README for ipl-1.1
		       http://ipl.sf.net

Read the INSTALL file for instructions on how to build this release
from source.  This software builds on top of ivtools, a C++ toolkit
maintained and distributed by myself as well.

ipl stands for the Invocation (Programming) Language, a concurrent
programming language described in Chapter 12 of Karl M. Fant's book
"Computer Science Reconsidered: The Invocation Model of Process
Expression" (Wiley-Interscience, 2007).  Copies of this book may well
be available in an academic library near you.

This software package consists of a C++ class hierarchy for
representing language internals (IplServ), a parser/interpreter for
experimenting with these constructs (iplserv), and a graphical editor
for creating and testing drawings of programs (ipledit).

The examples directory contains sample program drawings (.ipd files).
See the README in that directory for further details.  In this
directory, HOW-TO is a file that enumerates all the primitive
functions available to an Invocation Language programmer, and starts
to explain how to use ipledit to compose programs.

The Invocation Language, along with Null-Convention Logic (also
invented by Karl Fant -- see his first book "Logically Determined
Design: Clockless System Design with NULL Convention Logic" --
Wiley-Interscience, 2005) stems from a more natural perspective of
computing that encompass physical and biological processes as well
as those of human design.

This software is a work in progress, an active test-bed for the ideas
embedded in Karl's books.  At the same time it is the pinnacle of
almost 20 years of work on a singular X11 toolkit developed at
Stanford in the late 1980's.  In the interest of facilitating academic
investigation into Karl's ideas, I am making this software available
under the terms of the GPL Version 2.0 (ivtools remains under an
MIT-style non-copylefted free software license).  Contact me for
information about commercial licensing.

I welcome any and all queries about this technology.  I will strive to
improve this distribution over time, and to clarify its use with
improved documentation and examples.  In some sense this is the
software that should have been on a CD that came with the book.  It
can be quite entertaining and illuminating to use this software to
bring the concepts in Karl's books (and in nature) alive.

Scott Johnston
March 2008
[email protected]