From: L J Bayuk <ljb220@mindspring.com>
Message-Id: <200402292304.i1TN4HHG003281@mindspring.com>
Subject: pgtclng 1.5.0 Next-generation PostgreSQL Tcl interface released
To: pgsql-interfaces@postgresql.org
Date: Sun, 29 Feb 2004 18:04:17 -0500 (EST)
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pgtcl-ng version 1.5.0 has been released on Gborg and can be found at:
      http://gborg.postgresql.org/project/pgtclng/

pgtcl-ng is a new revision of the PostgreSQL interface for the Tcl scripting
language. It supports all of the core PostgreSQL Libpgtcl commands, extensions
from the Gborg pgtcl project, and new extended commands based on the pure-Tcl
implementation pgintcl. There is a new Reference Manual, and a Windows
binary release.

This is the first release of pgtcl-ng. (The version number is 1.5.0 for
continuity with previous implementations of this interface.) Highlights of
this release are:
  From Gborg pgtcl project:
    1. Stand-alone Tcl Extension Architecture (TEA) build system
    2. New asynchronous query commands
    3. New: Get query results as lists
    4. New: pg_escape_string
  New in Pgtcl-ng:
    5. Completed conversion to use Tcl-8 objects
    6. New: pg_transaction_status, check in-transaction status
    7. New: pg_parameter_status, get server parameter value
    8. New: pg_exec_prepared, execute prepared queries, binary-safe
    9. New: pg_notice_handler, change Notice and Warning handler
   10. New: Get extended error message field values
   11. New: Get extended column attribute information
   12. New: Test query result values for NULL

There are also numerous fixes, include Large Object error handling, and a
rewritten COPY implementation which can now deal with records longer than
4096 bytes. Please note: Many of the new commands should be considered
'experimental' and possibly subject to change.

To build or use this release on Unix-like systems, you need PostgreSQL >= 7.4,
and Tcl >= 8.3.1 (Tcl >= 8.4.4 recommended).  To build this release on
Windows, you need PostgreSQL >= 7.4.1, ActiveState ActiveTcl >= 8.4.5, and
Borland C++ Builder.  To use the binary release for Windows, you need
ActiveState ActiveTcl >= 8.4.5.  Please note: you cannot build pgtcl-ng
with PostgreSQL-7.3.x or older, although once built it may be able to
communicate with an older server version (this is untested).

Currently available for download:

 + pgtcl1.5.0.tar.gz            Source distribution

 + pgtcl1.5.0-win32.zip         Binary distribution for Windows

 + pgtcldocs-*.zip              The new Pgtcl Reference Manual
   You can preview the manual online, for a short time, at:
         http://lbayuk.home.mindspring.com/pgtcldocs/