* NEWS: Improve wording for unused-value warnings.

[bison.git] / NEWS

diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index f0710fd80d29e29d23abe90a8f846978ad645ea9..176ce6f27df09ec78e2954172852b64eeade8674 100644 (file)
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -3,14 +3,54 @@ Bison News
 
 Changes in version 2.1a:
 
-* DJGPP support added.
+* New warning: unused values
+  Typed right-hand side symbols whose value are not used are reported.
+  For instance:
+
+     exp: exp "?" exp ":" exp { $$ = $1 ? $1 : $3; }
+       | exp "+" exp
+       ;
+
+  will trigger a warning about $5 of the first rule, and $3 in the
+  second ($1 is copied to $$ by the default rule).  This example
+  most likely contains two errors, and should be rewritten as:
+
+     exp: exp "?" exp ":" exp { $$ = $1 ? $3 : $5; }
+       | exp "+" exp         { $$ = $1 + $3; }
+       ;
+
+  However, if the original actions were really intended, the warnings
+  can be suppressed by letting Bison believe the values are used, e.g.:
+
+     exp: exp "?" exp ":" exp { $$ = $1 ? $1 : $3; (void) $5; }
+       | exp "+" exp         { $$ = $1; (void) $3; }
+       ;
+
+  The warning is intended to help catching lost values and memory leaks.
+  If a value is ignored, its associated memory typically is not reclaimed.
+
+* %destructor vs. YYABORT, YYACCEPT, and YYERROR.
+  Destructors are now called when user code invokes YYABORT, YYACCEPT,
+  and YYERROR, for all objects on the stack, other than objects
+  corresponding to the right-hand side of the current rule.
+
+* %expect, %expect-rr
+  Incorrect numbers of expected conflicts are now actual errors,
+  instead of warnings.
+
+* GLR, YACC parsers.
+  The %parse-params are available in the %destructor's (and the
+  experimental %printer's) as per the documentation.
+
+* Bison now warns if it finds a stray `$' or `@' in an action.
 
 * %require "VERSION"
-  To specify the youngest version of Bison accepted by the grammar file.
+  To specify that the grammar file depends on features implemented in
+  Bison version VERSION or higher.
 
 * lalr1.cc: The token and value types are now class members.
-  The tokens where defined as free form enums and cpp macros.  YYSTYPE
-  was defined as a free form union.  Both are now class members:
+  The tokens were defined as free form enums and cpp macros.  YYSTYPE
+  was defined as a free form union.  They are now class members:
   tokens are enumerations of the `yy::parser::token' struct, and the
   semantic values have the `yy::parser::semantic_type' type.
 
@@ -22,8 +62,12 @@ Changes in version 2.1a:
   If you wish to update, then make sure older version of Bison will
   fail using `%require "2.1a"'.
 
+* DJGPP support added.
+
 Changes in version 2.1, 2005-09-16:
 
+* The C++ lalr1.cc skeleton supports %lex-param.
+
 * Bison-generated parsers now support the translation of diagnostics like
   "syntax error" into languages other than English.  The default
   language is still English.  For details, please see the new