Below is the second draft of the release announcement items for
v5.3. Let me know if I've missed something.
* Submodules are nested module declarations that can be loaded and
run independently from the enclosing module. For an overview of
submodules, see
http://blog.racket-lang.org/2012/06/submodules.html
* The futures visualizer is a graphical profiling tool for parallel
programs using futures. The tool shows a detailed execution
timeline depicting the migration of futures between threads, and
gives detailed information about each runtime synchronization that
occurred during program execution. In addition, `would-be-future'
is a special type of future that always executes sequentially and
records all potential barricades a regular future would encounter.
* Optimization Coach (formerly Performance Report) reports information
about Racket's inlining optimizations. Optimization Coach can be
launched in any language through the View menu.
* The API for fast floating-point bitmaps (flomaps) supports image
processing operations, including pointwise arithmetic, gradients,
blur, resizing with correct downsampling, arbitrary spatial
transformations, and pict-like combiners.
* A new `json' library (derived from Dave Herman's PLaneT library) for
parsing and generating JSON comes with the distribution.
* `racket/string' is extended with string manipulation functions that
avoid some basic regexp tweaks. `regexp-match*' and friends come with
new keyword arguments to return specific matched group/s and gaps.
* The new `racket/generic' library allows generic function definitions,
which dispatch to methods added to a structure type via the new
`#:methods' keyword.
* The `class' form supports declaring a method abstract. An abstract
method prevents a class from being instantiated unless it is
overridden.
* The contract library comes with support for interfaces, generics,
prompts, continuation-marks, and structs.
* Most error messages use a new multi-line format that is more
consistent with contract errors and accommodates more information.
* Typed Racket supports function definitions with keyword arguments;
the startup time of Typed Racket programs has been sharply reduced.
* A new `ffi/com' library replaces MysterX; a compatibility
`mysterx' library remains, but without ActiveX support. The new
`ffi/unsafe/com' library offers a more primitive and direct way to
use COM classes and methods.
* There is now a very complete completion code for zsh. It is not
included in the distribution though, get it at: http://goo.gl/DU8JK
(This script and the bash completions will be included in the
standard installers in future versions.)
* The `tex2page' and `combinator-parser' libraries have been moved
from the Racket distribution to PLaneT.
=== DEPRECATION ==========================================
The following have been deprecated and will be removed in the
January 2013 release:
- the `planet' command-line tool. Use `raco planet' instead.
The following have been deprecated and will be removed in the
August 2013 release:
- the `mzlib/class100' library. Use `racket/class' instead.
- the `define-contract-struct' form. Use `struct' with `struct/dc'
contracts instead.
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