NewFeatures.md

@@ -74,16 +74,14 @@ Dynare 4.6
 
  - Identification (!1648, !1689, !1683, !1711)
 
-    - Added minimal system identification check of *Komunjer and Ng (2011,
-      Econometrica)*.
+    - Added minimal system identification check of *Komunjer and Ng (2011)*.
 
-    - Added spectrum identification check of *Qu and Tkachenko (2012,
-      Quantitative Economics)*.
+    - Added spectrum identification check of *Qu and Tkachenko (2012)*.
 
     - Identification is now also available for approximation orders 2 and 3
       with either analytical or numerical parameter derivatives. The relevant
       moments and spectrum are computed from the pruned state space system
-      as in *Mutschler (2015, JEDC)*.
+      as in *Mutschler (2015)*.
 
     - All tests (moments, spectrum, minimal system, strength) can be turned
       off.
@@ -148,45 +146,47 @@ Dynare 4.6
      (union, intersection, difference, cartesian power and product), type
      checking and conversion.
 
-   - Added support for comprehensions (e.g. the set containing the squares of
+   - Added support for comprehensions (*e.g.* the set containing the squares of
      all even numbers between 1 and 5 can be constructed with `[ i^2 for i in
-     1:5 when mod(i,2) == 0]`)
+     1:5 when mod(i,2) == 0]`).
 
-   - User-defined functions can be declared using the `@#define` operator (e.g.
-     `@#define f(x) = 2*x^2+3*x+5`)
+   - User-defined functions can be declared using the `@#define` operator (*e.g.*
+     `@#define f(x) = 2*x^2+3*x+5`).
 
-   - `@#elseif`-clauses are now supported in conditional statements
+   - `@#elseif`-clauses are now supported in conditional statements.
 
-   - `@#for` loops can iterate over several variables at the same time (e.g.
-     `@#for (i,j) in X`, where `X` is an array containing tuples of size 2)
+   - `@#for` loops can iterate over several variables at the same time (*e.g.*
+     `@#for (i,j) in X`, where `X` is an array containing tuples of size 2).
 
-   - A `defined()` function allows testing whether macro variables have been defined
+   - A `defined()` function allows testing whether macro variables have been
+     defined.
 
-   - Empty arrays (with the `[]` syntax) are now possible (#707)
+   - Empty arrays (with the `[]` syntax) are now possible (#707).
 
-   - Arrays of arrays are now supported
+   - Arrays of arrays are now supported.
 
    - New macro directives `@#echomacrovars` and `@#echomacrovars(save)` for
      displaying or saving the values of all macro-variables. (#1564)
 
-   - Inline comments are now supported
+   - Inline comments are now supported.
 
    - :warning: All division operations are now done with doubles (as opposed to
      integers). To achieve the old functionality, use the new `floor` operator.
 
    - :warning: Colon syntax used to require braces around it to create an array
-     (e.g. `[1:3]` would create `[1,2,3]`). Now this is not necessary (`1:3`
-     creates `[1,2,3]` while `[1:3]` would create `[[1,2,3]]`)
+     (*e.g.* `[1:3]` would create `[1,2,3]`). Now this is not necessary (`1:3`
+     creates `[1,2,3]` while `[1:3]` would create `[[1,2,3]]`).
 
    - :warning: Previously, printing a boolean would print `1` or `0`. Now, it
      prints `true` or `false`. To achieve the old functionality, you must cast
-     it to a real, e.g. `@{(real)(1!=0)}`
+     it to a real, *e.g.* `@{(real)(1!=0)}`.
 
  - LaTeX output
 
-    - New command `write_latex_steady_state_model` (#1496)
+    - New command `write_latex_steady_state_model`. (#1496)
 
-    - New option `planner_discount_latex_name` of `ramsey_model` and `discretionary_policy`. (#1686)
+    - New option `planner_discount_latex_name` of `ramsey_model` and
+      `discretionary_policy`. (#1686)
 
     - New command `model_local_variable` command for assigning a LaTeX name to
       model-local variables. (#563)
@@ -212,21 +212,31 @@ Dynare 4.6
     - New `compilation_setup` block for specifying a custom compiler or custom
       compilation flags.
 
- - Model and variables declaration
+ - Model, variables and parameters declaration
 
-    - New syntax to declare model variables in the `model` block. (#1386)
+    - New syntax to declare model variables and parameters on-the-fly in the
+      `model` block. To do this, simply follow the symbol name with a vertical
+      line (`|`, pipe character) and either an `e`, an `x`, or a `p`. For
+      example, to declare a parameter named `alpha` in the model block, you
+      could write `alpha|p` directly in an equation where it appears.
+      Similarly, to declare an endogenous variable `c` in the model block you
+      could write `c|e`. (#1386)
+
+    - New syntax to declare model variable and parameters on-the-fly in
+      equation tags. In the tag, simply state the type of variable to be
+      declared (`endogenous`, `exogenous`, or `parameter` followed by an equal
+      sign and the variable name in single quotes. Hence, to declare a variable
+      `c` as endogenous in an equation tag, you can type `[endogenous='c']`.
+      (see 01d5a1308244ffb5a85e7f8f1d6a9e104b458715)
 
     - New `epilogue` block for computing output variables of interest that may
-      not be necessarily defined in the model (e.g. various kinds of
+      not be necessarily defined in the model (*e.g.* various kinds of
       real/nominal shares or relative prices, or annualized variables out of a
       quarterly model).
 
