New macros: SCM_STRING_CHARS, SCM_SYMBOL_CHARS, SCM_CCLO_BASE,
+SCM_VECTOR_BASE, SCM_UVECTOR_BASE, SCM_BITVECTOR_BASE, SCM_COMPLEX_MEM,
+SCM_ARRAY_MEM
+
+Use these instead of SCM_CHARS, SCM_UCHARS, SCM_ROCHARS, SCM_ROUCHARS or
+SCM_VELTS.
+
+** New macros: SCM_SET_BIGNUM_BASE, SCM_SET_STRING_CHARS,
+SCM_SET_SYMBOL_CHARS, SCM_SET_UVECTOR_BASE, SCM_SET_BITVECTOR_BASE,
+SCM_SET_VECTOR_BASE
+
+Use these instead of SCM_SETCHARS.
+
+** New macro: SCM_BITVECTOR_P
+
+** New macro: SCM_STRING_COERCE_0TERMINATION_X
+
+Use instead of SCM_COERCE_SUBSTR.
+
+** New macros: SCM_DIR_OPEN_P, SCM_DIR_FLAG_OPEN
+
+For directory objects, use these instead of SCM_OPDIRP and SCM_OPN.
+
+** Deprecated macros: SCM_OUTOFRANGE, SCM_NALLOC, SCM_HUP_SIGNAL,
+SCM_INT_SIGNAL, SCM_FPE_SIGNAL, SCM_BUS_SIGNAL, SCM_SEGV_SIGNAL,
+SCM_ALRM_SIGNAL, SCM_GC_SIGNAL, SCM_TICK_SIGNAL, SCM_SIG_ORD,
+SCM_ORD_SIG, SCM_NUM_SIGS, SCM_SYMBOL_SLOTS, SCM_SLOTS, SCM_SLOPPY_STRINGP,
+SCM_VALIDATE_STRINGORSUBSTR, SCM_FREEP, SCM_NFREEP, SCM_CHARS, SCM_UCHARS,
+SCM_VALIDATE_ROSTRING, SCM_VALIDATE_ROSTRING_COPY,
+SCM_VALIDATE_NULLORROSTRING_COPY, SCM_ROLENGTH, SCM_LENGTH, SCM_HUGE_LENGTH,
+SCM_SUBSTRP, SCM_SUBSTR_STR, SCM_SUBSTR_OFFSET, SCM_COERCE_SUBSTR,
+SCM_ROSTRINGP, SCM_RWSTRINGP, SCM_VALIDATE_RWSTRING, SCM_ROCHARS,
+SCM_ROUCHARS, SCM_SETLENGTH, SCM_SETCHARS, SCM_LENGTH_MAX, SCM_GC8MARKP,
+SCM_SETGC8MARK, SCM_CLRGC8MARK, SCM_GCTYP16, SCM_GCCDR, SCM_SUBR_DOC,
+SCM_OPDIRP, SCM_VALIDATE_OPDIR, SCM_WTA, RETURN_SCM_WTA, SCM_CONST_LONG,
+SCM_WNA, SCM_FUNC_NAME, SCM_VALIDATE_NUMBER_COPY,
+SCM_VALIDATE_NUMBER_DEF_COPY, SCM_SLOPPY_CONSP, SCM_SLOPPY_NCONSP,
+SCM_SETAND_CDR, SCM_SETOR_CDR, SCM_SETAND_CAR, SCM_SETOR_CAR
+
+Use SCM_ASSERT_RANGE or SCM_VALIDATE_XXX_RANGE instead of SCM_OUTOFRANGE.
+Use scm_memory_error instead of SCM_NALLOC.
+Use SCM_STRINGP instead of SCM_SLOPPY_STRINGP.
+Use SCM_VALIDATE_STRING instead of SCM_VALIDATE_STRINGORSUBSTR.
+Use SCM_FREE_CELL_P instead of SCM_FREEP/SCM_NFREEP
+Use a type specific accessor macro instead of SCM_CHARS/SCM_UCHARS.
+Use a type specific accessor instead of SCM(_|_RO|_HUGE_)LENGTH.
+Use SCM_VALIDATE_(SYMBOL|STRING) instead of SCM_VALIDATE_ROSTRING.
+Use SCM_STRING_COERCE_0TERMINATION_X instead of SCM_COERCE_SUBSTR.
+Use SCM_STRINGP or SCM_SYMBOLP instead of SCM_ROSTRINGP.
+Use SCM_STRINGP instead of SCM_RWSTRINGP.
+Use SCM_VALIDATE_STRING instead of SCM_VALIDATE_RWSTRING.
+Use SCM_STRING_CHARS instead of SCM_ROCHARS.
+Use SCM_STRING_UCHARS instead of SCM_ROUCHARS.
+Use a type specific setter macro instead of SCM_SETLENGTH.
+Use a type specific setter macro instead of SCM_SETCHARS.
+Use a type specific length macro instead of SCM_LENGTH_MAX.
+Use SCM_GCMARKP instead of SCM_GC8MARKP.
+Use SCM_SETGCMARK instead of SCM_SETGC8MARK.
+Use SCM_CLRGCMARK instead of SCM_CLRGC8MARK.
+Use SCM_TYP16 instead of SCM_GCTYP16.
+Use SCM_CDR instead of SCM_GCCDR.
+Use SCM_DIR_OPEN_P instead of SCM_OPDIRP.
+Use SCM_MISC_ERROR or SCM_WRONG_TYPE_ARG instead of SCM_WTA.
+Use SCM_MISC_ERROR or SCM_WRONG_TYPE_ARG instead of RETURN_SCM_WTA.
+Use SCM_VCELL_INIT instead of SCM_CONST_LONG.
+Use SCM_WRONG_NUM_ARGS instead of SCM_WNA.
+Use SCM_CONSP instead of SCM_SLOPPY_CONSP.
+Use !SCM_CONSP instead of SCM_SLOPPY_NCONSP.
+
+** Removed function: scm_struct_init
+
+** Removed variable: scm_symhash_dim
+
+** Renamed function: scm_make_cont has been replaced by
+scm_make_continuation, which has a different interface.
+
+** Deprecated function: scm_call_catching_errors
+
+Use scm_catch or scm_lazy_catch from throw.[ch] instead.
+
+** Deprecated function: scm_strhash
+
+Use scm_string_hash instead.
+
+** Deprecated function: scm_vector_set_length_x
+
+Instead, create a fresh vector of the desired size and copy the contents.
+
+** scm_gensym has changed prototype
+
+scm_gensym now only takes one argument.
+
+** Deprecated type tags: scm_tc7_ssymbol, scm_tc7_msymbol, scm_tcs_symbols,
+scm_tc7_lvector
+
+There is now only a single symbol type scm_tc7_symbol.
+The tag scm_tc7_lvector was not used anyway.
+
+** Deprecated function: scm_make_smob_type_mfpe, scm_set_smob_mfpe.
+
+Use scm_make_smob_type and scm_set_smob_XXX instead.
+
+** New function scm_set_smob_apply.
+
+This can be used to set an apply function to a smob type.
+
+** Deprecated function: scm_strprint_obj
+
+Use scm_object_to_string instead.
+
+** Deprecated function: scm_wta
+
+Use scm_wrong_type_arg, or another appropriate error signalling function
+instead.
+
+** Explicit support for obarrays has been deprecated.
+
+Use `scm_str2symbol' and the generic hashtable functions instead.
+
+** The concept of `vcells' has been deprecated.
+
+The data type `variable' is now used exclusively. `Vcells' have been
+a low-level concept so you are likely not affected by this change.
+
+*** Deprecated functions: scm_sym2vcell, scm_sysintern,
+ scm_sysintern0, scm_symbol_value0, scm_intern, scm_intern0.
+
+Use scm_c_define or scm_c_lookup instead, as appropriate.
+
+*** New functions: scm_c_module_lookup, scm_c_lookup,
+ scm_c_module_define, scm_c_define, scm_module_lookup, scm_lookup,
+ scm_module_define, scm_define.
+
+These functions work with variables instead of with vcells.
+
+** New functions for creating and defining `subr's and `gsubr's.
+
+The new functions more clearly distinguish between creating a subr (or
+gsubr) object and adding it to the current module.
+
+These new functions are available: scm_c_make_subr, scm_c_define_subr,
+scm_c_make_subr_with_generic, scm_c_define_subr_with_generic,
+scm_c_make_gsubr, scm_c_define_gsubr, scm_c_make_gsubr_with_generic,
+scm_c_define_gsubr_with_generic.
+
+** Deprecated functions: scm_make_subr, scm_make_subr_opt,
+ scm_make_subr_with_generic, scm_make_gsubr,
+ scm_make_gsubr_with_generic.
+
+Use the new ones from above instead.
+
+** C interface to the module system has changed.
+
+While we suggest that you avoid as many explicit module system
+operations from C as possible for the time being, the C interface has
+been made more similar to the high-level Scheme module system.
+
+*** New functions: scm_c_define_module, scm_c_use_module,
+ scm_c_export, scm_c_resolve_module.
+
+They mostly work like their Scheme namesakes. scm_c_define_module
+takes a function that is called a context where the new module is
+current.
+
+*** Deprecated functions: scm_the_root_module, scm_make_module,
+ scm_ensure_user_module, scm_load_scheme_module.
+
+Use the new functions instead.
+
+** Renamed function: scm_internal_with_fluids becomes
+ scm_c_with_fluids.
+
+scm_internal_with_fluids is available as a deprecated function.
+
+** New function: scm_c_with_fluid.
+
+Just like scm_c_with_fluids, but takes one fluid and one value instead
+of lists of same.
+
+** Deprecated typedefs: long_long, ulong_long.
+
+They are of questionable utility and they pollute the global
+namespace.
+
+** Deprecated typedef: scm_sizet
+
+It is of questionable utility now that Guile requires ANSI C, and is
+oddly named.
+
+** Deprecated typedefs: scm_port_rw_active, scm_port,
+ scm_ptob_descriptor, scm_debug_info, scm_debug_frame, scm_fport,
+ scm_option, scm_rstate, scm_rng, scm_array, scm_array_dim.
+
+Made more compliant with the naming policy by adding a _t at the end.
+
+** Deprecated functions: scm_mkbig, scm_big2num, scm_adjbig,
+ scm_normbig, scm_copybig, scm_2ulong2big, scm_dbl2big, scm_big2dbl
+
+With the exception of the mysterious scm_2ulong2big, they are still
+available under new names (scm_i_mkbig etc). These functions are not
+intended to be used in user code. You should avoid dealing with
+bignums directly, and should deal with numbers in general (which can
+be bignums).
+
+** Change in behavior: scm_num2long, scm_num2ulong
+
+The scm_num2[u]long functions don't any longer accept an inexact
+argument. This change in behavior is motivated by concordance with
+R5RS: It is more common that a primitive doesn't want to accept an
+inexact for an exact.
+
+** New functions: scm_short2num, scm_ushort2num, scm_int2num,
+ scm_uint2num, scm_size2num, scm_ptrdiff2num, scm_num2short,
+ scm_num2ushort, scm_num2int, scm_num2uint, scm_num2ptrdiff,
+ scm_num2size.
+
+These are conversion functions between the various ANSI C integral
+types and Scheme numbers. NOTE: The scm_num2xxx functions don't
+accept an inexact argument.
+
+** New functions: scm_float2num, scm_double2num,
+ scm_num2float, scm_num2double.
+
+These are conversion functions between the two ANSI C float types and
+Scheme numbers.
+
+** New number validation macros:
+ SCM_NUM2{SIZE,PTRDIFF,SHORT,USHORT,INT,UINT}[_DEF]
+
+See above.
+
+** New functions: scm_gc_protect_object, scm_gc_unprotect_object
+
+These are just nicer-named old scm_protect_object and
+scm_unprotect_object.
+
+** Deprecated functions: scm_protect_object, scm_unprotect_object
+
+** New functions: scm_gc_[un]register_root, scm_gc_[un]register_roots
+
+These functions can be used to register pointers to locations that
+hold SCM values.
+
+** Deprecated function: scm_create_hook.
+
+Its sins are: misleading name, non-modularity and lack of general
+usefulness.
