     [file version.texi not included]

Noteworthy changes since version 0.1.19
=======================================

  * The library has changed its name from libobjects to libgnustep-base.  The Apr 17 ChangeLog entry contains a list of the way various other names were changed.

  * The library now requires a patch to gcc-2.7.2.  The patch adds thread-safe features to the GNU Objective C runtime.

  * Distributed Objects is much improved.  Exceptions in the server are sent back to the client.  Ungracefully closed connections are gracefully handled.

  * NSUserDefaults has been implemented, thanks to Georg Tuparev <tuparev@NMR.EMBL-Heidelberg.DE>.

  * NSScanner has been implemented, thanks to Eric Norum <Eric.Norum@usask.ca>.

  * NSCharacterSet has a new caching scheme, and is now faster than NeXT's implementation, thanks to Adam Fedor.

  * Preliminary thread-safety work has been done.  NSObject and NSAutoreleasePool should be thread-safe.

  * The "%@" printf directive now works on systems without GNU libc.

  * The NS*Page* functions have been implemented.

  * The mframe and behavior functions have been overhauled and better commented.

  * The NSHashTable and NSMapTable functions have been implemented, thanks to Albin Jones <albin.jones@dartmouth.edu>.  Albin has also implemented underlying GNU functions that provide functions for arrays and linked lists of C-type variables.

  * The NSThread class has been implemented.  Thanks to Scott Christley <scottc@net-community.com>, the NSLock class has been implemented.

  * A RunLoop class has been implemented, and is used for listening to Port objects.  It is used for Distributed Objects.  There is also an NSRunLoop class based on RunLoop.

  * The NSTimer class has been implemented, although its use with RunLoops is currently disabled.

  * The Notification mechanism has been implemented.  It makes good use of hash tables and linked lists in order to be fast.

  * The Invocation class heirarchy has been fleshed out and now works.

  * The collection classes have been overhauled to better handle distributed objects, and for better compatibility with NeXT's method names.

     A new separation has been made in the abstract collection classes: IndexedCollections contain objects accessible by an integer key, but the user cannot insert at an arbitrary key; these are useful for sorted collections, such as SplayTree's. OrderedCollection can have their order determined by the user; i.e. users can send -insertObject:atIndex:, etc.

     There is a new set of rich enumeration methods based on Invocations.

  * Port class heirarchy has been overhauled.  There are now classes for TCP ports, UDP ports, and Mach ports.  Only the TCP ports are currently functional.

  * GNU-style archiving has had an overhaul, and the GNUstep NSArchiver class is functional, but not strongly tested.  It does not yet call -awakeUsingCoder:.

     I have separated the high-level archiving of groups of objects from the low-level format of how C-types are written.  There are several new classes.  CStream is a subclass of Stream that knows how to encode C-type variables in a machine independent way; this class has two concrete subclasses: BinaryCStream, and TextCStream.  Plug these backends into Coder to get different style low-level formats for archiving.

     Floats and doubles are now encoded more efficiently.

     NSArchiver is built on top of Coder.  You can actually send all the Coder methods to NSArchiver and vice-versa.

     GNU classes BinaryCoder and TextCoder are gone.

  * Several new OpenStep functions have been implemented: NSHomeDirectory, NSUserName, NSHomeDirectoryForUser, NSPageSize, NSLogPageSize, NSroundUpToMultipleOfPageSize, NSRoundDownToMultipleOfPageSize, NSRealMemoryAvailable, NSAllocateMemoryPages, NSDeallocateMemoryPages, NSCopyMemoryPages.

  * ...and many bug fixes.

Noteworthy changes since version 0.1.14
=======================================

  * Can be made as a shared library by passing --enabled-shared to `configure'.  Thanks to Jan Kybic <kybic@earn.cvut.cz> and Bryan Headley <bwh@mail.lnd.coretech.com> for suggestions.

  * New classes NSSet, NSMutableSet, NSCountedSet.  New concrete classes NSGSet, NSGMutableSet, NSGCountedSet.  New test program nsset.m. New class NSMethodSignature.

  * Running './configure' and building the library in a different directory than the source works as it should, according to the GNU standards.

  * Dynamic loading fixes for Solaris, thanks to Adam Fedor.

  * Fixes to Coder correct bugs with encoding/decoding wildly interconnected objects.  (My application uses a "Suffix Tree" structure: a Tree, and a LinkedList that winds its way through the leaves of the tree; the LinkedList nodes also have pointers back to the tree nodes.)

  * NSTimeZone implemented, thanks to Peter Burka <peter@bert.psyc.upei.ca>

  * NSData fixes, thanks to Adam Fedor.

  * NSObjCRuntime functions implemented.  NSObject description methods implemented.

  * Bug fixes in NSString, NSDictionary, NSArray, NSGeometry and other places.

Noteworthy changes since version 0.1.13
=======================================

  * NSProcessInfo class, thanks to Georg Tuparev.

