Franz Inc. makes available Allegro CL/GNU Emacs Interface

[franz!akbar!layer@ucbarpa.Berkeley.EDU (Kevin Layer)]

			     Introduction
			     ------------

Franz Inc. is offering to the Lisp community version 1.2 of their
interface between Allegro Common Lisp (previously known as "Extended
Common Lisp") and GNU Emacs.  This interface will also work between
GNU Emacs and Franz Lisp Opus 43 (the current release from Franz Inc.)
or Franz Lisp Opus 38 (the last public domain version).

The goal of this interface is to offer the Lisp programmer a tightly
integrated Lisp environment.  The interface can be broken down into
three parts:

	* Lisp editing modes for Common and Franz Lisp,
	* Inferior modes for Common and Franz Lisp subprocesses, and
	* TCP Common Lisp modes for socket communication with Common
	  Lisp.

The first two are available for both Common and Franz Lisp, but the
third feature, which enables the tight coupling of the environments,
is only available for Allegro CL.  It uses multiprocessing in Allegro
CL and UNIX domain socket to communicate information between the GNU
Emacs and Allegro CL worlds.

The features of the interface are:

	* enhanced subprocess modes, including
	  - file name completion
	  - an input ring to allow fetching of previously typed input
	* macroexpansion of forms in a Lisp source file
	* `find-tag' for Lisp functions (the Allegro CL world is
	  queried for the location of Lisp functions)
	* who-calls: find all callers of a Lisp function
	* Arglist, `describe' and function documentation are available
	  in Lisp source buffers (again, the information comes
	  dynamically from Allegro CL)
	* automatic indentation of forms entered to an inferior Lisp

The interface is written entirely in GNU Emacs Lisp, with the
exception of a replacement for the standard `open-network-stream' in
src/process.c.  Some of the advanced features use UNIX domain sockets
and also use features specific to the implementation of Allegro CL
(multiprocessing).

The interface is fully documented on-line.


			      Ownership
			      ---------

The Lisp/GNU Emacs interface is the property of Franz Incorporated.
The Emacs Lisp source code is distributed and the following notice is
present in all source files for which it applies:

;;
;; copyright (C) 1987, 1988 Franz Inc, Berkeley, Ca.
;;
;; The software, data and information contained herein are the property 
;; of Franz, Inc.  
;;
;; This file (or any derivation of it) may be distributed without 
;; further permission from Franz Inc. as long as:
;;
;;	* it is not part of a product for sale,
;;	* no charge is made for the distribution, other than a tape
;;	  fee, and
;;	* all copyright notices and this notice are preserved.
;;
;; If you have any comments or questions on this interface, please feel
;; free to contact Franz Inc. at
;;	Franz Inc.
;;	Attn: Kevin Layer
;;	1995 University Ave
;;	Suite 275
;;	Berkeley, CA 94704
;;	(415) 548-3600
;; or
;;	emacs-info%franz.uucp@Berkeley.EDU
;;	ucbvax!franz!emacs-info

Some files contain GNU Emacs derived code, and those files contain
the GNU Emacs standard copyright notice.


			Obtaining the Software
			----------------------

To obtain version 1.2 of this interface either:

1) copy it from ucbarpa.berkeley.edu or ucbvax.berkeley.edu via FTP
   (login `ftp', password your login name) from the directory
   pub/fi/gnudist-1.2-tar.Z, or

2) send a check (sorry, no PO's accepted) in the amount of $50 for a
   US address and $75 for a foreign address to Franz Inc. to the
   following address:

	Franz Inc.
	Attn: Emacs/LISP Interface Request
	1995 University Ave
	Suite 275
	Berkeley, CA 94704

   Please specify the media (`tar' format only) which is one of:

	* 1/2", 1600 bpi, 9-track
	* 1/4", cartridge tape--specify the machine type (ie, TEK, SUN)


			     Future Work
			     -----------

Improvements to this interface will be made in the future, so to
facilitate the exchange of information about this and user's
experiences, questions and suggestions a mailing list will be created
as a forum for discussion on topics relating to this interface.  If
you would like to be on this mailing list (local redistribution is
encouraged), please drop me a note.  If you have trouble with one of
the addresses below, try one of:

			  layer@Berkeley.EDU
				 -or-
			     ucbvax!layer

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

	D. Kevin Layer			Franz Inc.
	layer%franz.uucp@Berkeley.EDU	1995 University Avenue, Suite 275
	ucbvax!franz!layer		Berkeley, CA  94704
					(415) 548-3600, FAX: (415) 548-8253