GBBopen (1.5)
                                -------------

Requirements:

 - GBBopen is written in ANSI Common Lisp with some MOP and vendor-specific
   extensions.  GBBopen is actively supported on the following Common Lisp
   implementations:

       Allegro CL   Version 8.2
       CLISP        Version 2.49 (configure --with-threads if possible)
       Clozure CL   Version 1.6 (r14699)
       CMUCL        Version 20b
       ECL          Version 11.1.1 (configure with --enable-threads if 
                                    possible)
       Lispworks    Version 6.0.1
       SBCL         Version 1.0.47 (use sb-threads if possible)
       Scieneer CL  Version 1.3.8

   Known issues with the above implementations are summarized in the ISSUES
   file.

   Support for Digitool MCL (Version 5.1) has been discontinued. However,
   GBBopen may still function under MCL.

   Initial investigation/porting for ABCL is underway.

   Ports of GBBopen to Corman Common Lisp (Version 3.0), and GCL
   (Version 2.7.0 with --enable-ansi) are incomplete (due to limitations
   in the MOP support in these implementations).  The latest GCL tested was
   obtained using:
      # export CVSROOT=:pserver:anonymous@cvs.sv.gnu.org:/sources/gcl
      # cvs -z9 -q co -d gcl-2.7.0t5 -r Version_2_7_0t5 gcl

   See PORTING for information on porting GBBopen to other Common Lisp
   implementations.


Current Status Notes (March 27, 2011)
--------------------

Implementation work is progressing on a regular basis.  See the list of
pending development activities maintained on the "Development Activities" page
on the GBBopen Project web site (http://GBBopen.org/) for the latest
information.  Day-to-day development activities can also be followed on
twitter (http://twitter.com/GBBopen) or via RSS
(http://twitter.com/statuses/user_timeline/GBBopen.rss).

GBBopen users are encouraged to update their GBBopen sources frequently.


STEP 1: Getting GBBopen
=======================

The latest source-repository snapshot archive (containing the files in the
GBBopen repository as well as the GBBopen hyperdoc files and the GBBopen
Reference Manual) can be found in the "Downloads" section of the GBBopen web
site (http://GBBopen.org). The repository is maintained using Subversion,
which is available at http://subversion.tigris.org/.  The snapshot archive
includes .svn administrative directories, so a Subversion update command can
be used to freshen sources obtained from a snapshot archive.


Subversion Access
-----------------

You can also get the very latest GBBopen sources directly via Subversion by
issuing the following command:

  $ svn co http://GBBopen.org/svn/GBBopen/trunk/ gbbopen

A directory tree rooted at the directory named 'gbbopen' will be created. At
any later time, you can issue the command:

  $ svn update

from within that directory tree.  

GBBopen development is ongoing, and you should update your GBBopen
installation regularly in order to obtain the latest capabilities and
enhancements.  Using Subversion is the easiest way to keep current, and you
are strongly encouraged to install a Subversion client and use it perform
frequent updates.


Browsing the GBBopen Repository
-------------------------------

The GBBopen repository can be browsed directly at
http://GBBopen.org/svn/GBBopen/trunk/.


Using clbuild
-------------

If you use clbuild, you can get the latest GBBopen sources by issuing the
following command:

  $ clbuild install gbbopen

At any later time, you can issue the command:

  $ clbuild update gbbopen

to obtain the latest sources from the GBBopen repository.

If your clbuild doesn't know about GBBopen, add the following line to clbuild's
wnpp-projects file:

gbbopen get_svn http://gbbopen.org/svn/GBBopen/trunk/ #blackboard-system framework, tools, & utilities


Using Quicklisp
---------------

If you use Quicklisp, you can obtain GBBopen by evaluating:

  > (ql:quickload "gbbopen")

which will install the GBBopen sources (if necessary) and set up GBBopen's
extended REPL command definitions and ASDF module definitions.


STEP 2: Compiling All GBBopen Modules
=====================================

If others will be using the GBBopen installation and they do not have write
permission to the compiled GBBopen directories, you should compile all of the
GBBopen modules whenever you install or update GBBopen.  


