1IDLE History
2============
3
4This file contains the release messages for previous IDLE releases.
5As you read on you go back to the dark ages of IDLE's history.
6
7
8What's New in IDLEfork 0.8.1?
9=============================
10
11*Release date: 22-Jul-2001*
12
13- New tarball released as a result of the 'revitalisation' of the IDLEfork
14  project.
15
16- This release requires python 2.1 or better. Compatibility with earlier
17  versions of python (especially ancient ones like 1.5x) is no longer a
18  priority in IDLEfork development.
19
20- This release is based on a merging of the earlier IDLE fork work with current
21  cvs IDLE (post IDLE version 0.8), with some minor additional coding by Kurt
22  B. Kaiser and Stephen M. Gava.
23
24- This release is basically functional but also contains some known breakages,
25  particularly with running things from the shell window. Also the debugger is
26  not working, but I believe this was the case with the previous IDLE fork
27  release (0.7.1) as well.
28
29- This release is being made now to mark the point at which IDLEfork is
30  launching into a new stage of development.
31
32- IDLEfork CVS will now be branched to enable further development and
33  exploration of the two "execution in a remote process" patches submitted by
34  David Scherer (David's is currently in IDLEfork) and GvR, while stabilisation
35  and development of less heavyweight improvements (like user customisation)
36  can continue on the trunk.
37
38
39What's New in IDLEfork 0.7.1?
40==============================
41
42*Release date: 15-Aug-2000*
43
44- First project tarball released.
45
46- This was the first release of IDLE fork, which at this stage was a
47  combination of IDLE 0.5 and the VPython idle fork, with additional changes
48  coded by David Scherer, Peter Schneider-Kamp and Nicholas Riley.
49
50
51
52IDLEfork 0.7.1 - 29 May 2000
53-----------------------------
54
55   David Scherer  <dscherer@cmu.edu>
56
57- This is a modification of the CVS version of IDLE 0.5, updated as of
58  2000-03-09.  It is alpha software and might be unstable.  If it breaks, you
59  get to keep both pieces.
60
61- If you have problems or suggestions, you should either contact me or post to
62  the list at http://www.python.org/mailman/listinfo/idle-dev (making it clear
63  that you are using this modified version of IDLE).
64
65- Changes:
66
67  - The ExecBinding module, a replacement for ScriptBinding, executes programs
68    in a separate process, piping standard I/O through an RPC mechanism to an
69    OnDemandOutputWindow in IDLE.  It supports executing unnamed programs
70    (through a temporary file).  It does not yet support debugging.
71
72  - When running programs with ExecBinding, tracebacks will be clipped to
73    exclude system modules.  If, however, a system module calls back into the
74    user program, that part of the traceback will be shown.
75
76  - The OnDemandOutputWindow class has been improved.  In particular, it now
77    supports a readline() function used to implement user input, and a
78    scroll_clear() operation which is used to hide the output of a previous run
79    by scrolling it out of the window.
80
81  - Startup behavior has been changed.  By default IDLE starts up with just a
82    blank editor window, rather than an interactive window.  Opening a file in
83    such a blank window replaces the (nonexistent) contents of that window
84    instead of creating another window.  Because of the need to have a
85    well-known port for the ExecBinding protocol, only one copy of IDLE can be
86    running.  Additional invocations use the RPC mechanism to report their
87    command line arguments to the copy already running.
88
89  - The menus have been reorganized.  In particular, the excessively large
90    'edit' menu has been split up into 'edit', 'format', and 'run'.
91
92  - 'Python Documentation' now works on Windows, if the win32api module is
93    present.
94
95  - A few key bindings have been changed: F1 now loads Python Documentation
96    instead of the IDLE help; shift-TAB is now a synonym for unindent.
97
98- New modules:
99
100  ExecBinding.py         Executes program through loader
101  loader.py              Bootstraps user program
102  protocol.py            RPC protocol
103  Remote.py              User-process interpreter
104  spawn.py               OS-specific code to start programs
105
106- Files modified:
107
108  autoindent.py          ( bindings tweaked )
109  bindings.py            ( menus reorganized )
110  config.txt             ( execbinding enabled )
111  editorwindow.py        ( new menus, fixed 'Python Documentation' )
112  filelist.py            ( hook for "open in same window" )
113  formatparagraph.py     ( bindings tweaked )
114  idle.bat               ( removed absolute pathname )
115  idle.pyw               ( weird bug due to import with same name? )
116  iobinding.py           ( open in same window, EOL convention )
117  keydefs.py             ( bindings tweaked )
118  outputwindow.py        ( readline, scroll_clear, etc )
119  pyshell.py             ( changed startup behavior )
120  readme.txt             ( <Recursion on file with id=1234567> )
121
122
123
124IDLE 0.5 - February 2000 - Release Notes
125----------------------------------------
126
127This is an early release of IDLE, my own attempt at a Tkinter-based
128IDE for Python.
129
130(For a more detailed change log, see the file ChangeLog.)
131
132FEATURES
133
134IDLE has the following features:
135
136- coded in 100% pure Python, using the Tkinter GUI toolkit (i.e. Tcl/Tk)
137
138- cross-platform: works on Windows and Unix (on the Mac, there are
139currently problems with Tcl/Tk)
140
141- multi-window text editor with multiple undo, Python colorizing
142and many other features, e.g. smart indent and call tips
143
144- Python shell window (a.k.a. interactive interpreter)
145
146- debugger (not complete, but you can set breakpoints, view  and step)
147
148USAGE
149
150The main program is in the file "idle.py"; on Unix, you should be able
151to run it by typing "./idle.py" to your shell.  On Windows, you can
152run it by double-clicking it; you can use idle.pyw to avoid popping up
153a DOS console.  If you want to pass command line arguments on Windows,
154use the batch file idle.bat.
155
156Command line arguments: files passed on the command line are executed,
157not opened for editing, unless you give the -e command line option.
158Try "./idle.py -h" to see other command line options.
159
160IDLE requires Python 1.5.2, so it is currently only usable with a
161Python 1.5.2 distribution.  (An older version of IDLE is distributed
162with Python 1.5.2; you can drop this version on top of it.)
163
164COPYRIGHT
165
166IDLE is covered by the standard Python copyright notice
167(http://www.python.org/doc/Copyright.html).
168
169
170New in IDLE 0.5 (2/15/2000)
171---------------------------
172
173Tons of stuff, much of it contributed by Tim Peters and Mark Hammond:
174
175- Status bar, displaying current line/column (Moshe Zadka).
176
177- Better stack viewer, using tree widget.  (XXX Only used by Stack
178Viewer menu, not by the debugger.)
179
180- Format paragraph now recognizes Python block comments and reformats
181them correctly (MH)
182
183- New version of pyclbr.py parses top-level functions and understands
184much more of Python's syntax; this is reflected in the class and path
185browsers (TP)
186
187- Much better auto-indent; knows how to indent the insides of
188multi-line statements (TP)
189
190- Call tip window pops up when you type the name of a known function
191followed by an open parenthesis.  Hit ESC or click elsewhere in the
192window to close the tip window (MH)
193
194- Comment out region now inserts ## to make it stand out more (TP)
195
196- New path and class browsers based on a tree widget that looks
197familiar to Windows users
198
199- Reworked script running commands to be more intuitive: I/O now
200always goes to the *Python Shell* window, and raw_input() works
201correctly.  You use F5 to import/reload a module: this adds the module
202name to the __main__ namespace.  You use Control-F5 to run a script:
203this runs the script *in* the __main__ namespace.  The latter also
204sets sys.argv[] to the script name
205
206
207New in IDLE 0.4 (4/7/99)
208------------------------
209
210Most important change: a new menu entry "File -> Path browser", shows
211a 4-column hierarchical browser which lets you browse sys.path,
212directories, modules, and classes.  Yes, it's a superset of the Class
213browser menu entry.  There's also a new internal module,
214MultiScrolledLists.py, which provides the framework for this dialog.
215
216
217New in IDLE 0.3 (2/17/99)
218-------------------------
219
220Most important changes:
221
222- Enabled support for running a module, with or without the debugger.
223Output goes to a new window.  Pressing F5 in a module is effectively a
224reload of that module; Control-F5 loads it under the debugger.
225
226- Re-enable tearing off the Windows menu, and make a torn-off Windows
227menu update itself whenever a window is opened or closed.
228
229- Menu items can now be have a checkbox (when the menu label starts
230with "!"); use this for the Debugger and "Auto-open stack viewer"
231(was: JIT stack viewer) menu items.
232
233- Added a Quit button to the Debugger API.
234
235- The current directory is explicitly inserted into sys.path.
236
237- Fix the debugger (when using Python 1.5.2b2) to use canonical
238filenames for breakpoints, so these actually work.  (There's still a
239lot of work to be done to the management of breakpoints in the
240debugger though.)
241
242- Closing a window that is still colorizing now actually works.
243
244- Allow dragging of the separator between the two list boxes in the
245class browser.
246
247- Bind ESC to "close window" of the debugger, stack viewer and class
248browser.  It removes the selection highlighting in regular text
249windows.  (These are standard Windows conventions.)
250
251
252New in IDLE 0.2 (1/8/99)
253------------------------
254
255Lots of changes; here are the highlights:
256
257General:
258
259- You can now write and configure your own IDLE extension modules; see
260extend.txt.
261
262
263File menu:
264
265The command to open the Python shell window is now in the File menu.
266
267
268Edit menu:
269
270New Find dialog with more options; replace dialog; find in files dialog.
271
272Commands to tabify or untabify a region.
273
274Command to format a paragraph.
275
276
277Debug menu:
278
279JIT (Just-In-Time) stack viewer toggle -- if set, the stack viewer
280automaticall pops up when you get a traceback.
281
282Windows menu:
283
284Zoom height -- make the window full height.
285
286
287Help menu:
288
289The help text now show up in a regular window so you can search and
290even edit it if you like.
291
292
293
294IDLE 0.1 was distributed with the Python 1.5.2b1 release on 12/22/98.
295
296======================================================================
297