To: vimdev@prz.tu-berlin.de
Subject: Vim version 5.0d ALPHA available!
Date: Tue, 08 Apr 97 09:43:21 +0200
From: Bram Moolenaar <mool@oce.nl>

Hello all,

This is just a quick update to 5.0c.  I didn't have time to check it properly,
so be careful!

I didn't have time yet to reply to all your messages.  Please be patient!

I thought it was needed to get this out, before too many people have created
syntax files:
- The ":syntax highlight" command is gone, use the ":highlight" command
  instead.
- The ":syntax translate" command is gone, use the ":highlight link" command
  instead.
- There is no longer buffer-specific highlighting.  It's all global now, to be
  able to share highlight settings between buffers.  The name of the language
  should be prepended to a group name, to make it unique.
- There is now a list of "standard" highlight items in syntax.vim.  You can
  link from the language-specific groups to these.  We need to restrict these
  to six, to be able to use them on most terminals (having eight colors, two
  of them being white and black).  Not counting using the background (the
  "Error" and "Todo" groups are extra).  The list isn't finished yet, but
  you'll get the idea.  I'm open to suggestions for the best set of six items
  that we should use.

Have a look at the included syntax/*.vim files for examples.

Main changes:
- Included Win32 patches from Robert Webb.  Didn't have time to test them.
  No binary included, so this is probably for a limited number of people.
- Fixed the most important problems.  There are still quite a few less
  important problems that need to be fixed, see the todo list.
- Included the new ctags version.
- Changed the way the executable name is checked for "gvim", "gex", "rgvim",
  etc.  Now you can use "gvim-5" and get the GUI.
- Added possibility to check type of file by looking in the contents of the
  file, using the "getline()" function.
- See version.c for an overview of all changes between 5.0c and 5.0d.

NOTE: To save me time and worries, this is a source-code only release.
Binary versions will be made for later versions.  You can compile it yourself,
if you can, all the required stuff is included.

You can find Vim 5.0d in the usual place:

	ftp://ftp.oce.nl/pub/misc/vim/beta-test/unix/vim-5.0d.tar.gz

And on the mirrors (within in a couple of days).

Another NOTE: Please don't discuss this in the "vim" mailing list.  This for
for deveopers only!  At least for now.

Have fun!