Greetings Soar users,

Release 0.7 of the Soar Development Environment (SDE) is now available.
Changes since version 0.6:

 * Reorganized menus.  Among other features, there is now a "Settings"
   menu which lets you set the default levels for various commands such
   as print, matches, preferences, etc.

 * Pop-up menu on the right mouse button in SDE-derived buffers gives
   access to common commands on objects.  Simply move the mouse cursor over
   something, click and hold the right mouse button, and let up on the
   command you want to execute.

 * Meta-control mouse bindings eliminated.  Shift-mouse buttons remain.

 * Certain file names are assumed to be top-level load files -- if SDE
   encounters them, it won't prompt you for the path to the top-level load
   file.  This should help cut down on prompting for new tasks.  Currently
   the files in the list are those whose names include the strings
   ".init.soar" and "load.soar".

 * When you start a soar process and SDE notices and prompts you about files
   that are loaded into soar, it will now show you the line with the load
   statement in the soar process buffer and highlight it.  This should make
   it infinitely easier to figure out what the heck SDE is asking for.

 * New handling of errors and the error pop-up window.  Among other things,
   the `C-c 1' binding is gone; `C-c ?' (sde-why) acts as a toggle that will
   alternately show the last error message and make the error message go
   away.  Also, Soar error messages are logged with the same facility as SDE
   errors.

 * In Emacs 19.25, SDE loads rsz-mini, an Emacs extension that helps it
   handle long prompts better.  It will give you two or more lines in the
   minibuffer if necessary to handle long prompts, though you may have to do
   a C-a to make it work when a long file name is first shown.

 * New "About SDE" item in the "Help" menu.
 
 * Compatibility changes for running in Emacs 19.22.

 * Various bug fixes in the handling of task files and the .sde file.

 * (Internal change) Hugely reorganized files.

I haven't had time to update the manuals yet.  The README file remains the
main source of info about some of the major new features in SDE.  Please make
sure to read this file when you pick up SDE, since it currently provides the
only documentation of the new features.  The first time you use SDE 0.7 may
be confusing unless you have read the descriptions in the README file.

This update is only available as a complete package; I regret I don't have
time to create diff files.


OBTAINING AND INSTALLING THE PACKAGE
------------------------------------

SDE is available via AFS as the file

    /afs/cs.cmu.edu/project/soar/public/sde-0.7.tar.Z

It is also available via anonymous ftp from host ftp.eecs.umich.edu in the
directory "outgoing/hucka" and from host centro.soar.cs.cmu.edu in the
directory "/afs/cs.cmu.edu/project/soar/public".  In all cases the file is
named "sde-0.7.tar.Z".  If you would like help with using anonymous ftp, feel
free to send me a message and I will explain the procedure.

To install the system:

1) Find a directory where you wish to install the package.  (At U-M we
   currently put it in ~soar/projects/sde.)  IMPORTANT: if you have installed
   a previous release of SDE, do the following:

   a) Copy the file sde-site.el to a safe location.
   b) Rename your existing SDE directory, or else delete it.

   Next, create the directory where you want to install the new package,
   transfer sde-0.7.tar.Z to your desired directory, cd to that directory,
   and execute the following command:

            zcat sde-0.7.tar.Z | tar xvf -

   If you have a previous sde-site.el file, edit the new sde-site.el file
   that comes with the release of SDE, and merge in any settings from your
   previous sde-site.el file.

2) Execute "make" in that directory.  This will compile the .el files.  If
   GNU emacs at your site is not called "emacs", but something else (e.g.,
   some places use "gmacs"), then compile the .el files using the alternative
   command "make EMACS=xxxx" where "xxxx" is the name of your emacs program.
   Ignore warnings about undefined functions and references to free variables.

3) At U-M, where SDE is installed in ~soar/projects/sde, users can set
   up their Emacs to use SDE by adding the following to their ~/.emacs files:

     (setq load-path (cons (expand-file-name "~soar/projects/sde") load-path))
     (load "sde")

   To use SDE at your site, change the pathname "~soar/projects/sde" to
   correspond to the location of the SDE files at your site.  

4) Once you have SDE installed, please read the on-line manual for
   information about SDE.  You can access the on-line manual by using the
   command `ESC x sde-info' once SDE is loaded into your Emacs.

5) To avoid the proliferation of many copies of SDE, I request that each site
   or group of users agree to have one person act as the local contact for
   maintaining SDE.  Please let me know who this person is at your site, so
   that I can keep you and your maintainer abreast of updates to SDE.


MISCELLANEOUS
-------------

Please report bugs, problems, questions and suggestions.  There is a command
"ESC x sde-feedback" available especially for this purpose in SDE.  I can't
guarantee immediate response but I promise I won't ignore you.  This first
general release is incomplete and has rough edges; please be patient and
above all, convey your feedback.

Michael Hucka (hucka@engin.umich.edu)
