This release brings compiler support for programming with Objects for encapsulation of state and Functions for notational convenience, improved ISO Standard Compliance, improved handling of dynamic predicates and an integrated example application SMTP Client

Notes:

1. MINERVA 2.4 can execute binary code generated with MINERVA 2.3.
   *.mbc MINERVA binary code of release 2.4 is not compatible to releases of MINERVA 2.3 or older.
2. *.min MINERVA source programs are upward compatible from MINERVA 2.3 with exception of the ISO-Standard related changes (see below) Please recompile to benefit from better compilation.
3. If you are using custom files that access MINERVA libraries, then please update your *.msp and *.mca MINERVA Startup Property and Compressed Archives.
4. Client side MINERVA 2.4 applets execute on Java 1.1 and on Java 1.2. (Caution: Netscape 4.0.4 and earlier do not suffice.)
   Server side MINERVA 2.4 servlets and applications require Java 1.2 , we reommend Java 1.4 .
   Using minmake requires Java 1.2 or jview.

New Functionality:

1. Objects
   

   Object oriented programming is a popular way to define and manipulate special-purpose data types programs that work on them.

   MINERVA supports programming of classes with encapsulation of internal state of objects and access to the objects with methods.

   Benefit is notational compactness and ease-of-use of the resulting programs.

   details at Manual/Reference/Objects

2. Functions
   

   Functions are a well known and frequently used important special case of relations.

   MINERVA supports programming of arithmetic and non-arithmetic functions.

   Benefit is notational compactness and efficiency.

   details at Manual/Reference/Functions

3. Example Application SMTP Client
   

   You plug this internet mail client right into your application.

   details at ExamplePrograms/Applications/SMTP_Client

4. Improved ISO Standard Compliance
   

   Arithmetic:

   ceil: returns integer (former float)
   floor: returns integer (former float)
   ceiling is implemented (equivalent to ceil)
   ** is implemented (equivalent to pow)

   details at Manual/Reference/Predicates/arithm_eval/is

   Compiler:

   minervac accepts the option "-dynamic" This compiles all predicates of the file as dynamic predicates. This possibly decreases performance of the generated code, except if the compiled file mainly contains facts, then performance may even increase.

   A file that was compiled with -dynamic can be unloaded with unload/1.

   unload(+Package)
   

   details at Manual/Reference/Predicates/clause_creat_destruct/unload

   Loaded files that are candidates for unloading with unload/1 can be determined with

   loadad(?Package)
   loaded(?Package,-PredicateList)
   

   details at Manual/Reference/Predicates/clause_creat_destruct/loaded/

   Directives:

   The compiler now recognizes the directives

   :- initialization(Goal). % equivalent to :- init(Goal).
   :- ensure_loaded(File).  % equivalent to :- init(load(File).
   		% load/1 loads a file at most one time.
   :- import(Package).      % shall replace ":- package(Package)."
   

   details at Manual/Reference/Directives/

   Parser:

   In accordance to the standard, the character code of "'" can be denoted by 0''' (former only 0'\')

   Predicates:

   current_predicate/1 is now implemented. In violation of the standard, the predicate does not allow variables in in the argument.

   abolish/1 now conforms to the standard, i.e. calling a predicate after doing abolish/1 on it will raise a undefined_predicate exception.

   retract_all/1 replaces the former function of abolish/1, i.e. all clauses are deleted but the predicate ist still defined as dynamic. A call will return fail, not an exception.

5. kernel improvements
   Several compiler and runtime system improvements.

With this release of MINERVA we discontinue support for previous releases. Please also re-read the Release Notes of previous versions of MINERVA.

We appreciate the valuable comments we received from our users. Thank you!
You have feedback on this release or requests for the next? Please let us know!

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