v0.9.8 Release Notes

Breaking Changes

Optimize no longer supports the checkpointParams option

See the new file backed parameter store for similar functionality.

Parameter serialization format

The format in which parameters are serialized has changed. As a result, parameters serialized with 0.9.7 and earlier cannot be loaded directly into 0.9.8. As a work-around, the following script can be used to convert old parameters into the new format:

• https://gist.github.com/null-a/078bc0ee7df1af6995874508e82438cb

Node v4 is no longer supported

New Features

Add Laplace distribution primitives

• http://docs.webppl.org/en/master/distributions.html#Laplace
• http://docs.webppl.org/en/master/distributions.html#TensorLaplace

More flexible parameter initialization

The param method now supports an init option which allows fine grained control over the initialization of parameters.

• http://docs.webppl.org/en/master/optimization/parameters.html#param

Automatic selection of inference method

When no method is specified when calling Infer, heuristics are used to automatically select a reasonable method for the current model.

• http://docs.webppl.org/en/master/inference/index.html#inference

Add support for weight decay

• http://docs.webppl.org/en/master/optimization/optimize.html#Optimize

Add onStep callback to Optimize

• http://docs.webppl.org/en/master/optimization/optimize.html#Optimize

Add forward and forwardGuide methods

These provide a convenient way to generate a single sample from the model or guide.

• http://docs.webppl.org/en/master/functions/other.html#forward
• http://docs.webppl.org/en/master/functions/other.html#forwardGuide

Add file backed parameter store

• http://docs.webppl.org/en/master/optimization/filestore.html

Add official support for command line arguments

• http://docs.webppl.org/en/master/usage.html#passing-arguments-to-the-program

Allow the ps parameter to be omitted from Categorical

• http://docs.webppl.org/en/master/distributions.html#Categorical

Warn on superfluous options

Infer and Optimize now issue a warning when passed superfluous options.

Bug Fixes

Fix Poisson sampler

• https://github.com/probmods/webppl/issues/824

Correctly optimize parameters nested within Enumerate

• https://github.com/probmods/webppl/issues/789