Re: PCL releases

[Gregor.pa@Xerox.COM]

    Date: Fri, 29 Jul 88 11:43:53 CDT
    From: Kerry Kimbrough <Kimbrough@dsg.csc.ti.com>

    I've been working with the 7/7 version. But now, although I've received no
    notice that a newer PCL is available, I've seen references to the 7/20 version.

    Can I get a clarification of the PCL release policy? What is the most recent
    version? What future versions are currently planned? Is there a regular schedule
    of releases? What's the best way to stay up-to-date? What's the plan for coming
    into full CLOS conformance?

    What I'm trying to do is distribute a public-domain CLOS-based system with the
    necessary patches so that it will work for those users for whom PCL is the house
    CLOS.  I'd prefer to target the most recent and most stable version of PCL.  I'd
    prefer not to develop my own patches for CLOS conformance if these are already
    planned.  I'd prefer to minimize the risk of conflicts between my patches and
    those that are posted to the net in the future.  And, naturally, I'd prefer to
    ship ASAP. 

Currently, we are in a fairly active phase of PCL development.  The goal
is to bring PCL into conformance with chapter 1 and 2 of the CLOS spec,
and to implement the metaobject protocol we are writing up for chapter
3.  

I would expect that in the next month or so there will be quite a few
releases of PCL.  My hope is that these will happen about once a week.
Each of these releases will be different in only a small number of ways
from the previous release.  This is part of our continuing plan to ease
users along the path to full CLOS.

The best way to stay up to date is to get new versions of PCL whenever
they are announced.  Sometimes versions are announced as being beta-test
versions.  For some people, it makes sense to wait until non beta-test
version is announced.  The current version is 7/20/88.  I expect there
will be a new version in a couple of days which will include all the
changes to 7/20 that have been mailed out.  This version will be a
"normal" release, that is it will not be a beta-test version.

Without knowing more about exactly which aspects of full CLOS you are
depending on, I can't advise you more about how to organize your CLOS
conformance patches.  If you let me know about this, I may be able to
help you, or even adjust the priority of things we are working on here.
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