Release notes for Agda 2 version 2.2.6
======================================

Language
--------

* Universe polymorphism (experimental extension).

  To enable universe polymorphism give the flag
  `--universe-polymorphism` on the command line or (recommended) as an
  `OPTIONS` pragma.

  When universe polymorphism is enabled `Set` takes an argument which is
  the universe level. For instance, the type of universe polymorphic
  identity is

  ```agda
  id : {a : Level} {A : Set a} → A → A.
  ```

  The type Level is isomorphic to the unary natural numbers and should
  be specified using the BUILTINs `LEVEL`, `LEVELZERO`, and
  `LEVELSUC`:

  ```agda
  data Level : Set where
    zero : Level
    suc  : Level → Level

  {-# BUILTIN LEVEL     Level #-}
  {-# BUILTIN LEVELZERO zero  #-}
  {-# BUILTIN LEVELSUC  suc   #-}
  ```

  There is an additional BUILTIN `LEVELMAX` for taking the maximum of two
  levels:

  ```agda
  max : Level → Level → Level
  max  zero    m      = m
  max (suc n)  zero   = suc n
  max (suc n) (suc m) = suc (max n m)

  {-# BUILTIN LEVELMAX max #-}
  ```

  The non-polymorphic universe levels `Set`, `Set₁` and so on are
  sugar for `Set zero`, `Set (suc zero)`, etc.

  At present there is no automatic lifting of types from one level to
  another. It can still be done (rather clumsily) by defining types
  like the following one:

  ```agda
  data Lifted {a} (A : Set a) : Set (suc a) where
    lift : A → Lifted A
  ```

  However, it is likely that automatic lifting is introduced at some
  point in the future.

* Multiple constructors, record fields, postulates or primitives can
  be declared using a single type signature:

  ```agda
  data Bool : Set where
    false true : Bool

  postulate
    A B : Set
  ```

* Record fields can be implicit:

  ```agda
  record R : Set₁ where
    field
      {A}         : Set
      f           : A → A
      {B C} D {E} : Set
      g           : B → C → E
  ```

  By default implicit fields are not printed.

* Record constructors can be defined:

  ```agda
  record Σ (A : Set) (B : A → Set) : Set where
    constructor _,_
    field
      proj₁ : A
      proj₂ : B proj₁
  ```

  In this example `_,_` gets the type

  ```agda
   (proj₁ : A) → B proj₁ → Σ A B.
  ```

  For implicit fields the corresponding constructor arguments become
  implicit.

  Note that the constructor is defined in the *outer* scope, so any
  fixity declaration has to be given outside the record definition.
  The constructor is not in scope inside the record module.

  Note also that pattern matching for records has not been implemented
  yet.

* BUILTIN hooks for equality.

  The data type

  ```agda
  data _≡_ {A : Set} (x : A) : A → Set where
    refl : x ≡ x
  ```

  can be specified as the builtin equality type using the following
  pragmas:

  ```agda
  {-# BUILTIN EQUALITY _≡_  #-}
  {-# BUILTIN REFL     refl #-}
  ```

  The builtin equality is used for the new rewrite construct and
  the `primTrustMe` primitive described below.

* New `rewrite` construct.

  If `eqn : a ≡ b`, where `_≡_` is the builtin equality (see above) you
  can now write

  ```agda
  f ps rewrite eqn = rhs
  ```

  instead of

  ```agda
    f ps with a | eqn
    ... | ._ | refl = rhs
  ```

  The `rewrite` construct has the effect of rewriting the goal and the
  context by the given equation (left to right).

  You can rewrite using several equations (in sequence) by separating
  them with vertical bars (|):

  ```agda
  f ps rewrite eqn₁ | eqn₂ | … = rhs
  ```

  It is also possible to add `with`-clauses after rewriting:

  ```agda
  f ps rewrite eqns with e
  ... | p = rhs
  ```

  Note that pattern matching happens before rewriting—if you want to
  rewrite and then do pattern matching you can use a with after the
  rewrite.

  See `test/Succeed/Rewrite.agda` for some examples.

