Path: usenet.cise.ufl.edu!usenet.ufl.edu!zeno.fit.edu!newsfeed.mco.bellsouth.net!newsfeed.atl.bellsouth.net!newsfeed.nyu.edu!news.idt.net!newsfeed.internetmci.com!199.0.154.208!ais.net!uunet!in3.uu.net!news.neta.com!not-for-mail From: Steffen Beyer Newsgroups: comp.lang.perl.announce,comp.lang.perl.modules Subject: ANNOUNCE: Bit::Vector 5.3 Followup-To: comp.lang.perl.modules Date: 14 May 1998 15:04:57 GMT Organization: Internet Access Inc., Chandler Arizona Lines: 120 Approved: merlyn@stonehenge.com (comp.lang.perl.announce) Message-ID: <6jf16p$jcu$1@news.neta.com> Reply-To: sb@engelschall.com (Steffen Beyer) NNTP-Posting-Host: gadget.cscaper.com X-Disclaimer: The "Approved" header verifies header information for article transmission and does not imply approval of content. Xref: usenet.cise.ufl.edu comp.lang.perl.announce:61 comp.lang.perl.modules:1650 I am pleased to announce version 5.3 of the "Bit::Vector" module: The package is available for download either from my web site at http://www.engelschall.com/u/sb/download/ or from any CPAN (= "Comprehensive Perl Archive Network") mirror server: (allow a few days for propagation if necessary) http://www.perl.com/CPAN/authors/id/STBEY/ The package consists of a C library (designed for maximum efficiency) which is the core of a Perl module (designed for maximum ease of use). The C library is specifically designed so that it can be used stand-alone, without Perl. What does it do: ---------------- This module is useful for a large range of different tasks: - For example for implementing sets and performing set operations (like union, difference, intersection, complement, check for subset relationship etc.), - as a basis for many efficient algorithms, for instance the "Sieve of Erathostenes" (for calculating prime numbers), (The complexities of the methods in this module are usually either O(1) or O(n/b), where "b" is the number of bits in a machine word on your system.) - for shift registers of arbitrary length (for example for cyclic redundancy checksums), - to calculate "look-ahead", "first" and "follow" character sets for parsers and compiler-compilers, - for graph algorithms, - for efficient storage and retrieval of status information, - for performing text synthesis ruled by boolean expressions, - for "big integer" arithmetic with arbitrarily large integers, - for manipulations of chunks of bits of arbitrary size, - for bitwise processing of audio CD wave files, - to convert formats of data files, and more. What's new in version 5.3: -------------------------- The method "Norm()" has been further improved to become still a bit more efficient. The upgrade utility "upgrade_BV52" (a shell script) was ported to Perl (now named "upgrade_BV53.pl"), making it faster, more flexible and easier to read and maintain and -- last but not least -- executable under Windows NT/95 as well. Moreover, a similar tool for upgrading from "Set::IntegerFast" version 3.x to "Bit::Vector" version 4.2 (called "upgrade_BV42.pl") was added. Support for Windows NT/95 was also improved by adding the extension ".txt" to all text files (where possible) in order to allow opening them with a double-click. Finally, the document "CHANGES.txt" was completely rewritten because it had become a terrible mess. Legal issues: ------------- Copyright (c) 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998 by Steffen Beyer. All rights reserved. This package is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself, i.e., under the terms of the "Artistic License" or the "GNU General Public License". The C library at the core of this Perl module can additionally be redistributed and/or modified under the terms of the "GNU Library General Public License". Prerequisites: -------------- Perl version 5.000 or higher, and an ANSI C compiler (!) ^^^^^^ Author's note: -------------- If you have any questions, suggestions or need any assistance, please let me know! I would in fact be glad to receive any kind of feedback from you! I hope you will find this module beneficial. Yours, -- Steffen Beyer http://www.engelschall.com/u/sb/ "There is enough for the need of everyone in this world, but not for the greed of everyone." - Mahatma Gandhi .