Changes between Version 8 and Version 9 of ReleaseNotes/Trunk

Timestamp:

08/26/10 11:13:14 (3 years ago)

Author:

gb

Comment:

--

ReleaseNotes/Trunk

@@ -6 +6 @@
 ----
 
-CL:RANDOM uses a better random number generator (r13327).  When calling (make-random-state t),
-the lisp will initialize the random state object by reading /dev/random if it is available (r13333).  Windows ports
-use a quasi-documented library function to do a similar thing (r13334).
+== Background processes in the Cocoa IDE ==
 
+As of r12416 in the trunk, CCL supports "background listener processes" in the IDE.
+
+{{{
+(gui:background-process-run-function name thunk)
+}}}
+
+executes the 0-argument function THUNK in a lisp process named NAME with the standard stream variables effectively bound to a stream which references a listener window (with associated Hemlock buffer and infrastructure.)  The window is invisible (it's actually created on demand) unless/until an I/O operation is performed on this stream.
+
+When the process is runing, the window's close button (and CMD-W/the Close menu item) hides the window but doesn't deallocate its resources or kill the process; subsequent I/O operations to the stream cause the window to become visible again.
+
+If a background listener window is visible when the associated process exits, it stays visible (so that its contents can be saved - via "Save To ..." - or otherwise manipulated.)
+
+
+When the window is visible and the process is in a break loop, they behave like other listener windows/processes: the backtrace and restarts dialogs can be used, and the listener window/process can be used to evaluate selections from editor windows when the listener window is the frontmost listener window.