+
+\f
+Changes since Guile 1.3.4:
+
+* Changes to the distribution
+
+** Trees from nightly snapshots and CVS now require you to run autogen.sh.
+
+We've changed the way we handle generated files in the Guile source
+repository. As a result, the procedure for building trees obtained
+from the nightly FTP snapshots or via CVS has changed:
+- You must have appropriate versions of autoconf, automake, and
+ libtool installed on your system. See README for info on how to
+ obtain these programs.
+- Before configuring the tree, you must first run the script
+ `autogen.sh' at the top of the source tree.
+
+The Guile repository used to contain not only source files, written by
+humans, but also some generated files, like configure scripts and
+Makefile.in files. Even though the contents of these files could be
+derived mechanically from other files present, we thought it would
+make the tree easier to build if we checked them into CVS.
+
+However, this approach means that minor differences between
+developer's installed tools and habits affected the whole team.
+So we have removed the generated files from the repository, and
+added the autogen.sh script, which will reconstruct them
+appropriately.
+
+
+** configure now has experimental options to remove support for certain
+features:
+
+--disable-arrays omit array and uniform array support
+--disable-posix omit posix interfaces
+--disable-networking omit networking interfaces
+--disable-regex omit regular expression interfaces
+
+These are likely to become separate modules some day.
+
+** New configure option --enable-debug-freelist
+
+This enables a debugging version of SCM_NEWCELL(), and also registers
+an extra primitive, the setter `gc-set-debug-check-freelist!'.
+
+Configure with the --enable-debug-freelist option to enable
+the gc-set-debug-check-freelist! primitive, and then use:
+
+(gc-set-debug-check-freelist! #t) # turn on checking of the freelist
+(gc-set-debug-check-freelist! #f) # turn off checking
+
+Checking of the freelist forces a traversal of the freelist and
+a garbage collection before each allocation of a cell. This can
+slow down the interpreter dramatically, so the setter should be used to
+turn on this extra processing only when necessary.
+
+** New configure option --enable-debug-malloc
+
+Include code for debugging of calls to scm_must_malloc/realloc/free.
+
+Checks that
+
+1. objects freed by scm_must_free has been mallocated by scm_must_malloc
+2. objects reallocated by scm_must_realloc has been allocated by
+ scm_must_malloc
+3. reallocated objects are reallocated with the same what string
+
+But, most importantly, it records the number of allocated objects of
+each kind. This is useful when searching for memory leaks.
+
+A Guile compiled with this option provides the primitive
+`malloc-stats' which returns an alist with pairs of kind and the
+number of objects of that kind.
+
+** All includes are now referenced relative to the root directory
+
+Since some users have had problems with mixups between Guile and
+system headers, we have decided to always refer to Guile headers via
+their parent directories. This essentially creates a "private name
+space" for Guile headers. This means that the compiler only is given
+-I options for the root build and root source directory.
+
+** Header files kw.h and genio.h have been removed.
+
+** The module (ice-9 getopt-gnu-style) has been removed.
+
+** New module (ice-9 documentation)
+
+Implements the interface to documentation strings associated with
+objects.
+
+** New module (ice-9 time)
+
+Provides a macro `time', which displays execution time of a given form.
+
+** New module (ice-9 history)
+
+Loading this module enables value history in the repl.
+
+* Changes to the stand-alone interpreter
+
+** New command line option --debug
+
+Start Guile with debugging evaluator and backtraces enabled.
+
+This is useful when debugging your .guile init file or scripts.
+
+** New help facility
+
+Usage: (help NAME) gives documentation about objects named NAME (a symbol)
+ (help REGEXP) ditto for objects with names matching REGEXP (a string)
+ (help 'NAME) gives documentation for NAME, even if it is not an object
+ (help ,EXPR) gives documentation for object returned by EXPR
+ (help (my module)) gives module commentary for `(my module)'
+ (help) gives this text
+
+`help' searches among bindings exported from loaded modules, while
+`apropos' searches among bindings visible from the "current" module.
+
+Examples: (help help)
+ (help cons)
+ (help "output-string")
+
+** `help' and `apropos' now prints full module names
+
+** Dynamic linking now uses libltdl from the libtool package.
+
+The old system dependent code for doing dynamic linking has been
+replaced with calls to the libltdl functions which do all the hairy
+details for us.
+
+The major improvement is that you can now directly pass libtool
+library names like "libfoo.la" to `dynamic-link' and `dynamic-link'
+will be able to do the best shared library job you can get, via
+libltdl.
+
+The way dynamic libraries are found has changed and is not really
+portable across platforms, probably. It is therefore recommended to
+use absolute filenames when possible.
+
+If you pass a filename without an extension to `dynamic-link', it will
+try a few appropriate ones. Thus, the most platform ignorant way is
+to specify a name like "libfoo", without any directories and
+extensions.
+
+** Guile COOP threads are now compatible with LinuxThreads
+
+Previously, COOP threading wasn't possible in applications linked with
+Linux POSIX threads due to their use of the stack pointer to find the
+thread context. This has now been fixed with a workaround which uses
+the pthreads to allocate the stack.
+
+** New primitives: `pkgdata-dir', `site-dir', `library-dir'
+
+** Positions of erring expression in scripts
+
+With version 1.3.4, the location of the erring expression in Guile
+scipts is no longer automatically reported. (This should have been
+documented before the 1.3.4 release.)
+
+You can get this information by enabling recording of positions of
+source expressions and running the debugging evaluator. Put this at
+the top of your script (or in your "site" file):
+
+ (read-enable 'positions)
+ (debug-enable 'debug)
+
+** Backtraces in scripts
+
+It is now possible to get backtraces in scripts.
+
+Put
+
+ (debug-enable 'debug 'backtrace)
+
+at the top of the script.
+
+(The first options enables the debugging evaluator.
+ The second enables backtraces.)
+
+** Part of module system symbol lookup now implemented in C
+
+The eval closure of most modules is now implemented in C. Since this
+was one of the bottlenecks for loading speed, Guile now loads code
+substantially faster than before.
+
+** Attempting to get the value of an unbound variable now produces
+an exception with a key of 'unbound-variable instead of 'misc-error.
+
+** The initial default output port is now unbuffered if it's using a
+tty device. Previously in this situation it was line-buffered.
+
+** New hook: after-gc-hook
+
+after-gc-hook takes over the role of gc-thunk. This hook is run at
+the first SCM_TICK after a GC. (Thus, the code is run at the same
+point during evaluation as signal handlers.)
+
+Note that this hook should be used only for diagnostic and debugging
+purposes. It is not certain that it will continue to be well-defined
+when this hook is run in the future.
+
+C programmers: Note the new C level hooks scm_before_gc_c_hook,
+scm_before_sweep_c_hook, scm_after_gc_c_hook.
+
+** Improvements to garbage collector
+
+Guile 1.4 has a new policy for triggering heap allocation and
+determining the sizes of heap segments. It fixes a number of problems
+in the old GC.
+
+1. The new policy can handle two separate pools of cells
+ (2-word/4-word) better. (The old policy would run wild, allocating
+ more and more memory for certain programs.)
+
+2. The old code would sometimes allocate far too much heap so that the
+ Guile process became gigantic. The new code avoids this.
+
+3. The old code would sometimes allocate too little so that few cells
+ were freed at GC so that, in turn, too much time was spent in GC.
+
+4. The old code would often trigger heap allocation several times in a
+ row. (The new scheme predicts how large the segments needs to be
+ in order not to need further allocation.)
+
+All in all, the new GC policy will make larger applications more
+efficient.
+
+The new GC scheme also is prepared for POSIX threading. Threads can
+allocate private pools of cells ("clusters") with just a single
+function call. Allocation of single cells from such a cluster can
+then proceed without any need of inter-thread synchronization.
+
+** New environment variables controlling GC parameters
+
+GUILE_MAX_SEGMENT_SIZE Maximal segment size
+ (default = 2097000)
+
+Allocation of 2-word cell heaps:
+
+GUILE_INIT_SEGMENT_SIZE_1 Size of initial heap segment in bytes
+ (default = 360000)
+
+GUILE_MIN_YIELD_1 Minimum number of freed cells at each
+ GC in percent of total heap size
+ (default = 40)
+
+Allocation of 4-word cell heaps
+(used for real numbers and misc other objects):
+
+GUILE_INIT_SEGMENT_SIZE_2, GUILE_MIN_YIELD_2
+
+(See entry "Way for application to customize GC parameters" under
+ section "Changes to the scm_ interface" below.)
+
+** Guile now implements reals using 4-word cells
+
+This speeds up computation with reals. (They were earlier allocated
+with `malloc'.) There is still some room for optimizations, however.
+
+** Some further steps toward POSIX thread support have been taken
+
+*** Guile's critical sections (SCM_DEFER/ALLOW_INTS)
+don't have much effect any longer, and many of them will be removed in
+next release.
+
+*** Signals
+are only handled at the top of the evaluator loop, immediately after
+I/O, and in scm_equalp.
+
+*** The GC can allocate thread private pools of pairs.
+
+* Changes to Scheme functions and syntax
+
+** close-input-port and close-output-port are now R5RS
+
+These procedures have been turned into primitives and have R5RS behaviour.
+
+** New procedure: simple-format PORT MESSAGE ARG1 ...
+
+(ice-9 boot) makes `format' an alias for `simple-format' until possibly
+extended by the more sophisticated version in (ice-9 format)
+
+(simple-format port message . args)
+Write MESSAGE to DESTINATION, defaulting to `current-output-port'.
+MESSAGE can contain ~A (was %s) and ~S (was %S) escapes. When printed,
+the escapes are replaced with corresponding members of ARGS:
+~A formats using `display' and ~S formats using `write'.
+If DESTINATION is #t, then use the `current-output-port',
+if DESTINATION is #f, then return a string containing the formatted text.
+Does not add a trailing newline."
+
+** string-ref: the second argument is no longer optional.
+
+** string, list->string: no longer accept strings in their arguments,
+only characters, for compatibility with R5RS.
+
+** New procedure: port-closed? PORT
+Returns #t if PORT is closed or #f if it is open.
+
+** Deprecated: list*
+
+The list* functionality is now provided by cons* (SRFI-1 compliant)
+
+** New procedure: cons* ARG1 ARG2 ... ARGn
+
+Like `list', but the last arg provides the tail of the constructed list,
+returning (cons ARG1 (cons ARG2 (cons ... ARGn))).
+
+Requires at least one argument. If given one argument, that argument
+is returned as result.
+
+This function is called `list*' in some other Schemes and in Common LISP.
+
+** Removed deprecated: serial-map, serial-array-copy!, serial-array-map!
+
+** New procedure: object-documentation OBJECT
+
+Returns the documentation string associated with OBJECT. The
+procedure uses a caching mechanism so that subsequent lookups are
+faster.
+
+Exported by (ice-9 documentation).
+
+** module-name now returns full names of modules
+
+Previously, only the last part of the name was returned (`session' for
+`(ice-9 session)'). Ex: `(ice-9 session)'.
+
+* Changes to the gh_ interface
+
+** Deprecated: gh_int2scmb
+
+Use gh_bool2scm instead.
+
+* Changes to the scm_ interface
+
+** Guile primitives now carry docstrings!
+
+Thanks to Greg Badros!
+
+** Guile primitives are defined in a new way: SCM_DEFINE/SCM_DEFINE1/SCM_PROC
+
+Now Guile primitives are defined using the SCM_DEFINE/SCM_DEFINE1/SCM_PROC
+macros and must contain a docstring that is extracted into foo.doc using a new
+guile-doc-snarf script (that uses guile-doc-snarf.awk).
+
+However, a major overhaul of these macros is scheduled for the next release of
+guile.
+
+** Guile primitives use a new technique for validation of arguments
+
+SCM_VALIDATE_* macros are defined to ease the redundancy and improve
+the readability of argument checking.
+
+** All (nearly?) K&R prototypes for functions replaced with ANSI C equivalents.
+
+** New macros: SCM_PACK, SCM_UNPACK
+
+Compose/decompose an SCM value.