Compiling without ASDF, clbuild, or Quicklisp
---------------------------------------------

To compile all GBBopen modules, perform the following in a fresh Common Lisp
environment:

  > (load "<install-dir>/initiate.lisp")
  ;; Loading <install-dir>/initiate.lisp
  ;;  Loading <install-dir>/extended-repl.lisp
  ;;  Loading <install-dir>/gbbopen-toplevel-commands.lisp
  t
  > :compile-gbbopen     ; or (compile-gbbopen), if REPL commands don't work
  ;; Loading <install-dir>/startup.lisp
     ...
  ;;; GBBopen modules compilation completed.
  [Common Lisp will exit]


Compiling using ASDF, clbuild, or Quicklisp
-------------------------------------------

GBBopen includes a Module Manager Facility that supports compiling and loading
GBBopen components.  The Module Manager provides an interface that allows ASDF
(and clbuild or Quicklisp) to play nicely with the Module Manager.  If you
installed GBBopen using clbuild or Quicklisp, ASDF has been informed of
GBBopen's gbbopen.asd system-definition file.  Otherwise, to use ASDF to set
up GBBopen, you must add gbbopen.asd to ASDF manually.  Then, the Module
Manager and GBBopen module definitions can be loaded using ASDF by issuing:

  > (asdf:operate 'asdf:load-op :gbbbopen)

or when ASDF is integrated with Common Lisp's REQUIRE:

  > (require :gbbopen)

ASDF users can compile all GBBopen modules, by evaluating the following in a
fresh Common Lisp environment with ASDF installed.  For example:

  > (require :gbbopen)
      ...
  > :compile-gbbopen     ; or (compile-gbbopen), if REPL commands don't work
      ...
  ;;; GBBopen modules compilation completed.
  [Common Lisp will exit]


STEP 3: Running GBBopen Modules
===============================

To run a simple trip-tests file, evaluate the following in a fresh Common Lisp
environment:

  > (load "<install-dir>/initiate.lisp")
  ;; Loading <install-dir>/initiate.lisp
  ;;  Loading <install-dir>/extended-repl.lisp
  ;;  Loading <install-dir>/gbbopen-toplevel-commands.lisp
  t
  > :gbbopen-test
      ...
  ;; Running basic GBBopen tests...
      ...
  ;; Performing Common Lisp capability checks...
      ...
  >

Or with ASDF or clbuild:

  > (require :gbbopen)
      ...
  > :gbbopen-test
      ...
  ;; Running basic GBBopen tests...
      ...
  ;; Performing Common Lisp capability checks...
      ...
  >

That's it.  GBBopen should load and run the basic trip tests without error.

Other GBBopen test and example modules can be run similarly, by replacing the
:gbbopen-test command with :agenda-shell-test (for a simple trip-test of
GBBopen's Agenda Shell), :tutorial-example (to run the example developed in
the GBBopen Tutorial), :cl-timing (to perform some timings of Common Lisp
operations), etc.  Each of these should be loaded and run in a fresh
environment.

Note that the Agenda Shell requires that the idle-loop process has been
started on CMUCL and that multiprocessing has been started on LispWorks.  
(An error message will instruct you on what to do if this is not the case.)


GBBopen Tutorial
================

We highly recommend taking a walk through the GBBopen Tutorial.  (You'll get
the pun once you've done so.)  The Tutorial shows you how to get started
using GBBopen through a series of exercises that cover GBBopen's concepts
and features in a step-by-step sequence.


Mailing Lists
=============

We strongly recommend that you subscribe to the GBBopen Announcements and the
GBBopen Users mailing lists.  To subscribe, go to the "Mailing Lists" page on
the GBBopen web site and click on the appropriate subscribe links.  The e-mail
traffic is low, and the messages and advice will help you to write quality
GBBopen applications easier and sooner.  (You can also browse the archived
messages that are accessible from the "Mailing Lists" page.)

If you need help or advice, the GBBopen Users list is the place to ask (should
the GBBopen Tutorial and archived messages from the GBBopen Users list come up
short).    There is also a GBBopen fan page on facebook for comments and 
discussion (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Amherst-MA/GBBopen/156240293546).


