Today we release 1.0 alpha 4, now available from Sourceforge and ftp.4suite.org. 4Suite is a comprehensive platform for XML and RDF processing, with base libraries and a server framework. It is implemented in Python and C, and provides Python and XSLT APIs, Web and command line interfaces. For general information, see: http://4suite.org http://uche.ogbuji.net/tech/4Suite/ http://uche.ogbuji.net/tech/akara/nodes/2003-01-01/4suite-section For the files, see: ftp://ftp.4suite.org/pub/4Suite/ Sources: ftp://ftp.4suite.org/pub/4Suite/4Suite-1.0a4.tar.gz Windows installer: ftp://ftp.4suite.org/pub/4Suite/4Suite-1.0a4.win32-py2.2.exe ftp://ftp.4suite.org/pub/4Suite/4Suite-1.0a4.win32-py2.3.exe ftp://ftp.4suite.org/pub/4Suite/4Suite-1.0a4.win32-py2.4.exe Windows zip: ftp://ftp.4suite.org/pub/4Suite/4Suite-1.0a4.zip You can also get the files on Sourceforge: https://sourceforge.net/projects/foursuite/ https://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=39954 Documentation: In the locations specified above, with filenames of the form 4Suite-docs-1.0a4.* Highlights of changes -- This release has been extremely an long time in coming, and a great number of changes have come about. I'll try my best to summarize: * Python 2.2.1 is now the minimum required version * Feature enhancements for the domlettes, including - Ability to control encoding for parse - Ability to parse from general entities (i.e. multiple root elements) - .xpath() convenience method on nodes * Feature enhancements for the repository, including - MySQL driver - Flat File driver is no longer flat (now uses native directories) - Repository / Driver API restructured - ftss: URI scheme used throughout * Feature enhancements for Versa, including - Versa functions to control query scoping * Pruning of built-in XPath and XSLT extensions for consistency with EXSLT * Other API changes (mostly just name changes or adding optional functionality). Old names work, but are deprecated and trigger warnings * cDomlette is stable and FtMiniDom is deprecated. * Improvements to packaging and deployment * Numerous performance enhancements * Numerous bug fixes IMPORTANT alpha release notes -- If you have built a 4Suite repository using an older version of 4Suite, you will probably have to make adjustments for this new release. If you used 0.12.0a3, or a more recent version, then you will have to follow the migration instructions detailed in the following message: http://lists.fourthought.com/pipermail/4suite/2004-October/012933.html In general, it's worth being familiar with the following document: http://uche.ogbuji.net/tech/akara/nodes/2003-01-01/backup There have been on and off problems for Mac OS X users. Please see the following page for current status, notes and recommendations: http://uche.ogbuji.net/tech/akara/nodes/2003-01-01/osx Installation locations have changed on both Windows and Unix. See the current installation directory layout document at: http://4suite.org/docs/installation-locations.xhtml If there is a server config files at the default location for the build and platform (e.g. /usr/local/lib/4Suite/4ss.conf by default on UNIX), it will be renamed to 4ss.conf.old and then overwritten. For insulation from Domlette implementation changes, developers should always use the generic Ft.Xml.Domlette APIs (rather than, say Ft.Xml.cDomlette). -- Uche Ogbuji Fourthought, Inc. http://uche.ogbuji.net http://4Suite.org http://fourthought.com A hands-on introduction to ISO Schematron - http://www-106.ibm.com/developerworks/edu/x-dw-xschematron-i.html Schematron abstract patterns - http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/xml/library/x-stron.html Wrestling HTML (using Python) - http://www.xml.com/pub/a/2004/09/08/pyxml.html XML's growing pains - http://www.adtmag.com/article.asp?id=10196 XMLOpen and more XML Hacks - http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/xml/library/x-think27.html A survey of XML standards - http://www-106.ibm.com/developerworks/xml/library/x-stand4/