The Cobra Programming Language
Version 0.2.0 Release Notes
2006-11-16
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See also:
    Cobra\ReadMe.text
    Cobra\Docs\License.text
    Cobra\Docs\Introduction.text
    http://CobraLang.com/


This release is a brand new compiler written in Cobra itself--cobra.exe.
It's faster than the old Python one and has several improvements.

In this release:


== Additions ==

* Added new $sharp('...') expression which allows literal C# code to be
  used whereever an expression is expected. This is an escape hatch for
  any deficiencies in Cobra that haven't yet been addressed.

* Added compiler smarts concerning variables that are typed as nilable
  being non-nil when an if-statement proves it. For example, where you
  formerly had to write:

    var _foo as Foo?
    # ...
    if _foo
        .methodThatRequiresNonNilFoo(_foo to Foo)  # <-- typecast to non-nil version

  You can now write:
    if _foo
        .methodThatRequiresNonNilFoo(_foo)

  This also works with "if _foo is not nil" and "if _foo<>nil". It also
  works with argument and local variables.

* Added new -target option with possible values: exe, winexe, lib, module


== Changes and Minor Improvements ==

* The keyword `code` has been renamed to `body`:

    def addSomething(thing as Thing)
        require
            thing.parent is nil
        body
            _things.add(thing)
            thing.parent = nil

* Changed `def construct` to `def init`:

    class Person

        var _name as String

        def init(name as String)
            _name = name

* The Cobra compiler can now report more than one error message at a
  time.


== Fixes ==

* Fixed the if() expression to work with nil:
    name = if(person, person.name, nil)  # inferred type is String?

* Fixed a bug regarding generic methods being recognized as their
  generic parameter type (T) instead of their constructed type (for
  example, String).

* Fixed some miscellaneous, minor bugs.

* Fixed missing error checking on method names.

* Fixed bug where the compiler would not find properties and methods in
  ancestor interfaces.

* Fixed a bug regarding false errors from the compiler that an
  expression of a given interface type could not be used where an
  ancestor interface type was expected.


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