Hi Chris,

    the block once mechanism depends on an unimplemented compiler
optimization (that blocks without reference to their outer environment are
created at compile-time) and so we can't announce this until the compiler
work has been done.  Cog performance is much more variable than "roughly
3x".  Teleplace saw a 3x improvement in frame rate (i.e. an improvement of
3x in a real application).  Benchmarks vary much more widely (from < 1x to
5x, with some people claiming 10x for specifics) so perhaps "significant
performance increases" is better.


On Fri, Dec 24, 2010 at 3:32 PM, Chris Muller <asqueaker at gmail.com> wrote:

> After reviewing every new package version since 4.1, I came up with
> the following for release notes for 4.2.  There were, literally,
> dozens of little enhancements, fixes and performance improvements
> which I simply decided to summarize under:
>
>  "- Many enhancements, fixes, documentation and performance
> improvements to the class-library and IDE tools."
>
> The remaining items either weren't an enhancment, fix, doc of perf, or
> otherwise seemed worth mentioning individually.
>
> I've put as much time as I can afford into this one, but it could use
> your help in touching these up.  Please add any _major_ (not minor,
> please) items I may have missed.  Please improve wording of items that
> need it; for example: "- Finalization enhancements.".
>
> Please make final changes on the wiki page:
>
>    http://wiki.squeak.org/squeak/6160
>
> rather than replying here, since that would leave the updates
> fragmented among multiple e-mails.
>
> What we end up with on the wiki page is what we will use for the release.
>
> Thanks you!
>  Chris
>
>
> Squeak 4.2 Release Notes
>
> - Compatible with the new Cog VM which provides roughly a 3X,
> across-the-board, performance improvement.
> - Compatible with signature Squeak packages.
> - Many enhancements, fixes, documentation and performance improvements
> to the class-library and IDE tools.
> - Improved package-dependencies.
> - A new number parser allows greater flexibility in the expression of
> numbers.
> - Finalization enhancements.
> - Support for caching of block computations, without need for the
> developer to declare a variable.  ^[time-consuming computation] once
> - An interface to the operating system stdio.
> - Stricter Rectangles assert screen coordinate orientation.  Empty
> Rectangles no longer #intersect: anything.
> - A tidier image and code-base.  Introduced a cleanUp protocol,
> removed the last direct users of CrLfFileStream, j3 support,
> SyntaxError, and more.  Various packages and fonts can now be
> unloaded, if a smaller image is desired.
> - Replaced the last of the underscore assignments with ANSI assignments.
> - A refactoring and unification of Smalltalk and SmalltalkImage globals.
> - Support for translucent fonts.
> - Squeak's internal timer clock has been improved from millisecond to
> microsecond level precision.
> - Many enhancements to the internal text editor.
> - Added an efficient window-resizing gesture, allowing Squeak windows
> to be quickly and easily manipulated.
> - A new HelpSystem and Help menu guide new users.
> - Restored support for MVC projects.
> - SUnit tests now may timeout.
> - Improved Squeak's command-line interface to properly support
> relative-path qualification to the input script.
>
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://lists.squeakfoundation.org/pipermail/squeak-dev/attachments/20101224/4d1ec12a/attachment.htm