More people than I can name have contributed to SLIB. Thanks to all of you.
Check the manifest in `README' to find a configuration file for your Scheme implementation. Initialization files for most IEEE P1178 compliant Scheme Implementations are included with this distribution.
If the Scheme implementation supports getenv, then the value of
the shell environment variable SCHEME_LIBRARY_PATH will be used
for (library-vicinity) if it is defined. Currently, Chez, Elk,
MITScheme, scheme->c, VSCM, and SCM support getenv. Scheme48
supports getenv but does not use it for determining
library-vicinity. (That is done from the Makefile.)
You should check the definitions of software-type,
scheme-implementation-version,
implementation-vicinity,
and library-vicinity in the initialization file. There are
comments in the file for how to configure it.
Once this is done you can modify the startup file for your Scheme
implementation to load this initialization file. SLIB is then
installed.
Multiple implementations of Scheme can all use the same SLIB directory. Simply configure each implementation's initialization file as outlined above.
The SCM implementation does not require any initialization file as SLIB support is already built in to SCM. See the documentation with SCM for installation instructions.
SLIB includes methods to create heap images for the VSCM and Scheme48
implementations. The instructions for creating a VSCM image are in
comments in `vscm.init'. To make a Scheme48 image for an
installation under <prefix>, cd to the SLIB directory and
type make prefix=<prefix> slib48. To install the image, type
make prefix=<prefix> install48. This will also create a shell
script with the name slib48 which will invoke the saved image.
If there is no initialization file for your Scheme implementation, you will have to create one. Your Scheme implementation must be largely compliant with IEEE Std 1178-1990, Revised^4 Report on the Algorithmic Language Scheme, or Revised^5 Report on the Algorithmic Language Scheme in order to support SLIB. (2)
`Template.scm' is an example configuration file. The comments
inside will direct you on how to customize it to reflect your system.
Give your new initialization file the implementation's name with
`.init' appended. For instance, if you were porting
foo-scheme then the initialization file might be called
`foo.init'.
Your customized version should then be loaded as part of your scheme
implementation's initialization. It will load `require.scm' from
the library; this will allow the use of provide,
provided?, and require along with the vicinity
functions (these functions are documented in the section
See section Require). The rest of the library will then be accessible in a
system independent fashion.
Please mail new working configuration files to jaffer@ai.mit.edu
so that they can be included in the SLIB distribution.
All library packages are written in IEEE P1178 Scheme and assume that a
configuration file and `require.scm' package have already been
loaded. Other versions of Scheme can be supported in library packages
as well by using, for example, (provided? 'rev3-report) or
(require 'rev3-report) (See section Require).
The module name and `:' should prefix each symbol defined in the
package. Definitions for external use should then be exported by having
(define foo module-name:foo).
Code submitted for inclusion in SLIB should not duplicate routines
already in SLIB files. Use require to force those library
routines to be used by your package. Care should be taken that there
are no circularities in the requires and loads between the
library packages.
Documentation should be provided in Emacs Texinfo format if possible, But documentation must be provided.
Your package will be released sooner with SLIB if you send me a file which tests your code. Please run this test before you send me the code!
Please document your changes. A line or two for `ChangeLog' is
sufficient for simple fixes or extensions. Look at the format of
`ChangeLog' to see what information is desired. Please send me
diff files from the latest SLIB distribution (remember to send
diffs of `slib.texi' and `ChangeLog'). This makes for
less email traffic and makes it easier for me to integrate when more
than one person is changing a file (this happens a lot with
`slib.texi' and `*.init' files).
If someone else wrote a package you want to significantly modify, please try to contact the author, who may be working on a new version. This will insure against wasting effort on obsolete versions.
Please do not reformat the source code with your favorite beautifier, make 10 fixes, and send me the resulting source code. I do not have the time to fish through 10000 diffs to find your 10 real fixes.
This section has instructions for SLIB authors regarding copyrights.
Each package in SLIB must either be in the public domain, or come with a statement of terms permitting users to copy, redistribute and modify it. The comments at the beginning of `require.scm' and `macwork.scm' illustrate copyright and appropriate terms.
If your code or changes amount to less than about 10 lines, you do not need to add your copyright or send a disclaimer.
In order to put code in the public domain you should sign a copyright disclaimer and send it to the SLIB maintainer. Contact jaffer@ai.mit.edu for the address to mail the disclaimer to.
I, name, hereby affirm that I have placed the software package name in the public domain.
I affirm that I am the sole author and sole copyright holder for the software package, that I have the right to place this software package in the public domain, and that I will do nothing to undermine this status in the future.
signature and date
This wording assumes that you are the sole author. If you are not the sole author, the wording needs to be different. If you don't want to be bothered with sending a letter every time you release or modify a module, make your letter say that it also applies to your future revisions of that module.
Make sure no employer has any claim to the copyright on the work you are submitting. If there is any doubt, create a copyright disclaimer and have your employer sign it. Mail the signed disclaimer to the SLIB maintainer. Contact jaffer@ai.mit.edu for the address to mail the disclaimer to. An example disclaimer follows.
If you submit more than about 10 lines of code which you are not placing into the Public Domain (by sending me a disclaimer) you need to:
This disclaimer should be signed by a vice president or general manager of the company. If you can't get at them, anyone else authorized to license out software produced there will do. Here is a sample wording:
employer Corporation hereby disclaims all copyright interest in the program program written by name.
employer Corporation affirms that it has no other intellectual property interest that would undermine this release, and will do nothing to undermine it in the future.
signature and date, name, title, employer Corporation
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