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diff --git a/docs/markdown/Release-notes-for-0.62.0.md b/docs/markdown/Release-notes-for-0.62.0.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..83cd9b6 --- /dev/null +++ b/docs/markdown/Release-notes-for-0.62.0.md @@ -0,0 +1,409 @@ +--- +title: Release 0.62.0 +short-description: Release notes for 0.62.0 +... + +# New features + +## Bash completion scripts sourced in `meson devenv` + +If bash-completion scripts are being installed and the shell is bash, they will +be automatically sourced. + +## Setup GDB auto-load for `meson devenv` + +When GDB helper scripts (*-gdb.py, *-gdb.gdb, and *-gdb.csm) are installed with +a library name that matches one being built, Meson adds the needed auto-load +commands into `<builddir>/.gdbinit` file. When running gdb from top build +directory, that file is loaded by gdb automatically. + +## Print modified environment variables with `meson devenv --dump` + +With `--dump` option, all envorinment variables that have been modified are +printed instead of starting an interactive shell. It can be used by shell +scripts that wish to setup their environment themself. + +## New `method` and `separator` kwargs on `environment()` and `meson.add_devenv()` + +It simplifies this common pattern: +```meson +env = environment() +env.prepend('FOO', ['a', 'b'], separator: ',') +meson.add_devenv(env) +``` + +becomes one line: +```meson +meson.add_devenv({'FOO': ['a', 'b']}, method: 'prepend', separator: ',') +``` + +or two lines: +```meson +env = environment({'FOO': ['a', 'b']}, method: 'prepend', separator: ',') +meson.add_devenv(env) +``` + +## New custom dependency for libdl + +``` +dependency('dl') +``` + +will now check for the functionality of libdl.so, but first check if it is +provided in the libc (for example in libc on OpenBSD or in musl libc on linux). + +## pkgconfig.generate will now include variables for builtin directories when referenced + +When using the `variables:` family of kwargs to `pkgconfig.generate` to refer +to installed paths, traditionally only `prefix`, `includedir`, and `libdir` +were available by default, and generating a correct (relocatable) pkg-config +file required manually constructing variables for e.g. `datadir`. + +Meson now checks each variable to see if it begins with a reference to a +standard directory, and if so, adds it to the list of directories for which a +builtin variable is created. + +For example, before it was necessary to do this: +```meson +pkgconfig.generate( + name: 'bash-completion', + description: 'programmable completion for the bash shell', + dataonly: true, + variables: { + 'prefix': get_option('prefix'), + 'datadir': join_paths('${prefix}', get_option('datadir')), + 'sysconfdir': join_paths('${prefix}', get_option('sysconfdir')), + + 'compatdir': '${sysconfdir}/bash_completion.d', + 'completionsdir': '${datadir}/bash-completion/completions', + 'helpersdir': '${datadir}/bash-completion/helpers', + }, + install_dir: join_paths(get_option('datadir'), 'pkgconfig'), +) +``` + +Now the first three variables are not needed. + +## New keyword argument `verbose` for tests and benchmarks + +The new keyword argument `verbose` can be used to mark tests and benchmarks +that must always be logged verbosely on the console. This is particularly +useful for long-running tests, or when a single Meson test() is wrapping +an external test harness. + +## CMake support for versions <3.17.0 is deprecated + +Support for CMake versions below 3.17.0 is now deprecated for *both* CMake +dependencies and subprojects. + +## Removal of the RPM module + +Due to lack of interest, lack of maintainership, and lack of a clear purpose, +the RPM module has been removed. + +Users interested in one-shot tools to generate an RPM spec file template for +distro packaging, are encouraged develop an external tool that reads the +introspection data. + +For more details, see https://github.com/mesonbuild/meson/issues/9764 + +## CMake server API support is removed + +Support for the +[deprecated (since CMake 3.15)](https://cmake.org/cmake/help/latest/release/3.15.html#deprecated-and-removed-features) +and now +[removed (since CMake 3.20)](https://cmake.org/cmake/help/latest/release/3.20.html#deprecated-and-removed-features) +CMake server API is dropped from Meson. + +The new CMake minimum version for CMake subprojects is now CMake 3.14. + +## Rust proc-macro crates + +Rust has these handy things called proc-macro crates, which are a bit like a +compiler plugin. We can now support them, simply build a [[shared_library]] with +the `rust_crate_type` set to `proc-macro`. + +```meson +proc = shared_library( + 'proc', + 'proc.rs', + rust_crate_type : 'proc-macro', + install : false, +) + +user = executable('user, 'user.rs', link_with : proc) +``` + +## found programs now have a version method + +The return value of [[find_program]] can now check the exact version of the +found program, independent of the minimum version requirement. This can be used +e.g. to perform different actions depending on the exact version detected. + +## Minimum required Python