Release notes for version 2.03 -- 4/97

• A slew of small bugs are fixed. You can find the complete list at:

  http://www.cse.ogi.edu/~simonpj/ghc-bugs.html
  

  One bug remains un-fixes, namely the crash when there's an empty comment at the end of file. It's wierd!
• Last-minute language changes have been implemented (minor changes to the libraries, and to module export/hiding scope rules)
• It is only available as a source distribution. If you want to use it you'll have to build it from source. Nowadays this is a well-documented process (see the build and installation guide, but note that this release is still not self-booting, you still need to have The Good Old Compiler (0.29) at your disposal).

None of the bugs in GHC 2.02 are show-stoppers, so you'll only want to upgrade if you are a build-from-source junkie and the bugs are irritating you.

Apart from bug-fixes, which are itemized elsewhere, the exact language and standard-library changes are as follows:

• A hiding clause hides the unqualified name, but not the qualified name.
• There's a new `Numeric' library, containing mostly mildly marginal code for showing and reading numbers. Parts of its exports used to be exported by `Prelude', but now you'll have to import them explicitly. It also defines some functions that weren't provided before; have a look in the Haskell library report for details of complete interface.
• The following extra functions are exported from `IO': `try', `bracket', `bracket_', `hGetLine', `hWaitForInput'.

In addition, we've made following changes to GHC libraries/GHC's implementation of the Haskell standard prelude:

• The function `fromRational__', exported from `PrelNum', is now called `fromRat'. (And it's exported by `Numeric'.)
• Documentation for the Glasgow specific interfaces plus the system libraries have been re-instated. Posix library documentation included also.
• `maybe' is now exported from Prelude, as it should have been in 2.02.
• Equality on `IO.Handle' is now defined as specified by the library report.
• `Ix.rangeSize' returns `0' on an empty range;previously it failed.
• The new interface `GlaExts' which is meant to be the gateway to the various Glasgow extensions has now been documented.
• `GlaExts' now exports the representation of `Char'.
• The mutable variable interface, `MutVar', has also been documented, together with `ByteArray', `MutableArray' and `Foreign'.
• Added documentation on how to compile mutually recursive modules with 2.03.