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	doc/manual/writing-nix-expressions.xml

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+<chapter xmlns="http://docbook.org/ns/docbook"
+      xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"
+      xmlns:xi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XInclude"
+      version="5.0"
+      xml:id="ch-relnotes-0.9">
+
+<title>Release 0.9 (September 16, 2005)</title>
+
+<para>NOTE: this version of Nix uses Berkeley DB 4.3 instead of 4.2.
+The database is upgraded automatically, but you should be careful not
+to use old versions of Nix that still use Berkeley DB 4.2.  In
+particular, if you use a Nix installed through Nix, you should run
+
+<screen>
+$ nix-store --clear-substitutes</screen>
+
+first.</para>
+
+
+<itemizedlist>
+
+  <listitem><para>Unpacking of patch sequences is much faster now
+  since we no longer do redundant unpacking and repacking of
+  intermediate paths.</para></listitem>
+
+  <listitem><para>Nix now uses Berkeley DB 4.3.</para></listitem>
+
+  <listitem><para>The <function>derivation</function> primitive is
+  lazier.  Attributes of dependent derivations can mutually refer to
+  each other (as long as there are no data dependencies on the
+  <varname>outPath</varname> and <varname>drvPath</varname> attributes
+  computed by <function>derivation</function>).</para>
+
+  <para>For example, the expression <literal>derivation
+  attrs</literal> now evaluates to (essentially)
+
+  <programlisting>
+attrs // {
+  type = "derivation";
+  outPath = derivation! attrs;
+  drvPath = derivation! attrs;
+}</programlisting>
+
+  where <function>derivation!</function> is a primop that does the
+  actual derivation instantiation (i.e., it does what
+  <function>derivation</function> used to do).  The advantage is that
+  it allows commands such as <command>nix-env -qa</command> and
+  <command>nix-env -i</command> to be much faster since they no longer
+  need to instantiate all derivations, just the
+  <varname>name</varname> attribute.</para>
+
+  <para>Also, it allows derivations to cyclically reference each
+  other, for example,
+
+  <programlisting>
+webServer = derivation {
+  ...
+  hostName = "svn.cs.uu.nl";
+  services = [svnService];
+};
+&#x20;
+svnService = derivation {
+  ...
+  hostName = webServer.hostName;
+};</programlisting>
+
+  Previously, this would yield a black hole (infinite recursion).</para>
+
+  </listitem>
+
+  <listitem><para><command>nix-build</command> now defaults to using
+  <filename>./default.nix</filename> if no Nix expression is
+  specified.</para></listitem>
+
+  <listitem><para><command>nix-instantiate</command>, when applied to
+  a Nix expression that evaluates to a function, will call the
+  function automatically if all its arguments have
+  defaults.</para></listitem>
+
+  <listitem><para>Nix now uses libtool to build dynamic libraries.
+  This reduces the size of executables.</para></listitem>
+
+  <listitem><para>A new list concatenation operator
+  <literal>++</literal>.  For example, <literal>[1 2 3] ++ [4 5
+  6]</literal> evaluates to <literal>[1 2 3 4 5
+  6]</literal>.</para></listitem>
+
+  <listitem><para>Some currently undocumented primops to support
+  low-level build management using Nix (i.e., using Nix as a Make
+  replacement).  See the commit messages for <literal>r3578</literal>
+  and <literal>r3580</literal>.</para></listitem>
+
+  <listitem><para>Various bug fixes and performance
+  improvements.</para></listitem>
+
+</itemizedlist>
+
+</chapter>
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