[GRASS-SVN] r50726 - grass-web/trunk/announces

svn_grass at osgeo.org svn_grass at osgeo.org
Wed Feb 8 09:08:45 EST 2012 

Author: hamish
Date: 2012-02-08 06:08:45 -0800 (Wed, 08 Feb 2012)
New Revision: 50726

Modified:
   grass-web/trunk/announces/abstract_grass642.txt
   grass-web/trunk/announces/announce_grass642.html
Log:
prepare 6.4.2 release announcements

Modified: grass-web/trunk/announces/abstract_grass642.txt
===================================================================
--- grass-web/trunk/announces/abstract_grass642.txt	2012-02-08 13:20:25 UTC (rev 50725)
+++ grass-web/trunk/announces/abstract_grass642.txt	2012-02-08 14:08:45 UTC (rev 50726)
@@ -5,14 +5,14 @@
 We are pleased to announce the release of the new stable version of
 GRASS GIS. This release fixes a number of bugs discovered in the 6.4.1
 version of the program and adds a number of new features. This includes
-over 750 updates to the source code since 6.4.1. As a stable release
+over 760 updates to the source code since 6.4.1. As a stable release
 series the 6.4 line will enjoy long-term support and brings incremental
 enhancements while preserving backwards-compatibility with the entire
 GRASS 6 line.
 
 The new wxPython graphical user interface (wxGUI) has been updated with
 a load of new features and tools; Python is now a fully supported
-scripting language, including an updated python toolkit to simplify the
+scripting language, including an updated Python toolkit to simplify the
 authoring of personal scripts; and MS-Windows support continues to
 mature. GRASS 6.4.2 debuts ten new modules, a new GUI cartographic
 composer tool, and improved infrastructure for installing community
@@ -28,8 +28,8 @@
 as GRASS, is an Open Source Geographic Information System (GIS), which
 for nearly three decades has provided powerful raster, vector, and
 geospatial processing engines in a single integrated software suite.
-GRASS includes tools for spatial modeling, visualization of raster and
-vector data, management and analysis of geospatial data, and the
+GRASS includes tools for spatial modeling of raster and vector data, 
+visualization, management and analysis of geospatial data, and the
 processing of satellite and aerial imagery. It also provides the
 capability to produce sophisticated presentation graphics and hardcopy
 maps. GRASS has now been translated into twenty languages and supports

Modified: grass-web/trunk/announces/announce_grass642.html
===================================================================
--- grass-web/trunk/announces/announce_grass642.html	2012-02-08 13:20:25 UTC (rev 50725)
+++ grass-web/trunk/announces/announce_grass642.html	2012-02-08 14:08:45 UTC (rev 50726)
@@ -21,35 +21,165 @@
 
 <b>The GRASS Development Team announces</b>
 
-<h2><strike>GRASS GIS 6.4.2 released XX February 2012</strike> (draft only)</h2>
+<h2><strike>GRASS GIS 6.4.2 released XX February 2012</strike> (<blink>draft only</blink>)</h2>
 </center>
 <br>
 <table width="80%" align="center" bgcolor="#efefef" cellpadding="40"><tr><td>
 
-We are pleased to announce that a new stable version of
-<a href="http://grass.osgeo.org">GRASS GIS 6.4.2</a> has been released.
-This release fixes some bugs discovered in the 6.4.1 source code and
-a few new features (over 750 updates to the source code with respect 
-to 6.4.1). As a stable release 6.4 will enjoy long-term
-support.
+We are pleased to announce the release of the new stable version of
+<a href="http://grass.osgeo.org">GRASS GIS</a> has been released.
+This release fixes a number of bugs discovered in the 6.4.1 version of the
+program and adds a number of new features. This includes over 760 updates
+to the source code since 6.4.1. As a stable release series the 6.4 line
+will enjoy long-term support and brings incremental enhancements while
+preserving backwards-compatibility with the entire GRASS 6 line.
 
