BTK: The Biomolecule ToolKit - NEWS:
===================================

7/16/2007 - BTK Core, version 0.8.1
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This is a maintenance release of the BTK Core library, containing documentation
updates, bug fixes and minor feature additions.  Among the significant changes
in this release:

-Documentation updates
  
  * Addition of an extensive discussion of the leastsquares_superposition and
    RMSD-calculation methods, including a description of the mathematical 
    theory behind their operation.
  * Fully documented the rotation/translation methods
  * Addition of a documented example program ("gyration_radius.cpp")

-Bug fixes
     
  * Fixed copy construction bug in PDBAtomDecorator that caused compilation 
    errors in rare situations.
  * Fixed a bug in PDBFileParser that caused a compilation error in the
    PDBSystem copy constructor. 
  * Fixed a const-conversion bug in GroupedElementIterator which prevented
    proper interoperation of const and non-const iterator types.
  * Fixed a crash-producing bug in stream output for the TypeID class.
  * Fixed a math error in RMSD and superposition methods that would corrupt
    molecule coordinates.
  * Fixed a bug that caused all default-constructed PDBAtom objects to be
    treated as HETATMs.

-Feature additions

  * Added operator[] to AtomicStructure and PolymerStructure-derived classes.
  * Added protected increment() and decrement() operators to TypeID class.
  * PDBFileParser can now handle PDB files with ill-formed residue numbering
    (i.e. Files where residue numbers are repeated in successive chains).


11/15/2006 - BTK Core, version 0.8
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Yes, it's been a long time.

The interesting thing is, although we haven't been particularly vigilant 
about making releases, we never stopped developing the library!  As such, 
this release marks an almost complete re-write of the BTK package, with 
significant improvements to the core classes and design.  In order to better 
reflect this distinction, we have decided to release the most stable parts of
the library in a "core" distribution.

As you might guess from the name, this is the BTK Core library, which we 
believe represents a stable base on which future BTK libraries and apps will
be developed.  And although this is technically still a developer's release,
we regularly use the package for our own production and research work, and 
hope that many of the classes and interfaces will remain unchanged as we 
move toward the release of a 1.0 version of the library.

Among the most significant changes in this release:

-A complete re-organization of the library.		
-Re-design and re-implementation of the core molecular classes, 
 reflecting a consistent, stable class hierarchy.
-Migration to an extensible, decorator-based design, where 
 capabilities may be created, layered and combined as needed.
-Addition of a System class for manipulating multiple structures 
  as a single object.
-Addition of the PDBSystem class for simple, flexible, one-step
  loading of structures from PDB files.
-Improved I/O, logging, debugging, and exception-handling systems. 
-Use of the GNU standard autotools build system.
-Support for multiple installations.
