This is the short readme file for AlCon 0.0.1.

1) What's AlCon?
2) License
3) How to compile
4) Contact

1) What's AlCon?

  AlCon stands for Allegro Conio. The basic idea behind AlCon is to provide
a conio style interface. It could make easy to port DOS programs that use
conio to other platforms.
  Currently it only implements a few functions and some aren't correct. Here
is a list of supported functions:

* cprintf(a...)
* gotoxy(a,b)
* getch() [Doesn't return the correct values]
* kbhit()
* textattr(a)
* cputs(a)
* clrsrc()
* wherex()
* wherey()
* textbackground(a)
* textcolor(a)

DJGPP specific functions:

* ScreenCols()
* ScreenRows()

Macros just to allow compiling:

* blinkvideo()
* intensevideo()

  It also implements mouse support and some functions that makes easy to use
the library for Turbo Vision (char/attr buffer write and special keyboard
codes).
  My main goal is to use it for Turbo Vision so it currently does what I
need and more. I'll support a full conio implementation only if people helps
to support this project.




2) License

  Currently all is under GPL but I could reduce it to Lesser GPL if the
contributors really thinks that's needed.
  A full text of the license is in the copying.gpl.

    Copyright (C) 2001  Salvador Eduardo Tropea (SET)

    This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
    it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
    the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or
    (at your option) any later version.

    This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
    but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
    MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
    GNU General Public License for more details.

    You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
    along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software
    Foundation, Inc., 675 Mass Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.




3) How to compile

  You need to install and get Allegro working first.
  Then you must modify the line that says BPP=xx in the Makefile to adjust
it to your system. I used 32 bpp because my X screen is 32 bpp.
  I tested the library using X under Linux but it should work for other
platforms.
  The makefile is for GNU make, so you'll need it. The makefile also assumes
that `command` will return the output of running command.
  To compile the examples just run make and change directory to examples.
  Note that the rom-PC437.016 file must be in the same directory where the
executables are runned.




4) Contact

  Send me mails to salvador@inti.gov.ar or set@ieee.org.
  Currently the project is in the Setedit pages at Source Forge. If I see
interest on this project I'll open a separated Source Forge project for it.

