base

# base This is the repository of `base`, a metapackage containing the bare minimum to create [Clean][] applications. It contains: - [`base-clm`](https://gitlab.com/clean-and-itasks/base/clm) - [`base-code-generator`](https://gitlab.com/clean-and-itasks/base/code-generator) - [`base-compiler`](https://gitlab.com/clean-and-itasks/base/compiler) - [`base-lib`](https://gitlab.com/clean-and-itasks/base/lib) - [`base-linker`](https://gitlab.com/clean-and-itasks/base/linker) (Windows only) - [`base-rts`](https://gitlab.com/clean-and-itasks/base/rts) - [`base-stdenv`](https://gitlab.com/clean-and-itasks/base/stdenv) ## Versioning in base These are some notes on how `base` and its subpackages are versioned. `base` uses semantic versioning from the Clean programmer's perspective. This is somewhat tricky for a metapackage: - A major update indicates backwards incompatible changes. This typically means that code that previously worked may not work any more, i.e., that there is a backwards incompatible change in syntax. - The patch version is updated when the dependencies must be updated but do not contain user-facing backwards incompatible changes. - `base` has dependencies with `^` constraints (the first non-zero version part must remain the same). Concretely this means that if `base` 1.1.0 depends on `base-compiler: ^2.0`, the same version of `base` may use different versions of the compiler, which may have different features (if they were added in different minor versions of `base-compiler`). - For this reason, there are no minor updates of `base` for most new features. If you depend on certain new features, add an extra dependency to your project, e.g. `base: ^1.0` and `base-compiler: >=2.2`. We do not have a real use for minor updates of `base` itself. - When a new feature is backwards compatible but significantly restricts the allowed dependencies, a minor update of `base` can be useful. This was done for 2.1, which added `{ :}` array support. This feature required the latest versions of various `base-*` packages. Using a minor release allows future changes to be backported onto 2.0.x if needed. The underlying packages use semantic versioning from the build tool's perspective. For instance, the `base-compiler` major version number is updated when ABC code changes in a backwards-incompatible manner (e.g., added or changed instructions, but not removed instructions). The minor version would be updated for new syntax; the patch version for bug fixes and performance improvements. ### Example: adding a new ABC instruction - The code generator needs a minor update to support the new instruction. This is minor because it adds functionality in a backwards-compatible manner; all previously valid ABC code will remain valid. - The compiler needs a major update to add the instruction. This is major because it changes the (implicit) ABC specification in a backwards-incompatible manner; projects like the ABC interpreter depend on this. - `base` itself needs a patch update to allow the new compiler version. This version should also specify the earliest code generator version which can be used with the new compiler. For `base`, this is just a patch update (and not minor/major), because from the programmer's perspective nothing has changed. ## Maintainer This project is maintained by [Camil Staps][]. [Camil Staps]: https://camilstaps.nl [Clean]: https://clean-lang.org

# Changelog ### v2.1.0 - Feature: add support for `{ :}` array types. - Enhancement: several enhancements due to updating to `base-compiler` v3. ## v2.0 - Change: include `base-lib` package which has many name conflicts with `clean-platform` and cannot be used together. #### v1.0.1 - Enhancement: reduce memory usage of unboxed arrays of basic types. ## v1.0 First tagged version.