[racket-dev] release notes draft

From: Matthias Felleisen (matthias at ccs.neu.edu)
Date: Mon Jan 13 13:33:03 EST 2014

faster than what? 


On Jan 13, 2014, at 1:32 PM, Sam Tobin-Hochstadt <samth at cs.indiana.edu> wrote:

> * 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
>>>>> 
>>> 
>> 



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