Do away with MantidPlotReleaseDate.h and have everything in MantidVersion. Turn MantidVersion into a class with static functions so that the part that changes every time can go in a cpp - this means files that include MantidVersion.h (e.g. the enormous ApplicationWindow.cpp) don't get compiled every commit. Re #2722. Also formats date better, which fixes #2246.

Added a setFacility()
refs #2760

fixes #2646 - fix bug that stopped Mantid initialising if some directories didn't exist/were inaccessible.

Lower-case first letter of instruments and scripts directories. All our installers did this anyway and this will mean less manipulation of the properties file is needed. Re #2753.

Refs #2584: Adding the use of a MANTIDLOGPATH variable to override the log file path at run-time; test.

Refs #2584: Can specify alternative log file path under Linux. Logging configuration should be picked up from Mantid.user.properties better than before.

Added a few convenience functions for dealing with ConfigService data paths from Python. Should avoid the need to deal with the raw keys. Fixes #2302

Fix problem with saving certain paths after the default save directory had been appended to it. Fixes #2445
Also improve python simple algorithm functions help documentation with a few new lines to make them clearer. Fixes #2459

ConfigService:
Look for Mantid.properties in the execuatable directory BEFORE going for MANTIDPATH

Removed check for the executable name from the ConfigService. It now either uses the path pointed to by MANTIDPATH or the executable's directory if the former is not set. Also renamed a couple of functions relating to this so that it is clearer what their return values point. Re #2256

The SANS interface now uses the Load algorithm and can read sample log information from Nexus files refs #2251 and #2238 and #2152 fixes #1294

Added mantidqt.python_interfaces_directory as one of the Mantid properties that needs to be transformed from relative to absolute. Re #1881

Rename Framework code directory to just that. Also delete Main and VS & Eclipse project file. Re #1881.

Fixed the particular issue of python crashing, but it is not clear for me why Mantid should work at all without Mantid.properties file. re #1594

  InstrumentName

This means there will be two input properties which can be used to specify and IDF:

  Filename
  InstrumentName

If Filename is specified then use that this filename. If not then it is required that an InstrumentName is specified. And an appropriate filename is created at runtime (search the Workspace's Run object for "startdate"/"starttime" and get IDF search directory from Config) 

Modify all loaders (except LoadEmptyInstrument) to load inst using this InstrumentName property
 
re #1997

Fix a small bug when saving a user properties file that contains line continuation characters. Fixes #1935

CPR tests are due.

Updated Python scripting startup to be slightly friendlier to this. 
Mantid part first so that the build goes in the right order.
Re #1791

Added trailing slash to release dir in ConfigService. Adding it to MANTIDPATH is both non-standard and makes other parts of the code break. Re #1594