+
+The SCM type is now treated as an abstract data type and may be defined as a
+long, a void* or as a struct, depending on the architecture and compile time
+options. This makes it easier to find several types of bugs, for example when
+SCM values are treated as integers without conversion. Values of the SCM type
+should be treated as "atomic" values. These macros are used when
+composing/decomposing an SCM value, either because you want to access
+individual bits, or because you want to treat it as an integer value.
+
+E.g., in order to set bit 7 in an SCM value x, use the expression
+
+ SCM_PACK (SCM_UNPACK (x) | 0x80)
+
+** The name property of hooks is deprecated.
+Thus, the use of SCM_HOOK_NAME and scm_make_hook_with_name is deprecated.
+
+You can emulate this feature by using object properties.
+
+** Deprecated macros: SCM_INPORTP, SCM_OUTPORTP, SCM_CRDY, SCM_ICHRP,
+SCM_ICHR, SCM_MAKICHR, SCM_SETJMPBUF, SCM_NSTRINGP, SCM_NRWSTRINGP,
+SCM_NVECTORP
+
+These macros will be removed in a future release of Guile.
+
+** The following types, functions and macros from numbers.h are deprecated:
+scm_dblproc, SCM_UNEGFIXABLE, SCM_FLOBUFLEN, SCM_INEXP, SCM_CPLXP, SCM_REAL,
+SCM_IMAG, SCM_REALPART, scm_makdbl, SCM_SINGP, SCM_NUM2DBL, SCM_NO_BIGDIG
+
+** Port internals: the rw_random variable in the scm_port structure
+must be set to non-zero in any random access port. In recent Guile
+releases it was only set for bidirectional random-access ports.
+
+** Port internals: the seek ptob procedure is now responsible for
+resetting the buffers if required. The change was made so that in the
+special case of reading the current position (i.e., seek p 0 SEEK_CUR)
+the fport and strport ptobs can avoid resetting the buffers,
+in particular to avoid discarding unread chars. An existing port
+type can be fixed by adding something like the following to the
+beginning of the ptob seek procedure:
+
+ if (pt->rw_active == SCM_PORT_READ)
+ scm_end_input (object);
+ else if (pt->rw_active == SCM_PORT_WRITE)
+ ptob->flush (object);
+
+although to actually avoid resetting the buffers and discard unread
+chars requires further hacking that depends on the characteristics
+of the ptob.
+
+** Deprecated functions: scm_fseek, scm_tag
+
+These functions are no longer used and will be removed in a future version.
+
+** The scm_sysmissing procedure is no longer used in libguile.
+Unless it turns out to be unexpectedly useful to somebody, it will be
+removed in a future version.
+
+** The format of error message strings has changed
+
+The two C procedures: scm_display_error and scm_error, as well as the
+primitive `scm-error', now use scm_simple_format to do their work.
+This means that the message strings of all code must be updated to use
+~A where %s was used before, and ~S where %S was used before.
+
+During the period when there still are a lot of old Guiles out there,
+you might want to support both old and new versions of Guile.
+
+There are basically two methods to achieve this. Both methods use
+autoconf. Put
+
+ AC_CHECK_FUNCS(scm_simple_format)
+
+in your configure.in.
+
+Method 1: Use the string concatenation features of ANSI C's
+ preprocessor.
+
+In C:
+
+#ifdef HAVE_SCM_SIMPLE_FORMAT
+#define FMT_S "~S"
+#else
+#define FMT_S "%S"
+#endif
+
+Then represent each of your error messages using a preprocessor macro:
+
+#define E_SPIDER_ERROR "There's a spider in your " ## FMT_S ## "!!!"
+
+In Scheme:
+
+(define fmt-s (if (defined? 'simple-format) "~S" "%S"))
+(define make-message string-append)
+
+(define e-spider-error (make-message "There's a spider in your " fmt-s "!!!"))
+
+Method 2: Use the oldfmt function found in doc/oldfmt.c.
+
+In C:
+
+scm_misc_error ("picnic", scm_c_oldfmt0 ("There's a spider in your ~S!!!"),
+ ...);
+
+In Scheme:
+
+(scm-error 'misc-error "picnic" (oldfmt "There's a spider in your ~S!!!")
+ ...)
+
+
+** Deprecated: coop_mutex_init, coop_condition_variable_init
+
+Don't use the functions coop_mutex_init and
+coop_condition_variable_init. They will change.
+
+Use scm_mutex_init and scm_cond_init instead.
+
+** New function: int scm_cond_timedwait (scm_cond_t *COND, scm_mutex_t *MUTEX, const struct timespec *ABSTIME)
+ `scm_cond_timedwait' atomically unlocks MUTEX and waits on
+ COND, as `scm_cond_wait' does, but it also bounds the duration
+ of the wait. If COND has not been signaled before time ABSTIME,
+ the mutex MUTEX is re-acquired and `scm_cond_timedwait'
+ returns the error code `ETIMEDOUT'.
+
+ The ABSTIME parameter specifies an absolute time, with the same
+ origin as `time' and `gettimeofday': an ABSTIME of 0 corresponds
+ to 00:00:00 GMT, January 1, 1970.
+
+** New function: scm_cond_broadcast (scm_cond_t *COND)
+ `scm_cond_broadcast' restarts all the threads that are waiting
+ on the condition variable COND. Nothing happens if no threads are
+ waiting on COND.
+
+** New function: scm_key_create (scm_key_t *KEY, void (*destr_function) (void *))
+ `scm_key_create' allocates a new TSD key. The key is stored in
+ the location pointed to by KEY. There is no limit on the number
+ of keys allocated at a given time. The value initially associated
+ with the returned key is `NULL' in all currently executing threads.
+
+ The DESTR_FUNCTION argument, if not `NULL', specifies a destructor
+ function associated with the key. When a thread terminates,
+ DESTR_FUNCTION is called on the value associated with the key in
+ that thread. The DESTR_FUNCTION is not called if a key is deleted
+ with `scm_key_delete' or a value is changed with
+ `scm_setspecific'. The order in which destructor functions are
+ called at thread termination time is unspecified.
+
+ Destructors are not yet implemented.
+
+** New function: scm_setspecific (scm_key_t KEY, const void *POINTER)
+ `scm_setspecific' changes the value associated with KEY in the
+ calling thread, storing the given POINTER instead.
+
+** New function: scm_getspecific (scm_key_t KEY)
+ `scm_getspecific' returns the value currently associated with
+ KEY in the calling thread.
+
+** New function: scm_key_delete (scm_key_t KEY)
+ `scm_key_delete' deallocates a TSD key. It does not check
+ whether non-`NULL' values are associated with that key in the
+ currently executing threads, nor call the destructor function
+ associated with the key.
+
+** New function: scm_c_hook_init (scm_c_hook_t *HOOK, void *HOOK_DATA, scm_c_hook_type_t TYPE)
+
+Initialize a C level hook HOOK with associated HOOK_DATA and type
+TYPE. (See scm_c_hook_run ().)
+
+** New function: scm_c_hook_add (scm_c_hook_t *HOOK, scm_c_hook_function_t FUNC, void *FUNC_DATA, int APPENDP)
+
+Add hook function FUNC with associated FUNC_DATA to HOOK. If APPENDP
+is true, add it last, otherwise first. The same FUNC can be added
+multiple times if FUNC_DATA differ and vice versa.
+
+** New function: scm_c_hook_remove (scm_c_hook_t *HOOK, scm_c_hook_function_t FUNC, void *FUNC_DATA)
+
+Remove hook function FUNC with associated FUNC_DATA from HOOK. A
+function is only removed if both FUNC and FUNC_DATA matches.
+
+** New function: void *scm_c_hook_run (scm_c_hook_t *HOOK, void *DATA)
+
+Run hook HOOK passing DATA to the hook functions.
+
+If TYPE is SCM_C_HOOK_NORMAL, all hook functions are run. The value
+returned is undefined.
+
+If TYPE is SCM_C_HOOK_OR, hook functions are run until a function
+returns a non-NULL value. This value is returned as the result of
+scm_c_hook_run. If all functions return NULL, NULL is returned.
+
+If TYPE is SCM_C_HOOK_AND, hook functions are run until a function
+returns a NULL value, and NULL is returned. If all functions returns
+a non-NULL value, the last value is returned.
+
+** New C level GC hooks
+
+Five new C level hooks has been added to the garbage collector.
+
+ scm_before_gc_c_hook
+ scm_after_gc_c_hook
+
+are run before locking and after unlocking the heap. The system is
+thus in a mode where evaluation can take place. (Except that
+scm_before_gc_c_hook must not allocate new cells.)
+
+ scm_before_mark_c_hook
+ scm_before_sweep_c_hook
+ scm_after_sweep_c_hook
+
+are run when the heap is locked. These are intended for extension of
+the GC in a modular fashion. Examples are the weaks and guardians
+modules.
+
+** Way for application to customize GC parameters
+
+The application can set up other default values for the GC heap
+allocation parameters
+
+ GUILE_INIT_HEAP_SIZE_1, GUILE_MIN_YIELD_1,
+ GUILE_INIT_HEAP_SIZE_2, GUILE_MIN_YIELD_2,
+ GUILE_MAX_SEGMENT_SIZE,
+
+by setting
+
+ scm_default_init_heap_size_1, scm_default_min_yield_1,
+ scm_default_init_heap_size_2, scm_default_min_yield_2,
+ scm_default_max_segment_size
+
+respectively before callong scm_boot_guile.
+
+(See entry "New environment variables ..." in section
+"Changes to the stand-alone interpreter" above.)
+
+** scm_protect_object/scm_unprotect_object now nest
+
+This means that you can call scm_protect_object multiple times on an
+object and count on the object being protected until
+scm_unprotect_object has been call the same number of times.
+
+The functions also have better time complexity.
+
+Still, it is usually possible to structure the application in a way
+that you don't need to use these functions. For example, if you use a
+protected standard Guile list to keep track of live objects rather
+than some custom data type, objects will die a natural death when they
+are no longer needed.
+
+** Deprecated type tags: scm_tc16_flo, scm_tc_flo, scm_tc_dblr, scm_tc_dblc
+
+Guile does not provide the float representation for inexact real numbers any
+more. Now, only doubles are used to represent inexact real numbers. Further,
+the tag names scm_tc_dblr and scm_tc_dblc have been changed to scm_tc16_real
+and scm_tc16_complex, respectively.
+
+** Removed deprecated type scm_smobfuns
+
+** Removed deprecated function scm_newsmob
+
+** Warning: scm_make_smob_type_mfpe might become deprecated in a future release
+
+There is an ongoing discussion among the developers whether to
+deprecate `scm_make_smob_type_mfpe' or not. Please use the current
+standard interface (scm_make_smob_type, scm_set_smob_XXX) in new code
+until this issue has been settled.
+
+** Removed deprecated type tag scm_tc16_kw
+
+** Added type tag scm_tc16_keyword
+
+(This was introduced already in release 1.3.4 but was not documented
+ until now.)
+
+** gdb_print now prints "*** Guile not initialized ***" until Guile initialized
+
+* Changes to system call interfaces:
+
+** The "select" procedure now tests port buffers for the ability to
+provide input or accept output. Previously only the underlying file
+descriptors were checked.
+
+** New variable PIPE_BUF: the maximum number of bytes that can be
+atomically written to a pipe.
+
+** If a facility is not available on the system when Guile is
+compiled, the corresponding primitive procedure will not be defined.
+Previously it would have been defined but would throw a system-error
+exception if called. Exception handlers which catch this case may
+need minor modification: an error will be thrown with key
+'unbound-variable instead of 'system-error. Alternatively it's
+now possible to use `defined?' to check whether the facility is
+available.
+
+** Procedures which depend on the timezone should now give the correct
+result on systems which cache the TZ environment variable, even if TZ
+is changed without calling tzset.
+
+* Changes to the networking interfaces:
+
+** New functions: htons, ntohs, htonl, ntohl: for converting short and
+long integers between network and host format. For now, it's not
+particularly convenient to do this kind of thing, but consider:
+
+(define write-network-long
+ (lambda (value port)
+ (let ((v (make-uniform-vector 1 1 0)))
+ (uniform-vector-set! v 0 (htonl value))
+ (uniform-vector-write v port))))
+
+(define read-network-long
+ (lambda (port)
+ (let ((v (make-uniform-vector 1 1 0)))
+ (uniform-vector-read! v port)
+ (ntohl (uniform-vector-ref v 0)))))
+
+** If inet-aton fails, it now throws an error with key 'misc-error
+instead of 'system-error, since errno is not relevant.
