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GPC News
********

GPC's new or changed features since the last (non alpha/beta) GPC
release are listed here. Items without further description refer to new
routines, variables or options.

Features implemented for compatibility to other compilers are marked
with, e.g., `(B)' for BP compatibility or `(D)' for Delphi
compatibility.

A few old and obsolete features have been dropped or replaced by
cleaner, more flexible or otherwise more useful ones. This might lead
to minor problems with old programs, but we suppose they're rare and
easy to overcome. They are marked with `(@)'.

   * the utilities `gpidump' and `binobj' are installed with GPC (B)

   * new options `-W[no-]identifier-case',
     `-W[no-]identifier-case-local' (fjf751*.pas)

   * new compiler directive `$R foo', equivalent to `$L foo.resource'
     (B)

   * dropped `--[no-]borland-char-constants' (now simply coupled to
     dialect options) (@)

   * test suite: support progress messages (`TEST_RUN_FLAGS=-p' from
     the Makefile; `-p' in testgpc); see
     `http://fjf.gnu.de/misc/progress-messages.tar.gz'

   * `=' and `<>' comparisons of structures (arrays, records, ...)
     except strings and sets are forbidden now (@)

   * irrelevant operands and arguments (e.g.: `foo in []'; `bar * []';
     `Im (baz)' if `baz' is of real type) are not necessarily evaluated
     anymore (which is allowed by the standard); instead, a warning is
     given if they have side-effects (@)

   * accept only one program, unit, module interface or implementation
     or a module interface and the implementation of the same module in
     one file; new options `--[no-]ignore-garbage-after-dot'
     (fjf735*.pas) (@)

   * new options `-W[no-]implicit-io' (fjf734*.pas)

   * new options `--enable-keyword', `--disable-keyword' (fjf733*.pas)

   * `CBoolean' (fjf727.pas)

   * dropped the usage of `GetMem' as a function with one parameter
     (only the BP compatible usage as a procedure with two parameters
     remains) (@)

   * accessing the variable `FileMode' now requires using the `GPC'
     (or, for BP compatibility, the `System') unit (@)

   * `DupHandle'

   * dropped the predefined dialect symbols `__CLASSIC_PASCAL__',
     `__STANDARD_PASCAL__', `__EXTENDED_PASCAL__', `__OBJECT_PASCAL__',
     `__UCSD_PASCAL__', `__BORLAND_PASCAL__', `__DELPHI__',
     `__PASCAL_SC__' and `__GNU_PASCAL__' (one can use `{$ifopt
     borland-pascal}' etc. instead) (@)

   * `Succ', `Pred', `Inc', `Dec' for real numbers (fjf714*.pas)

   * use environment variables `GPC_UNIT_PATH', `GPC_OBJECT_PATH'

   * new options `-W[no-]float-equal'

   * new option `--ucsd-pascal'

   * dropped the syntax `type foo = procedure (Integer, Real)' (i.e.,
     without parameter names) (@)

   * CRT: new argument `On' to `CRTSavePreviousScreen'

   * `SetUserID', `SetGroupID'

   * `HeapChecking'

   * new built-in procedure `Assert'; new switches `--[no]-assert'
     (also `{$C+}', `{$C-}' for Delphi compatibility) (fjf665*.pas) (D)

   * `ProcessGroup'

   * StringUtils: `QuoteEnum'

   * `CurrentFunctionName' (fjf752.pas)

   * TFDD: new unit

   * gpc-run: new options `-e FILE' and `-E FILE' (redirect/append
     standard error)

Have fun,

The GNU Pascal Development Team

