$Id: README,v 1.35 1997/08/12 03:53:03 phil Exp $

0.99.4 release of ``The Macro Implementation of SNOBOL4 in C'' (C-MAINBOL)

This is a free port of the original SIL (SNOBOL4 Implementation
Language) "macro" version of SNOBOL4 (developed at Bell Labs) with the
`C' language as a target.

SNOBOL4, while known primarily as a string language excels at any task
involving symbolic manipulations.  It provides run time typing,
garbage collection, user data types, on the fly compilation.  It's
primary weakness is it's simple syntax, and lack of "structured
programming" constructs.  However some consider the spareness of
SNOBOL4 syntax a strength when compared to some "modern"
agglomerations such as perl.

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This material is in the public domain.  You may use and copy this
material freely. This privilege extends to modifications, although any
modified version of this system given to a third party should clearly
identify your modifications as well as the original source.

The responsibility for the use of this material resides entirely with
you.  We make no warranty of any kind concerning this material, nor do
we make any claim as to the suitability of SNOBOL4 for any
application.

****************************************************************

Documentation;

For a good SNOBOL4 tutorial look in the Catspaw "vanilla snobol"
distribution.

INSTALL
	Information on building and installing C-MAINBOL

README
	This file

CHANGES
	Important changes since last release

doc/snobol4.1
	man page for snobol4.
	describes changes from the SNOBOL4 reference ("green book").

doc/snobol4.0
	text formatted output of snobol4 man page

doc/snobol4.html
	WWW HyperText formatted output of snobol4.1

doc/snobol4.ps
	PostScript formatted output of snobol4.1

doc/ports.doc
	status of ports to various systems.

doc/porting.doc
	information on porting to a new system,
	particularly the usage of Makefile variables and m4 macros.

doc/porting.ps
	porting information in PostScript.

doc/porting.html
	porting information in HTML.

TODO.soon
	current top priority tasks (hopefully small in any release)

TODO
	older identified tasks / wish list.

See the Catspaw Vanilla SNOBOL4 vanilla.arc or vanilla.tar for a
	DOS/PC port of SNOBOL4, many demo programs, SNOBOL4 language
	documentation, and ordering information for books & products
	from Catspaw!

Mark Emmer runs a SNOBOL4 mailing list;
	To join the list, send a mail message to "listserv@mercury.dsu.edu"
	with the line "subscribe SNOBOL4 Your Name" as the message body.
	"Your Name" should be your real name (your e-mail address will be
	used automatically for the subscription).

	Submissions to the list may be sent to "SNOBOL4@mercury.dsu.edu".

	To be removed from the list, send the message "unsubscribe SNOBOL4"
	to "listserv@mercury.dsu.edu".

Acknowledgments;

	First and foremost, I would like to thank Ralph Griswold, for
	all his invaluable help and time digging up old documentation!
	(as well as his work of 30 years ago, designing and
	implementing the language)!

	I would also never have succeeded without the help of Mark
	Emmer of Catspaw and his excellent SPARC SPITBOL product!!

	The contributions of source code by Mark Emmer (SNOBOL4+) and
	Viktors Berstis (Minnestoa SNOBOL4) have allowed me to advance
	the state of C-MAINBOL in ways that would have been otherwise
	impossible.

The following have also provided help, encouragement, support, input,
historical background, testing, fixes, etc (in chronological order);

	Bill Henneman
	Andrew Koenig
	Doug McIlroy
	Robert Dewar
	Alan Martin
	Jerry Leichter
	Scott Marovich
	Jonathan Chandross
	Randolph J. Herber
	Jules Gilbert
	Phillip Lee Thomas
	Martin D. Waller
	Burkhard Meissner
	John McHugh
	Chrystopher Nehaniv
	Arne Larsson
	Rik Faith
	Keith Waclena
	Steve Kibbler
	Peter-Arno Coppen
	David J. Birnbaum

If you make any changes/fixes/improvements, or port it to a new
system, please send them to me (please include "timing.out" and tell
me the system type, CPU clock speed, C compiler & version)!!

If you are interested in getting mailings about new releases, send me
mail.  I'm interested in knowing what people are using SNOBOL4 for!

Phil Budne <phil@ultimate.com>