-    - Allow for on-the-fly variable declaration in equation tags (see
-      01d5a1308244ffb5a85e7f8f1d6a9e104b458715)
-
  - Command-line options
 
-    - Added the possibility to declare Dynare command-line options in the mod
+    - Added the possibility to declare Dynare command-line options in the `.mod`
       file.
 
     - New option `nopreprocessoroutput` to disable printing of messages from
@@ -242,28 +252,29 @@ Dynare 4.6
  - Preprocessor outputs and inputs
  
     - Added JSON output to the preprocessor. A representation of the model file
-      and the whole content of the `*.mod` file is saved in `*.json` files.
+      and the whole content of the `.mod` file is saved in `.json` files.
       These JSON files can be easily parsed from any language (C++, Fortran,
-      Python, Julia, Matlab, ...). This new feature opens the possibility to
+      Python, Julia, MATLAB, Octave…). This new feature opens the possibility to
       develop alternative back-ends for the Dynare language.
 
     - :warning: Most files generated by the preprocessor are now grouped under
       two subdirectories. Assuming your file is `FILENAME.mod`, then M-files
       and MEX-files will be under `+FILENAME/`, while other output (JSON,
-      LaTeX, source code for the MEX files) will be under `FILENAME/`
+      LaTeX, source code for the MEX files) will be under `FILENAME/`.
 
     - The macro-generated output is now more readable (no more line numbers and
       empty lines). The old behaviour can be restored using the `linemacro`
       option (see above).
 
     - Ability to call the preprocessor by passing the `.mod` file as a string
-      argument from the macOS or GNU/Linux command line (#1509)
+      argument from the macOS or GNU/Linux command line. (#1509)
 
  - dseries classes
 
     - New functionalities and efficiency improvements.
 
-    - Complete rewrite using the new `classdef` syntax and exploiting in place modifications when possible.
+    - Complete rewrite using the new `classdef` syntax and exploiting in place
+      modifications when possible.
 
     - Integration of the `dates` classes within `dseries`.
 
@@ -282,24 +293,43 @@ Dynare 4.6
 
  - Misc
 
-    - External functions can be located in MATLAB namespaces. (#1639)
+    - External functions can be located in MATLAB/Octave namespaces. (#1639)
 
     - Improvements to the balanced growth path test that is performed after
       Dynare has detrended the model (given the trends on variables declared by
       the user): the default tolerance has been raised, and a different value
       can be set with new option `balanced_growth_test_tol` to the `model`
-      block; as a consequence, failing the test is now an error again (#1389)
+      block; as a consequence, failing the test is now an error again. (#1389)
 
-    - New collection of `get` and `set` utilities to retrieve and alter
-      objects. (!1686)
+    - New collection of MATLAB/Octave utilities to retrieve and alter objects:
+      `get_irf`, `get_mean`, `get_shock_stderr_by_name`, `get_smooth`,
+      `get_update`, `set_shock_stderr_value`. (!1686)
 
     - :warning: Previously, when some MEX files were missing, Dynare would
       automatically fall back to slower M-file functional alternative; this is
       no longer the case. It is however still possible to manually add these
-      alternatives in the MATLAB path (they are located under
+      alternatives in the MATLAB/Octave path (they are located under
       `matlab/missing/mex`; this only applies to the `mjdgges`, `gensylv`,
       `A_times_B_kronecker_C`, `sparse_hessian_times_B_kronecker_C` and
-      `local_state_space_iteration_2` DLLs)
+      `local_state_space_iteration_2` DLLs).
+
+ - References
+
+   - Komunjer, I. and S. Ng (2011), “[Dynamic Identification of Dynamic
+     Stochastic General Equilibrium
+     Models](https://www.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.3982/ECTA8916),”
+     *Econometrica*, 79(6), 1995–2032
+
+   - Qu, Z. and D. Tkachenko (2012), “[Identification and frequency domain
+     quasi‐maximum likelihood estimation of linearized dynamic stochastic
+     general equilibrium
+     models](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.3982/QE126),”
+     *Quantitative Economics*, 3(1), 95–132
+
+   - Mutschler, W. (2015), “[Identification of DSGE models—The effect of
+     higher-order approximation and
+     pruning](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165188915000731),”
+     *Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control*, 56, 34–54
 
 
 Dynare 4.5