NEWS
****

The currently released version is `0.6.6'.

Noteworthy changes in version `0.6.6'
=====================================

   The GNUstep system libraries are now installed in a separate system
root directory (default /usr/GNUstep/System) rather than the GNUstep
root directory (default /usr/GNUstep). You can revert to the old
behavior using a configure option `--without-system-root'. We also
recommend removing any previous GNUstep versions before installing the
new one in order to avoid problems with the system finding the correct
binary and/or library.

   Also a new XML documentation format (GSDoc) specifically for GNUstep
and Objective-C documentation was added. Lots of documentation has
already been written using this. A translater to HTML is included.

   Makefile Package

   * Support for Windows compilation (cygwin and mingw) and DLL creation
     and usage.

   * Java support rewritten and extended.

   Base Library:

   * Lots of new documentation.

   * Completely rewritten Distributed Object to be much more compatible
     with the MacOS-X API (and incidentally, closer to the original
     OpenStep standard).

   * Support to compile library as a DLL on Windows (still cygwin only).

   * Removed lots of obsolete classes.

   * New tools for handling property lists.

   * More optimization of classes.

   GUI Library:

   * Window hints for motif and generic window managers.

   * Major improvements to the text handling classes (NSText,
     NSTextView, etc)

   * Pasting of fonts and rulers.

   * Much better RTF handling

   * DnD for NSColorWell

   * Much improved NSSplitView

   * New classes - NSColorPanel, NSTableView

   * NSScreen rewritten with full support for all methods and functions.

   * Can use image reading routines from WindowMaker if available to
     read a variety of image formats besides TIFF.

   * Many fixes to get the AppKit to work better with WindowMaker.

   * Much better gmodel support (particularly with nibs translated from
     NeXT or OPENSTEP 4.2).

   * Muh improved font classes and font support.

   In addition both the xgps and xdps backends have seen some large
efficiency improvements. Much better font support. The xdps backend
itself has seen speed improvements by at least a factor of 4. Note
however, that the xdps backend is still considered experimental and you
may have to deal with many problems in order to get it working. We
recommend sticking with the xgps backend (the default) for now.

   And of course, lots and lots of bug fixes and optimizations.

Noteworthy changes in version `0.6.5'
=====================================

   Base Library:

   * Better debugging information.

   * Timezone information rewritten to work more like GNUstep wants it
     rather than strict Posix.

   * Added support for FreeBSD native POSIX threads

   * Better garbage collection support.

   * Lots of optimizations and bug fixes.

   GUI Library:

   Many of the basic GUI classes have been vastly improved or
rewritten, thanks to Nicola Pero <n.pero@mi.flashnet.it> and many
others.

   * New Info Panel support

   * New NSBezierPath

   * Rewrite of several classes including Cell and Button classes.

   * Rewrite of NSBrowser, NSSavePanel, menus, text classes,
     NSTableHeader.

   * RTF Parser

   * Implemented image caching.

   * Implemented editing in Forms, Matricies.

   * New autolayout classes GSHBox, GSTable, and GSVBox.

   * Almost all back-end classes have been removed and code incorporated
     in a DPS-like graphics context structure.

   * Better keyboard handling.

   * NSHelpManager, NSComboBox, ProgressIndicator written.

   In addition a preliminary version of an Interface Builder (Gorm) has
been written, thanks to Richard Frith-Macdonald
<richard@brainstorm.co.uk>

Noteworthy changes in version `0.6.0'
=====================================

   Base Library:

   Most of the changes to the Base Library are bug fixes and updates to
include MacOS-X specifications. Although the base library hasn't been
extensively tested, it is currently used in several commercial products
and installations, and is considered to be fairly stable.

   * Some changes to eventually allow the use of automatic garbage
     collection.

   * Better localization support in NSBundle.

   * Performance boosts in many classes.


   GUI Library:

   A Huge amount of progress, although a lot still needs to be done.
It's usable for a large base of moderately simple apps. Several
NeXT/OpenStep apps and libraries have been ported with little changes.

   * Drag and Drop support fleshed out but not completed.

   * NSText and related classes rewritten. Basic functionality but much
     needs to be done to finish them off.

   * nib2gmodel app works with MacOS-X

   * Work done in minimizing the backend which allowed a lot of
     functionality to move to the GNU library.

   * Menu code rewritten.

   * PopupButtons now work.

   * Many new images.

   * Basic functionality for NSTabView

   * Much better lockFocus support in NSView. Flipped views handled.

   * Rewrite of NSSavePanel and NSOpenPanel

   * Several fixes that at least double the speed of the gui.


   Backend Libraries:

   The XDPS backend now works and is basically consistant with the xgps
library, although because of deficiencies in DGS, compositing and alpha
channel do not work.

Noteworthy changes in version `0.5.5'
=====================================

   NOTE that the X/DPS backend is not supported at all in this release.
Hopefully it will be fixed up in the next release.  Too many changes to
mention in detail, but here is a list of a few:

   * Many base classes have been rewritten with tonnes of performance
     improvements that in many cases make it as fast as or faster than
     the NeXT implementation.

   * DO and archiving has received many improvements that help it work
     on a variety of different platforms.

   * Configuration and compilation has been greatly improved and fool
     proofed.

   * There are several new tools for handling services, defaults, and
     pasteboards.

   * A new X11 only gui backend was written, and the gui was much
     improved (probably an understatement). The X11 backend is the
     default now, until DGS gets improved.


Noteworthy changes in version `0.5.0'
=====================================

   * This is first release which has all of the core GNUstep libraries
     combined into a single package which allows configuring, making,
     and installing of all the core libraries with just a few commands.


