Hello
Here is the latest Caml Weekly News, for the week of May 14 to 21, 2013.
Archive: https://sympa.inria.fr/sympa/arc/caml-list/2013-05/msg00079.html
Richard Jones announced:
bitstring is a library for manipulating bitstrings, binary file
formats, protocols, etc from OCaml.
http://code.google.com/p/bitstring/
The list of changes is here:
http://code.google.com/p/bitstring/source/list
Archive: https://sympa.inria.fr/sympa/arc/caml-list/2013-05/msg00081.html
Continuing this thread from last week, Florent Monnier asked and Francois Berenger announced:
> I would enjoy to see your library.
It's in OPAM now under the name vector3.
Archive: https://sympa.inria.fr/sympa/arc/caml-list/2013-05/msg00085.html
Chet Murthy asked and François Boisson replied:
> Does anybody know whatever happened to concurrent caml-light? Anybody
> have any idea if the Doligez-Gonthier-Leroy GC was ever implemented in
> another system?
Yes, Camllight is on 0.82-3 version. I tried to maintain it.
You can find debian and ubuntu package on
deb http://boisson.homeip.net/depot wheezy divers
(change wheezy with squeeze, quantal, precise, raring and so on)
and source on
* cvs of INRIA
* deb-src http://boisson.homeip.net/ ./
* https://github.com/FBoisson/Camllight
Xavier Leroy also replied:
> Anybody have any idea if the Doligez-Gonthier-Leroy GC was ever
> implemented in another system?
Yes, for Java, at IBM Haifa (of all places):
Tamar Domani, Elliot K. Kolodner, Ethan Lewis, Eliot E. Salant, Katherine
Barabash, Itai Lahan, Yossi Levanoni, Erez Petrank, Igor Yanover: Implementing
an On-the-Fly Garbage Collector for Java. ISMM 2000: 155-166
http://doi.acm.org/10.1145/362422.362484
later extended with generations:
Tamar Domani, Elliot K. Kolodner, Erez Petrank: A generational on-the-fly
garbage collector for Java. PLDI 2000: 274-284
http://doi.acm.org/10.1145/349299.349336
Archive: https://sympa.inria.fr/sympa/arc/caml-list/2013-05/msg00096.html
Deep in this thread, Francois Berenger said and Florent Monnier added:
> By the way, I just saw in OPAM that there are bindings
> to cairo, which looks quite nice for 2D vector graphics.
There's even "Caboodle" a mini-puzzle game that uses it,
which is very simple but interesting as an example of what we can do with it.
For Mageia Linux users, just install it with:
$ su - -c "urpmi caboodle"
$ caboodle
If you don't have any package for your distro, you may want to get our
patches from:
http://svnweb.mageia.org/packages/cauldron/caboodle/current/
before to compile it.
Or more minimalist examples on Rosetta:
http://rosettacode.org/wiki/Category:Ocaml-cairo
For 2D accelerated graphics, you may also appreciate SFML 2.0,
there are 2 usable bindings: ocaml-sfml and ocsfml.
Both are good for the 2.0 version of SFML that was just released
several days ago.
Archive: https://sympa.inria.fr/sympa/arc/caml-list/2013-05/msg00102.html
Jeremie Dimino announced:
I am pleased to announce the 109.23.00 release of the Core suite.
The following packages were upgraded:
- async_parallel
- core
- core_extended
- jenga
async_parallel is a new library. It is for running tasks in other
processes on a cluster of machines. A detailed description is
included in the API documentation:
https://ocaml.janestreet.com/ocaml-core/109.23.00/doc/parallel/Std.html
Files and documentation for this release are available on our website
and all packages are in opam:
https://ocaml.janestreet.com/ocaml-core/109.14.00/individual/
https://ocaml.janestreet.com/ocaml-core/109.14.00/doc/
Here are the changelogs for versions 109.15.00 to 109.23.00:
# 109.15.00
## async_extra
- In `Rpc.client` and `Rpc.with_client`, allowed the client to
implement the rpcs.
Added a new optional argument: `?implementations:_ Client_implementations.t`.
- Added new module `Versioned_rpc.Both_convert` to allow the caller
and callee to independently upgrade to a new rpc.
This is a new flavor of `Versioned_rpc` in which both sides do some
type coercions.
