### cdecl-2.5 README file

    			Cdecl version 2.5

    Cdecl is a program which will turn English-like phrases such as "declare
    foo as array 5 of pointer to function returning int" into C declarations
    such as "int (*foo[5])()".  It can also translate the C into the pseudo-
    English.  And it handles typecasts, too.  Plus C++.  And in this version
    it has command line editing and history with the GNU readline library.

    The files in this distribution are:

    cdecl.c		The cdecl source code.
    cdlex.l		The lex source for the cdecl lexer.
    cdgram.y	The yacc source for the cdecl parser.
    cdecl.1		The cdecl man page.
    c++decl.1	The c++decl man page (really just cdecl.1).
    testset		A script to test the operation of cdecl.
    testset++	A script to test the operation of c++decl.
    Makefile	The makefile to build and install cdecl.
    README		See file README for description of this file.

    If you have the GNU readline library and its headers in readline/*.h and
    termcap then you can install cdecl by "make" followed by "make install".
    To compile without readline and termcap, you must edit the Makefile and
    remove -DUSE_READLINE from the CFLAGS and -lreadline and -ltermcap from
    the LIBS.  You will, unfortunately, lose the command line editing,
    history, and keyword completion.  By default cdecl installs in /usr/bin,
    but this is configurable in the Makefile.

    I debated with myself whether to provide a precompiled libreadline.a and
    associated headers with the cdecl distribution, however that would have
    made the tar file *much* bigger, so I have decided not to.  If you think
    I should, or you would like me to send you readline, please get in touch
    with me at conrad@detroit.freenet.org.  You can find the source for
    readline in the bash distribution on prep.ai.mit.edu:/pub/gnu or on
    ftp.uu.net:/pub/gnu, or wherever fine GNU source isn't sold.

    You should also be able to find a ready-to-run ELF binary of cdecl in the
    same place you got this from.  It should be on sunsite.unc.edu in the
    directory /pub/Linux/devel/lang/c/, or on any of the many sunsite mirrors.
    My three favorites are ftp.cc.gatech.edu, ftp.cdrom.com, and
    uiarchive.cso.uiuc.edu.

    You may well be wondering what the status of cdecl is.  So am I.  It was
    twice posted to comp.sources.unix, but neither edition carried any mention
    of copyright.  This version is derived from the second edition.  I have
    no reason to believe there are any limitations on its use, and strongly
    believe it to be in the Public Domain.  GNU readline is, of course,
    covered by the GNU General Public License.

    I was inspired to port cdecl to Linux as there was no version of it
    available in the various Linux software archives that I am aware of.
    The addition of GNU readline support seemed like a logical extension
    of the program.  Be warned, however, that linking with readline more
    than doubles the size of the program.  Those whose main concern is
    space might wish to build a version without readline.

    David R. Conrad
    conrad@detroit.freenet.org
    Detroit, Michigan, USA
    16 January 1996