ORBit-Python 0.3.0 released!

[Jason Tackaberry <tack linux com>]

After several months of heavy hacking and a couple months of lulls and
laziness (we're all entitled), I'm happy to announce the release of
ORBit-Python 0.3.0.

The ORBit-Python site is:

   http://orbit-python.sault.org/

Download the 0.3.0 tarball at:

   http://orbit-python.sault.org/files/orbit-python-0.3.0.tar.gz


0.3.0 brings a lot of additions over the previous release:

  * Much improved compliance with the Python mapping specification:
      - _is_a, _is_equivalent, _hash, _non_existant, _narrow for 
        objrefs (PLMS §1.6)
      - CORBA.ORB_init: arguments optional (PLMS §1.6)
      - avoid collisions with python keywords (PLMS §1.2)
      - map octet sequences onto strings (PLMS §1.3.2)
  * CORBA exceptions overhaul; system exceptions are now raised and
    properly marshalled to the client
  * Object references implemented as class instances (useful for object 
    introspection) 
  * Automagically determines additional necessary DEFINEs for certain
    GNOME IDLs (Bonobo, for example).  (The CORBA._libidl_args hack is
    therefore no longer necessary in most cases.)
  * An API for extension modules.  Bonobo-Python, for example, relies on
    this.
  * A very excellent and comprehensive test suite using PyUnit that
    helps narrow down memory leaks and regressions.  (Hacked and
    beaten into submission by Christian Reis.)
  * All (known) memory leaks fixed!  This was a big obstacle for a lot 
    of people.
  * Started to create a set of examples to demonstrate ORBit-Python.
    Only 3 for now.  Contributions welcome. :)
  *  ... lots and lots of bugs fixed
  *  ... various optimizations
 
Note that ORBit 0.5.7 or later is required, since previous versions of
ORBit contained memory leaks.

My thanks are extended to the ORBit-Python development team for their
testing, coding, and perpetual nag^H^H^Hmotivation on IRC.  Aside from
myself, the team now consists of:

   Johan Dahlin  <zilch.am@home.se>
   Roland Mas  <mas@echo.fr>
   Christian Robottom Reis  <kiko@async.com.br>


Please test out this latest release and report bugs at
http://bugzilla.sault.org/, email me, or catch me on #orbit-python on
irc.openprojects.net.  

Cheers,
Jason.