I'm happy to announce the release of version 3.10.0 of Objective Caml
(the "ascension day" release).

The main novelties in this release include:

* Instance variables in classes can be declared virtual and
  implemented in subclasses. Syntax is val virtual v : t.

* Printing of stack backtraces on uncaught exceptions, previously
  available only for bytecode-compiled programs, is now supported for
  native-code programs as well. (Supported on Intel/AMD and PPC, in 32
  and 64 bits).

* New ports: MacOS X, PowerPC, 64 bits; Microsoft Windows 64 bits
  (x64) using the Microsoft PSDK toolchain; Microsoft Windows 32 bits
  using the Visual Studio 2005 toolchain.

* The Camlp4 preprocessor was partially reimplemented and offers a
  new, more modular API for syntax extensions. (Users of third-party
  syntax extensions may wish to stay with OCaml 3.09 until these
  extensions are ported to the new API.)

* A new experimental tool, ocamlbuild: a compilation manager that
  automates the building of OCaml applications and libraries.

A more detailed list of changes is appended.

Sources, documentation and Windows binary distributions are available
from the usual place:

     http://caml.inria.fr/ocaml/release.html

MacOS X binaries are not yet available.

Enjoy,

- Xavier Leroy

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Objective Caml 3.10.0:
----------------------

(Changes that can break existing programs are marked with a "*"  )

Language features:
- Added virtual instance variables in classes "val virtual v : t"
* Changed the behaviour of instance variable overriding; the new
  definition replaces the old one, rather than creating a new
  variable.

New tools:
- ocamlbuild: compilation manager for OCaml applications and libraries.
  See draft documentation at http://gallium.inria.fr/~pouillar/
* Camlp4: heavily revised implementation, new API.

New ports:
- MacOS X PowerPC 64 bits.
- MS Windows 64 bits (x64) using the Microsoft PSDK toolchain.
- MS Windows 32 bits using the Visual Studio 2005 toolchain.

Compilers:
- Faster type-checking of functor applications.
- Referencing an interface compiled with -rectypes from a module
    not compiled with -rectypes is now an error.
- Revised the "fragile matching" warning.

Native-code compiler:
- Print a stack backtrace on an uncaught exception.
  (Compile and link with ocamlopt -g; execute with OCAMLRUNPARAM=b.)
  Supported on Intel/AMD in 32 and 64 bits, PPC in 32 and 64 bits.
- Stack overflow detection on MS Windows 32 bits (courtesy O. Andrieu).
- Stack overflow detection on MacOS X PPC and Intel.
- Intel/AMD 64 bits: generate position-independent code by default.
- Fixed bug involving -for-pack and missing .cmx files (PR#4124).
- Fixed bug causing duplication of literals  (PR#4152).

Run-time system:
- C/Caml interface functions take "char const *" arguments
  instead of "char *" when appropriate.
- Faster string comparisons (fast case if strings are ==).

Standard library:
- Refined typing of format strings (type format6).
- Printf, Format: new function ifprintf that consumes its arguments
    and prints nothing (useful to print conditionally).
- Scanf:
    new function format_from_string to convert a string to a format string;
    new %r conversion to accomodate user defined scanners.
- Filename: improved Win32 implementation of Filename.quote.
- List: List.nth now tail-recursive.
- Sys: added Sys.is_directory.  Some functions (e.g. Sys.command) that
    could incorrectly raise Sys_io_blocked now raise Sys_error as intended.

Other libraries:
- Bigarray: mmap_file takes an optional argument specifying
    the start position of the data in the mapped file.
- Dynlink: now defines only two modules, Dynlink and Dynlinkaux (internal),
    reducing risks of name conflicts with user modules.
- Labltk under Win32: now uses Tcl/Tk 8.4 instead of 8.3 by default.
- VM threads: improved performance of I/O operations (less polling).
- Unix: new function Unix.isatty.
- Unix emulation under Win32:
    fixed incorrect error reporting in several functions (PR#4097);
    better handling of channels opened on sockets (PR#4098);
    fixed GC bug in Unix.system (PR#4112).

Documentation generator (OCamldoc):
- correctly handle '?' in value names (PR#4215)
- new option -hide-warnings not to print ocamldoc warnings

Lexer generator (ocamllex): improved error reporting.

License: fixed a typo in the "special exception" to the LGPL.