version updated to 3.7 + +Meson now requires at least Python version 3.7 to run as Python 3.6 reached EOL +on December 2021. In practice this should only affect people developing on +Ubuntu Bionic, who will need to manually install python3.8 from the official +repositories. + + +## Added support for XML translations using itstool + +XML files can now be translated easier by using `itstool` via +`i18n.itstool_join()`. This ensures the XML is translated correctly +based on the defined ITS rules for the specific XML layout. + +## JNI System Dependency Modules + +The JNI system dependency now supports a `modules` keyword argument which is a +list containing any of the following: `jvm`, `awt`. + +```meson +jni_dep = dependency('jni', version: '>= 1.8.0', modules: ['jvm', 'awt']) +``` + +This will add appropriate linker arguments to your target. + +## New unstable wayland module + +This module can search for protocol xml files from the wayland-protocols +package, and generate .c and .h files using wayland-scanner. + +## Experimental command to convert environments to cross files + +Meson has a new command `env2mfile` that can be used to convert +"environment variable based" cross and native compilation environments +to Meson machine files. This is especially convenient for e.g. distro +packagers so they can easily generate unambiguous configuration files +for packge building. + +As an example here's how you would generate a cross file that takes +its settings from the `CC`, `CXX`, `CFLAGS` etc environment variables. + + meson env2mfile --cross --system=baremetal --cpu=armv7 --cpu-family=arm -o armcross.txt + +The command also has support for generating Debian build files using +system introspection: + + meson env2mfile --cross --debarch armhf -o debarmhf_cross.txt + +Note how you don't need to specify any system details, the command +gets them transparently via `dpkg-architecture`. + +Creating a native file is done in the same way: + + meson env2mfile --native -o current_system.txt + +This system will detect if the `_FOR_BUILD` environment variables are +enabled and then uses them as needed. + +With this you should be able to convert any envvar-based cross build +setup to cross and native files and then use those. This means, among +other things, that you can then run your compilations from any shell, +not just the special one that has all the environment variables set. + +As this functionality is still a bit in flux, the specific behaviour +and command line arguments to use are subject to change. Because of +this the main documentation has not yet been updated. + +Please try this for your use cases and report to us if it is working. +Patches to make the autodetection work on other distros and platforms +are also welcome. + +## Added optional '--allow-dirty' flag for the 'dist' command + +An optional `--allow-dirty` flag has been added to the `dist` command. + +Previously, if uncommitted changes were present, Meson would warn about +this but continue with the dist process. It now errors out instead. The +error can be suppressed by using the `--allow-dirty` option. + +## ldconfig is no longer run on install + +Due to various issues of fragility and concern that it doesn't predictably do +the right thing, meson no longer runs ldconfig during `meson install`, and +users who need it run should run it themselves, instead. + +## Added support for Texas Instruments MSP430 and ARM compilers + +Meson now supports the TI [MSP430](https://www.ti.com/tool/MSP-CGT) and +[ARM](https://www.ti.com/tool/ARM-CGT) toolchains. The compiler and linker are +identified as `ti` and `ti-ar`, respectively. To maintain backwards +compatibility with existing build definitions, the [C2000 +toolchain](https://www.ti.com/tool/C2000-CGT) is still identified as `c2000` and +`ar2000`. + +## cmake.configure_package_config_file can now take a dict + +The `configuration` kwarg of the `configure_package_config_file()` function +from the `cmake` module can now take a dict object, just like the regular +`configure_file()` function. + +## Deprecated `java.generate_native_header()` in favor of the new `java.generate_native_headers()` + +`java.generate_native_header()` was only useful for the most basic of +situations. It didn't take into account that in order to generate native +headers, you had to have all the referenced Java files. It also didn't take +into account inner classes. Do not use this function from `0.62.0` onward. + +`java.generate_native_headers()` has been added as a replacement which should account for the previous function's shortcomings. + +```java +// Outer.java + +package com.mesonbuild; + +public class Outer { + private static native void outer(); + + public static class Inner { + private static native void inner(); + } +} +``` + +With the above file, an invocation would look like the following: + +```meson +java = import('java') + +native_headers = java.generate_native_headers( + 'Outer.java', + package: 'com.mesonbuild', + classes: ['Outer', 'Outer.Inner'] +) +``` + +## New option to choose python installation environment + +It is now possible to specify `-Dpython.install_env` and choose how python modules are installed. + +- `venv`: assume that a virtualenv is active and install to that +- `system`: install to the global site-packages of the selected interpreter + (the one that the venv module calls --system-site-packages) +- `prefix`: preserve existing behavior +- `auto`: autodetect whether to use venv or system + +## JDK System Dependency Renamed from `jdk` to `jni` + +The JDK system dependency is useful for creating native Java modules using the +JNI. Since the purpose is to find the JNI, it has been decided that a better +name is in fact "jni". Use of `dependency('jdk')` should be replaced with +`dependency('jni')`. + +## i18n.merge_file no longer arbitrarily leaves your project half-built + +The i18n module partially accounts for builds with NLS disabled, by disabling +gettext compiled translation catalogs if it cannot build them. Due to +implementation details, this also disabled important data files created via +merge_file, leading to important desktop files etc. not being installed. + +This overreaction has been fixed. It is no longer possible to have NLS-disabled +builds which break the project by not installing important files which have +nothing to do with NLS (other than including some). + +If you were depending on not having the Gettext tools installed and +successfully mis-building your project, you may need to make your project +actually work with NLS disabled, for example by providing some version of your +files which is still installed even when merge_file cannot be run. + +## All directory options now support paths outside of prefix + +Previously, Meson only allowed most directory options to be relative to prefix. +This restriction has been now lifted, bringing us in line with Autotools and +CMake. It is also useful for platforms like Nix, which install projects into +multiple independent prefixes. + +As a consequence, `get_option` might return absolute paths for any +directory option, if a directory outside of prefix is passed. This +is technically a backwards incompatible change but its effect +should be minimal, thanks to widespread use of `join_paths`/ +`/` operator and pkg-config generator module. + +## `meson install --strip` + +It is now possible to strip targets using `meson install --strip` even if +`-Dstrip=true` option was not set during configuration. This allows doing +stripped and not stripped installations without reconfiguring the build. + +## Support for ARM Ltd. Clang toolchain + +Support for the `armltdclang` compiler has been added. This differs from the +existing `armclang` toolchain in that it is a fork of Clang by ARM Ltd. and +supports native compilation. The Keil `armclang` toolchain only supports +cross-compilation to embedded devices. + +## structured_sources() + +A new function, `structured_sources()` has been added. This function allows +languages like Rust which depend on the filesystem layout at compile time to mix +generated and static sources. + +```meson +executable( + 'main', + structured_sources( + 'main.rs, + {'mod' : generated_mod_rs}, + ) +) +``` + +Meson will then at build time copy the files into the build directory (if +necessary), so that the desired file structure is laid out, and compile that. In +this case: + +``` +root/ + main.rs + mod/ + mod.rs +``` + +## New custom dependency for OpenSSL + +Detecting an OpenSSL installation in a cross-platform manner can be +complicated. Officially, pkg-config is supported by upstream. Unofficially, +cmake includes a FindOpenSSL using a different name and which requires +specifying modules. + +Meson will now allow the pkg-config name to work in all cases using the following lookup order: +- prefer pkg-config if at all possible +- attempt to probe the system for the standard library naming, and retrieve the version from the headers +- if all else fails, check if cmake can find it + +## D features in `declare_dependency` + +`declare_dependency`accepts parameters for D specific features. +Accepted new parameters are `d_module_features` and `d_import_dirs`. + +This can be useful to propagate conditional compilation versions. E.g.: + +```meson +my_lua_dep = declare_dependency( + # ... + d_module_features: ['LUA_53'], + d_import_dirs: include_directories('my_lua_folder'), +) +``` + +## arch_independent kwarg in cmake.write_basic_package_version_file + +The `write_basic_package_version_file()` function from the `cmake` module +now supports an `arch_independent` kwarg, so that architecture checks in +the generated Package Version file are skipped, reproducing the behaviour of +CMake's [ARCH_INDEPENDENT](https://cmake.org/cmake/help/latest/module/CMakePackageConfigHelpers.html#command:write_basic_package_version_file) +option. + +## `dataonly` Pkgconfig Default Install Path + +The default install path for `dataonly` pkgconfig files has changed from +`${libdir}/pkgconfig` to `${datadir}/pkgconfig`. + +## JAR default install dir + +The previous default for `jar()` was `libdir`. With this release, it has been +changed to `datadir/java`. Please open an issue if this is not a sane default +for your system. + |