initial version

[pspp-builds.git] / NEWS

diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index 51c7a1094e1eaf7f198d0c9ed14ebf7506f506e9..1d63e6e8c79d58c5a6861ae698cb2368fc7fa426 100644 (file)
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -1,26 +1,86 @@
 PSPP NEWS -- history of user-visible changes.
 PSPP NEWS -- history of user-visible changes.

-Time-stamp: <2005-03-07 22:30:34 blp>
+Time-stamp: <2006-05-06 13:24:08 blp>

 Copyright (C) 1996-9, 2000 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
 See the end for copying conditions.
 
 Please send PSPP bug reports to bug-gnu-pspp@gnu.org.
 Copyright (C) 1996-9, 2000 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
 See the end for copying conditions.
 
 Please send PSPP bug reports to bug-gnu-pspp@gnu.org.

+
+Changes since 0.4.2:
+
+  The PROCESS IF command, which was deprecated, has been removed.  You
+  may replace any usage of it by SELECT IF following TEMPORARY, which
+  has the same effect.

 \f
 \f

-Preliminary list of changes from 0.3.0 to 0.3.1:
+Changes since 0.4.0 to 0.4.1:
+
+  Added support for very long string variables > 255 bytes.
+
+  Output changes:

 
 

-  New build dependencies:
+    * Output configuration options have changed.  Please refer to the
+      manual for a full description of the available options.

 
 

-    * The GNU Scientific Library (libgsl), version 1.6 or later.
+      In consequence, you will need to reinstall your "devices" file.
+      "make install" will do this for you.

 
 

-    * The GNU multiprecision arithmetic library (libgmp).
+    * The PostScript driver now obtains font metrics from AFM files,
+      instead of Groff-format metrics files.  It can now embed
+      PostScript fonts in its output.

 
 

-    * libplot from GNU plotutils is optional; without it, the new
-      graphing features will not work.
+      In consequence, you will need to install an AFM file for each
+      font used in PostScript output.  "make install" will install AFM
+      files for the standard PostScript files, including the ones that
+      the PostScript driver uses by default.

 
   Newly implemented commands and statistical features:
 
 
   Newly implemented commands and statistical features:
 

-    * DATE (as a stub, to enhance compatibility).
+    * CLOSE FILE HANDLE (a PSPP extension; see below).
+
+    * REGRESSION.
+
+    * XEXPORT (a PSPP extension).
+
+  New PSPP extension:
+
+    A new PSPP extension called "scratch files" has been implemented.
+    A scratch file, like a system file, consists of a dictionary and
+    any number of cases.  Small scratch files are stored in memory;
+    one that grows too large is written to disk.  By default, any file
+    handle whose name begins with # is assumed to refer to a scratch
+    file.
+
+    Scratch files can be used just about anywhere a system or portable
+    file can be used.  Also, portable files are now allowed in most
+    places that system files were allowed in previous PSPP version.
+
+    A new CLOSE FILE HANDLE command allows the storage associated with
+    scratch files to be freed.  It also allows file handles to be
+    reassigned to new files.
+
+    For more information on scratch files, refer to the "File Handles"
+    section in the PSPP manual.  For specifics of what commands now
+    allow what kinds of files to be specified, refer to the
+    documentation on those particular commands.
+
+  PSPP is now able to start up and run even if it cannot find its
+  configuration files.
+
+Changes from 0.3.0 to 0.4.0:
+
+  Changes in build dependencies:
+
+    * The GNU Scientific Library (libgsl), version 1.6 or later, is
+      now required.
+
+    * libplot from GNU plotutils is optional.  Without it, the new
+      graphing features will not work.  If you do not have it
+      installed, you must run `configure' with --without-libplot.

 
 

-    * EXAMINE.
+    * libgmp2 is no longer a dependency.
+
+  Newly implemented commands and statistical features:
+
+    * EXAMINE, including its graphing features.

 
     * FREQUENCIES now supports percentiles.
 
 
     * FREQUENCIES now supports percentiles.
 


@@ -28,9 +88,33 @@ Preliminary list of changes from 0.3.0 to 0.3.1:
 
     * PERMISSIONS.
 
 
     * PERMISSIONS.
 

-    * T-TEST.
+    * SHOW.
+
+    * SORT CASES now sorts stably, that is, two cases with equal sort
+      criteria will be in the same relative order before and after the
+      sort.
+
+    * T-TEST (re-written).
+
+    * DATE and USE.  These commands are parsed but otherwise ignored,
+      to enhance compatibility with certain command files that invoke
+      them unnecessarily.
+
+    * VARIABLE WIDTH, VARIABLE ALIGNMENT, and VARIABLE LEVEL.  These
+      currently have no effect on PSPP output, but their values are
+      written to and read from system files and thus may affect
+      third-party software.
+
+    * SET EPOCH implemented.

 
 

-    * USE (as a stub, to enhance compatibility).
+    * DATA LIST FREE and DATA LIST LIST now support arbitrary field
+      delimiters.
+
+    * FILE HANDLE now supports custom tab widths.
+
+  Long variable names (and other identifiers) are now supported.  Up
+  to the first 64 bytes of each identifier is significant.  PSPP now
+  reads and writes system files compatible with SPSS version 12.

 
   New --algorithm and --syntax command line options allow
   SPSS-compatible or enhanced modes to be selected.
 
   New --algorithm and --syntax command line options allow
   SPSS-compatible or enhanced modes to be selected.


@@ -39,22 +123,38 @@ Preliminary list of changes from 0.3.0 to 0.3.1:
   significantly improved.  Refer to the manual for details.
 
   Calculation of moments (mean, standard deviation, kurtosis,
   significantly improved.  Refer to the manual for details.
 
   Calculation of moments (mean, standard deviation, kurtosis,

-  skewness) has been rewritten and should now be more accurate.
+  skewness) has been rewritten and should now be more accurate.  In
+  --algorithm=enhanced mode moments may be more accurate than SPSS in
+  some cases.

 
   Numerous bugs have been fixed, too many to mention here.  Many new
   tests have been added, leading to the discovery and fixing of many
   of these bugs.
 
 
   Numerous bugs have been fixed, too many to mention here.  Many new
   tests have been added, leading to the discovery and fixing of many
   of these bugs.
 

-  ASCII driver can now squeeze multiple blank lines into single blank
-  lines.
+  The ASCII output driver can now squeeze multiple blank lines into
+  single blank lines.

 
   Much of the code has been rewritten and refactored.  It is now much
   cleaner.
 
 
   Much of the code has been rewritten and refactored.  It is now much
   cleaner.
 

+  The FILE TYPE and REPEATING DATA commands have been disabled for
+  this release because their implementations were deemed too buggy to
+  be useful.  They will be fixed and replaced in a future release.
+
+  New pspp-mode for Emacs (in pspp-mode.el).
+
+  Added rudimentary command-line completion for interactive input.
+
+  lib/julcal and lib/dcdflib are no longer used, so they have been
+  removed.
+

   For developers, the build system now requires Autoconf 2.58 and
   Automake 1.7.  The included gettext has been updated to version
   0.12.1.
 
   For developers, the build system now requires Autoconf 2.58 and
   Automake 1.7.  The included gettext has been updated to version
   0.12.1.
 

+  Some reports state that Texinfo 4.8, the latest version, may be
+  necessary to successfully format the documentation on some systems.
+

 Version 0.3.0 changes since 0.2.3:
 
   Bugs fixed:
 Version 0.3.0 changes since 0.2.3:
 
   Bugs fixed: