Node:3.8 Generic, Next:3.8 Jasper, Previous:3.8 ISO, Up:3.8 Changes

Generic New Features

• The spmkds and spmkrs tools for creating stand-alone executables have been replaced by a common spld tool, which takes several new options. Runtime systems do not always need a main program in C. Under Windows, the resulting executable can optionally be windowed. The splfr tool takes several new options. The development and runtime kernels have been merged into a single one.
• Partial saved-states corresponding to a set of source files, modules, and predicates can be created by the new built-in predicates save_files/2, save_modules/2, and save_predicates/2 respectively. These predicates create files in a binary format, by default with the prefix .po (for Prolog object file), which can be loaded by load_files/[1,2]. The load_type(Type) option of load_files/2 has been extended. Partial saved-states render .ql files obsolescent.
• The new built-in predicate trimcore/0 reclaims any dead clauses and predicates, defragmentizes Prolog's memory, and attempts to return unused memory to the operating system. It is called automatically at every top level query.
• The value of the new read-only Prolog flag host_type is an atom identifying the platform, such as 'x86-linux-glibc2.1'.
• The functionality of the source_info Prolog flag, introduced in release 3.7, has been extended beyond the Emacs interface. Line number information is now included in error exceptions whenever possible. This information is displayed in debugging and error messages (outside Emacs) or causes Emacs to highlight the culprit line of code. Valid values are off, on, and emacs.
• Predicate indicators can take the form Name/[Arity,...,Arity] in spy/[1,2], nospy/1, listing/1, abolish/1, profile_data/4, profile_reset/1, save_predicates/2, and gauge:view/1.
• The new interface functions SP_chdir() and SP_getcwd() provide access to the current working directory.
• The interface function SP_load() has been generalized to correspond to load_files/1.
• The interface function SP_deinitialize() is now documented.
• Windows: the registry is no longer used by SICStus itself. The SICStus Runtime Library is located based on the location of sprt<xx>.dll. SP_PATH is only used as a last resort. See Windows Notes.
• Source code compilation and installation procedure has been improved and simplified. See README and INSTALL in the source code distribution for documentation.
• The layout of the Gauge graphical user interface has been improved.
• The new library(bdb) provides an interface to the Berkeley DB toolset for persistent storage, and replaces library(db). The programming interface of the new module is similar to that of the old one, with some new concepts added such as iterators. The sources of the old library module are available from:
  

  ftp://ftp.sics.se/archive/sicstus3/libdb.tgz
  

• library(db) is obsolete and will be removed in the next major release.
• Generic runtime systems under Windows are built using spld and exist in three flavors: generic character based (sprt), generic character based interactive (sprti), and generic windowed (sprtw). See Generic Runtime Systems under Windows.
• The manual chapter for library(tcltk) has been rewritten and greatly expanded.
• library(clpq) and library(clpr): new predicates inf/4 and sup/4.
• Code fragments loaded via the Emacs interface are imported into the type-in module, unless the source file has an explicit mode line.
• library(gcla) has been removed.
• initialization/[0,1] have been replaced by ISO compliant initializations.