---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
INSTALLATION PROCEDURE

*****************************************************************
**  See the file 'Instruct' for instructions on building 'ss'  **
*****************************************************************

---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
ss

  This is ``ss'' release 1.3.3

  SS is a spreadsheet program.  It is based upon the well known(?)
  public domain spreadsheet program sc 6.19.

  ss is Curses based.  It should function on any ASCII terminal, or in
  any terminal window in a windowing environment.

  ss is a major overhaul of the _user_interface_ of sc.  I tried to
  make it much more similar to the spreadsheets found on personal
  computers.  It makes use of hierarchical menus, and has a full range
  of `standard' spreadsheet functions.

  I toyed around with starting off at version number 7.0, since I used
  sc 6.19 (and later 6.21) as my starting point, but I decided that
  would be a bit presumptuous.  So I hope this low release/version
  number doesn't scare away too many people.  There really is a *LOT*
  of work put in by a lot of people over a long period of time in the
  sc 6.19 code, which serves as the heart of ss.

  This is an ASCII spreadsheet program.  This is not Lotus 1-2-3.  It
  is not Microsoft Excel.  It does not do graphs or charts.  It does
  not do drawings.  It does not use a mouse.

  It _does_ do a fine job of manipulating rows and columns of numbers.
  Want a simple way of managing your students' grades, calculating class
  averages, etc?  No problem.  Want to figure out how much money you
  can borrow from the bank for a mortgage?  We can do that.

  Jan 24, 1994
  Art Mulder  (email: art@cs.ualberta.ca)
  Department of Computing Science
  University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada

----------------------------------------------------------------------
TESTED SYSTEMS

  ``ss'' has been tested (clean compile by me) on:
	Sun 4 (Sparc - SunOS 4.1.3)
	Sun 3 (SunOS 4.1.3)
	Mips (Risc/os 5.0)
	Dec (Ultrix 4.2A)
	Dec alpha (OSF/1 version 1.2)
	Silicon Graphics (4D340S - IRIX Release 4.0.5)
    
  Also, confirmed builds (by other users) on:
    BSDI's BSD/386	   1.3.1: Mike Durian <durian@advtech.uswest.com>
    Linux 		   1.3: Brooks David Smith <brooks@csd4.csd.uwm.edu> )
    HP/Apollo (SR10.3.5)   1.2b: Tom Dickey <dickey@software.org>
    Convex		   1.2b: dquah@lse.ac.uk
    Dos/djgpp		   1.2b: dquah@lse.ac.uk
    NeXT 2.1		   1.3.2: russell@alpha3.ersys.edmonton.ab.ca
    Interactive SVR3 2.2.1 1.2b: Pat Myrto <pat@rwing.UUCP>
    RS/6000		   1.3: Richard K. Thompson <rkt@cs.umt.edu>

----------------------------------------------------------------------
INSTALLATION NOTES

  About the "sunfkeys" directory:

  IF you are running X11R4 on a Sun workstation, and IF you use
  "xterm(1)" for your terminal sessions, then you probably should look
  at the README file in the "sunfkeys" directory.  In its basic state,
  Xterm does not let you use/access most of the keypad or the function keys.
  The contents of "sunfkeys" will help you modify your terminfo/termcap
  files so that you can.

  You can use 'ss' without the sunfkeys stuff.  Conversely, you can use the
  'sunfkeys' stuff with programs other than 'ss'.  I developed sunfkeys when
  I was working on 'ss', because I wanted to be able to use the arrow keys,
  Home, End, PgUp and PgDn keys with it.
  
  See sunfkeys/README for details.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
BUGS:

  I'd be dreaming if I thought that this were bug-free.  For one thing,
  I've never tested it on anything but a Sun.  (I've compiled it on 
  few others, but have not made extensive use of it there.)  If you
  find bugs, I'd like to hear about them (I say that with a certain
  amount of trepidation).  However, I would be much more interested in
  hearing about bugs WHICH YOU HAVE FIXED, complete with code patches,
  etc.

  The original sc ran on a number of platforms: VMS, MS-DOS and many
  Unix variants.  I don't have all those at my disposal.  (Neither do I
  have the time nor inclination to try them all out)  I don't *THINK*
  I've changed anything which would limit its portability, but no
  guarantees are given.  (In all honesty, considering the cheap cost of
  DOS spreadsheets, and the many free/shareware ones, I can't imagine
  why anyone would really want to use this simple spreadsheet on a DOS
  box.  I even use Excel on my Mac at home! :-)

----------------------------------------------------------------------
COPYRIGHT

  Please see the file "Copyright"

  I'm not trying to restrict anyone's free use of ``ss'', I just 
  don't want anyone turning around and (a) claiming that they 
  wrote it or (b) selling it.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
LIMITATIONS

  The many spreadsheet functions have NOT been tested in any great
  detail.  (I mostly made cosmetic/User Interface modifications, so I
  did not anticipate needing any major changes in the functions)

  Hooks exist in the code for the inclusion of calls to context-sensitive
  (sort-of) help functions.
  -> writing "help" has begun, but only just, and so it is
     currently not installed.  I'm not sure whether it is 
     worth the work involved to install it.

  There is no tutorial (either text or spreadsheet).

  There is no quick reference card.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
POSTSCRIPT
  
  I've had two email comments about the fact that 'SS' was also
  the name of Hitler's ``Schutzstaffel'' (The SS).  Neither person was
  offended, it was just for informational purposes.

  I was taken completely by surprise the first time I heard this connection
  being made, as it had not crossed my mind at all during the months of
  development work.

  I'd rather not change the name, as that always confuses those who've
  already started using it under this name.  However, If popular opinion
  favours a change, I will bow to it.  In which case, I'll need a new
  (preferably short!) name.

  All installers of 'ss' are also reminded that in the Makefile you can
  change the name of the software.  For example, you could call it "sheet",
  in which case the program would be built as "sheet", pss would be built as
  psheet, and the man page would be called sheet.l -- furthermore,
  throughout the man page you would see "sheet" wherever you see "ss" right
  now.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
End
