GHC plans for 8.8.1

This page is our road-map for what will be in 8.8.

If you believe your favorite thing belongs in this list, but isn't there, please yell. If it's not in the road map, it probably won't get done. Without a lot of support, many things in the road map won't get done either, so we need your help!

Dates

• 18 November 2018: Cut release branch
• 25 November 2018: Release alpha1
• 16 December 2018: Release alpha2
• 6 January 2019: Release alpha3
• 27 January 2019: Release alpha4
• 17 February 2019: Release beta1
• 15 March 2019: Final release

Libraries Status

See Libraries? and Migration/8.8.

Release highlights (planned)

Below are the major highlights of 8.8.

Compiler

• A safer and more efficient with# combinator to control object lifetime (#14375 (closed))
• Improved compilation time for type-family-heavy programs (#8095, Phab:D4766)
• More efficient code generation for nested closures (#14461)
• Next iteration of Trees That Grow (tickets/patches for this?)
• Continued focus on performance:
  • Some possible tickets: #15418, #15455 (closed), #14980, #14013, #15488 (closed), #15519 (closed), #14062 (closed), #14035, #15176, #15304
  • New codelayout algorithm for the NCG: #15124 (closed)
  • Optimize based on limited static analysis: #14672
• A late lambda lifting optimisation on STG (#9476 (closed))
• More locations where users can write forall: GHC Proposal #7
• Visible kind applications: GHC Proposal #15
• Allow ScopedTypeVariables to refer to types: GHC Proposal #29
• Lower precedence for {-# UNPACK #-}: GHC Proposal #37
• Make rebindable fail work with overloaded strings: GHC Proposal #38
• The dot type operator: GHC Proposal #39
• Make forall a keyword: GHC Proposal #43

Build system and miscellaneous changes

• Reinstallable lib:ghc
• The Hadrian build system will hopefully become the default

Landed in master branch

Library changes

Build system and miscellaneous changes

Tickets

See the %8.8.1 milestone.

See also GHC 8.8 tracking ticket.