Any changes or additions to the ReWrite 0.2.6 README are labelled in blue.
ReWrite is a programming language (still in its development stages) for the Macintosh using a rewrite rules syntax. See the documentation for details.
This file has the following sections:
• Files
• Hardware/System requirements
• Using ReWrite off a CD
• Documentation
• Versions and changes
• Let me know
• Announcement mailing list
• Contact information
• Credits
• Version History
• Copyright stuff
Files
This file should be part of a folder containing the following:
This README file
ReWrite 0.2.7 (the application)
ReWrite 0.2.7 Docs (an eDOC document)
eDOC Reader
Sample Project
Sample Project should contain the following files:
0Project r.setup r.go l.setup l.go
Hardware/System requirements
ReWrite 0.2.7 will only work on Macintoshes with a 68020 or better, and should run in emulation on PowerMacs. It requires at least 1500K to run. System 7.0 or better is also required.
Using ReWrite off a CD
If you are running ReWrite off a CD, it is most important that the 'Sample Project' folder be copied onto a writable media such as a hard disk ßand used from there, as ReWrite assumes that it can update the object files. The ReWrite application does not modify itself, so can be left on the CD.
Documentation
The documentation has been changed to use eDOC. It has been left as a non self-reading document and the eDOC reader included so that the copy facility of eDOC can be used. The original ClarisWorks® document is available on the web site or on request.
Colour text is used for clarity, but is not essential for making sense of the documents. Also, page and section numbering has not been used, as the documentation is subject to change.
Versions and changes
ReWrite is a very rapidly evolving language. In the documentation I have tried to point out features that will not be supported or be different in later versions. Also, there is a lot of stuff that is undocumented that still might be useful (e.g. try 'getclipboard[]'). I make no guarantees about particular functions operating in exactly the same way in future versions, but if I make any major changes to the syntax I will endeavour to provide easy means of conversion.
One relatively recent change was the addition of new types (before there was only 'list' and 'int'). Some of the documentation (and certainly some of the functions) have not 'caught up' yet with this change. The compiler doesn't really use these types yet (any undocumented functions will store strings as lists of integers). Any type inconsistencies will be fixed in ReWrite 0.3.
There will be a new version coming out (hopefully in the next few months) that has a new project structure, a faster smaller compiler, macros and more types, but this will depend on other commitments (compiler writing is hard work). ReWrite is a personal (hobby) project - I am writing it in my spare(?) time.
Let me know
I would like to hear from you if you use or are interested in ReWrite at all. More feedback contributes to a better language. I would also like you hear if you:
• find any bugs or have any other problems with ReWrite,
• have any suggested improvements or extensions,
• want to make any (constructive) suggestions,
• have any comments to make about the documentation,
• have any example source code you wish to contribute,
• can think of any problems that ReWrite would be well/badly suited for,
• have anything else that you want to say or ask.
Announcement mailing list
In order to save some of my time E-mailing people seperately about developments/releases/bug-fixes etc. , I am compiling a list of people to send any announcements to (sort of a low volume one-way mailing list). Let me know if you want to be included on this list.
If you have already asked for any future info and weren't
notified about this minor release, I apologise as there was a some confusion when I switched E-mail addresses. Please E-mail me and I'll add you to the list.
Contact information
Email: roy@earthlight.co.nz
Postal address (until 30th of December, 1996):
377a Pine Hill Road,
Dunedin,
New Zealand.
Note that the postal address only applies to the end of the year; after that any mail sent to that address will not reach me.
ReWrite is freeware and may be distributed freely in its original form (or in its original form along with any source code written by others that is clearly labelled as such), as long as it is not distributed for profit without express permission from the author. ReWrite has been designed to be robust, but is distributed without any warranties, and in the unlikely event of ReWrite causing damage the author assumes no responsibility for any such damage.
Permission is granted to include this release of ReWrite on the following CD's:
• The Apprentice CD, by Celestin Company Inc,
• Any CD releases of (portions of) the info-mac archives released by sumex-aim.