Welcome to ACE!
				---------------

This is version 1.1a of the PD Amiga BASIC compiler, ACE. 

See the "Notes" section below for important information about specific 
files in the archive and changes to the distribution material with each
revision of the compiler.

To get started, I suggest you have a look at the demo programs and their 
source files, from the Workbench.

Then, to get an overall impression of ACE's capabilities, have a look at
ref.doc which is a command and function reference for the language.

Once you've set up your environment as specified in the INSTALLATION file,
try compiling a program from the prgs directory, eg:

	Workbench:ACE> copy sierp.b ""
	Workbench:ACE> bas -O sierp
	Workbench:ACE> sierp

Pressing the left mouse button will get you out of this program.

At this point, it's up to you. I'd suggest having a closer look at the 
docs, especially ace.doc to get a better idea of what ACE is all about. 

Please remember that ACE is still under development. With your feedback
and patience, ACE will gradually improve.

Whatever you do, have fun!

Regards
David Benn


Notes
-----

*** v1.0 ***

31/1/93		-	If you didn't unarc ace.lha with lha's -a option
			then the bas script won't have its "s" flag set. 
			To set it, type: PROTECT bas +s ADD.

3/2/93		- 	Please note that due to copyright restrictions,
			no bmap files have been included in the distribution.
			See "Shared library function calls" in ace.doc for 
			more.

*** v1.01 ***

19/2/93		-	Version 1.01 corrects a number of problems with the
			first version and adds a few new minor features.
			See the entries in the file docs/history for an 
			update on the changes to ACE from v1.0 to v1.01. 
	
		- 	There is a new, somewhat nicer ACE executables icon
			in the icons drawer. See also the readme file in that
			drawer. Thanks goes to Byron Montgomerie for his work
			on the icon.

20/2/93		-	I have received the Commodore copyright documents
			and licensing agreements etc and so hope to be able 
			to resolve the issue of copyright of bmap files soon. 

		-	For v1.01 I have included the source code and docs 
			for a Tiny BASIC interpreter written in ACE.

*** v1.02 ***

18/4/93		-	Commodore Australia have told me that they can't 
			see any legal problems with distributing .bmap 
			files with ACE, but I'll wait until I receive word 
			of this in writing before I include them in the 
			archive.

		-	There is a new include file called julian.h which
			contains functions for converting dates into days 
			elapsed since epoch 1900 and the latter back to
			the former. See days.b for an example. 

		-	Another new include file called fexists.h contains
			a single subprogram: fexists(X$) which returns a
			value of -1 or 0 depending upon whether the file
			X$ exists.

		-	See docs/history for new features and bug fixes
			in v1.02. 	

*** v1.1a ***

20/6/93		-	include/sys_req.h has been modified because of
			changes in the way ACE deals with string value
			parameters.

		-	prgs/gadget.b has been modified to accomodate
			the fact that an ACE screen's borderless window
			now handles Intuiticks.
 			
29/6/93		-	Note that the file "exists" is no longer required
			in the ACE bin directory for use by the "bas" script.
		
		-	See docs/history for changes, additions and bug 
			fixes in v1.1a.

10/7/93		-	Note that because I am still awaiting a formal
			reply from Commodore Australia re: the copyright
			of .bmap files, this archive does not yet
			contain the bmaps. Hopefully by the next release
			I will have permission to distribute them.

		-	I anticipate that the next version will only be a 
			month or two away, but the current archive contains
			a sufficiently modified and enhanced ACE to warrant
			the release you now have. 

		-	There's a couple of new programs in the prgs drawer:
			BST.b and Messier.b. The first lets you create and
			manipulate binary search trees, viewing the results
			graphically. The second lets you interrogate the 
			Messier catalog of astronomical objects in various
			ways.