Some Useful Things
==================

(You did work through the GBBopen Tutorial, didn't you?)

Personal gbbopen-init.lisp file
-------------------------------

If a gbbopen-init.lisp file (source or compiled) is present in the user's
"home" directory (as defined by user-homedir-pathname), it is loaded
immediately after the <install-directory>startup.lisp file is loaded.  A
personal gbbopen-init file is useful for specifying GBBopen parameters and
other personalizations.


Personal gbbopen-commands.lisp file
---------------------------------------

If a gbbopen-commands.lisp file (source or compiled) is present in the user's
"home" directory, it is loaded at the end of loading the
<install-directory>initiate.lisp file and gbbopen-modules directory files.  A
personal gbbopen-commands file is useful for defining user-specific top-level
(REPL) commands for common application-independent activities.  See the
"Starting Up" section in the GBBopen Reference Manual for details.
Application-specific commands should be defined in separate application
"commands.lisp" files (see next paragraph).


Personal gbbopen-modules directory
----------------------------------

If a gbbopen-modules directory is present in the user's home directory, it is
assumed to contain symbolic links (or "pseudo-symbolic-link" files on Windows)
to individual GBBopen module directory trees.  Each module directory tree can
contain:

  * a commands.lisp file that specifies top-level commands (loaded after the
    personal gbbopen-commands.lisp file if there is one in the user's 
    home directory)

  * a modules.lisp file containing module definitions (loaded after the
    personal gbbopen-init.lisp file if there is one in the user's home 
    directory)

  * a subdirectory named source containing all the additional source
    files for the module or application

This is the recommended mechanism for managing and sharing multiple
user-defined GBBopen modules and applications on an individual basis.  It is
very easy to use and share modules defined in this way by placing symbolic
links to the module directories in your personal gbbopen-modules directory.
Windows, unfortunately, is the exception to this as Windows does not provide
symbolic links.  GBBopen users running on Windows must create a text file of
type .sym (containing target directory path as its sole line) as a stand-in
for the symbolic link. Once again, see the "Starting Up" section in the
GBBopen Reference Manual for details.


Installation-wide shared-gbbopen-modules directory
--------------------------------------------------

There is also an <install-dir>/shared-gbbopen-modules directory.  As with a
user's gbbopen-modules directory, the shared-gbbopen-modules directory is
assumed to contain symbolic links (or "pseudo-symbolic-link" files on Windows)
to individual GBBopen module directory trees.

This is the recommended mechanism for installation-wide managing and sharing
of modules and applications.


GBBopen Hyperdoc
----------------

Convenient access to a local copy of the GBBopen Hyperdoc manual from Common
Lisp is available by using the browse-hyperdoc function.  Emacs access to
the GBBopen Hyperdoc is provided by <install-directory>browse-hyperdoc.el.
This file defines the interactive Emacs command browse-hyperdoc and binds it
to META-?.  To enable this command, load browse-hyperdoc.el from your .emacs
initialization file.  Highly recommended!


Use the Source!
---------------

You're read this far, so why stop now?  A major benefit of open source is
that the GBBopen code is available for all to see.  If you are curious about
how some capability is implemented, read on!  If the documentation leaves
you with some questions, please tell us about them--but go to the source and
read on!  The power of meta-point (META-.) awaits you...

There are certainly some warts in the code (including code written for
expediency that awaits revisiting), but there is also GBBopen code that is
exquisite in its clarity, simplicity, and efficiency.  Reading code written
by others is a great way to understand how a system works and to extend and
improve your own programming skills. Of course you should not assume that
the specifics of GBBopen's implementation are invarient; we retain the
flexibility to change undocumented implementation details and behavior
without notice.

We are always seeking to improve the GBBopen code base, so if you notice
something that could be done better while looking at the code, please let us
know.  Code improvements and suggestions (and questions) are welcomed at
comments@GBBopen.org.  Unless you request anonymity, we'll attach your name
to committed enhancements (it won't buy lunch, but we're happy to provide a
morsel of acknowledgment).

==============================================================================