* A new primitive, `primTrustMe`, has been added:

  ```agda
    primTrustMe : {A : Set} {x y : A} → x ≡ y
  ```

  Here `_≡_` is the builtin equality (see BUILTIN hooks for equality,
  above).

  If `x` and `y` are definitionally equal, then
  `primTrustMe {x = x} {y = y}` reduces to `refl`.

  Note that the compiler replaces all uses of `primTrustMe` with the
  `REFL` builtin, without any check for definitional
  equality. Incorrect uses of `primTrustMe` can potentially lead to
  segfaults or similar problems.

  For an example of the use of `primTrustMe`, see `Data.String` in
  version 0.3 of the standard library, where it is used to implement
  decidable equality on strings using the primitive boolean equality.

* Changes to the syntax and semantics of IMPORT pragmas, which are
  used by the Haskell FFI. Such pragmas must now have the following
  form:

  ```agda
  {-# IMPORT <module name> #-}
  ```

  These pragmas are interpreted as *qualified* imports, so Haskell
  names need to be given qualified (unless they come from the Haskell
  prelude).

* The horizontal tab character (U+0009) is no longer treated as white
  space.

* Line pragmas are no longer supported.

* The `--include-path` flag can no longer be used as a pragma.

* The experimental and incomplete support for proof irrelevance has
  been disabled.

Tools
-----

* New `intro` command in the Emacs mode. When there is a canonical way
  of building something of the goal type (for instance, if the goal
  type is a pair), the goal can be refined in this way. The command
  works for the following goal types:

    - A data type where only one of its constructors can be used to
      construct an element of the goal type. (For instance, if the
      goal is a non-empty vector, a `cons` will be introduced.)

    - A record type. A record value will be introduced. Implicit
      fields will not be included unless showing of implicit arguments
      is switched on.

    - A function type. A lambda binding as many variables as possible
      will be introduced. The variable names will be chosen from the
      goal type if its normal form is a dependent function type,
      otherwise they will be variations on `x`. Implicit lambdas will
      only be inserted if showing of implicit arguments is switched
      on.

  This command can be invoked by using the `refine` command
  (`C-c C-r`) when the goal is empty. (The old behaviour of the refine
  command in this situation was to ask for an expression using the
  minibuffer.)

* The Emacs mode displays `Checked` in the mode line if the current
  file type checked successfully without any warnings.

* If a file `F` is loaded, and this file defines the module `M`, it is
  an error if `F` is not the file which defines `M` according to the
  include path.

  Note that the command-line tool and the Emacs mode define the
  meaning of relative include paths differently: the command-line tool
  interprets them relative to the current working directory, whereas
  the Emacs mode interprets them relative to the root directory of the
  current project. (As an example, if the module `A.B.C` is loaded
  from the file `<some-path>/A/B/C.agda`, then the root directory is
  `<some-path>`.)

* It is an error if there are several files on the include path which
  match a given module name.

* Interface files are relocatable. You can move around source trees as
  long as the include path is updated in a corresponding way. Note
  that a module `M` may be re-typechecked if its time stamp is
  strictly newer than that of the corresponding interface file
  (`M.agdai`).

* Type-checking is no longer done when an up-to-date interface exists.
  (Previously the initial module was always type-checked.)

* Syntax highlighting files for Emacs (`.agda.el`) are no longer used.
  The `--emacs` flag has been removed. (Syntax highlighting
  information is cached in the interface files.)

* The Agate and Alonzo compilers have been retired. The options
  `--agate`, `--alonzo` and `--malonzo` have been removed.

* The default directory for MAlonzo output is the project's root
  directory. The `--malonzo-dir` flag has been renamed to
  `--compile-dir`.

* Emacs mode: `C-c C-x C-d` no longer resets the type checking state.
  `C-c C-x C-r` can be used for a more complete reset. `C-c C-x C-s`
  (which used to reload the syntax highlighting information) has been
  removed. `C-c C-l` can be used instead.

* The Emacs mode used to define some "abbrevs", unless the user
  explicitly turned this feature off. The new default is *not* to add
  any abbrevs. The old default can be obtained by customising
  `agda2-mode-abbrevs-use-defaults` (a customisation buffer can be
  obtained by typing `M-x customize-group agda2 RET` after an Agda
  file has been loaded).