Release notes

These release notes apply to version 2.3.0.build_20110429 of NuGram IDE.

New features

Current release

The noteworthy new features in this release are:

• More encondings support. NuGram IDE now supports UTF-8 with byte-order mark, as well as UTF-16LE and UTF-16BE, with or without the byte-order mark.
• Licensing. All versions of NuGram IDE now require a valid license. The license for NuGram IDE can be obtained from the NuGram web site.
• Many small improvements and bug fixes.

Previous releases

Version 2.2.0.build_20100616. The features introduced in this release were:

• Java instantation contexts support in Basic Edition. Java instantiation contexts can now be developed using the Basic Edition.
• String interpolation for dynamic rulerefs. Dynamic rule references can now use the same syntax as static rule references, except that they can use string interpolation, i.e expressions enclosed in curly brackets like:

       $<./{currentLanguage}/date.abnf>
  

• Many small improvements and bug fixes.

Version 2.0.0.build_20100401. The features introduced in this release were:

• Enhanced sentence generation (NuGram IDE). The sentence generation algorithm has been further improved and a new strategy (Rule examples) has been added. Sentences can now be generated from specific sentence patterns. Also, the generation process can be stopped.
• A new sentence explorer (NuGram IDE). The user interface of the sentence explorer has been completely overhauled. It is now much more intuitive and easy to use. It now also allows sentence patterns to be added to the sentence generation tool.
• Semantic interpretation optimizations.All supported semantic tag languages relying on ECMAScript have been optimized (compiled scripts are now properly cached). This dramatically increases the performance of the coverage test tool.
• Complete rewrite of the underlying parsing algorithm. The algorithm that matches sentences with the grammar rules has been completely rewritten. It is now much more efficient, in terms of speed and memory consumption.
• Post-processing API (NuGram Server SDK / Professional Edition only). NuGram Server now provides an API to implement and deploy application-specific post-processing routines.
• Initial support for different target ASRs (NuGram IDE). It is now possible to specify, in the preferences, the target ASR. This affects the way words in grammars are normalized, and also how grammars are converted to GrXML.
• Small enhancements to the ABNF dynamic grammar templating language. The templating language now supports new forms, like optional grammar headers.
• Many small improvements and bug fixes.

Version 2.0.0.build_20090601. The features introduced in this release were:

• Enhanced sentence generation (Professional Edition only). The sentence generation algorithm has been further improved and default strategy has been removed.
• Coverage tests for individual rules (Professional Edition only). Coverage testsets can specify sentences that have to be parsed by specific rules rather than the grammar's root rule. This greatly improves the process of testing the coverage of grammars consisting most exclusively of public rules to be referenced by other grammars.
• Ant tasks (Professional Edition only). NuGram IDE provides 3 Ant tasks to automate grammar conversion, coverage tests, and dynamic grammar instantiation at build time.
• NuGram Server SDK (Professional Edition only). NuGram IDE comes with a development version of NuGram Server, packaged as a set of Java servlets.
• Synchronized releases. The Professional Edition and the Basic Edition are now released simultaneously.
• Many small improvements and bug fixes.

Version 2.0.0.build_20090330. The features introduced in this release were:

• Enhanced UI. The user interface has been almost completely overhauled in order to provide a more space-efficient environment and eliminate some clutter.
• Two new context types (Professional Edition only). Instantiation contexts can now be created programmatically using either external programs (Program contexts) or Java objects (Java contexts).
• Enhanced coverage tools (Professional Edition only). Multiple coverage tests can be started at once from the Navigator view.
• Enhanced sentence generation tool (Professional Edition only). The sentence generation algorithm has been optimized, a new strategy has been added (default) and sentence generation can be started from a specific expansion.
• Tag support. Grammar publishing can now take advantage of the new tag support on NuGram Hosted Server. Tags can be set directly in NuGram IDE when publishing a grammar.
• SWI_var support. It is now possible to test grammars using Nuance's SWI_var feature.
• Various performance enhancements.In particular, parsing and generation of GrXML grammars is much more efficient.
• Update site. NuGram IDE is now released as an Eclipse feature that can be updated more easily using Eclipse standard mechanisms.

Version 2.0.0.beta_20081211. The features introduced in this release were:

• Grammar content.
  The type of a grammar (XML, ABNF, GSL) can be associated with specific filename extensions to help the tools properly load grammars.
• Translation rules.
  A flexible, project-specific mechanism has been added to control how external rule references are interpreted by the various tools (debugging tools, conversion tools, etc.).
• Enhanced automatic builder (Professional Edition only)
  It is now possible to specify an output folder for the generated XML/GSL grammars, as well as which folders contain the grammars to convert.
• Configurable validations.
  The feedback level of some validation issues can now be configured in the preferences.
• Enhanced GSL export/conversion.
  When exporting/converting grammars to GSL, the resulting grammar is more nicely formatted.
• Better conformance with SRGS.
  Many conformance problems have been fixed.
• Nuance 9 extensions.
  The tools can be configured to support the Nuance 9 extensions to SISR (the SWI properties).
• LumenVox extensions.
  The tools can be configured to properly handle the LumenVox phonetic spellings.
• SISR 2004 Working Draft support.
  The tools can be configured to support the SISR 2004 Working Draft syntax for rule variables.

Version 2.0.0.beta_20081010 The features introduced in this release were:

• Unified editor.
  The ABNF and coverage editors have been merged in a single, multi-tab editor.
• Improved refactoring tools. The refactoring tools have been enhanced to better support semantic tags. For example, semantic slots can now be renamed. Also, the rule extraction refactoring properly adjusts semantic tags.
• GSL Importer.
  Nuance GSL grammars can now be translated to ABNF.
• Better encoding detection.
  The environment now uses the proper Eclipse mechanism to detect the encoding of an ABNF file.
• Comments preservation for imported grammars.
  When converting grammars from XML form or GSL to ABNF, comments are preserved.
• Project/folder publishing.
  Whole grammar hierarchies can be uploaded to a NuGram Server at once. See the online documentation for more details.

Known issues