first draft of a NEWS file for the upcoming 2.5.0 release

svn path=/trunk/; revision=25401

NEWS

@@ -3,10 +3,93 @@
                          Development Branch
                    ------------------------------
 
-This is the unstable development branch of GIMP.
+This is the unstable development branch of GIMP.  Here we are working
+towards the next stable release, which will be GIMP 2.6.
 
 
 Changes in GIMP 2.5.0
 =====================
 
- (there has been no release in the 2.5 development series yet)
+Core:
+
+ - improved rectangle tool drawing for narrow mode
+ - ported lots (but not all) drawing code to Cairo
+ - optimized image rendering by using pre-multiplied alpha
+ - use new GLib features such as GRegex
+ - use new GTK+ features such as the new GtkTooltip API
+ - much improved GimpCurve object
+ - cleaner and smaller tool options
+ - enable brush scaling for the Smudge tool
+ - added debugging framework that can be enabled at run-time
+ - optional GEGL processing for color tools
+ - added experimental GEGL tool to use arbitrary GEGL operations
+ - event filtering and smoothing for better paint tool performance
+ - added motion constraints in the Move Tool
+ - some operations do not any longer automatically add an alpha channel
+ - some preparation for tagging resource files
+ - cutting a selection doesn't clear the selection any longer
+ - added new polygon select tool
+ - load brushes and other data files recursively (search through subdirs)
+ - started work on language selector for the text tool (unfinished)
+ - allow to set opacity of the transform tool preview
+ - merged toolbox and image menus (still work in progress)
+ - always keep an image window around
+ - improved image statusbar
+ - dropped 'documents' in favor of ~/.recently-used.xbel
+ - started to work on text box functionality in the text tool
+ - numerous bug fixes and cleanups
+
+
+Plug-ins:
+
+ - dicom: improved handling of 16 bit image data
+ - help: use GIO to access the help index
+ - print: moved Page Setup out of the Print dialog
+ - psd-load: rewritten, cleaner and more features
+ - randomize: added previews
+ - ripple:  added a Phase Shift control
+ - screenshot: optionally add the mouse cursor image on an extra layer
+ - uri: use GIO/GVfs where available 
+ - whirlpinch: allow a larger range for the whirl angle
+
+
+Python binding:
+
+ - allow to specify colors using CSS color names
+ - added new method Image.new_layer()
+
+
+Script-Fu:
+
+ - enforce R5RS syntax for 'let'
+ - improved Frosty Logo script
+
+
+PDB:
+
+ - added new text layer API
+ - added gimp-vectors-export-to-file and gimp-vectors-export-to-string
+ - added procedure to test for existance of a procedure in the PDB
+ - improved error handling for procedures
+
+
+Libraries:
+
+ - added some Cairo utilities
+ - allow to use markup in tooltips
+ - libgimpthumb doesn't any longer depend on other GIMP libraries
+
+
+Miscellaneous:
+
+ - use the gimptool program on Unix, too, instead of the gimptool script
+ - create the list of supported MIME types at compile-time
+ - gimp shows library versions when called with '--version --verbose'
+
+
+Contributors:
+
+  Sven Neumann, Michael Natterer, Martin Nordholts, Bill Skaggs,
+  Øyvind Kolås, Manish Singh, Kevin Cozens, Alexia Death, Tor Lillqvist,
+  Marcus Heese, John Marshall, Joao S. O. Bueno, Jakub Steiner,
+  Simon Budig, Tom Lechner, Hans Breuer, ...