+
+** Certain gethostbyname/gethostbyaddr failures now throw errors with
+specific keys instead of 'system-error. The latter is inappropriate
+since errno will not have been set. The keys are:
+'host-not-found, 'try-again, 'no-recovery and 'no-data.
+
+** sethostent, setnetent, setprotoent, setservent: now take an
+optional argument STAYOPEN, which specifies whether the database
+remains open after a database entry is accessed randomly (e.g., using
+gethostbyname for the hosts database.) The default is #f. Previously
+#t was always used.
+
+\f
+Changes since Guile 1.3.2:
+
+* Changes to the stand-alone interpreter
+
+** Debugger
+
+An initial version of the Guile debugger written by Chris Hanson has
+been added. The debugger is still under development but is included
+in the distribution anyway since it is already quite useful.
+
+Type
+
+ (debug)
+
+after an error to enter the debugger. Type `help' inside the debugger
+for a description of available commands.
+
+If you prefer to have stack frames numbered and printed in
+anti-chronological order and prefer up in the stack to be down on the
+screen as is the case in gdb, you can put
+
+ (debug-enable 'backwards)
+
+in your .guile startup file. (However, this means that Guile can't
+use indentation to indicate stack level.)
+
+The debugger is autoloaded into Guile at the first use.
+
+** Further enhancements to backtraces
+
+There is a new debug option `width' which controls the maximum width
+on the screen of printed stack frames. Fancy printing parameters
+("level" and "length" as in Common LISP) are adaptively adjusted for
+each stack frame to give maximum information while still fitting
+within the bounds. If the stack frame can't be made to fit by
+adjusting parameters, it is simply cut off at the end. This is marked
+with a `$'.
+
+** Some modules are now only loaded when the repl is started
+
+The modules (ice-9 debug), (ice-9 session), (ice-9 threads) and (ice-9
+regex) are now loaded into (guile-user) only if the repl has been
+started. The effect is that the startup time for scripts has been
+reduced to 30% of what it was previously.
+
+Correctly written scripts load the modules they require at the top of
+the file and should not be affected by this change.
+
+** Hooks are now represented as smobs
+
+* Changes to Scheme functions and syntax
+
+** Readline support has changed again.
+
+The old (readline-activator) module is gone. Use (ice-9 readline)
+instead, which now contains all readline functionality. So the code
+to activate readline is now
+
+ (use-modules (ice-9 readline))
+ (activate-readline)
+
+This should work at any time, including from the guile prompt.
+
+To avoid confusion about the terms of Guile's license, please only
+enable readline for your personal use; please don't make it the
+default for others. Here is why we make this rather odd-sounding
+request:
+
+Guile is normally licensed under a weakened form of the GNU General
+Public License, which allows you to link code with Guile without
+placing that code under the GPL. This exception is important to some
+people.
+
+However, since readline is distributed under the GNU General Public
+License, when you link Guile with readline, either statically or
+dynamically, you effectively change Guile's license to the strict GPL.
+Whenever you link any strictly GPL'd code into Guile, uses of Guile
+which are normally permitted become forbidden. This is a rather
+non-obvious consequence of the licensing terms.
+
+So, to make sure things remain clear, please let people choose for
+themselves whether to link GPL'd libraries like readline with Guile.
+
+** regexp-substitute/global has changed slightly, but incompatibly.
+
+If you include a function in the item list, the string of the match
+object it receives is the same string passed to
+regexp-substitute/global, not some suffix of that string.
+Correspondingly, the match's positions are relative to the entire
+string, not the suffix.
+
+If the regexp can match the empty string, the way matches are chosen
+from the string has changed. regexp-substitute/global recognizes the
+same set of matches that list-matches does; see below.
+
+** New function: list-matches REGEXP STRING [FLAGS]
+
+Return a list of match objects, one for every non-overlapping, maximal
+match of REGEXP in STRING. The matches appear in left-to-right order.
+list-matches only reports matches of the empty string if there are no
+other matches which begin on, end at, or include the empty match's
+position.
+
+If present, FLAGS is passed as the FLAGS argument to regexp-exec.
+
+** New function: fold-matches REGEXP STRING INIT PROC [FLAGS]
+
+For each match of REGEXP in STRING, apply PROC to the match object,
+and the last value PROC returned, or INIT for the first call. Return
+the last value returned by PROC. We apply PROC to the matches as they
+appear from left to right.
+
+This function recognizes matches according to the same criteria as
+list-matches.
+
+Thus, you could define list-matches like this:
+
+ (define (list-matches regexp string . flags)
+ (reverse! (apply fold-matches regexp string '() cons flags)))
+
+If present, FLAGS is passed as the FLAGS argument to regexp-exec.
+
+** Hooks
+
+*** New function: hook? OBJ
+
+Return #t if OBJ is a hook, otherwise #f.
+
+*** New function: make-hook-with-name NAME [ARITY]
+
+Return a hook with name NAME and arity ARITY. The default value for
+ARITY is 0. The only effect of NAME is that it will appear when the
+hook object is printed to ease debugging.
+
+*** New function: hook-empty? HOOK
+
+Return #t if HOOK doesn't contain any procedures, otherwise #f.
+
+*** New function: hook->list HOOK
+
+Return a list of the procedures that are called when run-hook is
+applied to HOOK.
+
+** `map' signals an error if its argument lists are not all the same length.
+
+This is the behavior required by R5RS, so this change is really a bug
+fix. But it seems to affect a lot of people's code, so we're
+mentioning it here anyway.
+
+** Print-state handling has been made more transparent
+
+Under certain circumstances, ports are represented as a port with an
+associated print state. Earlier, this pair was represented as a pair
+(see "Some magic has been added to the printer" below). It is now
+indistinguishable (almost; see `get-print-state') from a port on the
+user level.
+
+*** New function: port-with-print-state OUTPUT-PORT PRINT-STATE
+
+Return a new port with the associated print state PRINT-STATE.
+
+*** New function: get-print-state OUTPUT-PORT
+
+Return the print state associated with this port if it exists,
+otherwise return #f.
+
+*** New function: directory-stream? OBJECT
+
+Returns true iff OBJECT is a directory stream --- the sort of object
+returned by `opendir'.
+
+** New function: using-readline?
+
+Return #t if readline is in use in the current repl.
+
+** structs will be removed in 1.4
+
+Structs will be replaced in Guile 1.4. We will merge GOOPS into Guile
+and use GOOPS objects as the fundamental record type.
+
+* Changes to the scm_ interface
+
+** structs will be removed in 1.4
+
+The entire current struct interface (struct.c, struct.h) will be
+replaced in Guile 1.4. We will merge GOOPS into libguile and use
+GOOPS objects as the fundamental record type.
+
+** The internal representation of subr's has changed
+
+Instead of giving a hint to the subr name, the CAR field of the subr
+now contains an index to a subr entry in scm_subr_table.
+
+*** New variable: scm_subr_table
+
+An array of subr entries. A subr entry contains the name, properties
+and documentation associated with the subr. The properties and
+documentation slots are not yet used.
+
+** A new scheme for "forwarding" calls to a builtin to a generic function
+
+It is now possible to extend the functionality of some Guile
+primitives by letting them defer a call to a GOOPS generic function on
+argument mismatch. This means that there is no loss of efficiency in
+normal evaluation.
+
+Example:
+
+ (use-modules (oop goops)) ; Must be GOOPS version 0.2.
+ (define-method + ((x <string>) (y <string>))
+ (string-append x y))
+
++ will still be as efficient as usual in numerical calculations, but
+can also be used for concatenating strings.
+
+Who will be the first one to extend Guile's numerical tower to
+rationals? :) [OK, there a few other things to fix before this can
+be made in a clean way.]
+
+*** New snarf macros for defining primitives: SCM_GPROC, SCM_GPROC1
+
+ New macro: SCM_GPROC (CNAME, SNAME, REQ, OPT, VAR, CFUNC, GENERIC)
+
+ New macro: SCM_GPROC1 (CNAME, SNAME, TYPE, CFUNC, GENERIC)
+
+These do the same job as SCM_PROC and SCM_PROC1, but they also define
+a variable GENERIC which can be used by the dispatch macros below.
+
+[This is experimental code which may change soon.]
+
+*** New macros for forwarding control to a generic on arg type error
+
+ New macro: SCM_WTA_DISPATCH_1 (GENERIC, ARG1, POS, SUBR)
+
+ New macro: SCM_WTA_DISPATCH_2 (GENERIC, ARG1, ARG2, POS, SUBR)
+
+These correspond to the scm_wta function call, and have the same
+behaviour until the user has called the GOOPS primitive
+`enable-primitive-generic!'. After that, these macros will apply the
+generic function GENERIC to the argument(s) instead of calling
+scm_wta.
+
+[This is experimental code which may change soon.]
+
+*** New macros for argument testing with generic dispatch
+
+ New macro: SCM_GASSERT1 (COND, GENERIC, ARG1, POS, SUBR)
+
+ New macro: SCM_GASSERT2 (COND, GENERIC, ARG1, ARG2, POS, SUBR)
+
+These correspond to the SCM_ASSERT macro, but will defer control to
+GENERIC on error after `enable-primitive-generic!' has been called.
+
+[This is experimental code which may change soon.]
+
+** New function: SCM scm_eval_body (SCM body, SCM env)
+
+Evaluates the body of a special form.
+
+** The internal representation of struct's has changed
+
+Previously, four slots were allocated for the procedure(s) of entities
+and operators. The motivation for this representation had to do with
+the structure of the evaluator, the wish to support tail-recursive
+generic functions, and efficiency. Since the generic function
+dispatch mechanism has changed, there is no longer a need for such an
+expensive representation, and the representation has been simplified.
+
+This should not make any difference for most users.
+
+** GOOPS support has been cleaned up.
+
+Some code has been moved from eval.c to objects.c and code in both of
+these compilation units has been cleaned up and better structured.
+
+*** New functions for applying generic functions
+
+ New function: SCM scm_apply_generic (GENERIC, ARGS)
+ New function: SCM scm_call_generic_0 (GENERIC)
+ New function: SCM scm_call_generic_1 (GENERIC, ARG1)
+ New function: SCM scm_call_generic_2 (GENERIC, ARG1, ARG2)
+ New function: SCM scm_call_generic_3 (GENERIC, ARG1, ARG2, ARG3)
+
+** Deprecated function: scm_make_named_hook
+
+It is now replaced by:
+
+** New function: SCM scm_create_hook (const char *name, int arity)
+
+Creates a hook in the same way as make-hook above but also
+binds a variable named NAME to it.
+
+This is the typical way of creating a hook from C code.
+
+Currently, the variable is created in the "current" module.
+This might change when we get the new module system.
+
+[The behaviour is identical to scm_make_named_hook.]
+
+
\f
Changes since Guile 1.3:
-* Changes to the stand-alone interpreter
+* Changes to mailing lists
+
+** Some of the Guile mailing lists have moved to sourceware.cygnus.com.
+
+See the README file to find current addresses for all the Guile
+mailing lists.
+
+* Changes to the distribution
+
+** Readline support is no longer included with Guile by default.
+
+Based on the different license terms of Guile and Readline, we
+concluded that Guile should not *by default* cause the linking of
+Readline into an application program. Readline support is now offered
+as a separate module, which is linked into an application only when
+you explicitly specify it.
+
+Although Guile is GNU software, its distribution terms add a special
+exception to the usual GNU General Public License (GPL). Guile's
+license includes a clause that allows you to link Guile with non-free
+programs. We add this exception so as not to put Guile at a
+disadvantage vis-a-vis other extensibility packages that support other
+languages.
-** New options interface: readline-options,
-readline-enable, readline-disable, readline-set!
+In contrast, the GNU Readline library is distributed under the GNU
+General Public License pure and simple. This means that you may not
+link Readline, even dynamically, into an application unless it is
+distributed under a free software license that is compatible the GPL.