## async_unix
- The `epoll`-based scheduler now supports sub-millisecond timeouts,
using `Linux_ext.Timerfd`.
Async still uses the `select`-based scheduler by default. We plan
to switch the default to `epoll` in a few weeks, once we have done
more testing.
- Eliminated module `Work_group`, which was for limiting the number of
threads used by jobs.
This was a little-used module that significantly complicated the
implementation of the Async thread pool.
One should consider using a `Throttle` instead.
Along the way, fixed a bug in Async helper threads in which the
finalizer could fire too early, causing an unhandled exception. The
fix involves relaxing the requirements on when
`Thread_pool.finished_with_helper_thread` functions can be called,
allowing it to be called while the helper thread still has work, but
so long as no future work will be added.
## core
- Changed the tolerance of `Time.Robustly_compare` functions from
`1E-7` to `1E-6`.
- Fixed the names of some toplevel pretty-printers, which referred to
nonexistent modules.
Fix some of the `pp`'s for Core which are used to install printers
in the top-level. Some of the toplevel printers refer to
non-existent modules like `Core.Nativeint.pp`; this feature changed
to the correct name, like `Core.Std.Nativeint.pp`.
- Added to module `Unix` functionality for getting and setting flags
in the open-file-descriptor table.
```ocaml
module Open_flags : sig type t include Flags.S with type t :` t ... end
val fcntl_getfl : File_descr.t -> Open_flags.t
val fcntl_setfl : File_descr.t -> Open_flags.t -> unit
```
- Added module `Linux_ext.Timerfd`.
This allows one to create a file descriptor that can be monitored by
`epoll` or `select` and notify them at a certain time. It makes it
possible to use `epoll` with sub-millisecond timeouts.
- Added `Version_util.application_specific_fields`, which allows
custom build-time information to be included in an executable.
## zero
This is a new library with general data structures like `Core` but
that emphasizes performance over usability.
- Added module `Pool`.
This is an implementation of a heap-block allocator that provides
the API of a set of tuples. The point is to allocate a single
long-lived block of memory (the pool) that lives in the OCaml major
heap, and then to reuse the block, rather than continually
allocating blocks on the minor heap, and then promoting them to the
major heap.
# 109.17.00
## async_extra
- Added an option to `Async.Log.Rotation` to include the date in
logfile names.
This is mostly for archiving purposes.
- Made `Versioned_rpc.Callee_converts.Pipe_rpc.implement_multi` agree
with `Rpc.Pipe_rpc.implement` on the type of pipe rpc
implementations.
- Improved the performance of `Versioned_typed_tcp`.
Avoided creating deferreds while reading the incoming messages.
## core
- Fixed `Random.self_init`, which was broken since 109.00.00 with the
upgrade to OCaml 4.0
The fix changed the type signature expressed in `core_random.ml` of
the standard OCaml `caml_sys_random_seed` C function from `unit ->
int` from `unit -> int array`. That C function changed between
OCaml 3.12 and 4.0.
- Moved module `Core_extended.Unix.Cidr` into `Core.Unix`.
- Wrapped `Unix.wordexp` into an `Or_error.t` to handle systems that
does not implement it in the libc.
- Fixed two other printer names
- Added `Array.int_blit` and `Array.float_blit`, which are specialized
fast blits for `int array` and `float array`.
For motivation underlying this change and other design alternatives
please see Section 3 "Fast, Slow and Incorrect Array blits" of
http://janestreet.github.com/ocaml-perf-notes.html
- Added `Unpack_buffer.Unpack_one.sexp` for parsing sexps using the
`Unpack_buffer` interface.
## zero
- Fixed `Obj_array.blit` to safely handle overlapping blits.
# 109.18.00
## async_unix
- added `Async.Unix.fcntl_{get,set}fl`.
Made `Reader` and `Writer` detect if they are passed a file
descriptor with incorrect permissions (`O_WRONLY` for `Reader`,
`O_RDONLY` for `Writer`).
## core
- changed implementation of `Array.sort` to use introsort.
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Introsort.
- tweaked a unit test in `Core.Flags` to not print a message to
stderr.
## pa_ounit
- a number of improvements to `inline_tests_runner`, including a
`-verbose` flag.
1. Made pa_ounit errors more readable.
2. Added `-verbose` flag.
3. Made the `-only-test` locations compatible with those displayed
by the `-verbose` flag.
