[racket-dev] release notes draft

* Typed Racket is 50% faster when type checking some programs.
   For example: http://bit.ly/1d0Ye4z

Sam

On Mon, Jan 13, 2014 at 1:25 PM, Robby Findler
<robby at eecs.northwestern.edu> wrote:
> I'll wait for an actual new bullet here, if one of Sam/Matthias doesn't mind
> writing it?
>
> Robby
>
>
> On Mon, Jan 13, 2014 at 11:06 AM, Matthias Felleisen <matthias at ccs.neu.edu>
> wrote:
>>
>>
>> Use 'compiler performance'
>>
>> Avoid 'faster' without 'than'
>>
>>
>>
>> On Jan 13, 2014, at 12:05 PM, Sam Tobin-Hochstadt <samth at cs.indiana.edu>
>> wrote:
>>
>> > I don't like the use of "compilation" here, but I'm happy to drop "now".
>> >
>> > Sam
>> >
>> > On Mon, Jan 13, 2014 at 12:02 PM, Matthias Felleisen
>> > <matthias at ccs.neu.edu> wrote:
>> >>
>> >> I would omit 'now' (that's the whole point of a release announcement)
>> >> and I'd avoid the dangling comparison with
>> >>
>> >> the Typed Racket compilation improved by 50% on some typed programs;
>> >> see http:// ...
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> On Jan 13, 2014, at 11:43 AM, Sam Tobin-Hochstadt
>> >> <samth at cs.indiana.edu> wrote:
>> >>
>> >>> Looks good.
>> >>>
>> >>> On Mon, Jan 13, 2014 at 11:40 AM, Robby Findler
>> >>> <robby at eecs.northwestern.edu> wrote:
>> >>>> How about this bullet:
>> >>>>
>> >>>> * Typed Racket is now 50% faster when type checking some programs.
>> >>>>  For example: http://bit.ly/1d0Ye4z
>> >>>>
>> >>>>
>> >>>>
>> >>>> On Mon, Jan 13, 2014 at 9:56 AM, Sam Tobin-Hochstadt
>> >>>> <samth at cs.indiana.edu>
>> >>>> wrote:
>> >>>>>
>> >>>>> The graph is at:
>> >>>>>
>> >>>>>
>> >>>>> http://drdr.racket-lang.org/28051/pkgs/typed-racket-pkgs/typed-racket-test/tests/typed-racket/succeed/new-metrics.rkt
>> >>>>>
>> >>>>> Sam
>> >>>>>
>> >>>>> On Mon, Jan 13, 2014 at 10:39 AM, Robby Findler
>> >>>>> <robby at eecs.northwestern.edu> wrote:
>> >>>>>> Okay, new version below. Thanks!
>> >>>>>>
>> >>>>>> If there is a drdr graph that shows the 50% jump, I'd like to add
>> >>>>>> that
>> >>>>>> pointer into the notes in the bullet you added, eg:
>> >>>>>>
>> >>>>>> * Typed Racket is now 50% faster when type checking some large
>> >>>>>>  programs. See, for example:
>> >>>>>> http://drdr.racket-lang.org/...../bigfile.rkt
>> >>>>>>
>> >>>>>> Robby
>> >>>>>>
>> >>>>>>
>> >>>>>> Racket 5.92 has a new package system, including a catalog of
>> >>>>>> hundreds of already-available packages. Please visit
>> >>>>>>
>> >>>>>> http://pkgs.racket-lang.org/
>> >>>>>>
>> >>>>>> for an overview of the packages.
>> >>>>>>
>> >>>>>> Recent releases included the "beta" versions of the package system.
>> >>>>>> Racket version 6.0 incorporates many improvements suggested by
>> >>>>>> these
>> >>>>>> preliminary experiences:
>> >>>>>>
>> >>>>>> * A package is treated as a single collection by default, so it is
>> >>>>>> even
>> >>>>>>  easier to use a Github repository as a package. Get started
>> >>>>>> quickly:
>> >>>>>>    http://docs.racket-lang.org/pkg/getting-started.html
>> >>>>>>
>> >>>>>> * DrRacket includes a new package manager GUI, available via the
>> >>>>>>  File|Package Manager ... menu item. The GUI is also available
>> >>>>>>  as a stand-alone program via the "gui-pkg-manager" package.
>> >>>>>>
>> >>>>>> * The main Racket distribution has been separated into about 200
>> >>>>>>  packages. The Racket installer combines the core system with
>> >>>>>>  bundled versions of these packages.
>> >>>>>>
>> >>>>>>  Alternatively, you may now install a Minimal Racket distribution
>> >>>>>> ---
>> >>>>>>  which is about 1/10 the size of the main distribution --- and add
>> >>>>>> only
>> >>>>>>  those packages that you need.
>> >>>>>>
>> >>>>>> * Package installation supports pre-built packages that include
>> >>>>>>  compiled byte code and rendered documentation, meaning packages
>> >>>>>> can
>> >>>>>> be
>> >>>>>>  installed quickly when built versions are a available. All
>> >>>>>> packages
>> >>>>>> in
>> >>>>>>  the main distribution are available in pre-built form.
>> >>>>>>
>> >>>>>> Further improvements are in the works, including package
>> >>>>>> documentation
>> >>>>>> on
>> >>>>>> the package-catalog web site.
>> >>>>>>
>> >>>>>> COMPATIBILITY NOTE: PLaneT, the previous Racket package system,
>> >>>>>> will remain in place for the foreseeable future, but we expect
>> >>>>>> all package work to shift to the new system.
>> >>>>>>
>> >>>>>> Beyond the package system, this release brings a number of other
>> >>>>>> changes:
>> >>>>>>
>> >>>>>> * Racket's HTML documentation has a new and improved look, thanks
>> >>>>>> to
>> >>>>>>  Matthew Butterick.
>> >>>>>>
>> >>>>>> * Racket's JIT compiler supports the ARM architecture.
>> >>>>>>
>> >>>>>> * Racket supports the Mac's Retina display mode.
>> >>>>>>
>> >>>>>> * Typed Racket is now 50% faster when type checking some large
>> >>>>>>  programs.
>> >>>>>>
>> >>>>>> * The profiler provides a new mode that uses the errortrace library
>> >>>>>> to
>> >>>>>>  produce fine-grained profiles.
>> >>>>>>
>> >>>>>> * A new contract profiler reports how much time programs spend
>> >>>>>> checking
>> >>>>>>  contracts, and which contracts are most expensive.
>> >>>>>>
>> >>>>>> * The math/flonum library exports fast 105-bit precision
>> >>>>>> operations.
>> >>>>>>
>> >>>>>> * Check Syntax handles generated identifiers, especially those
>> >>>>>>  introduced by struct (e.g. field selectors) and Redex (e.g., e_1,
>> >>>>>> e_2)
>> >>>>>>
>> >>>>>> * 2htdp/batch-io includes functions for dealing with html/xml in
>> >>>>>> files
>> >>>>>> and
>> >>>>>>  web sites as X-expressions plus conveniences for web-based graph
>> >>>>>> traversals.
>> >>>>>>
>> >>>>
>> >>>>
>> >>> _________________________
>> >>> Racket Developers list:
>> >>> http://lists.racket-lang.org/dev
>> >>
>>
>