PSPP NEWS -- history of user-visible changes.
-Time-stamp: <2007-11-04 08:01:18 blp>
+Time-stamp: <2007-11-04 14:52:10 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.
-Changes since 0.4.3:
+Changes from 0.4.0 to 0.4.3:
* The PSPP license is now version 3 or later of the GNU General
Public License. Previously, it was version 2 or later.
* In many situations where PSPP once terminated with a fatal
error, PSPP now recovers and continues execution.
+ * PSPP is now able to start up and run even if it cannot find its
+ configuration files.
+
* Journaling of interactive commands to a disk file is now
implemented. By default, journaling is enabled, to a file named
`pspp.jnl' in the current directory. SET JOURNAL may be used to
Output changes:
+ * Output configuration options have changed. Please refer to the
+ manual for a full description of the available options.
+
+ In consequence, you will need to reinstall your "devices" file.
+ "make install" will do this for you.
+
* Most error messages are now written to PSPP output files by
default. SET ERROR can be used to disable this behavior.
automatically adapts to the terminal size, even if the terminal
is resized.
- * The ASCII output driver now supports charts in output. Charts
- are written as separate files that the main output file refers
- to. By default, charts are written in PNG format to files named
- pspp-1.png, pspp-2.png, and so on.
+ * ASCII driver:
+
+ - This driver now supports charts in output. Charts are written
+ as separate files that the main output file refers to. By
+ default, charts are written in PNG format to files named
+ pspp-1.png, pspp-2.png, and so on.
+
+ - Configurations are provided that use VT100 (and xterm)
+ line-drawing characters in tables. The option "-o list-vt100"
+ requests use of this device for output to pspp.list.
+
+ * PostScript driver:
- * An output device is provided that uses VT100 (and xterm)
- line-drawing characters in tables. The option "-o list-vt100"
- requests use of this device for output to pspp.list.
+ - The default paper size is now determined using the PAPERSIZE
+ environment variable, or the LC_PAPER locale category on
+ systems that support it. If these are not set, the default is
+ now A4, instead of US letter. To make US letter the default,
+ set PAPERSIZE to "letter" in your environment.
- * The default paper size for the PostScript driver is now determined
- using the PAPERSIZE environment variable, or the LC_PAPER locale
- category on systems that support it. If these are not set, the
- default is now A4, instead of US letter. To make US letter the
- default, set PAPERSIZE to "letter" in your environment.
+ - Font metrics are now read from AFM files, instead of
+ Groff-format metrics files. PostScript fonts can now be
+ embedded in output.
- * Standard paper sizes no longer need to be specified through a
- configuration file. The "papersize" configuration file is no
- longer needed, or supported.
+ 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 fonts, including the
+ ones that the PostScript driver uses by default.
- * The HTML and PostScript prologues are no longer obtained from
- the "html-prologue" and "ps-prologue" configuration files.
- These configuration files are no longer needed, or supported.
+ - Standard paper sizes no longer need to be specified through a
+ configuration file. The "papersize" configuration file is no
+ longer needed, or supported.
+
+ - The PostScript prologue is no longer obtained from the
+ "ps-prologue" configuration file. This configuration file is
+ no longer needed, or supported.
+
+ * HTML driver:
+
+ - The HTML prologue is no longer obtained from the
+ "html-prologue" configuration file. This configuration file
+ is no longer needed, or supported.
Command language changes:
* The following commands are new:
- GET DATA, which currently supports reading Gnumeric files. It
- will be extended later to read other types of foreign data.
+ will be extended later to read other types of foreign data.
- CD, to change the current directory.
- ADD DOCUMENT, to add text to active file documents.
+ - CLOSE FILE HANDLE (a PSPP extension; see below).
+
- XEXPORT, a PSPP extension that is a transformation equivalent
to EXPORT.
- VALUELABEL, to obtain the value label for a value.
+ * PSPP now supports very long string variables (over 255 bytes
+ long).
+
* MATCH FILES now supports the FIRST and LAST subcommands.
* Previous versions of PSPP prohibited using commands to both read and
* The output format for variables created by VECTOR may now be
specified as part of the VECTOR syntax.
+ "Scratch files", a new PSPP extension:
+
+ 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.
+
Data access changes:
* Binary formats and IBM/360 formats, including ASCII/EBCDIC
For developers, the build system now requires Autoconf 2.60 and
Automake 1.10.
\f
-Changes since 0.4.0 to 0.4.1:
-
- Added support for very long string variables (over 255 bytes long).
-
- Output changes:
-
- * Output configuration options have changed. Please refer to the
- manual for a full description of the available options.
-
- In consequence, you will need to reinstall your "devices" file.
- "make install" will do this for you.
-
- * 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.
-
- 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:
-
- * 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:
projects / pspp-builds.git / commitdiff