Version 1.2.0.0 (dracula) released

[chuck] version 1.2.0.0 (dracula) released

Dear All,

chuck-1.2.0.0 is released. (Sorry.) This is the "v2" major release.
Additions include arrays, objects and classes, events, and more. A
full list of new and updated features can be found at the end of this
email.

http://chuck.cs.princeton.edu/

We have also put together a draft of a language specification
(finally). It is not complete yet and will be improved as (real) time
is advanced:

http://chuck.cs.princeton.edu/doc/language/

We have been testing this release along the way. However, since this
is the initial release, there is probably a healthy amount of egregious
bugs! Please let us know if you run into anything fishy (email one of
us directly, post to chuck-dev or the newly created chuck-users list).
Same goes for the documentation. Actually, any type of feedback would
be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks to the great people who have contributed ideas, code, and
time to this release! Thanks to everyone for being so patient with
this release.

Development shall continue as we fix the bugs, add new features (and
more bugs).

Please let us know if you run into any problems. HappY ChucKing!

Best,
ChucK Team
(Perry, Ananya, Phil, Adam, Ajay, Ge ...)

---
1.2.0.0
 
   SYNTAX and OPERATORS:
   - (added) +=>, operator : 2 +=> i; (also) -=>, *=>, /=>, %=>
   - (added) @=> for explicit assignment
     this is the only way to make object reference assignments
   - (added) implicit int to float casting
   - (changed) cast now look like: 1.1 $ (int) => int i;
   - (added) function call by chucking :
     // call
     (1,4) => math.rand2f => result;
     // same as
     math.rand2f(1,4) => result;
 
   LANGUAGE:
   - (fixed) type system for existing types
   - (added) forward lookup of classes and functions (mutual recursion)
   - (added) stack overflow detection for massive recursion
 
   DOCUMENTATION:
   - (added) language specification:
         http://chuck.cs.princeton.edu/doc/language
 
   COMMAND-LINE:
   - (added) --probe prints all audio and MIDI devices
   - (added) --log or --verbose logs compiler and virtual machine
   - (added) --logN or --verboseN multi level logging
     1 - least verbose
     10 - most verbose
 
   OBJECTS:
   - (added) 'class' definitions : class X { int i; }
   - (added) 'extends' keyword : class Y extends Event { int i; }
   - (added) virtual/polymorphic inheritance
   - (added) added pre-constructors - code at class level
     gets run when object is instantiated
   - (added) function overloading :
     class X { fun void foo() { }  fun void foo( int y ) { } }
   - (added) base classes (can be extended):
     Object, Event, UGen
     see below
   - (added) base classes (cannot be extended):
     array, string
     see below
   - (added) member data
   - (added) static data
   - (added) member functions
   - (added) static functions
 
   EVENTS:
   - (added) base Event class : Event e;
     can be used directly
     can be extended to custom events
     (see one_event_many_shreds.ck)
   - (added) waiting on event, chuck to now :
     e => now; // wait on e
   - (added) e.signal() wakes up 1 shred, if any
   - (added) e.broadcast() wakes up all shreds waiting on e
   - (added) class MidiEvent (see gomidi2.ck)
     alternative to polling.
   - (added) class OSCEvent
 
   ARRAYS:
   - (added) arrays : int a[10]; float b[20]; Event e[2];
   - (added) multidimensional arrays : int a[2][2][2];
   - (added) associative arrays : int a[10]; 0 => a["foo"];
     all arrays are both int-indexed and associative
   - (added) array initialization : [ 1, 2, 3 ] @=> int a[];
   - (added) .cap() for array capacity
   - (added) .find() test if item is associative array
   - (added) .erase() erase item in associative array
 
   UGENS:
   - (added) class UGen
     can be extended
   - (changed) all ugen parameters are now also functions:
     // set freq
     440 => s.freq => val;
     // same as...
     s.freq( 440 ) => val;
   - (changed) left-most parameters must now be called as functions
     // no longer valid
     f.freq => float val;
     // valid
     f.freq() => float val;
     // still ok
     440 => s.freq => float val;
 
   SHREDS:
   - (added) class Shred
   - (added) .yield() .id()
 
   STRINGS:
   - (added) class string
 
   AUDIO:
   - (added) stereo
     all stereo unit generators have .left, .right, .pan functions
   - (changed) stereo ugen: dac (2 in, 2 out)
   - (changed) stereo ugen: adc (0 in, 2 out)
   - (added) stereo ugen: pan2 take mono or stereo input and pans
   - (added) stereo ugen: mix2 mix stereo input into mono
 

------------------------------------------------

[chuck] spork ~ chuck-users ( new mailing_list + more )

Dear All,

Along with the new release, we have made a new mailing list
(chuck-users), intended for specific questions and discussions about
using chuck. This list (chuck) will (soon) become a moderated,
low-traffic mailing list intended for updates, announcements,
tutorials, and low-bandwidth discussions.

Hopefully the folks that are interested in chuck can remain on (chuck)
without being potentially spammed too much, and those that have
specific questions can fire away on (chuck-users) with a clean
conscience!

Additionally, we have been graciously given permission to abuse an
entity called 'soup kitchen'. It is the state-of-the-art in
anti-social networking. It contains many nice features (all
conversations are by default world-readable, optional email
notification of new replies to topics, and is rather elegant) that may
be to useful as a semi-realtime semi-anonymous forum. The author,
Visnu Pitiyanuvath, will work with us to further enhance the site to
make it more useful and fun.

Links to all the lists and soup kitchen can be found here:

http://chuck.cs.princeton.edu/community.html

Join, if you like. Have fun!

Best,
ChucK Team