[Announce] IDLEfork 0.9a2 Release

[Kurt B. Kaiser]

The IDLEfork 0.9 Alpha 2 release is now available for download at:

	http://sourceforge.net/projects/idlefork/

The distribution is available as a Windows Installer, as a Python2 RPM, 
and in source form as a .tar.gz.

Please read the release notes (which include installation instructions)
at Sourceforge for additional details.


0.9 Alpha 2 Highlights
======================

The shell is now annotated to indicate a restart, and can be restarted
from the Shell window.  There is a new Shell menu.

Expanded Additional Help feature: Can now use a web URL and browse for
local help files.  Help sources have been moved to the main Help menu.

Exceptions under debugger control now show the correct traceback.

Fixed class and path browsers to work with Python 2.3.

Multiple bug fixes and usability enhancements, see the Changes section
of the SF release docs.


IDLEfork
========

IDLEfork is an official experimental branch of Python's Integrated
DeveLopment Environment, IDLE.

The biggest change in IDLEfork is to execute Python code in a separate
process, which is /restarted/ for each Run (F5) initiated from an editor
window.  This enhancement of IDLE has often been requested, and is now
finally available.  The magic "reload/import *" incantations are no
longer required when editing/testing a module two or three steps down
the import chain.

The IDLE Debugger has been extended to support the new design, and its
operation will be familiar to those who have used it previously.  The
breakpoint feature has been enhanced, and breakpoints are now persistent
across IDLE sessions.  When a module is open in an Edit window, its
breakpoints are active.

There is also a new GUI configuration manager which makes it easy to
select fonts, colors, keybindings, and startup options.

IDLEfork will be merged back into the Python distribution in the near
future (probably at 2.3), replacing the current version of IDLE.  For
this reason we are interested in getting as much testing time as
possible before the merge.

As David Scherer aptly put it in the original IDLEfork README, "It is
alpha software and might be unstable. If it breaks, you get to keep both
pieces."

If you find bugs let us know about them by using the IDLEfork Bug
Tracker.  See the IDLEfork home page at

http://idlefork.sourceforge.net

for details.  Patches are always appreciated at the IDLEfork Patch
Tracker, and Change Requests at the RFE Tracker at

https://sourceforge.net/tracker/?group_id=9579&atid=359579

Thanks for trying IDLEfork.