+
+<BR><BR>
+
 <h3>What's new in GRASS 6.4.2</h3>
 
-A detailed description of changes can be found in the
+The new wxPython graphical user interface (wxGUI) has been updated with
+a load of new features and tools; Python is now a fully supported
+scripting language, including an updated Python toolkit to simplify the
+authoring of personal scripts, the debut support for Python-ctypes links
+back into the main GIS library of functions, and support for NumPy based
+array calculations. In addition, Microsoft Windows support continues to
+mature.  GRASS 6.4.2 debuts ten new modules, new GUI graphical modeler and
+cartographic composer tools, an interactive Python shell, and improved
+infrastructure for installing and managing community supplied add-on modules.
+<P>
+
+<h4>New modules</h4>
+
+<ul>
+    <li> <b>i.topo.corr</b> - Computes topographic correction of reflectance in satellite imagery
+    <li> <b>m.nviz.image</b> - Creates a 3D rendering of GIS data (renamed from nviz_cmd)
+    <li> <b>v.net.allpairs</b> - Computes the shortest path between all pairs of nodes in the network
+    <li> <b>v.net.bridge</b> - Computes bridges and articulation points in the network
+    <li> <b>v.net.centrality</b> - Computes degree, centrality, betweeness, closeness and eigenvector centrality measures in the network
+    <li> <b>v.net.components</b> - Computes strongly and weakly connected components in the network
+    <li> <b>v.net.connectivity</b> - Computes vertex connectivity between two sets of nodes in the network
+    <li> <b>v.net.distance</b> - Computes shortest distance via the network between the given sets of features
+    <li> <b>v.net.flow</b> - Computes the maximum flow between two sets of nodes in the network
+    <li> <b>v.net.spanningtree</b> - Computes minimum spanning tree for the network
+    <li> <b>v.net.timetable</b> - Finds shortest path using timetables
+</ul>
+
+<h4>Major module changes</h4>
+
+<ul>
+    <li> <b>g.extension</b> - Many improvements and a new GUI extension manager; better support for building and installing add-ons when the GRASS source code is not available
+    <li> <b>i.rectify</b> - Add new resampling method options to set the target resolution and control memory usage
+    <li> <b>r.regression.line</b> - Rewritten in C (much faster)
+    <li> <b>r.univar</b>, <b>r3.univar</b> - Zonal support; add ability to export as a table and to a file
+    <li> <b>v.generalize</b> - Major bug fixes
+    <li> <b>v.kernel</b> - Add additional kernel functions, equal split on networks
+    <li> <b>v.out.ogr</b> - Transaction support (major speed up for data-sources which support transactions like PostGIS)
+</ul>
+
+<h4>Minor module changes</h4>
+
+<ul>
+    <li> <b>d.barscale</b> - Add ability to change font size
+    <li> <b>db.select</b> - Output can be directed to a file
+    <li> <b>g.version</b> - Add ability to output in shell script style
+    <li> <b>i.atcorr</b> - Add support for VGT1_spot4, VGT2_spot5 sensors
+    <li> <b>r.in.bin</b> - Add ability to explicitly set byte order (endianness)
+    <li> <b>r.out.bin</b> - Add ability to explicitly set byte order (endianness), number of bytes per cell, and force floating-point output
+    <li> <b>v.out.ogr</b> - Add ability to export to a 3D Shapefile
+
+    <li> Many more; see the detailed
+     <a href="http://grass.osgeo.org/grass64/source/ChangeLog_6.4.2.gz">ChangeLog</a>
+</ul>
+
+<h4>GUI changes</h4>
+
+(wxGUI)
+
+<ul>
+    <li> <b>Major wxGUI update</b>
+    <li> Add embedded interactive Python shell
+    <li> Debut of the new <a href="http://grass.osgeo.org/grass64/manuals/html64_user/wxGUI.Modeler.html">Graphical Modeler</a>
+    <li> Debut of the new <a href="http://grass.osgeo.org/grass64/manuals/html64_user/wxGUI.PsMap.html">Cartographic Composer</a> front-end to ps.map
+    <li> Debut of the new multi-platform extension manger for community supplied add-on modules
+    <li> Numerous stability fixes including ability to more gracefully handle stale lock-files and missing graphics support
+    <li> Support for languages which use double-byte characters (e.g. Japanese)
+    <li> Make the vector query tool more robust to maps with missing or no data
+</ul>
+
+<h4>Library changes</h4>
+
+<ul>
+    <li> New GRASS Python ctypes interface
+    <li> Added NumPy 'arrays' support to GRASS Python Scripting Library
+    <li> GRASS Python Scripting Library: <tt>mlist()</tt> replaced by <tt>mlist_grouped()</tt>
+    <li> A new vector network library has been added
+    <li> A type mismatch has been fixed in the ODBC driver
+    <li> New symbols: <tt>extra/n_arrow3, geology/strike_half-bowtie,
+     geology/half-arrow_left, geology/half-arrow_right</tt>
+     (<a href="http://grass.osgeo.org/wiki/IconSymbols#New">view</a>)
+    <li> New color rules: <tt>population_dens</tt>
+</ul>
+
+<h4>Map projection changes</h4>
+
+<ul>
+    <li> Support for alternate ETRS89 spelling
+</ul>
+
+<h4>Portability changes</h4>
+
+(MS-Windows)
+<ul>
+    <li> Numerous back-end changes and bug fixes making the experience more robust
+    <li> Better support for spaces in path names
+    <li> See the bug-fix-list for WinGRASS tagged items
+</ul>
+
+(Mac OSX)
+<ul>
+    <li> Offer alternate methods when GNU tool extensions are not available
+</ul>
+
+(All)
+<ul>
+    <li> Fix support for <tt>make</tt> versions older than 3.81
+</ul>
+
+<h4>Message translation updates</h4>
+
+<ul>
+    <li> Many languages updated with many new translations
+       (<a href="http://grass.osgeo.org/devel/i18n.php#statistics">see stats</a>)
+    <li> Improved translation support for NVIZ
+</ul>
+
+<BR>
+<p>
+A detailed description of changes and a list of fixed bugs can be found in the
 <a href="http://trac.osgeo.org/grass/wiki/Release/6.4.2-News">GRASS 6.4.2 Release News</a> page.
 