  * NSDate now more operational, thanks to Jeremy Bettis.

  * Autorelease checking improved, thanks to Adam Fedor.

  * NSString concrete classes now more configurable.  Several new methods implemented.

  * Many bug fixes.

Noteworthy changes since version 0.1.12
=======================================

  * Bug fixes: installation; NSArray and NSDictionary copying; NSArray, NSDictionary, NSData, NSArchiver, NSUnarchiver concrete class configurability; NSString -getCharacter:range:. See the ChangeLog for more details.

Noteworthy changes since version 0.1.10
=======================================

  * Now using src, config and doc directories to un-clutter the top-level directory.

  * New GNUStep classes implemented: NSDictionary, NSMutableDictionary; concrete classes NSGDictionary, NSGMutableDictionary; enumeration classes NSGDictionaryKeyEnumerator, NSGDictionaryObjectEnumerator.

  * More methods in NSData are implemented, thanks to Albin Jones.

  * More methods in NSString are implemented; we have new classes NSCharacterSet and NSBitmapCharSet; all thanks to Adam Fedor.

  * And several bug fixes.  See the ChangeLog for details.

Noteworthy changes since version 0.1.9
======================================

  * Renamed "foundation" include file directory to "Foundation", in accordance with OpenStep.

  * Several bug fixes, including a problem with a missing file in 0.1.9.

Noteworthy changes since version 0.1.8
======================================

  * Many new GNUStep classes: NSEnumerator, NSArrayEnumerator, NSCoder, NSArchiver, NSUnarchiver, NSData, NSMutableData, NSGCoder, NSGArchiver, NSGUnarchiver, NSGData, NSGMutableData.  Much coding and prep work has been done to make archiving work (see the ChangeLog), but it's not quite ready for action yet.

  * New GNUStep classes implemented by others: Thanks to Adam Fedor, NSAssertionHandler.  Thanks to Jeremy Bettis, NSDate.

  * Overhauled encoding and decoding.  The Coder now sends -initWithCoder by default, but will still send the more flexible +newWithCoder if the class implements it.  See objects/Coding.h.  The Stream class interface has been changed slightly.  There are two new protocols for Streams.

  * Several new debug-aiding methods implemented in NSAutoreleasePool.

  * Separated Constant Collection protocols from changeable ones. Eventually I'll separate the classes too.

  * Included an outline for the GNU Objective C Language Manual.  The GNU project is looking for volunteers to help flesh it out.  Send email to Martin Michlmayr <tbm@ihq.com> or Andrew McCallum <mccallum@gnu.ai.mit.edu>.

  * Include the AUTHORS file, needed for legal reasons.  Include the GNUStep-volunteers file.

  * Several bug fixes:  Typo in Array.m; Linux header file frobbing in NSZone.h; typo causing crash in checks/nsarray.m; bad deallocation in Collection.m; typo in BinaryTree.m; put -write: and -read: implementations back in Collection.m.

Noteworthy changes since version 0.1.7
======================================

  * Thanks to Adam Fedor <fedor@boulder.colorado.edu>, classes NSBundle, NSNumber and NSValue are now operational.  He also provided stubs for NSArray, NSCoder and NSDictionary.

  * NSArray has been fleshed out.  There are new classes NSConcreteArray and NSConcreteMutableArray.  Basic operations with the NSArray class cluster now work, and it is set up to coexist nicely with the GNU collection heirarchy.  Next I'll do NSDictionary in a similar style.

  * From Adam Fedor, there is a new patch to the gcc Objective C runtime that aids dynamic linking.  You'll have to apply this patch and reinstall the runtime before you can compile this version of libgnustep-base.

  * Several bug fixes, including two serious ones in Collection deallocation and behavior adding.  See the ChangeLog for details.

Noteworthy changes since version 0.1.5
======================================

  * Better string handling.  NSString is now fleshed out, and I've implemented a scheme by which the GNU String object and OpenStep's NSString can coexist nicely.  The OpenStep classes declare their string arguments with (NSString*) just like the standard says, but the preferred (more flexible) way to declare string arguments is (id <String>); and these two types are set up so that they coexist.  There is still more to be done.  NSString has several unimplemented methods; GNU String needs some more work.

  * Newly implemented classes: MallocAddress, NSString, NSMutableString, NSCString, NSMutableCString.

  * Thanks to Pieter Schoenmakers <tiggr@es.ele.tue.nl> we have a new version of the gcc-string.patch that should apply more smoothly.

  * Thanks to Adam Fedor <fedor@boulder.colorado.edu> for a bug fix to NXStringTable's.

  * Thanks to Mark Lakata <lakata@nsdssp.lbl.gov> for a bug fix to NSZone.c.

  * Several bug fixes.  Thanks to those who reported them.  Credits are in the ChangeLog.

