Changes since zsh version 4.2.0
-------------------------------
- The autoload and related builtins take options -k and -z to indicate
ksh or zsh autoloading style for given functions, making it possible
to mix and match.
- Assignments to associative arrays can use the i and r index flags.
For example,
assoc[(i)alpha*]=bravo
sets the value for the element whose key matches the pattern `alpha*';
assoc[(r)activ*]=passive
sets the value for the element whose current value matches the pattern
`activ*'.
- The glob qualifier F indicates a non-empty directory. Hence *(F)
indicates all subdirectories with entries, *(/^F) means all
subdirectories with no entries.
- fc -p and fc -P provide push/pop for the status of the shell's
history (both internal and using the history file). With automatic
scoping (fc -ap) it becomes easy to use a temporary history in a
function. This has been added to the calculator function zcalc to make
its internal history work more seamlessly.
- A new `try block' and `always block' syntax has been introduced
to make it easier to ensure the shell runs important tidy-up code
in the event of an error. It also runs after a break, continue, or
return, including a return forced by the ERR_RETURN option
(but not an exit, which is immediate). The syntax is:
`{' try-block-list `}' `always' `{' always-block-list `}'
where no newline or semicolon may appear between `}' and `always'.
This is compatible with all previous valid zsh syntax as an `always'
at that point used to be a syntax error. For example,
{ echo Code run in current shell } always { echo Tidy-up code }
- A new zle widget reset-prompt has been added to re-expand the current
prompt. Changes to the variable in use as well as changes in its
expanions are both taken into account. The same effect is now forced by
a job change notification, making the %j prompt escape and %(j..) ternary
expression more useful.
- The zftp module supports ports following the hostname in the normal suffix
notation, `host:port'. This requires IPv6 colon-style addresses to be
specified in suitably quoted square brackets, for example:
zftp open '[f000::baaa]'
zftp open '[f000::baaa]:ftp'
(the two are equivalent).
- Special traps, those that don't correspond to signals, i.e. ZERR, DEBUG
and EXIT are no longer executed inside other traps. This caused
unnecessary confusion if, for example, both DEBUG and EXIT traps
were set. The new behaviour is more compatible with other shells.
- New option TRAPS_ASYNC which if set allows traps to run while the
shell is waiting for a child process. This is the traditional zsh
behaviour; POSIX requires the option to be unset. In sh/ksh
compatibility mode the option is turned off by default and the option
letter -T turns it on, for compatibility with FreeBSD sh.
Patch provided by Geoff C. Wing in PR 24918
ok'd by uebayasi@
New features between zsh versions 4.0 and 4.2
Configuration:
* upgraded to use autoconf post-2.50
* improved compatibility with other shells through shell options, builtin
arguments and improved builtin option parsing
Syntax and builtins:
* new printf builtin
* `+=' to append to parameters which works for scalars, arrays and (with
pairs) associative arrays.
* enhanced multiple parameter `for' loops: for key value in key1 value1 key2
value2 ... maintaining full compatibility with POSIX syntax.
* Suffix aliases allow the shell to run a command on a file by suffix, e.g
`alias -s ps=gv' makes `foo.ps' execute `gv foo.ps'. Supplied function
zsh-mime-setup uses existing mailcap and mime.types files to set up suitable
aliases. Supplied function pick-web-browser is suitable for finding a browser
to show .html etc. files by suffix alias.
* new option `no_case_glob' for case-insensitive globbing.
Add-on modules and functions:
* zsh/datetime modules makes date formatting and seconds since EPOCH available
inside the shell.
* zsh/net/tcp module provides builtin interface to TCP through ztcp builtin.
Function suite for interactive and script use with expect-style pattern
matching.
* zsh/net/socket module provides zsocket builtin.
* zcalc calculator function with full line editing.
* builtin interface to pcre library
* zsh/zselect module provides zselect builtin as interface to select system call
Completion system:
* general improvements to command and context support, low-level functions,
display code.
* in verbose mode, matches with the same description are grouped
* highly configurable completions for values of specific parameters, specific
redirections for specific commands
* support for bash completion functions (typically zsh native functions are more
powerful where available)
* New completions provided for (some of these may be in later 4.0 releases):
valgrind, tidy, texinfo, infocmp, Java classes, larch, limit, locale
parameters, netcat, mysqldiff, mt, lsof, elinks, ant, debchange (dch), email
addresses, file system types, Perforce, xsltproc. Plus many others.
Line editor:
* special parameters $PREDISPLAY, $POSTDISPLAY available in function widgets
to configure uneditable text (for narrowing)
* recursive editing
* supplied widgets read-from-minibuffer, replace-string use these features
(more intuitive prompting and argument reading than 4.0)
* access to killed text via $CUTBUFFER and $killring
* supplied highly configurable word widgets forward-word-match etc., can set
what constitutes a word interactively or in startup script (implement
bash-style behaviour, replacing previous bash-* word widgets)
* interface to incremental search via $LASTSEARCH
* better handling of keymaps in zle and widgets
* better support for output from user-defined widgets while zle is active
* tetris game which runs entirely in zle
* several other contributed widgets
Local internal improvements:
* disowned jobs are automatically restarted
* \u and \U print escapes for Unicode
* read -d allows a custom line ending.
* read -t .
* line numbers in error messages and $PS4 output are more consistent
* `=prog' expands only paths, no longer aliases for consistency
* job display in prompts; `jobs' command output can be piped
* prompts: new $RPROMPT2, %^, %j, %y, enhanced %{, %}, %_.
* rand48() function in zsh/mathfunc for better randomness in arithmetic
(if the corresponding math library function is present)
* $SECONDS parameter can be made floating point via `typeset -F SECONDS'
for better timing accuracy
* improvements to command line history mechanism
* job table is dynamically sized, preventing overflow (typically seen
previously in complex completions).
* many bugfixes