-<p>
 For a comprehensive list of changes see the
   <a href="http://grass.osgeo.org/grass64/source/ChangeLog_6.4.2.gz">6.4 ChangeLog</a> file.
 
+<p>
+<BR><BR>
+
 <h3>Software download and CD-ROM/DVD</h3>
 
+The new source code is available now along with selected binary
+packages.
 <ul>
-<li><a href="http://grass.osgeo.org/download/">http://grass.osgeo.org/download/</a></li>
-<li>numerous <a href="http://grass.osgeo.org/mirrors.php">mirror sites</a></li>
-<li><a href="http://grass.osgeo.org/download/cdrom.php">GRASS on CD-ROM/DVD</a></li>
+    <li> Visit our download page: <a href="http://grass.osgeo.org/download/">http://grass.osgeo.org/download/</a></li>
+    <li> Numerous <a href="http://grass.osgeo.org/mirrors.php">mirror sites</a>
+    <li> GRASS on <a href="http://grass.osgeo.org/download/cdrom.php">CD-ROM, DVD,
+      and zero-install live USB sticks</a>
 </ul>
 
+
+<BR><BR>
+
 <h3>About GRASS GIS</h3>
 
 The <i>Geographic Resources Analysis Support System</i>, commonly
@@ -57,7 +187,7 @@
 for nearly three decades has provided powerful raster, vector, and
 geospatial processing engines
 in a single integrated software suite. GRASS includes tools for
-spatial modeling, visualization of raster and vector data, management
+spatial modeling of raster and vector data, visualization, management
 and analysis of geospatial data, and the processing of satellite and
 aerial imagery. It also provides the capability to produce
 sophisticated presentation graphics and hardcopy maps. GRASS has now
@@ -65,46 +195,70 @@
 data formats.
 
 <p>
-GRASS is a founding member of <a href="http://www.osgeo.org">The Open
-Source Geospatial Foundation</a> (OSGeo), a non-profit legal entity
-which has enjoyed extraordinary growth. We expect that this formal
-infrastructure will guarantee that the GRASS community will be well
-supported and vibrant far into the future.
+GRASS differs from many other GIS software packages used in the
+professional world in that it is developed and distributed by users
+for users, mostly on a volunteer basis, in the open, and is given away
+for free. The source code is also freely available, allowing for
+immediate customization, examination of the underlying algorithms,
+addition of new features, and faster patching of bugs.
 
 <p>
-GRASS is currently used around the world in academic and commercial
-settings as well as by many governmental agencies and environmental
-consulting companies.  It runs on a variety of popular hardware
-platforms and is Free open-source software released under the terms of
-the
-<a href="http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html">GNU General Public License</a>.
+Users are encouraged to study, customize, extend, improve, and (if
+necessary) diagnose and modify the inner workings of any part of the
+program.  We believe that scientific progress depends on the
+reproducibility of results, which in turn depends on the unhindered
+ability of the user to know, evaluate, double-check, and learn from
+all algorithms and methodologies used in the process of their work.
 
 <p>
-The GRASS software including over 400 built-in analysis modules and
-100 community supplied add-on modules and toolboxes can be downloaded
-for free from the main GRASS website at
+The GRASS software includes over 435 built-in analysis modules and more
+than 100 community supplied add-on modules and toolboxes. It can be
+downloaded for free from the main GRASS website at
  <a href="http://grass.osgeo.org">http://grass.osgeo.org</a>, or from many
 local mirrors worldwide. In addition to the extensive documentation which
 comes with the software, our
- <a href="http://grass.osgeo.org/wiki">Wiki help system</a>
+ <a href="http://grass.osgeo.org/wiki">Wiki collaborative help system</a>
 contains a wealth of user supplied tips and tricks, tutorials, and guides.
+On the wiki you'll find information about import and export of a diverse
+range of data formats and interoperability with such software as
+Quantum GIS, MapServer, PostGIS, R Statistics, GMT (journal quality
+cartography), Matlab, Paraview 3D visualization, and more.
 
