DrScheme v200alpha1 available

[steck@ccs.neu.edu (Paul Steckler)]

An alpha release of DrScheme v200 is available now from 

  http://download.plt-scheme.org/

THIS IS AN ALPHA RELEASE.  v200alpha1 is incompatible with v103 
in many ways:  The teaching languages are slightly different; 
the stepper is not ready; and DrScheme has not been tested 
as thoroughly.  Teachers and students using DrScheme in 
coursework should wait for the final 200 release, which will 
occur close to a new semester.  Others should upgrade with 
caution.

For those who can upgrade, however, v200alpha1 is likely to 
work significantly better than 103.  On the surface, DrScheme 
looks much as it did in version 103, but it tends to load 
programs faster, provide better error messages, and adapt 
more easily to new variants of Scheme.  Below the surface, 
v200 is organized around a new module system that simplifies 
many tasks, such as managing multi-file programs, developing 
syntactic extensions, compiling with mzc, and building 
stand-alone executables.

Associated PLT software packages, such as MysterX and 
SrPersist, will have alpha v200 releases within the next 
few weeks.

The improvements include: 

 - DrScheme now provides a fully-compliant R5RS language, 
    including hygienic macros.

 - New languages can be added to DrScheme easily.  See 
    the Tools manual for details.

 - The PLT Scheme language includes a new namespace-managing 
    `module' form (which complements the component-defining 
    `unit' form).

 - TeachPacks now support macro definitions (v103 TeachPacks 
    are not compatible with v200 DrScheme, however).

 - A Web server provides support for developing fast, interactive 
    servlets

 - DrScheme's GUI interface supports French, Spanish, and 
    German, as well as English

 - The space used for the Definitions and Interactions
    windows in DrScheme is interactively resizable.

 - Dorai Sitaram's Teach Youself Scheme in Fixnum Days is 
    included in the DrScheme documentation.

 - An online version checker makes sure the installed versions 
    of DrScheme and other packages are up-to-date.

DrScheme v200alpha1 is available for

 - Sparc Solaris 8
 - Linux (tar.gz and RPM formats)
 - Windows (95/98/Me/NT/2000/XP)

Please note that DrScheme v200alpha1 is not currently available 
for any Macintosh platform.  MzScheme v200alpha1 is available 
for Mac OS X only.

Enjoy!

-- Paul Steckler