4. Renamed `-display` as `-show-counts` to avoid confusion with
`-verbose`.
5. Improved errors when parsing the command line.
6. Updated the readme.
7. Added a `-list-test-names` which shows what tests would be run,
if this option was not given.
# 109.19.00
## async_extra
- Added function `Versioned_typed_tcp.Client.flushed : t ->
[ `Flushed | `Pending of Time.t Deferred.t ]`.
This exposes whether the underlying `Writer.t` has been flushed.
## async_unix
- Reworked a number of `Reader` functions to improve performance by
avoiding deferreds.
This is a followup to the `Reader` improvements in 109.14, and
eliminates some last vestiges of performance degradation that had
been introduced in 109.04.
- Added function `Reader.lseek : t -> int64 -> mode:[< `Set | `End] ->
int64 Deferred.t`.
`lseek t offset ~mode` clears `t`'s buffer and calls `Unix.lseek` on
`t`'s file descriptor.
- Added function `Writer.bytes_received : t -> int`.
- Added function `Unix.mkfifo : ?perm:file_perm -> string -> unit
Deferred.t`, which was mistakenly missing.
This is a simple wrapper around `Core.Unix.mkfifo`.
## core
- Changed `Time.to_string` and `Time.sexp_of_t` to include the
timezone.
This is an incompatible change with very old programs in which
`Time.of_string` and `Time.t_of_sexp` did not support the timezone.
If you have programs that are:
* very old and do Time string/sexp handling
* rely on reading in time values without using `Time.of_string` and
`Time.t_of_sexp`.
* rely on chains of writing/reading/writing times across machines
and timezones where the time is always intended to be taken as the
local time on the currently reading machine
you should recompile/review your code to make sure you won't have
issues.
- Added function `List.remove_consecutive_duplicates : 'a t ->
equal:('a -> 'a -> bool) -> 'a t`.
This returns the input list with consecutive duplicates removed, and
doesn't change the order of the remaining elements.
- Added module `User_and_group`, which is a pair of a unix username
and primary unix group.
The string/sexp converters follow the usual unix convention of
`<user>:<group>`.
- Added function `Date.first_strictly_after : t -> on:Weekday.t -> t`.
`first_strictly_after t ~on:day_of_week` returns the first
occurrence of `day_of_week` strictly after `t`.
- Added functor `Type_equal.Lift`.
It is always safe to conclude that if type `a` equals `b`, then type
`a X.t` equals `b X.t`, for any type `X.t`. The OCaml type checker
uses this fact when it can. However, sometimes, e.g. when using
`Type_equal.conv`, one needs to explicitly use this fact to
construct an appropriate `Type_equal.t`. The `Type_equal.Lift*`
functors do this.
```ocaml
module Type_equal : sig
type ('a, 'b) t
...
module Lift (X : T1) : sig
val lift : ('a, 'b) t -> ('a X.t, 'b X.t) t
end
end
```
## fieldslib
- Made `with fields` generate the same functions in the `Fields` and
`Fields_of_*` modules whether the type is called `t` or not.
## zero
- Removed a performance test from `Pool` that was nondeterministically
failing.
# 109.20.00
## async_core
- Added the ability for a `Throttle` to have resources that are
exclusively available to running jobs.
## async_unix
- Set `close-on-exec` for both ends of the pipe used to wake up the scheduler.
## core
- Wrapped `Unix.wordexp` in an `Or_error.t` since it is not available
on all systems.
- Added function `Process_env.parse_ssh_client`.
This gets the address from which you're currently ssh'd in.
- Added to `Unix` module the ability to get and set
`IP_MULTICAST_LOOP` and `IP_MULTICAST_TTL`.
- Exposed module `Core.Std.Ref`, which was previously only available
via `Core.Ref`.
- Remove `Mutex.am_holding_mutex` and changed the type of `Mutex.try_lock`.
With NPTL it is impossible to determine which thread is holding the
lock. So, `Mutex.am_holding_mutex` is unimplementable. Also,
`Mutex.try_lock` was incorrect because it claimed to raise if one was
attempting to recursively lock. Since it's not possible to
distinguish between recursive locking and the lock being held by
another thread, we changed the type to make this clear:
```ocaml
val try_lock : t -> [ `Already_held_by_me_or_other | `Acquired ]
```
- Removed our custom version of the OCaml runtime's `core_sys_open` function.