-** Command line history is now restored from and saved to file
+Because of this difference in distribution terms, an application that
+can use Guile may not be able to use Readline. Now users will be
+explicitly offered two independent decisions about the use of these
+two packages.
-If readline is used and the readline option `history-file' is enabled,
-the command line history is read from file when the interpreter is
-entered, and written to file on exit. The filename used can be
-specified with the environment variable GUILE_HISTORY. Default file
-name is "$HOME/.guile_history". Nothing special happens if errors
-occur during read or write.
+You can activate the readline support by issuing
-** Command line history length can now be customized.
-Command line history length is now controlled by the readline option
-`history-length'. Default is 200 lines.
+ (use-modules (readline-activator))
+ (activate-readline)
+
+from your ".guile" file, for example.
+
+* Changes to the stand-alone interpreter
** All builtins now print as primitives.
Previously builtin procedures not belonging to the fundamental subr
* Changes to Scheme functions and syntax
+** Guile now correctly handles internal defines by rewriting them into
+their equivalent letrec. Previously, internal defines would
+incrementally add to the innermost environment, without checking
+whether the restrictions specified in RnRS were met. This lead to the
+correct behaviour when these restriction actually were met, but didn't
+catch all illegal uses. Such an illegal use could lead to crashes of
+the Guile interpreter or or other unwanted results. An example of
+incorrect internal defines that made Guile behave erratically:
+
+ (let ()
+ (define a 1)
+ (define (b) a)
+ (define c (1+ (b)))
+ (define d 3)
+
+ (b))
+
+ => 2
+
+The problem with this example is that the definition of `c' uses the
+value of `b' directly. This confuses the meoization machine of Guile
+so that the second call of `b' (this time in a larger environment that
+also contains bindings for `c' and `d') refers to the binding of `c'
+instead of `a'. You could also make Guile crash with a variation on
+this theme:
+
+ (define (foo flag)
+ (define a 1)
+ (define (b flag) (if flag a 1))
+ (define c (1+ (b flag)))
+ (define d 3)
+
+ (b #t))
+
+ (foo #f)
+ (foo #t)
+
+From now on, Guile will issue an `Unbound variable: b' error message
+for both examples.
+
+** Hooks
+
+A hook contains a list of functions which should be called on
+particular occasions in an existing program. Hooks are used for
+customization.
+
+A window manager might have a hook before-window-map-hook. The window
+manager uses the function run-hooks to call all functions stored in
+before-window-map-hook each time a window is mapped. The user can
+store functions in the hook using add-hook!.
+
+In Guile, hooks are first class objects.
+
+*** New function: make-hook [N_ARGS]
+
+Return a hook for hook functions which can take N_ARGS arguments.
+The default value for N_ARGS is 0.
+
+(See also scm_make_named_hook below.)
+
+*** New function: add-hook! HOOK PROC [APPEND_P]
+
+Put PROC at the beginning of the list of functions stored in HOOK.
+If APPEND_P is supplied, and non-false, put PROC at the end instead.
+
+PROC must be able to take the number of arguments specified when the
+hook was created.
+
+If PROC already exists in HOOK, then remove it first.
+
+*** New function: remove-hook! HOOK PROC
+
+Remove PROC from the list of functions in HOOK.
+
+*** New function: reset-hook! HOOK
+
+Clear the list of hook functions stored in HOOK.
+
+*** New function: run-hook HOOK ARG1 ...
+
+Run all hook functions stored in HOOK with arguments ARG1 ... .
+The number of arguments supplied must correspond to the number given
+when the hook was created.
+
+** The function `dynamic-link' now takes optional keyword arguments.
+ The only keyword argument that is currently defined is `:global
+ BOOL'. With it, you can control whether the shared library will be
+ linked in global mode or not. In global mode, the symbols from the
+ linked library can be used to resolve references from other
+ dynamically linked libraries. In non-global mode, the linked
+ library is essentially invisible and can only be accessed via
+ `dynamic-func', etc. The default is now to link in global mode.
+ Previously, the default has been non-global mode.
+
+ The `#:global' keyword is only effective on platforms that support
+ the dlopen family of functions.
+
+** New function `provided?'
+
+ - Function: provided? FEATURE
+ Return true iff FEATURE is supported by this installation of
+ Guile. FEATURE must be a symbol naming a feature; the global
+ variable `*features*' is a list of available features.
+
+** Changes to the module (ice-9 expect):
+
+*** The expect-strings macro now matches `$' in a regular expression
+ only at a line-break or end-of-file by default. Previously it would
+ match the end of the string accumulated so far. The old behaviour
+ can be obtained by setting the variable `expect-strings-exec-flags'
+ to 0.
+
+*** The expect-strings macro now uses a variable `expect-strings-exec-flags'
+ for the regexp-exec flags. If `regexp/noteol' is included, then `$'
+ in a regular expression will still match before a line-break or
+ end-of-file. The default is `regexp/noteol'.
+
+*** The expect-strings macro now uses a variable
+ `expect-strings-compile-flags' for the flags to be supplied to
+ `make-regexp'. The default is `regexp/newline', which was previously
+ hard-coded.
+
+*** The expect macro now supplies two arguments to a match procedure:
+ the current accumulated string and a flag to indicate whether
+ end-of-file has been reached. Previously only the string was supplied.
+ If end-of-file is reached, the match procedure will be called an
+ additional time with the same accumulated string as the previous call
+ but with the flag set.
+
+** New module (ice-9 format), implementing the Common Lisp `format' function.
+
+This code, and the documentation for it that appears here, was
+borrowed from SLIB, with minor adaptations for Guile.
+
+ - Function: format DESTINATION FORMAT-STRING . ARGUMENTS
+ An almost complete implementation of Common LISP format description
+ according to the CL reference book `Common LISP' from Guy L.
+ Steele, Digital Press. Backward compatible to most of the
+ available Scheme format implementations.
+
+ Returns `#t', `#f' or a string; has side effect of printing
+ according to FORMAT-STRING. If DESTINATION is `#t', the output is
+ to the current output port and `#t' is returned. If DESTINATION
+ is `#f', a formatted string is returned as the result of the call.
+ NEW: If DESTINATION is a string, DESTINATION is regarded as the
+ format string; FORMAT-STRING is then the first argument and the
+ output is returned as a string. If DESTINATION is a number, the
+ output is to the current error port if available by the
+ implementation. Otherwise DESTINATION must be an output port and
+ `#t' is returned.
+
+ FORMAT-STRING must be a string. In case of a formatting error
+ format returns `#f' and prints a message on the current output or
+ error port. Characters are output as if the string were output by
+ the `display' function with the exception of those prefixed by a
+ tilde (~). For a detailed description of the FORMAT-STRING syntax
+ please consult a Common LISP format reference manual. For a test
+ suite to verify this format implementation load `formatst.scm'.
+ Please send bug reports to `lutzeb@cs.tu-berlin.de'.
+
+ Note: `format' is not reentrant, i.e. only one `format'-call may
+ be executed at a time.
+
+
+*** Format Specification (Format version 3.0)
+
+ Please consult a Common LISP format reference manual for a detailed
+description of the format string syntax. For a demonstration of the
+implemented directives see `formatst.scm'.
+
+ This implementation supports directive parameters and modifiers (`:'
+and `@' characters). Multiple parameters must be separated by a comma
+(`,'). Parameters can be numerical parameters (positive or negative),
+character parameters (prefixed by a quote character (`''), variable
+parameters (`v'), number of rest arguments parameter (`#'), empty and
+default parameters. Directive characters are case independent. The
+general form of a directive is:
+
+DIRECTIVE ::= ~{DIRECTIVE-PARAMETER,}[:][@]DIRECTIVE-CHARACTER
+
+DIRECTIVE-PARAMETER ::= [ [-|+]{0-9}+ | 'CHARACTER | v | # ]
+
+*** Implemented CL Format Control Directives
+
+ Documentation syntax: Uppercase characters represent the
+corresponding control directive characters. Lowercase characters
+represent control directive parameter descriptions.
+
+`~A'
+ Any (print as `display' does).
+ `~@A'
+ left pad.
+
+ `~MINCOL,COLINC,MINPAD,PADCHARA'
+ full padding.
+
+`~S'
+ S-expression (print as `write' does).
+ `~@S'
+ left pad.
+
+ `~MINCOL,COLINC,MINPAD,PADCHARS'
+ full padding.
+
+`~D'
+ Decimal.
+ `~@D'
+ print number sign always.
+
+ `~:D'
+ print comma separated.
+
+ `~MINCOL,PADCHAR,COMMACHARD'
+ padding.
+
+`~X'
+ Hexadecimal.
+ `~@X'
+ print number sign always.
+
+ `~:X'
+ print comma separated.
+
+ `~MINCOL,PADCHAR,COMMACHARX'
+ padding.
+
+`~O'
+ Octal.
+ `~@O'
+ print number sign always.
+
+ `~:O'
+ print comma separated.
+
+ `~MINCOL,PADCHAR,COMMACHARO'
+ padding.
+
+`~B'
+ Binary.
+ `~@B'
+ print number sign always.
+
+ `~:B'
+ print comma separated.
+
+ `~MINCOL,PADCHAR,COMMACHARB'
+ padding.
+
+`~NR'
+ Radix N.
+ `~N,MINCOL,PADCHAR,COMMACHARR'
+ padding.
+
+`~@R'
+ print a number as a Roman numeral.
+
+`~:@R'
+ print a number as an "old fashioned" Roman numeral.
+
+`~:R'
+ print a number as an ordinal English number.
+
+`~:@R'
+ print a number as a cardinal English number.
+
+`~P'
+ Plural.
+ `~@P'
+ prints `y' and `ies'.
+
+ `~:P'
+ as `~P but jumps 1 argument backward.'
+
+ `~:@P'
+ as `~@P but jumps 1 argument backward.'
+
+`~C'
+ Character.
+ `~@C'
+ prints a character as the reader can understand it (i.e. `#\'
+ prefixing).
+
+ `~:C'
+ prints a character as emacs does (eg. `^C' for ASCII 03).
+
+`~F'
+ Fixed-format floating-point (prints a flonum like MMM.NNN).
+ `~WIDTH,DIGITS,SCALE,OVERFLOWCHAR,PADCHARF'
+ `~@F'
+ If the number is positive a plus sign is printed.
+
+`~E'
+ Exponential floating-point (prints a flonum like MMM.NNN`E'EE).
+ `~WIDTH,DIGITS,EXPONENTDIGITS,SCALE,OVERFLOWCHAR,PADCHAR,EXPONENTCHARE'
+ `~@E'
+ If the number is positive a plus sign is printed.
+
+`~G'
+ General floating-point (prints a flonum either fixed or
+ exponential).
+ `~WIDTH,DIGITS,EXPONENTDIGITS,SCALE,OVERFLOWCHAR,PADCHAR,EXPONENTCHARG'
+ `~@G'
+ If the number is positive a plus sign is printed.
+
+`~$'
+ Dollars floating-point (prints a flonum in fixed with signs
+ separated).
+ `~DIGITS,SCALE,WIDTH,PADCHAR$'
+ `~@$'
+ If the number is positive a plus sign is printed.
+
+ `~:@$'
+ A sign is always printed and appears before the padding.
+
+ `~:$'
+ The sign appears before the padding.
+
+`~%'
+ Newline.
+ `~N%'
+ print N newlines.
+
+`~&'
+ print newline if not at the beginning of the output line.
+ `~N&'
+ prints `~&' and then N-1 newlines.
+
+`~|'
+ Page Separator.
+ `~N|'
+ print N page separators.
+
+`~~'
+ Tilde.
+ `~N~'
+ print N tildes.
+
+`~'<newline>
+ Continuation Line.
+ `~:'<newline>
+ newline is ignored, white space left.
+
+ `~@'<newline>
+ newline is left, white space ignored.
+
+`~T'
+ Tabulation.
+ `~@T'
+ relative tabulation.
+
+ `~COLNUM,COLINCT'
+ full tabulation.
+
+`~?'
+ Indirection (expects indirect arguments as a list).
+ `~@?'
+ extracts indirect arguments from format arguments.
