Scala 2.7.2 RC5

Following some very last-minute fixes, we are exceptionally releasing, just a few days after RC4, a new Scala 2.7.2.RC5 [1]. We are taking particular care in polishing Scala 2.7.2, also considering that 2.7.2 will be the reference release for the "Programming in Scala" book, currently in print. This RC5 should really be our last release candidate for this release cycle, and should be shortly followed by the final release. As usual, the updated Scala plugin for Eclipse is available via the Eclipse software update facility (more information here [2]). The new Scala 2.7.2.RC5 is available for download from our Download Page [3].

The following features are new to the 2.7.2 version of Scala:

What's new?

• Generic Signatures
  The Scala compiler now generates Java's generic signatures, so that Scala generics are visible to Java.
   
• Java/Scala Combined Projects
  The compiler can now parse (but not translate) Java source files. This makes it possible to have mixed Java/Scala projects with recursive dependencies between them. In such a project, you can submit first all the Java and Scala sources to the Scala compiler. In a second step, the Java sources are compiled using the Scala generated .class files and the Scala sources are compiled again using the Java generated .class files.
   
• ScalaSwing
  Another major addition is the first beta version of the ScalaSwing library, which is now bundled with the distribution.
   
• Scala Collections
  There are new implementations of collection classes, contributed by David MacIver: IntMap, LongMap, and TreeHashMap (immutable), ArrayStack and OpenHashMap (mutable).