tclXess -- The Tcl-Xess User Interface
Release 1.0.0 Beta


1. Introduction
---------------

This directory contains the sources for tclXess, an interface between 
the Tcl interpreter and Tk toolkit available from U.C. Berkeley and
the Xess spreadsheet from Applied Information Systems.  It is designed
to work with Tcl 7.0 (or later) and Tk 3.4 (or later); the preferred
release is Tcl 7.3 and Tk 3.6.  It will not work with earlier releases
of Tcl and Tk.

It will currently run with Xess version 2.1 or higher.  However, since
Xess version 3 has now been released, version 3 API functionality will
soon be added, and version 3 will be then be required to compile
tclXess.

Xess is the X Windows, real-time, high-performance spreadsheet.  It
provides a rich suite of built-in functions and a powerful "connection"
API and library for writing programs that communicate with the
spreadsheet.  tclXess is both an example of a program based on that
API and an implementation of that API for Tcl/Tk programmers.

Xess is available from Applied Information Systems, based in Chapel Hill,
North Carolina.  Demo versions for most popular Unix and OpenVMS
platforms can be downloaded via ftp from ftp.uu.net in the directory
/vendor/ais/.  Get the files README, gen.tar, and one other file
depending on the Unix version you use, or the correct VMS saveset
if you run VMS.  See the README file in that directory for more details.

If you would like more information about Xess or are interested in
purchasing Xess, please send email to info@ais.com, or call
+1 919 942 7801, or send mail to Applied Information Systems,
100 Europa Drive, Suite 555, Chapel Hill, NC 27514, USA.

tclXess was originally written by Kevin B. Kenny at GE Corporate R&D,
supported by the DARPA Initiative in Concurrent Engineering (DICE)
through DARPA Contract MDA972-88-C-0047.

tclXess is now developed and maintained by Michael K. Johnson,
michael@ais.com


2. Documentation
----------------

The documentation for the commands is sparse at present.  A users'
manual (just ASCII for now) is available in the file tclXess.txt,
but it is lacking examples, and may be incorrect in spots.  It is
being actively developed, and we appreciate all comments.

There are preludes on most of the command processing routines in
the tclXess source code that explain the routines.  The source
code style should be familiar to anyone familiar with Tcl/Tk
source code.


3. Compiling and installing tclXess
-----------------------------------

This release should compile and run with little or no effort on DEC
MIPS workstations running Ultrix, HP PA-RISC workstations running
HP/UX release 9.0 or later, and Sun workstations running either
SunOS 4.0 or Solaris 2.3.  The latest version has been built and
tested mainly on Solaris, but previous versions were tested mainly on
Ultrix.  Because tclXess is configured using GNU Autoconf, it is
likely to build on other platforms as well.  Please notify AIS of
any bugs you find, or if you have any difficulties building.

To build tclXess, do the following:

    (1) Install Tcl and Tk.  It is preferable that the Tcl, Tk
	and tclXess source directories all be subdirectories of the
	same directory, or that Tcl and Tk be built and installed
	in /usr/local/.

    (2) Install tclLoad if demand loading of runtime packages is
	desired.

    (3) Make sure that the directory that contains `wish' and `tclsh'
	is listed in $PATH.  If you have installed tclLoad, make sure
	that the directory containing `dwish', `dtclsh', and
	`tclLoadVars' is also on $PATH.

    (4) Type `./configure' in this directory.  This procedure runs a
	configuration script created by GNU autoconf, which configures
	tclXess for your system and creates a Makefile.

    (5) Type `make'.  This procedure will create a library,
	`libtclXess.a', and an interpreter application called
	`tclXess' that will allow you to enter Tcl commands
	interactively or execute script files.

    (6) If the make fails, you will have to personalize the Makefile.
	Contact support@ais.com for assistance.

    (7) At this point you can use the `tclXess' command to play around
	with the product.

    (8) When you are ready to install the `tclXess' package, type
	`make install'.


4. User-Contributed Code
------------------------

We would like to include user-contributed examples in future versions
of tclXess.  If you develop an application in tclXess that you
would like to share with other users, please send it to us.
A uuencoded gzipped tar file is the preferred mechanism.  A binary
for gunzip is included with Xess; the same binary, with a filename
of gzip, is used to gzip files.  Please send your contribution to
michael@ais.com


5. Copyright statement
----------------------

Copyright (c) 1992 General Electric.  All rights reserved.
Copyright (C) 1994 Applied Information Systems.  All rights reserved.
 
Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute this
software and its documentation for any purpose and without
fee is hereby granted, provided that the above copyright
notice appear in all copies and that both that copyright
notice and this permission notice appear in supporting
documentation, and that the name of General Electric not be used in
advertising or publicity pertaining to distribution of the
software without specific, written prior permission.
General Electric makes no representations about the suitability of
this software for any purpose.  It is provided "as is"
without express or implied warranty.

This work was supported by the DARPA Initiative in Concurrent
Engineering (DICE) through DARPA Contract MDA972-88-C-0047.

($Revision: 1.12 $)