There used to be a bug in the OCaml runtime, PR#5069, in which
`open_{in,out}_gen` could block while holding the OCaml lock, because
they made a call to `fcntl` outside the blocking section. We had our
own C code with the bug fix and re-exposed the fixed versions of the
functions in `Core`.
The bug in OCaml has been fixed, so we have removed our patched
function from `Core`.
- In `unix_stubs.c`, switched from using `FNM_FILE_NAME` to `FNM_PATHNAME`.
The GNU project introduced FNM_FILE_NAME as a non-portable synonym for
FNM_PATHNAME.
We were using pre-processor macros to define FNM_FILE_NAME as
FNM_PATHNAME if unavailable, but it is simpler to just use the more
portable FNM_PATHNAME everywhere.
## ocaml_plugin
- Removed a test that (rarely) failed nondeterministically.
## sexplib
- Renamed converter generated by `with sexp` for polymorphic variants
so it is hidden from the toplevel.
`of_sexp` created a value named `<type>_of_sexp__` to handle
polymorphic variants. To hide it from the toplevel, we renamed it as
`__<type>_of_sexp__`. We kept the `__` suffix to avoid any confusion
with a type named `__<type>`.
## type_conv
- Removed some warnings caused by generated signatures.
1. In signatures on local modules.
2. When there are duplicate signature items like in this example:
```ocaml
module Warnings : sig
type t = private { foo : int } with fields (** used to say
unused value foo *)
val foo : string
end = struct
type t = { foo : int } with fields
let foo = "a"
end
```
3. In the signatures of all the parameters of functors that take multiple
parameters; this used to work only for the last parameter.
## zero
- Added module `Timing_wheel`, a new priority-queue implementation
specialized for sets of time-based alarms.
# 109.21.00
## async_unix
- Added `Unix.remove`.
## core
- Massively improved the signatures of `Map` and `Set`, both for
readability and ocamldoc, as well as improved type error messages.
For instance the type of `Int.Set.singleton` was:
```ocaml
('a, 'comparator, 'a Core.Std.Int.Set.elt_ -> ('a, 'comparator)
Core.Std.Int.Set.t_) Core.Core_set_intf.without_comparator
```
Now it is simply:
```ocaml
int -> Int.Set.t
```
- Added an optional argument to `Command.run` that can be used to
specify default flags from a user config file.
The optional argument can extend the command line based on the path
to the command.
- Rename module `Weekday` as `Day_of_week`.
The name `Weekday` conflicted with ordinary usage of "weekday" to
mean Monday through Friday.
- Changed `sexp_of_t` for `{Month,Ofday,Time,Time.Span}.{Set,Map}` to
use the nice sexp format of the underlying atomic type.
Previously, the converter had used thes raw type (`float`, `int`,
etc.). `t_of_sexp` still accepts both formats; we will remove the
ability to accept the raw format in the distant future.
This output-format change was planned when we originally in 108.06b
improved those `t_of_sexp` functions to accept both formats.
- Added `Unix.remove`.
- Removed some `IFDEF`'s connected to OCaml <4 support.
## zero
- Added module `Flat_tuple_array` for tuples packed into an array.
- Added function `Pool.length : _ t -> int`, which returns the number
of live tuples in a pool.
# 109.23.00
## core
- Exposed `Core.Std.Flags` module.
- Made the `Heap` module implement `Container.S1`.
- Added module `Ref.Permissioned`, which is a ref with `read_only` /
`read_write` access control.
- Exposed the unique id in `Type_equal.Id`.
This allows, e.g. hash tables indexed by unique ids.
- Removed the use of `Obj.magic` from the implementation of
`Type_equal.Id.same`.
It is not needed because the `Id.t` contains a `Uid.t` and we can
just use `Uid.equal`.
Thanks to Alp Mestan, we now include in the Caml Weekly News the links to the
recent posts from the ocamlcore planet blog at http://planet.ocaml.org/.
The road to a developer preview at OSCON 2013:
http://ocaml.org/
Zarith 1.2 released:
https://forge.ocamlcore.org/forum/forum.php?forum_id=877
If you happen to miss a CWN, you can send me a message and I'll mail it to you, or go take a look at the archive or the RSS feed of the archives.
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