ANNOUNCE: IDLEfork-0.9b1 Released

[Kurt B. Kaiser]

The IDLEfork 0.9 Beta 1 release is now available for download at:

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

The distribution is available as Windows Installer for Python 2.2 and
2.3, as a Python2 RPM, and in source form as a .tar.gz.

These files install as IDLEfork.  However, there is also an IDLE
.tar.gz, which will replace the existing IDLE in your Python
installation.

Please read the release notes (which include installation instructions)
at Sourceforge for additional details.  Click on Download, then on
IDLEfork-0.9b1 to display them.

0.9 Beta 1 Highlights
=====================

It is now possbile to interrupt tightly looping user code on Windows.

An Autosave configuration selection has been added.  When enabled, user
source code will be saved automatically before each Run/F5.

Shell restart is available from the shell menu and as Ctrl-F6.  Restart
annotation has been improved, as has termination of errant user code
and automatic restart of the shell if the subprocess terminates.

Directory handling improvements: The directory of the module being run
is added to sys.path and also becomes the cwd of the shell, allowing
IDLE to find modules and data in that directory.

Line-ending codes are preserved when editing files.  You can now edit a
Python file on several platforms and the file will retain its original
line endings.

The ability to run without a subprocess has been restored.  This is
useful for platforms which don't support subprocesses and/or sockets.
It's also useful for developing IDLE using IDLE.  Just start with the -n
switch.

If IDLE is not installed (lives in Tools but not in site-packages), it
will run from any directory if called by an absolute path.  This allows
installing multiple versions in different directories for testing.

Many bug fixes and usability enhancements.

Refer to NEWS.txt for further details.


IDLEfork
========

IDLEfork is an official experimental fork of Python's Integrated
DeveLopment Environment, IDLE.  The biggest change 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, complete with the IDLE
debugger.  The magic "reload/import *" incantations are no longer
required when editing/testing a module two or three steps down the
import chain.

It is possible to interrupt tightly looping user code with a control-c,
even on Windows.

There is also a new GUI configuration manager which makes it easy to
select fonts, colors, keybindings, and startup options.  There is new
feature where the user can specify additional help sources, either
locally or on the web.  There is an Autosave option.

IDLEfork will be merged back into the Python distribution in the near
future (probably 2.3), replacing the current version of IDLE.

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 should be posted to the RFE Tracker at

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

There is a mail list for IDLE: idle-dev@python.org.  You can join at

http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/idle-dev


Thanks for trying IDLEfork.