Note: This package was created by David B. Lamkins. It has been moved here with his permission.
This is a package manager for APL, providing support for independent development of modular APL code. A package contains one or more source code files plus a metadata file and a control file. Source code files are normally APL files encoded in UTF-8; the package manager loads these directly. A package may also build and use code written in languages other than APL.
The package manager analyzes dependencies expressed in the package metadata and automatically handles loading of dependent packages.
The package manager also provides tools to analyze APL programs and workspaces.
See doc/ANNOUNCE.md for further details about the current release.
The package manager runs under GNU APL on Linux. The design of the package manager anticipates other platforms (both APL and OS).
Note that I build GNU APL from the SVN head. You should, too. GNU APL versioned releases (e.g. 1.5, 1.6, ...) are intended only as a quick way for prospective users to evaluate the program.
Run ./install.sh. Follow the instructions.
You'll be asked to specify a location for the local APL packages
repository. You'll also be asked to specify the location of directories
(other than those already configured in ~/.gnu-apl/preferences) where
you have workspaces.
The awe script provides a convenient way to start the APL Package
Manager. See doc/AWE.md for details.
External editor support requires additional programs. See doc/EDITOR.md
for a description of the external editor behaviors and a list of the
default programs. The defaults may be changed by entries in ~/.apl-pkg;
the details are in doc/PREFERENCES.md.
See doc/EMACS.md for a description of how to use the APL Package
Manager inside Emacs with Elias Mårtenson's gnu-apl-mode.
In a Linux console, APL Package Manager should be run from within dvtm
or Emacs (see extra/README). The awe script automatically invokes
dvtm when run from within a Linux console.
See doc/APLWRAP.md for a description of and reference to Chris Moller's
APLwrap shell and doc/COMPLETION.md for a description of how APLwrap
provides tab-completion for package manager commands.
See doc/VIS.md for an introduction to vis, a lightweight vi-like editor
with built-in support for APL syntax.
See doc/VIM.md for packages to make vim aware of APL syntax.
See doc/TUTORIAL.md for a detailed walkthrough.
The demo directory contains some sample packages. See that directory's
README file for instructions.
The public API is documented in doc/API.md. Also see doc/TUTORIAL.md,
the demo directory and code comments.
See doc/ROADMAP.md for a brief outline of anticipated functionality
to be introduced in future releases.
The "APL Library Guidelines" provides a set of conventions to aid in creating portable libraries of APL code using only APL 2 facilities. No package manager is used.
The APL Package Manager provides tools to support package management. It does not implement the "APL Library Guidelines".
Please share your thoughts on bug-apl. For an overview of the support
you may expect, please read doc/SUPPORT.md.