[sigc] ANNOUNCE: libsigc++ 1.9.16 (aka libsigc++ 2.0 beta 5)

[Martin Schulze <martin-ml hippogriff de>]

*** libsigc++ 2.0 (beta)

libsigc++ implements a typesafe callback system for standard C++. It
allows you to define signals and to connect those signals to any
callback function, either global or a member function, regardless of
whether it is static or virtual.

libsigc++ is used by gtkmm to wrap the GTK+ signal system. It does not
depend on GTK or gtkmm.

libsigc++ 2.0 uses modern C++ to achieve a highly flexible, yet
typesafe callback system. It supports the all features of libsigc++ 1.2
and improves upon it with a simpler and more powerful API. The old API
is preserved by means of a deprecated compatibility module.

In particular the API improvements from libsigc++ 1.2 to 2.0 include:
* Provides unnumbered signal and slot templates.
* Supports arbitrary functor types.
* Supports implicit argument type conversions on signal emission.
* Adds support for overloaded functions.
* Borrows powerful accumulator interface from boost::signal.
* Simplifies use of adaptors like sigc::hide(): argument types need
not be specified any more (except for sigc::retype_return()).
* More powerful adaptors: position of arguments to hide or bind can
be chosen freely; up to 7 arguments can be bound at a time.
* Adds two useful adaptors: sigc::compose(), sigc::exception_catch().
* Adds all-in-one operator sigc::group() with support for lambdas
featuring a complete set of lambda selectors and lambda operators.
* Performs only one indirect function call during slot invokation
regardless of the number of adaptors used; the direct function
calls involved are inline and can be optimized away by the compiler.
* Conforms to the STL naming scheme: only uses small letters.
(The compatibility module prevents existing code from being broken.)


*** Prerequisits

Compatible compilers must supports the following recent c++ techniques:
* Partial template (function) specialization.
* Explicit template (member) function instantiation.
* Treat void return as normal return.


*** Changes:

1.9.16:

* Fixed compiler warning in sigc::connection
 (Alexander Nedotsukov, Murray Cumming).
* Fixed examples and made them part of the regular build
 (Murray Cumming).
* Added header sigc++config.h for configure time checks
 (Murray Cumming).
* Added configure time checks to determine the correct syntax
 for explicit template method specializations (Murray Cumming).
* Removed code using partial specializations of overloaded template
 methods from test cases. SUN Forte doesn't support this feature
 (Martin Schulze).
* Fixed compilation for gcc 3.4 (Murray Cumming).


*** Download:

libsigc++ is available for download here:
http://libsigc.sourceforge.net/

A reference documentation for libsigc++ 2.0 can be found here:
http://libsigc.sourceforge.net/libsigc2/docs/


*** Known issues:

* This release has only been tested with gcc-3.3/gcc-3.4. It should
at least also compile with:
- gcc >= 3.2
- cygwin (gcc >= 3.2)
- mingw32
- Microsoft Visual Studio .Net 2003
- Sun Forte C++ compiler >= 5.5 (work in progress)
Please report any troubles you encounter with these compilers!
You are also invited to try a compiler that is not listed above.

* When the compatibility module is used with "using namespace SigC",
gcc-3.2 reports conflicts of SigC::slot() with struct sigc::slot.
A fishy work-around has been disabled to support the .Net compiler.

* Most adaptors are not documented, yet.

* Examples for the "API improvements" section must be written and
uploaded to the web site.


Cheers!

 Martin