FutureBASIC for Mac

• New: 'Automatic header detection'. Enabling this option in Build Settings automatically determines which headers are required by an application when building. This reduces the number of unnecessary headers and source files included in the finished application, resulting in smaller application sizes and potentially faster build times. For smallest binaries, make sure these build settings are also set like this: 'Strip unused code' ON, Debug level: No symbols, optimization: Fastest, smallest. This optimizes clang's dead code removal.
• Change: Moving from Core Foundation to Foundation types FutureBasic is continuing its gradual move away from Core Foundation (CF*) types in favour of Foundation (NS*) types. This reduces the need for bridging between the two frameworks, provides a more consistent Cocoa interface and insulates FBer's code from FB's internal changes. As part of this ongoing transition, CFCharacterSetRef and CFMutableCharacterSetRef have been replaced by CharacterSetRef (NSCharacterSet *) and its mutable equivalent in the CocoaUI headers. Existing code using the former types may generate Clang warnings and should be updated to use the corresponding Foundation types. Note: Core Foundation types remain fully supported when used with Core Foundation functions. This change applies to CocoaUI calls only and does not prevent existing Core Foundation code from being used where appropriate. However, adopting CocoaUI calls instead of Core Foundation ( CF ) functions is still recommended.
• New: Literal CFArray, CFMutableArray, CFDictionary and CFMutableDictionary getters and setters have been enhanced to work with nested arrays and dictionaries, e.g. print array[1][2] array[1][2] = @"bravo!" print dict[@"lookup"][@"matrix"][1][2] dict[@"lookup"][@"matrix"][1][2] = @99
• New: CFMutableArray and CFMutableDictionary can now be created using literal syntax, e.g. note the '+' CFMutableArrayRef array = @+[@"alpha",@"bravo",@"charlie"] CFMutableDictionaryRef dict = @+{@"key1":@"value1",@"key2":@"value2"}
• New: The concat keyword is now also a statement which provides an in-place alternative for mutable objects. The first parameter must be a mutable object and is modified directly by append or adding the subsequent object. The statement does not return a value. Please see FutureBasic Reference for details.
• Obsolete/Unsupported: old defstr feature allowed specifying one character to identify the variable type. Similar for defdbl, defint,deflong,defsng. Deprecated in March 2025. Now unsupported. Meaning: variables declarations must specify the type ( i.e. long x and not just dim x )
• Fix: linker errors ( ld ) would not show up in FB's Error window ( ld warnings would show ).
• Internal Translator Updates: Gradual move from Core Foundation MRC ( manual reference counting ) to NS ARC( automatic reference counting ) continues

Full list of changes available here