[GBBopen-announce] GBBopen Version 0.9.9

[Dan Corkill]

GBBopen Version 0.9.9 is released.  This release includes the following
changes:

   * INCOMPATIBLE CHANGE: INSTANCE-DIMENSION-VALUE now returns five
     values:
       1. the dimension value of the unit instance in the specified
          dimension
       2. the dimension-value type of the specified dimension
       3. the comparison type of the specified dimension
       4. the composite type of the dimension value, if it is a
          composite; NIL if it is an incomposite value
       5. the name of the ordering dimension if the dimension value is
          a series composite; NIL otherwise
     The third value is new in GBBopen 0.9.9.

   * Renamed "specified comparison test" element (enumerated dimension)
     pattern operators:
        EQ     -> IS-EQ
        EQL    -> IS-EQL
        EQUAL  -> IS-EQUAL
        EQUALP -> IS-EQUALP
     The old operator names are deprecated, but will remain available
     until the next point release

   * New comparison-type specification support for DEFINE-UNIT-CLASS
     :DIMENSIONAL-VALUES class option

   * The :TEST option for a hashed-storage specification to
     MAKE-SPACE-INSTANCE is deprecated, as the comparison test is now
     determined from the dimension comparison-type specifications of
     the unit classes associated with the hashed storage

   * <install-dir>/gbbopen-init.lisp renamed to more intuitive
     <install-dir>/initiate.lisp

   * New :MINI-MODULE-USER package

   * New :CLASS-NAME-TRANSLATIONS argument added to
     LOAD-BLACKBOARD-REPOSITORY and
     WITH-READING-SAVED/SENT-OBJECTS-BLOCK

   * New NEXT-CLASS-INSTANCE-NUMBER function

See the CHANGES file (http://gbbopen.org/svn/GBBopen/trunk/CHANGES)
and the GBBopen Reference (http://gbbopen.org/hyperdoc/)for more
details.


A Note on Version Numbers
-------------------------

We are often asked when GBBopen Version 1.0 will be released.
Although GBBopen has been creeping ever closer to that "magic"
number, attaining 1.0 status will not have special significance.

Improvements and additions to GBBopen become available through
"micro" releases provided by source-code commits to the repository.
New features and capabilities are listed in the "Changes since..."
section of the CHANGES file and the GBBopen Reference Manual is
updated to reflect them.  In addition, an updated
repository-snapshot archive is usually created (although
occasionally a related set of commits are made in a "batch" before
a new snapshot archive is generated).  We use micro releases to
make improvements available as quickly as possible to GBBopen
users.

Changes that involve name changes, incompatibilities with the
current GBBopen version, or significant changes to GBBopen's
internal representations or techniques are made in a "point
release," in which the current GBBopen version number is
incremented.  A point release is accompanied by an announcement,
alerting all to its release and important changes.  Whenever
possible, backward compatibility of name changes (and possibility
functionality) is supported until the next point release.  If
enough micro releases have been produced since the last point
release, a new point release may be generated--even if no
incompatibilities or major changes are involved.

Major releases (where we skip ahead and increment the integer part
of the version number before it is required by successive point
releases) will be used to indicate the availability of significant
new GBBopen components or capabilities.  GBBopen 1.0 will not be a
"major" release, however, as the next "point" release will be
GBBopen Version 1.0.

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