Noteworthy changes since version 0.1.3
======================================

This release not well tested at all.  We desperately need someone to write a test suite using dejagnu.  Any volunteers?

I made this release now in order to share the progress that is being made on GNUSTEP.

  * New GNUSTEP implementations: NSObject, NSAutoreleasePool, NSZone. Thanks to Mark Lakata for NSZone.

  * New GNUSTEP implementations included, but not compiled: NSBundle, NSException, NSGeometry, NSNumber, NSValue.  Many thanks Adam Fedor.

  * Many new GNU classes: String classes!  String, MutableString, ConstantString.  One interesting feature of the GNU string classes is that that, just like in Smalltalk, they are part of the Collection heirarchy---all the methods you are used to using on other collections can be used on these "collections of characters".  You can create ConstantStrings using the @"" syntax.

  * Entire library converted to use retain, release, autorelease, dealloc instead of free.

Noteworthy changes since version 0.1.0
======================================

  * New category: ObjectRetaining.  New classes: AutoreleasePool, AutoreleaseStack.

  * Bug fixes: Install next-includes properly.  New instructions in README.ULTRIX.  Time.m patched for Solaris 2.4.  test12.m free fix.

Noteworthy changes in version 0.1.0
===================================

  * Renamed the library from libcoll to libgnustep-base. (See the end of the file DISCUSSION for the background on this name choice.)  Several file names changed to reflect this.  GNU class interfaces are now included with objects prefix, e.g. #include <objects/BinaryTree.h>.

  * Many new classes. Pseudo-random number classes Random, RNGBerkeley and RNGAdditiveCongruential.  New stream classes Stream, StdioStream and MemoryStream.  New coder classes Coder, TextCoder and BinaryCoder.  New network packet transmission classes Port and SocketPort.  New remote object messaging classes Connection, Proxy and ConnectedCoder.  New protocols Coding and Retaining.  New, but unimplemented: Lock and Locking.  New but soon-to-disapppear: RetainingNotifier, InvalidationListening.

  * Some bug fixes:  Fixed the assert typo in Storage.m.  The Time class now compiles under Solaris.  Fixed insertion bug in CircularArray. NXStringTable_scan.l can now be compiled with lex, not just flex, (thanks to Adam Fedor <adam@bastille.rmnug.org>).  Properly detect the difference between gcc running under NEXTSTEP and NeXT's cc.  Using autoconf version 2.0.  Renamed DelegateList to DelegatePool.  Renamed some collection hierarchy methods for better consistency.

  * Some directory reorganization so that NeXT-compatible files can be included in the standard way, e.g. #include <objc/List.h>.  Some other NeXT-compatibility improvements: Changed GNU prefix to NX in List and HashTable.  New files zone.[hc] containing dummy stubs for NeXT-compatible zone functions.

Noteworthy changes in verion 940524
===================================

  * A NeXT-compatible NXStringTable object, thanks to Adam Fedor <adam@bastille.rmnug.org>.

  * SplayTree and RBTree classes now operational.  More methods in Time class implemented.

  * Some API cleanup:  -delegateListList changed to -delegateListCollection. -includesSameContents: changed to -contentsEqual:.  -insertObject:atKey: changed to -putObject:atKey:.  See the ChangeLog for more detail.

  * Configuration by autoconf in the self-tests directory.  Configuration script tests GCC nested functions.  Configuration script detects NEXTSTEP and makes the appropriate adjustments, including skipping the NeXT-compatibility classes.

  * Bug fixes: BinaryTree rotate methods fixed.  Fixed the way ifNone: and ifAbsent: functions were called.  Fixed the way long elements are printed.  Added methods for preventing memory leaks by unfinished enumerations: -newEnumState and -freeEnumState:.  Several bug fixes in List and Storage; changes for better NeXT-compability.  And more.

Noteworthy changes in version 931026
====================================

  * Installation using ./configure and autoconf

  * New BinaryTree and RBTree(unfinished) classes.  Rewritten LinkedList class.

  * A new scheme for holding non-object elements in classes that require object contents; EltNodeCollector class.

  * Archiving with -write: and -read: methods.  This involved removing the ability to set the comparison function independent of content type.

  * Removed COLL_NO_ELEMENT and friends.  Now there are no arbitrary restrictions on which long int's can be stored.  Like in Smalltalk, ...ifAbsentCall: methods have been added to replace this functionalty.

  * Added a LABMDA() macro for defining small functions in the arg position.

  * Removed many ...perform: methods.  Use instead the more flexible ...call: methods with LABMDA().

  * Renamed ...Description: methods to ...Encoding: for better use of already-defined objc keyword: @encode().

  * New in the Collecting protocol: Filtered enumerating instead of filtered shallowCopy'ing. Enumerations still safe when modifying the contents.

  * The beginnings of documentation in libcoll.texi.

  * Many bug fixes.

  * ...and more.

Also see the ChangeLog file for more detail.