+
+`~(STR~)'
+ Case conversion (converts by `string-downcase').
+ `~:(STR~)'
+ converts by `string-capitalize'.
+
+ `~@(STR~)'
+ converts by `string-capitalize-first'.
+
+ `~:@(STR~)'
+ converts by `string-upcase'.
+
+`~*'
+ Argument Jumping (jumps 1 argument forward).
+ `~N*'
+ jumps N arguments forward.
+
+ `~:*'
+ jumps 1 argument backward.
+
+ `~N:*'
+ jumps N arguments backward.
+
+ `~@*'
+ jumps to the 0th argument.
+
+ `~N@*'
+ jumps to the Nth argument (beginning from 0)
+
+`~[STR0~;STR1~;...~;STRN~]'
+ Conditional Expression (numerical clause conditional).
+ `~N['
+ take argument from N.
+
+ `~@['
+ true test conditional.
+
+ `~:['
+ if-else-then conditional.
+
+ `~;'
+ clause separator.
+
+ `~:;'
+ default clause follows.
+
+`~{STR~}'
+ Iteration (args come from the next argument (a list)).
+ `~N{'
+ at most N iterations.
+
+ `~:{'
+ args from next arg (a list of lists).
+
+ `~@{'
+ args from the rest of arguments.
+
+ `~:@{'
+ args from the rest args (lists).
+
+`~^'
+ Up and out.
+ `~N^'
+ aborts if N = 0
+
+ `~N,M^'
+ aborts if N = M
+
+ `~N,M,K^'
+ aborts if N <= M <= K
+
+*** Not Implemented CL Format Control Directives
+
+`~:A'
+ print `#f' as an empty list (see below).
+
+`~:S'
+ print `#f' as an empty list (see below).
+
+`~<~>'
+ Justification.
+
+`~:^'
+ (sorry I don't understand its semantics completely)
+
+*** Extended, Replaced and Additional Control Directives
+
+`~MINCOL,PADCHAR,COMMACHAR,COMMAWIDTHD'
+`~MINCOL,PADCHAR,COMMACHAR,COMMAWIDTHX'
+`~MINCOL,PADCHAR,COMMACHAR,COMMAWIDTHO'
+`~MINCOL,PADCHAR,COMMACHAR,COMMAWIDTHB'
+`~N,MINCOL,PADCHAR,COMMACHAR,COMMAWIDTHR'
+ COMMAWIDTH is the number of characters between two comma
+ characters.
+
+`~I'
+ print a R4RS complex number as `~F~@Fi' with passed parameters for
+ `~F'.
+
+`~Y'
+ Pretty print formatting of an argument for scheme code lists.
+
+`~K'
+ Same as `~?.'
+
+`~!'
+ Flushes the output if format DESTINATION is a port.
+
+`~_'
+ Print a `#\space' character
+ `~N_'
+ print N `#\space' characters.
+
+`~/'
+ Print a `#\tab' character
+ `~N/'
+ print N `#\tab' characters.
+
+`~NC'
+ Takes N as an integer representation for a character. No arguments
+ are consumed. N is converted to a character by `integer->char'. N
+ must be a positive decimal number.
+
+`~:S'
+ Print out readproof. Prints out internal objects represented as
+ `#<...>' as strings `"#<...>"' so that the format output can always
+ be processed by `read'.
+
+`~:A'
+ Print out readproof. Prints out internal objects represented as
+ `#<...>' as strings `"#<...>"' so that the format output can always
+ be processed by `read'.
+
+`~Q'
+ Prints information and a copyright notice on the format
+ implementation.
+ `~:Q'
+ prints format version.
+
+`~F, ~E, ~G, ~$'
+ may also print number strings, i.e. passing a number as a string
+ and format it accordingly.
+
+*** Configuration Variables
+
+ The format module exports some configuration variables to suit the
+systems and users needs. There should be no modification necessary for
+the configuration that comes with Guile. Format detects automatically
+if the running scheme system implements floating point numbers and
+complex numbers.
+
+format:symbol-case-conv
+ Symbols are converted by `symbol->string' so the case type of the
+ printed symbols is implementation dependent.
+ `format:symbol-case-conv' is a one arg closure which is either
+ `#f' (no conversion), `string-upcase', `string-downcase' or
+ `string-capitalize'. (default `#f')
+
+format:iobj-case-conv
+ As FORMAT:SYMBOL-CASE-CONV but applies for the representation of
+ implementation internal objects. (default `#f')
+
+format:expch
+ The character prefixing the exponent value in `~E' printing.
+ (default `#\E')
+
+*** Compatibility With Other Format Implementations
+
+SLIB format 2.x:
+ See `format.doc'.
+
+SLIB format 1.4:
+ Downward compatible except for padding support and `~A', `~S',
+ `~P', `~X' uppercase printing. SLIB format 1.4 uses C-style
+ `printf' padding support which is completely replaced by the CL
+ `format' padding style.
+
+MIT C-Scheme 7.1:
+ Downward compatible except for `~', which is not documented
+ (ignores all characters inside the format string up to a newline
+ character). (7.1 implements `~a', `~s', ~NEWLINE, `~~', `~%',
+ numerical and variable parameters and `:/@' modifiers in the CL
+ sense).
+
+Elk 1.5/2.0:
+ Downward compatible except for `~A' and `~S' which print in
+ uppercase. (Elk implements `~a', `~s', `~~', and `~%' (no
+ directive parameters or modifiers)).
+
+Scheme->C 01nov91:
+ Downward compatible except for an optional destination parameter:
+ S2C accepts a format call without a destination which returns a
+ formatted string. This is equivalent to a #f destination in S2C.
+ (S2C implements `~a', `~s', `~c', `~%', and `~~' (no directive
+ parameters or modifiers)).
+
+
+** Changes to string-handling functions.
+
+These functions were added to support the (ice-9 format) module, above.
+
+*** New function: string-upcase STRING
+*** New function: string-downcase STRING
+
+These are non-destructive versions of the existing string-upcase! and
+string-downcase! functions.
+
+*** New function: string-capitalize! STRING
+*** New function: string-capitalize STRING
+
+These functions convert the first letter of each word in the string to
+upper case. Thus:
+
+ (string-capitalize "howdy there")
+ => "Howdy There"
+
+As with the other functions, string-capitalize! modifies the string in
+place, while string-capitalize returns a modified copy of its argument.
+
+*** New function: string-ci->symbol STRING
+
+Return a symbol whose name is STRING, but having the same case as if
+the symbol had be read by `read'.
+
+Guile can be configured to be sensitive or insensitive to case
+differences in Scheme identifiers. If Guile is case-insensitive, all
+symbols are converted to lower case on input. The `string-ci->symbol'
+function returns a symbol whose name in STRING, transformed as Guile
+would if STRING were input.
+
+*** New function: substring-move! STRING1 START END STRING2 START
+
+Copy the substring of STRING1 from START (inclusive) to END
+(exclusive) to STRING2 at START. STRING1 and STRING2 may be the same
+string, and the source and destination areas may overlap; in all
+cases, the function behaves as if all the characters were copied
+simultanously.
+
+*** Extended functions: substring-move-left! substring-move-right!
+
+These functions now correctly copy arbitrarily overlapping substrings;
+they are both synonyms for substring-move!.
+
+
+** New module (ice-9 getopt-long), with the function `getopt-long'.
+
+getopt-long is a function for parsing command-line arguments in a
+manner consistent with other GNU programs.
+
+(getopt-long ARGS GRAMMAR)
+Parse the arguments ARGS according to the argument list grammar GRAMMAR.
+
+ARGS should be a list of strings. Its first element should be the
+name of the program; subsequent elements should be the arguments
+that were passed to the program on the command line. The
+`program-arguments' procedure returns a list of this form.
+
+GRAMMAR is a list of the form:
+((OPTION (PROPERTY VALUE) ...) ...)
+
+Each OPTION should be a symbol. `getopt-long' will accept a
+command-line option named `--OPTION'.
+Each option can have the following (PROPERTY VALUE) pairs:
+
+ (single-char CHAR) --- Accept `-CHAR' as a single-character
+ equivalent to `--OPTION'. This is how to specify traditional
+ Unix-style flags.
+ (required? BOOL) --- If BOOL is true, the option is required.
+ getopt-long will raise an error if it is not found in ARGS.
+ (value BOOL) --- If BOOL is #t, the option accepts a value; if
+ it is #f, it does not; and if it is the symbol
+ `optional', the option may appear in ARGS with or
+ without a value.
+ (predicate FUNC) --- If the option accepts a value (i.e. you
+ specified `(value #t)' for this option), then getopt
+ will apply FUNC to the value, and throw an exception
+ if it returns #f. FUNC should be a procedure which
+ accepts a string and returns a boolean value; you may
+ need to use quasiquotes to get it into GRAMMAR.
+
+The (PROPERTY VALUE) pairs may occur in any order, but each
+property may occur only once. By default, options do not have
+single-character equivalents, are not required, and do not take
+values.
+
+In ARGS, single-character options may be combined, in the usual
+Unix fashion: ("-x" "-y") is equivalent to ("-xy"). If an option
+accepts values, then it must be the last option in the
+combination; the value is the next argument. So, for example, using
+the following grammar:
+ ((apples (single-char #\a))
+ (blimps (single-char #\b) (value #t))
+ (catalexis (single-char #\c) (value #t)))
+the following argument lists would be acceptable:
+ ("-a" "-b" "bang" "-c" "couth") ("bang" and "couth" are the values
+ for "blimps" and "catalexis")
+ ("-ab" "bang" "-c" "couth") (same)
+ ("-ac" "couth" "-b" "bang") (same)
+ ("-abc" "couth" "bang") (an error, since `-b' is not the
+ last option in its combination)
+
+If an option's value is optional, then `getopt-long' decides
+whether it has a value by looking at what follows it in ARGS. If
+the next element is a string, and it does not appear to be an
+option itself, then that string is the option's value.
+
+The value of a long option can appear as the next element in ARGS,
+or it can follow the option name, separated by an `=' character.
+Thus, using the same grammar as above, the following argument lists
+are equivalent:
+ ("--apples" "Braeburn" "--blimps" "Goodyear")
+ ("--apples=Braeburn" "--blimps" "Goodyear")
+ ("--blimps" "Goodyear" "--apples=Braeburn")
+
+If the option "--" appears in ARGS, argument parsing stops there;
+subsequent arguments are returned as ordinary arguments, even if
+they resemble options. So, in the argument list:
+ ("--apples" "Granny Smith" "--" "--blimp" "Goodyear")
+`getopt-long' will recognize the `apples' option as having the
+value "Granny Smith", but it will not recognize the `blimp'
+option; it will return the strings "--blimp" and "Goodyear" as
+ordinary argument strings.
+
+The `getopt-long' function returns the parsed argument list as an
+assocation list, mapping option names --- the symbols from GRAMMAR
+--- onto their values, or #t if the option does not accept a value.
+Unused options do not appear in the alist.
+
+All arguments that are not the value of any option are returned
+as a list, associated with the empty list.
+
+`getopt-long' throws an exception if:
+- it finds an unrecognized option in ARGS
+- a required option is omitted
+- an option that requires an argument doesn't get one
+- an option that doesn't accept an argument does get one (this can
+ only happen using the long option `--opt=value' syntax)
+- an option predicate fails
+
+So, for example:
+
+(define grammar
+ `((lockfile-dir (required? #t)
+ (value #t)
+ (single-char #\k)
+ (predicate ,file-is-directory?))
+ (verbose (required? #f)
+ (single-char #\v)
+ (value #f))
+ (x-includes (single-char #\x))
+ (rnet-server (single-char #\y)
+ (predicate ,string?))))
+
+(getopt-long '("my-prog" "-vk" "/tmp" "foo1" "--x-includes=/usr/include"
+ "--rnet-server=lamprod" "--" "-fred" "foo2" "foo3")
+ grammar)
+=> ((() "foo1" "-fred" "foo2" "foo3")
+ (rnet-server . "lamprod")
+ (x-includes . "/usr/include")
+ (lockfile-dir . "/tmp")
+ (verbose . #t))
+
+** The (ice-9 getopt-gnu-style) module is obsolete; use (ice-9 getopt-long).
