[ANN] Lua 5.5.0 (rc4) now available

[Luiz Henrique de Figueiredo]

Lua 5.5 is the next version of Lua.

Lua 5.5.0 (rc4) is now available for testing at
https://www.lua.org/work/lua-5.5.0-rc4.tar.gz

The SHA256 checksum is
57ccc32bbbd005cab75bcc52444052535af691789dba2b9016d5c50640d68b3d  -

The Git commit ID is
a5522f06d2679b8f18534fd6a9968f7eb539dc31

The main changes in Lua 5.5.0 are listed at
https://www.lua.org/work/doc/#changes

An updated reference manual is included and also available at
https://www.lua.org/work/doc

The complete diffs from rc3 to rc4 are available at
https://www.lua.org/work/diffs-lua-5.5.0-rc3-rc4.html
https://www.lua.org/work/diffu-lua-5.5.0-rc3-rc4.html

A test suite is available at
https://www.lua.org/work/lua-5.5.0-tests.tar.gz

We plan to freeze Lua 5.5.0 by the end of the year.
All feedback welcome. Thanks.
--lhf

[Sainan]

104b0fc7008b1f6b7d818985fbbad05cd37ee654 is still the latest commit on the github mirror.

-- Sainan

[Luiz Henrique de Figueiredo]

> 104b0fc7008b1f6b7d818985fbbad05cd37ee654 is still the latest commit on the github mirror.

commit a5522f06d2679b8f18534fd6a9968f7eb539dc31 was done on Dec 13.
It says so at
https://github.com/lua/lua/commits/master/

[Luiz Henrique de Figueiredo]

Lua 5.5 is the next version of Lua.

Lua 5.5.0 is available for testing at
https://www.lua.org/work/
Download it and give it a try.

We thank everyone for their feedback on Lua 5.5.0 till now.
If there is no further feedback, we'll freeze it next week,
and it will become the current version of Lua.

[Luau Project]

> We thank everyone for their feedback on Lua 5.5.0 till now.
> If there is no further feedback, we'll freeze it next week,
> and it will become the current version of Lua.

Suggestion: add machine limits for the Lua number

Description: in scientific algorithms (e.g.: least squares of a mathematical function), it is often required to know the available characteristics of floating types like the maximum representable finite floating-point number, the epsilon, the radix, and so on.

In Python (NumPy library), most of these are defined at https://numpy.org/doc/2.4/reference/generated/numpy.finfo.html

In Fortran -- I don't have any experience in Fortran -- these functions seems to be grouped into inquiry intrinsic functions:

https://fortranwiki.org/fortran/show/Intrinsic+types
https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/docs/fortran-compiler/developer-guide-reference/2023-0/inquiry-intrinsic-functions.html
https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/openxl-fortran-aix/17.1.4?topic=procedures-inquiry-intrinsic-functions

Since Lua is grounded on C89, and as I can see on section "2.2.4.2.2 Characteristics of Floating Types <float.h>", these constants could be easily added to Lua.

Example using the Lua C API would look like:

    lua_Number math_epsilon = l_floatatt(EPSILON);
    lua_Number math_tiny = l_floatatt(MIN);
    lua_Number math_max = l_floatatt(MAX);

In short, my suggestion is that such constants should be made available -- in the Lua side, in the math library -- in the same spirit as math.pi currently is.

[Luiz Henrique de Figueiredo]

> Suggestion: add machine limits for the Lua number

Thanks for the suggestion.
Extended floating point support is a task for the mathx library:
https://web.tecgraf.puc-rio.br/~lhf/ftp/lua/#lmathx