Survex 1.4.21 released

[Olly Betts]

Survex 1.4.21 is now available:

https://survex.com/download.html

Here's the full NEWS file entry for this release:

Changes in 1.4.21 (2026-05-20):

* cavern:

  + Fix missing reports of unconnected survey stations.  We aim to report at
    least one station in every unconnected piece of survey.  1.4.10 added code
    to handle when a piece had been simplified to only anonymous stations, but
    this was buggy and was only checking the first entry in the removed
    traverse list.  We now check the full list, and if we somehow fail to find
    a neighbouring named station, we now report the anonymous station (we give
    the filename and line number which is enough context by itself).  Reported
    by Paweł Gogolak.

  + `*entrance` now also suppresses unused fixed point warnings when it appears
    before the `*fix` (previously this only worked for `*entrance` after
    `*fix`).

  + `*fix` with SDs now sets the "fixed" flag on the station in the .3d file.

  + Pick better 3d file separator for Walls data (previously cavern would pick
    `.` for the separator in a pure Walls dataset, even if it was used in
    station names).  Walls uses `:` as a prefix separator, so now cavern takes
    into account which characters are allowed in Walls station names when
    picking the separator to use in the .3d file.  For a pure Walls dataset, it
    will pick `:`, so Walls station names in the .3d file should match the
    names as shown in Walls.  If a dataset mixes data in Walls format with
    Survex and/or Compass data, then it's possible `:` is used in a Survex or
    Compass station name - if so a different separator will be chosen.

  + The Walls manual says to represent underwater data using the combination of
    `TAPE=SS` with `ORDER=DA` or `ORDER=AD`, so we now map this to Survex's
    diving style.  Issue highlighted by a dataset from Darek Lubomski.

  + In Walls data, downgrade the "Unknown command" error to a warning for some
    invalid directives which Walls quietly accepts.  Issue highlighted by a
    dataset from Darek Lubomski.

  + In Walls data, `#note` and `#flags` are meant to suppress unused fixed
    point warnings, but only did if they came after the `#fix`.  Also `#flags`
    without any flags didn't suppress the warning but now does.

  + In Walls data, the word `fix` in `#flags` no longer sets the "fixed" flag
    in the .3d file - we now only set it for stations used in `#fix`.  This
    seems a more logical approach, since `#flags` is just free-form text which
    Walls itself doesn't ascribe particular semantics to.  (The word `entrance`
    in `#flags` still sets the "entrance" flag since Walls lacks a way to
    explicitly mark entrances.)

  + Check value after `TAPE=` in Walls data and give an error if it's not
    valid.

  + In Walls data, we now reject multi-component readings with a decimal point
    in anything but the final component.  Some examples of invalid readings
    which now give an error with cavern are `12.5i3`. `12.5:29`, `12.5:29:30`
    and `12:29.5:30`.

* aven/survexport:

  + Allow exporting/not exporting anonymous stations.  The default is chosen as
    most appropriate for each export format.

  + Fix memory leak in PLT export.

  + Fix memory leak and speed up SVG export.

* (Microsoft Windows version): aven: Try to fix the extra blank window which
  opens under aven's window in recent releases.  Reported by Juan Corrin.

* (Microsoft Windows version): Try to ensure output files are fully written to
  disk before we close them.  Should fix #147, reported by Philip Schuchardt.

* Documentation:

  + Clarify purpose of `*infer exports`.  Highlighted by Philip Sargent.

  + Clarify `*infer plumbs` works for any angle units, not just degrees.

  + Say "directive" instead of "command" in Walls docs since this is the
    terminology Walls uses.

  + Document Walls filename case mismatch issue.  Issue highlighted by a
    dataset from Darek Lubomski.

  + Document that the last official release of Walls uses an old IGRF version.

  + Improve section on submitting documentation changes.

  + Minor improvements to wording.

  + HACKING.htm: autoconf 2.59 is the current minimum.

* Test suite: Add test coverage for Walls compass/clino in mils.

* Minor improvements to French translation.

* Merge updates to Polish translation from Paweł Gogolak.

* Merge updates to Russian translation from Vasily Vl. Suhachev.

* (Linux version): survex.spec: We no longer provide this.  It doesn't work
  with current Fedora because some dependencies have been renamed, which
  suggests nobody is regularly using it, which isn't a surprise as there's
  now a Fedora package of Survex.  Reported by Bill Gee.

* Fix warnings about old-style parameter lists in the imported getopt code.

* Require at least automake 1.14 to bootstrap the source tree from git.  This
  was released in 2013 so should be available everywhere now.


Here are SHA256 checksums should you want to verify the integrity of the
files:

f6598216b02123c664a3ac028e445feebbfe2e62830533867a444cde5cb3f302  survex-1.4.21.tar.gz
be3bedead12d74f5e60ccd217ad474020f9d1174d4ae996f3acd50837e7017b7  survex-microsoft-windows-1.4.21.exe

There are also detached GPG signatures in the download directory:
https://survex.com/software/1.4.21/

There are "release notes" on the wiki, which I'll try to keep updated
with any issues found, so take a look there for the latest information:

https://trac.survex.com/wiki/ReleaseNotes/1.4.21

Please report any issues you find which are not covered in the release
notes to the bug tracker: https://trac.survex.com/

Cheers,
    Olly
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