+
+It will be removed in a few releases.
+
+** New syntax: lambda*
+** New syntax: define*
+** New syntax: define*-public
+** New syntax: defmacro*
+** New syntax: defmacro*-public
+Guile now supports optional arguments.
+
+`lambda*', `define*', `define*-public', `defmacro*' and
+`defmacro*-public' are identical to the non-* versions except that
+they use an extended type of parameter list that has the following BNF
+syntax (parentheses are literal, square brackets indicate grouping,
+and `*', `+' and `?' have the usual meaning):
+
+ ext-param-list ::= ( [identifier]* [#&optional [ext-var-decl]+]?
+ [#&key [ext-var-decl]+ [#&allow-other-keys]?]?
+ [[#&rest identifier]|[. identifier]]? ) | [identifier]
+
+ ext-var-decl ::= identifier | ( identifier expression )
+
+The semantics are best illustrated with the following documentation
+and examples for `lambda*':
+
+ lambda* args . body
+ lambda extended for optional and keyword arguments
+
+ lambda* creates a procedure that takes optional arguments. These
+ are specified by putting them inside brackets at the end of the
+ paramater list, but before any dotted rest argument. For example,
+ (lambda* (a b #&optional c d . e) '())
+ creates a procedure with fixed arguments a and b, optional arguments c
+ and d, and rest argument e. If the optional arguments are omitted
+ in a call, the variables for them are unbound in the procedure. This
+ can be checked with the bound? macro.
+
+ lambda* can also take keyword arguments. For example, a procedure
+ defined like this:
+ (lambda* (#&key xyzzy larch) '())
+ can be called with any of the argument lists (#:xyzzy 11)
+ (#:larch 13) (#:larch 42 #:xyzzy 19) (). Whichever arguments
+ are given as keywords are bound to values.
+
+ Optional and keyword arguments can also be given default values
+ which they take on when they are not present in a call, by giving a
+ two-item list in place of an optional argument, for example in:
+ (lambda* (foo #&optional (bar 42) #&key (baz 73)) (list foo bar baz))
+ foo is a fixed argument, bar is an optional argument with default
+ value 42, and baz is a keyword argument with default value 73.
+ Default value expressions are not evaluated unless they are needed
+ and until the procedure is called.
+
+ lambda* now supports two more special parameter list keywords.
+
+ lambda*-defined procedures now throw an error by default if a
+ keyword other than one of those specified is found in the actual
+ passed arguments. However, specifying #&allow-other-keys
+ immediately after the kyword argument declarations restores the
+ previous behavior of ignoring unknown keywords. lambda* also now
+ guarantees that if the same keyword is passed more than once, the
+ last one passed is the one that takes effect. For example,
+ ((lambda* (#&key (heads 0) (tails 0)) (display (list heads tails)))
+ #:heads 37 #:tails 42 #:heads 99)
+ would result in (99 47) being displayed.
+
+ #&rest is also now provided as a synonym for the dotted syntax rest
+ argument. The argument lists (a . b) and (a #&rest b) are equivalent in
+ all respects to lambda*. This is provided for more similarity to DSSSL,
+ MIT-Scheme and Kawa among others, as well as for refugees from other
+ Lisp dialects.
+
+Further documentation may be found in the optargs.scm file itself.
+
+The optional argument module also exports the macros `let-optional',
+`let-optional*', `let-keywords', `let-keywords*' and `bound?'. These
+are not documented here because they may be removed in the future, but
+full documentation is still available in optargs.scm.
+
+** New syntax: and-let*
+Guile now supports the `and-let*' form, described in the draft SRFI-2.
+
+Syntax: (land* (<clause> ...) <body> ...)
+Each <clause> should have one of the following forms:
+ (<variable> <expression>)
+ (<expression>)
+ <bound-variable>
+Each <variable> or <bound-variable> should be an identifier. Each
+<expression> should be a valid expression. The <body> should be a
+possibly empty sequence of expressions, like the <body> of a
+lambda form.
+
+Semantics: A LAND* expression is evaluated by evaluating the
+<expression> or <bound-variable> of each of the <clause>s from
+left to right. The value of the first <expression> or
+<bound-variable> that evaluates to a false value is returned; the
+remaining <expression>s and <bound-variable>s are not evaluated.
+The <body> forms are evaluated iff all the <expression>s and
+<bound-variable>s evaluate to true values.
+
+The <expression>s and the <body> are evaluated in an environment
+binding each <variable> of the preceding (<variable> <expression>)
+clauses to the value of the <expression>. Later bindings
+shadow earlier bindings.
+
+Guile's and-let* macro was contributed by Michael Livshin.
+
+** New sorting functions
+
+*** New function: sorted? SEQUENCE LESS?
+Returns `#t' when the sequence argument is in non-decreasing order
+according to LESS? (that is, there is no adjacent pair `... x y
+...' for which `(less? y x)').
+
+Returns `#f' when the sequence contains at least one out-of-order
+pair. It is an error if the sequence is neither a list nor a
+vector.
+
+*** New function: merge LIST1 LIST2 LESS?
+LIST1 and LIST2 are sorted lists.
+Returns the sorted list of all elements in LIST1 and LIST2.
+
+Assume that the elements a and b1 in LIST1 and b2 in LIST2 are "equal"
+in the sense that (LESS? x y) --> #f for x, y in {a, b1, b2},
+and that a < b1 in LIST1. Then a < b1 < b2 in the result.
+(Here "<" should read "comes before".)
+
+*** New procedure: merge! LIST1 LIST2 LESS?
+Merges two lists, re-using the pairs of LIST1 and LIST2 to build
+the result. If the code is compiled, and LESS? constructs no new
+pairs, no pairs at all will be allocated. The first pair of the
+result will be either the first pair of LIST1 or the first pair of
+LIST2.
+
+*** New function: sort SEQUENCE LESS?
+Accepts either a list or a vector, and returns a new sequence
+which is sorted. The new sequence is the same type as the input.
+Always `(sorted? (sort sequence less?) less?)'. The original
+sequence is not altered in any way. The new sequence shares its
+elements with the old one; no elements are copied.
+
+*** New procedure: sort! SEQUENCE LESS
+Returns its sorted result in the original boxes. No new storage is
+allocated at all. Proper usage: (set! slist (sort! slist <))
+
+*** New function: stable-sort SEQUENCE LESS?
+Similar to `sort' but stable. That is, if "equal" elements are
+ordered a < b in the original sequence, they will have the same order
+in the result.
+
+*** New function: stable-sort! SEQUENCE LESS?
+Similar to `sort!' but stable.
+Uses temporary storage when sorting vectors.
+
+*** New functions: sort-list, sort-list!
+Added for compatibility with scsh.
+
+** New built-in random number support
+
+*** New function: random N [STATE]
+Accepts a positive integer or real N and returns a number of the
+same type between zero (inclusive) and N (exclusive). The values
+returned have a uniform distribution.
+
+The optional argument STATE must be of the type produced by
+`copy-random-state' or `seed->random-state'. It defaults to the value
+of the variable `*random-state*'. This object is used to maintain the
+state of the pseudo-random-number generator and is altered as a side
+effect of the `random' operation.
+
+*** New variable: *random-state*
+Holds a data structure that encodes the internal state of the
+random-number generator that `random' uses by default. The nature
+of this data structure is implementation-dependent. It may be
+printed out and successfully read back in, but may or may not
+function correctly as a random-number state object in another
+implementation.
+
+*** New function: copy-random-state [STATE]
+Returns a new object of type suitable for use as the value of the
+variable `*random-state*' and as a second argument to `random'.
+If argument STATE is given, a copy of it is returned. Otherwise a
+copy of `*random-state*' is returned.
+
+*** New function: seed->random-state SEED
+Returns a new object of type suitable for use as the value of the
+variable `*random-state*' and as a second argument to `random'.
+SEED is a string or a number. A new state is generated and
+initialized using SEED.
+
+*** New function: random:uniform [STATE]
+Returns an uniformly distributed inexact real random number in the
+range between 0 and 1.
+
+*** New procedure: random:solid-sphere! VECT [STATE]
+Fills VECT with inexact real random numbers the sum of whose
+squares is less than 1.0. Thinking of VECT as coordinates in
+space of dimension N = `(vector-length VECT)', the coordinates are
+uniformly distributed within the unit N-shere. The sum of the
+squares of the numbers is returned. VECT can be either a vector
+or a uniform vector of doubles.
+
+*** New procedure: random:hollow-sphere! VECT [STATE]
+Fills VECT with inexact real random numbers the sum of whose squares
+is equal to 1.0. Thinking of VECT as coordinates in space of
+dimension n = `(vector-length VECT)', the coordinates are uniformly
+distributed over the surface of the unit n-shere. VECT can be either
+a vector or a uniform vector of doubles.
+
+*** New function: random:normal [STATE]
+Returns an inexact real in a normal distribution with mean 0 and
+standard deviation 1. For a normal distribution with mean M and
+standard deviation D use `(+ M (* D (random:normal)))'.
+
+*** New procedure: random:normal-vector! VECT [STATE]
+Fills VECT with inexact real random numbers which are independent and
+standard normally distributed (i.e., with mean 0 and variance 1).
+VECT can be either a vector or a uniform vector of doubles.
+
+*** New function: random:exp STATE
+Returns an inexact real in an exponential distribution with mean 1.
+For an exponential distribution with mean U use (* U (random:exp)).
+
+** The range of logand, logior, logxor, logtest, and logbit? have changed.
+
+These functions now operate on numbers in the range of a C unsigned
+long.
+
+These functions used to operate on numbers in the range of a C signed
+long; however, this seems inappropriate, because Guile integers don't
+overflow.
+
+** New function: make-guardian
+This is an implementation of guardians as described in
+R. Kent Dybvig, Carl Bruggeman, and David Eby (1993) "Guardians in a
+Generation-Based Garbage Collector" ACM SIGPLAN Conference on
+Programming Language Design and Implementation, June 1993
+ftp://ftp.cs.indiana.edu/pub/scheme-repository/doc/pubs/guardians.ps.gz
+
** New functions: delq1!, delv1!, delete1!
These procedures behave similar to delq! and friends but delete only
one object if at all.
If unread-char is called multiple times, the unread characters will be
read again in last-in first-out order.
-** New function: serial-map PROC LIST1 LIST2 ...
+** the procedures uniform-array-read! and uniform-array-write! now
+work on any kind of port, not just ports which are open on a file.
+
+** Now 'l' in a port mode requests line buffering.
+
+** The procedure truncate-file now works on string ports as well
+as file ports. If the size argument is omitted, the current
+file position is used.
+
+** new procedure: seek PORT/FDES OFFSET WHENCE
+The arguments are the same as for the old fseek procedure, but it
+works on string ports as well as random-access file ports.
+
+** the fseek procedure now works on string ports, since it has been
+redefined using seek.
+
+** the setvbuf procedure now uses a default size if mode is _IOFBF and
+size is not supplied.
+
+** the newline procedure no longer flushes the port if it's not
+line-buffered: previously it did if it was the current output port.
+
+** open-pipe and close-pipe are no longer primitive procedures, but
+an emulation can be obtained using `(use-modules (ice-9 popen))'.
+
+** the freopen procedure has been removed.
+
+** new procedure: drain-input PORT
+Drains PORT's read buffers (including any pushed-back characters)
+and returns the contents as a single string.
+
+** New function: map-in-order PROC LIST1 LIST2 ...
Version of `map' which guarantees that the procedure is applied to the
lists in serial order.
-** New syntax: sequence->list BODY1 ...
+** Renamed `serial-array-copy!' and `serial-array-map!' to
+`array-copy-in-order!' and `array-map-in-order!'. The old names are
+now obsolete and will go away in release 1.5.
+
+** New syntax: collect BODY1 ...
Version of `begin' which returns a list of the results of the body
forms instead of the result of the last body form. In contrast to
-`begin', sequence->list allows an empty body.
+`begin', `collect' allows an empty body.
** New functions: read-history FILENAME, write-history FILENAME
Read/write command line history from/to file. Returns #t on success
and #f if an error occured.