 <p>
-Users are encouraged to study, customize, extend, improve, and (if
-necessary) diagnose and modify the inner workings of any part of the
-program.  We believe that scientific progress depends on the
-reproducibility of results, which in turn depends on the unhindered
-ability of the user to know, evaluate, double-check, and learn from
-all algorithms and methodologies used in the process of their work.
+GRASS is currently used around the world in many academic and commercial
+settings as well as by many governmental agencies and environmental
+consulting companies. It runs on a variety of popular hardware
+platforms and is Free and open-source software released under the terms
+of the
+<a href="http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html">GNU General Public License</a>.
+While its most popular role is as a desktop GIS, GRASS includes native
+support for multi-user collaboration suitable for research team and
+classroom environments, or can be used embedded for back-end server
+jobs (including HPC) with no users at all.
 
+<p>
+We are a founding member of <a href="http://www.osgeo.org">The Open
+Source Geospatial Foundation</a> (OSGeo), a non-profit legal entity
+which has enjoyed extraordinary growth in recent years and brings
+together many of today's best geospatial software projects under a
+single umbrella. We expect that this formal infrastructure will
+guarantee that the GRASS community will be well supported and vibrant
+far into the future.
 
+
+<BR><BR>
+
 <h3>Screenshots</h3>
 
 <ul>
-<li><a href="http://grass.osgeo.org/screenshots/index.php">Screenshots</a>
-of GRASS in action
+<li>Please browse through our gallery of
+    <a href="http://grass.osgeo.org/screenshots/index.php">screenshots
+    of GRASS in action</a>
 </ul>
 
+
+<BR>
+
 <h3>Platforms supported by GRASS</h3>
 
 <p>GNU/Linux, Mac OS X/Darwin, Microsoft Windows (native using MinGW
@@ -112,48 +266,41 @@
 Silicon Graphics Irix, HP-UX, DEC-Alpha, AIX, the BSD family,
 iPAQ/Linux and other UNIX compliant platforms. GRASS runs on both 32
 and 64 bit systems with large data file (&gt;2GB) support for most key
-modules.
+modules and has been ported to run on both handheld tablets and high
+performance super-computers.
 
 
-<p>
-The new source code is available now along with selected binary
-packages.</p>
+<BR><BR>
 
-<p>
-For details on GRASS software capabilities please refer to:
-<a href="http://grass.osgeo.org/intro/general.php">http://grass.osgeo.org/intro/general.php</a>,
-and the <a href="http://grass.osgeo.org/wiki">Wiki
-collaborative help system</a>.
+<h3>Documentation and Support</h3>
 
+For details on GRASS software capabilities please refer to the
+<a href="http://grass.osgeo.org/intro/general.php">introduction page</a>
+on the GRASS website and the rich documentation and tutorials held in the
+ <a href="http://grass.osgeo.org/wiki">Wiki collaborative help system</a>.
 
-<h3>Documentation and Support</h3>
-
 For a complete list of commands available in GRASS 6.4.2 see the
 <a href="http://grass.osgeo.org/grass64/manuals/html64_user/">online manuals</a>
-and the 
-<a href="http://grass.osgeo.org/gdp/grassmanuals/grass64_module_list.pdf">GRASS 6.4 module list</a>.
-</p>
+collection and the
+<a href="http://grass.osgeo.org/gdp/grassmanuals/grass64_module_list.pdf">GRASS
+ 6.4 module list synopsis</a>.
 
-<p><i>We are always looking for testers, code developers, and
-technical writers
-to <a href="http://grass.osgeo.org/devel/index.php">help us</a>
+
+<BR><BR>
+<p>
+<i>We are always looking for testers, code developers, and technical writers
+to <a href="https://trac.osgeo.org/grass/wiki/HowToContribute">help us</a>
 maintain and accelerate the development cycle.</i>
 
 The GRASS GIS project is developed under the terms of the
 <a href="http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html">GNU General Public License</a>
 (the GPL) <a href="http://grass.osgeo.org/devel/index.php">in the open</a> by
-<a href="http://grass.osgeo.org/community/index.php">volunteers</a> the
-<a href="http://mapserver.gdf-hannover.de/grassusers/map.phtml">world over</a>.
+<a href="http://grass.osgeo.org/community/index.php">volunteers the world over</a>.
+<!-- broken URL   <a href="http://mapserver.gdf-hannover.de/grassusers/map.phtml">
+world over</a>. -->
+</p>
 
-GRASS differs from many other GIS software packages used in the
-professional world in that it is developed and distributed by users
-for users, mostly on a volunteer basis, in the open, and is given away
-for free.
 
-Emphasis is placed on interoperability and unlimited access to data as
-well as on software flexibility and evolution rate.
-</p>
-
 <p>
 Release history:
 <ul>
@@ -178,7 +325,7 @@
 <hr>
 <address>
 <a href="http://grass.osgeo.org/community/team.php">GRASS Development Team</a><br>
-Date: XX January 2012 (last changed: $Date$)
+Date: XX February 2012 (last changed: $Date$)
 </address>
 
 </td></tr></table>

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