[Erc-help] ERC 5.1 released

[Michael O. <mw...@gn...>]

ERC NEWS                                                       -*- outline -*-

* Changes since ERC 5.0.4

** Improve XEmacs compatibility.

** Namespace changes

*** Now ERC doesn't use global variable space.
Renamed all variables that didn't start with "erc-".

  o `away' is now `erc-away'

  o `current-nick' is now `erc-server-current-nick'

  o `last-peers' is now `erc-server-last-peers'

  o `last-ping-time' is now `erc-server-last-ping-time'

  o `last-sent-time' is now `erc-server-last-sent-time'

  o `lines-sent' is now `erc-server-lines-sent'

  o `quitting' is now `erc-server-quitting'

*** Remove the `with-erc-channel-buffer' function.

** Bugfixes

*** Don't inadvertently destroy face properties.

*** Load erc scripts in a safer way.

*** Don't insert a timestamp if text at point is invisible.

*** Don't hide messages from those in `erc-fools' by default.
Color their nicks instead.

*** Use a more foolproof method of encoding and decoding strings
before sending to a channel.

** Backend changes

*** Renamed some server-specific variables

  o `erc-announced-server-name' is now `erc-server-announced-name'

  o `erc-auto-reconnect' is now `erc-server-auto-reconnect'

  o `erc-connect-function' is now `erc-server-connect-function'

  o `erc-default-coding-system' is now `erc-server-coding-system'

  o `erc-duplicate-timeout' is now `erc-server-duplicate-timeout'

  o `erc-duplicates' is now `erc-server-duplicates'

  o `erc-lag' is now `erc-server-lag'

  o `erc-prevent-duplicates' is now `erc-server-prevent-duplicates'

  o `erc-previous-read' is now `erc-server-filter-data'

  o `erc-process' is now `erc-server-process'

  o `erc-ping-handler' is now `erc-server-send-ping-handler'

  o `erc-ping-interval' is now `erc-server-send-ping-interval'

*** Renamed some functions

  o `erc-connect' is now `erc-server-connect'

  o `erc-process-filter' is now `erc-server-filter-function'

  o `erc-send-command' is now `erc-server-send'

  o `erc-send-single-line' is now `erc-send-input'

  o `erc-setup-periodical-server-ping' is now
    `erc-server-setup-periodical-server-ping'

  o `erc-split-command is now `erc-split-line'

*** New options

  o erc-server-flood-margin, erc-server-flood-penalty: New options
    that allow tweaking of flood control.

  o erc-split-line-length: The maximum line length of a single
    message.

*** New variables

  o erc-server-flood-last-message, erc-server-flood-queue,
    erc-server-flood-timer: Flood control.

  o erc-server-processing-p: Indicate when we're currently processing
    a message.

*** Remove some options

  o `erc-flood-limit'
  o `erc-flood-limit2'

** New customization group `erc-server' for dealing with IRC servers.

** ERC can now be installed by doing `make install' from the command line.

** ERC now has a manual in erc.texi.
Type `make doc' to generate HTML and Info versions of it.

** ERC no longer depends on cl.el.
Only the macros in cl-macs.el are used.

** Fix an edge case when quitting as new messages come in.

** Make flood protection toggle-able as on/off, removing the 'strict option.

** If possible, re-use channel buffers when reconnecting to a server.

** Text in ERC buffers is now read-only by default.
To get the previous behavior, 

** Changes and additions to modules

*** Auto-join (erc-autojoin.el)

**** Recognize the Azzurra server.

*** BBDB (erc-bbdb.el)

**** When the user types /WHOIS, ask for a record to merge to.

**** Store the displayed name of a BitlBee contact.
The new `erc-bbdb-bitlbee-name-field' option specifies the field to use
to store this information.

**** Don't prompt for a name on /JOIN or /NICK.

*** Button (erc-button.el)

**** Fix customization of `erc-button-alist'

**** New option `erc-button-nickname-face' determines the face to use
when coloring ERC nicknames.

*** Channel tracking (erc-track.el)

**** Remove channels from the modified channels list if not currently
connected.  This should remove residue from the mode line after
quitting ERC.

**** Recognize buttonized text

*** Highlighting (erc-match.el)

**** Highlight current nickname by default.

**** Added the option of beeping when certain matches occur.
Add `erc-beep-on-match' to `erc-text-matched-hook' to enable
beeping.  Set the new variable `erc-beep-match-types' which match
types that make beeps.

*** Nicklist (erc-nicklist.el)

**** Fix a couple of errors.

**** Make sure a stray mouse click doesn't trigger an error.

**** Insert icons from the /images directory next to nicks.
This indicates their away status.  The location is customizable via
the new `erc-nicklist-icons-directory' option.

If you do not want these icons, set `erc-nicklist-use-icons' to nil.

*** Nickserv identification (erc-nickserv.el)

**** Recognize Azzurra and OFTC networks.

*** Old completion (erc-complete.el)

**** Disable by default.

*** Programmable completion (erc-pcomplete.el)

**** Enable by default.

*** Timestamps (erc-stamp.el)

**** On Emacs22, align right timestamps perfectly, even if variable-width
characters are used.  If we aren't using Emacs22, move text farther
away from the right margin when variable-width characters are used.
It is considered better to misalign the stamp by a bit than to go past
the right margin.

**** Enable by default

** New modules

*** Spell-checking (erc-spelling.el)

**** Use flyspell in ERC.

*** Viper compatibility (erc-viper.el)

**** Helps ERC work correctly in viper-mode.