+** `ls' and `lls' in module (ice-9 ls) now handle no arguments.
+
+These procedures return a list of definitions available in the specified
+argument, a relative module reference. In the case of no argument,
+`(current-module)' is now consulted for definitions to return, instead
+of simply returning #f, the former behavior.
+
+** The #/ syntax for lists is no longer supported.
+
+Earlier versions of Scheme accepted this syntax, but printed a
+warning.
+
+** Guile no longer consults the SCHEME_LOAD_PATH environment variable.
+
+Instead, you should set GUILE_LOAD_PATH to tell Guile where to find
+modules.
+
* Changes to the gh_ interface
** gh_scm2doubles
New functions.
+* Changes to the scm_ interface
+
+** Function: scm_make_named_hook (char* name, int n_args)
+
+Creates a hook in the same way as make-hook above but also
+binds a variable named NAME to it.
+
+This is the typical way of creating a hook from C code.
+
+Currently, the variable is created in the "current" module. This
+might change when we get the new module system.
+
+** The smob interface
+
+The interface for creating smobs has changed. For documentation, see
+data-rep.info (made from guile-core/doc/data-rep.texi).
+
+*** Deprecated function: SCM scm_newsmob (scm_smobfuns *)
+
+>>> This function will be removed in 1.3.4. <<<
+
+It is replaced by:
+
+*** Function: SCM scm_make_smob_type (const char *name, scm_sizet size)
+This function adds a new smob type, named NAME, with instance size
+SIZE to the system. The return value is a tag that is used in
+creating instances of the type. If SIZE is 0, then no memory will
+be allocated when instances of the smob are created, and nothing
+will be freed by the default free function.
+
+*** Function: void scm_set_smob_mark (long tc, SCM (*mark) (SCM))
+This function sets the smob marking procedure for the smob type
+specified by the tag TC. TC is the tag returned by
+`scm_make_smob_type'.
+
+*** Function: void scm_set_smob_free (long tc, SCM (*mark) (SCM))
+This function sets the smob freeing procedure for the smob type
+specified by the tag TC. TC is the tag returned by
+`scm_make_smob_type'.
+
+*** Function: void scm_set_smob_print (tc, print)
+
+ - Function: void scm_set_smob_print (long tc,
+ scm_sizet (*print) (SCM,
+ SCM,
+ scm_print_state *))
+
+This function sets the smob printing procedure for the smob type
+specified by the tag TC. TC is the tag returned by
+`scm_make_smob_type'.
+
+*** Function: void scm_set_smob_equalp (long tc, SCM (*equalp) (SCM, SCM))
+This function sets the smob equality-testing predicate for the
+smob type specified by the tag TC. TC is the tag returned by
+`scm_make_smob_type'.
+
+*** Macro: void SCM_NEWSMOB (SCM var, long tc, void *data)
+Make VALUE contain a smob instance of the type with type code TC and
+smob data DATA. VALUE must be previously declared as C type `SCM'.
+
+*** Macro: fn_returns SCM_RETURN_NEWSMOB (long tc, void *data)
+This macro expands to a block of code that creates a smob instance
+of the type with type code TC and smob data DATA, and returns that
+`SCM' value. It should be the last piece of code in a block.
+
+** The interfaces for using I/O ports and implementing port types
+(ptobs) have changed significantly. The new interface is based on
+shared access to buffers and a new set of ptob procedures.
+
+*** scm_newptob has been removed
+
+It is replaced by:
+
+*** Function: SCM scm_make_port_type (type_name, fill_buffer, write_flush)
+
+- Function: SCM scm_make_port_type (char *type_name,
+ int (*fill_buffer) (SCM port),
+ void (*write_flush) (SCM port));
+
+Similarly to the new smob interface, there is a set of function
+setters by which the user can customize the behaviour of his port
+type. See ports.h (scm_set_port_XXX).
+
+** scm_strport_to_string: New function: creates a new string from
+a string port's buffer.
+
+** Plug in interface for random number generators
+The variable `scm_the_rng' in random.c contains a value and three
+function pointers which together define the current random number
+generator being used by the Scheme level interface and the random
+number library functions.
+
+The user is free to replace the default generator with the generator
+of his own choice.
+
+*** Variable: size_t scm_the_rng.rstate_size
+The size of the random state type used by the current RNG
+measured in chars.
+
+*** Function: unsigned long scm_the_rng.random_bits (scm_rstate *STATE)
+Given the random STATE, return 32 random bits.
+
+*** Function: void scm_the_rng.init_rstate (scm_rstate *STATE, chars *S, int N)
+Seed random state STATE using string S of length N.
+
+*** Function: scm_rstate *scm_the_rng.copy_rstate (scm_rstate *STATE)
+Given random state STATE, return a malloced copy.
+
+** Default RNG
+The default RNG is the MWC (Multiply With Carry) random number
+generator described by George Marsaglia at the Department of
+Statistics and Supercomputer Computations Research Institute, The
+Florida State University (http://stat.fsu.edu/~geo).
+
+It uses 64 bits, has a period of 4578426017172946943 (4.6e18), and
+passes all tests in the DIEHARD test suite
+(http://stat.fsu.edu/~geo/diehard.html). The generation of 32 bits
+costs one multiply and one add on platforms which either supports long
+longs (gcc does this on most systems) or have 64 bit longs. The cost
+is four multiply on other systems but this can be optimized by writing
+scm_i_uniform32 in assembler.
+
+These functions are provided through the scm_the_rng interface for use
+by libguile and the application.
+
+*** Function: unsigned long scm_i_uniform32 (scm_i_rstate *STATE)
+Given the random STATE, return 32 random bits.
+Don't use this function directly. Instead go through the plugin
+interface (see "Plug in interface" above).
+
+*** Function: void scm_i_init_rstate (scm_i_rstate *STATE, char *SEED, int N)
+Initialize STATE using SEED of length N.
+
+*** Function: scm_i_rstate *scm_i_copy_rstate (scm_i_rstate *STATE)
+Return a malloc:ed copy of STATE. This function can easily be re-used
+in the interfaces to other RNGs.
+
+** Random number library functions
+These functions use the current RNG through the scm_the_rng interface.
+It might be a good idea to use these functions from your C code so
+that only one random generator is used by all code in your program.
+
+The default random state is stored in:
+
+*** Variable: SCM scm_var_random_state
+Contains the vcell of the Scheme variable "*random-state*" which is
+used as default state by all random number functions in the Scheme
+level interface.
+
+Example:
+
+ double x = scm_c_uniform01 (SCM_RSTATE (SCM_CDR (scm_var_random_state)));
+
+*** Function: scm_rstate *scm_c_default_rstate (void)
+This is a convenience function which returns the value of
+scm_var_random_state. An error message is generated if this value
+isn't a random state.
+
+*** Function: scm_rstate *scm_c_make_rstate (char *SEED, int LENGTH)
+Make a new random state from the string SEED of length LENGTH.
+
+It is generally not a good idea to use multiple random states in a
+program. While subsequent random numbers generated from one random
+state are guaranteed to be reasonably independent, there is no such
+guarantee for numbers generated from different random states.
+
+*** Macro: unsigned long scm_c_uniform32 (scm_rstate *STATE)
+Return 32 random bits.
+
+*** Function: double scm_c_uniform01 (scm_rstate *STATE)
+Return a sample from the uniform(0,1) distribution.
+
+*** Function: double scm_c_normal01 (scm_rstate *STATE)
+Return a sample from the normal(0,1) distribution.
+
+*** Function: double scm_c_exp1 (scm_rstate *STATE)
+Return a sample from the exp(1) distribution.
+
+*** Function: unsigned long scm_c_random (scm_rstate *STATE, unsigned long M)
+Return a sample from the discrete uniform(0,M) distribution.
+
+*** Function: SCM scm_c_random_bignum (scm_rstate *STATE, SCM M)
+Return a sample from the discrete uniform(0,M) distribution.
+M must be a bignum object. The returned value may be an INUM.
+
+
\f
Changes in Guile 1.3 (released Monday, October 19, 1998):
the-scm-module: backtrace #<primitive-procedure backtrace>
the-scm-module: after-backtrace-hook ()
the-scm-module: has-shown-backtrace-hint? #f
- guile>
+ guile>
** There are new functions and syntax for working with macros.
The symbol `syntax' --- a macro created by procedure->syntax.
The symbol `macro' --- a macro created by procedure->macro.
The symbol `macro!' --- a macro created by procedure->memoizing-macro.
- The boolean #f --- if OBJ is not a macro object.
+ The boolean #f --- if OBJ is not a macro object.
*** New function: (macro-name MACRO)
Return the name of the macro object MACRO's procedure, as returned by
resulting environment which must yield a procedure to use as the
module's eval transformer: every expression evaluated in this module
is passed to this function, and the result passed to the Guile
-interpreter.
+interpreter.
*** macro-eval! is removed. Use local-eval instead.
** New constants: vtable-index-layout, vtable-index-vtable, vtable-index-printer
-** There is now a fourth (optional) argument to make-vtable-vtable and
- make-struct when constructing new types (vtables). This argument
- initializes field vtable-index-printer of the vtable.
+** There is now a third optional argument to make-vtable-vtable
+ (and fourth to make-struct) when constructing new types (vtables).
+ This argument initializes field vtable-index-printer of the vtable.
** The detection of circular references has been extended to structs.
That is, a structure that -- in the process of being printed -- prints
FLUIDS is a list of fluids and VALUES a corresponding list of
values for these fluids. Before THUNK gets called the values are
- installed in the fluids and the old values of the fluids are
+ installed in the fluids and the old values of the fluids are
saved in the VALUES list. When the flow of control leaves THUNK
or reenters it, the values get swapped again. You might think of
this as a `safe-fluid-excursion'. Note that the VALUES list is
See the file `libguile/DYNAMIC-LINKING' for additional comments.
** The #/ syntax for module names is depreciated, and will be removed
-in a future version of Guile. Instead of
+in a future version of Guile. Instead of
#/foo/bar/baz
** Changes to I/O functions
-*** The functions `read', `primitive-load', `read-and-eval!', and
+*** The functions `read', `primitive-load', `read-and-eval!', and
`primitive-load-path' no longer take optional arguments controlling
case insensitivity and a `#' parser.
The reader applies PROC to two arguments: CHAR and an input port.
-*** The new functions read-delimited and read-delimited! provide a
+*** The new functions read-delimited and read-delimited! provide a
general mechanism for doing delimited input on streams.
(read-delimited DELIMS [PORT HANDLE-DELIM])
you must pass a string to hold the received value. They no longer
return the buffer. Instead, `recv' returns the length of the message
received, and `recvfrom' returns a pair containing the packet's length
-and originating address.
+and originating address.
*** The file descriptor datatype has been removed, as have the
`read-fd', `write-fd', `close', `lseek', and `dup' functions.
Component Accessor
========================= ===============
- official service name servent:name
+ official service name servent:name
alias list servent:aliases
- port number servent:port
- protocol to use servent:proto
+ port number servent:port
+ protocol to use servent:proto
*** There are new accessors for the sockaddr structures returned by
`accept', `getsockname', `getpeername', `recvfrom!':
Component Accessor
======================================== ===============
- address format (`family') sockaddr:fam
+ address format (`family') sockaddr:fam
path, for file domain addresses sockaddr:path
address, for internet domain addresses sockaddr:addr
TCP or UDP port, for internet sockaddr:port
interpreter" above.
** The new functions scm_get_meta_args and scm_count_argv help you
-implement the SCSH-style meta-argument, `\'.
+implement the SCSH-style meta-argument, `\'.
char **scm_get_meta_args (int ARGC, char **ARGV)
If the second element of ARGV is a string consisting of a single
named by the following argument, parse arguments from it, and return
the spliced command line. The returned array is terminated by a
null pointer.
-
+
For details of argument parsing, see above, under "guile now accepts
command-line arguments compatible with SCSH..."
\f
Copyright information:
-Copyright (C) 1996,1997 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+Copyright (C) 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
Permission is granted to anyone to make or distribute verbatim copies
of this document as received, in any medium, provided that the
mode: outline
paragraph-separate: "[ \f]*$"
end:
-
HCoop / bpt / guile.git / blobdiff