README for Text::Shoebox
                                        Time-stamp: "2000-09-05 02:17:24 MDT"

			    Text::Shoebox
	Read and write SIL Shoebox Standard Format (.sf) files

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[Partially excerpted from the POD.]

The Summer Institute of Linguistics (C<http://www.sil.org/>) makes a
piece of free software called "the Linguist's Shoebox", or just
"Shoebox" for short.  It's a simple database program generally used
for making lexicon databases (altho it can also be used for databases
of field notes, etc.).

Shoebox can export its databases to SF (Standard Format) files, a
simple text format.

Reading and writing those SF files is what this Perl module,
Text::Shoebox, is for.  (I have heard that Standard Format predates
Shoebox quite a bit, and is used by other programs.  If you use SF
files with something other than Shoebox, I'd be interested in hearing
about it, particularly about whether such files and Text::Shoebox are
happily compatible.)

[end POD excerpt]


PREREQUISITES

This suite requires Perl 5; I've only used it under Perl 5.004, so for
anything lower, you're on your own.

Text::Shoebox doesn't use any nonstandard modules.


INSTALLATION

You install Text::Shoebox, as you would install any perl module
library, by running these commands:

   perl Makefile.PL
   make
   make test
   make install

If you want to install a private copy of Text::Shoebox in your home
directory, then you should try to produce the initial Makefile with
something like this command:

  perl Makefile.PL LIB=~/perl

Then you may need something like
  setenv PERLLIB "$HOME/perl"
in your shell initialization file (e.g., ~/.cshrc).

For more info, see the Perl faqs.


DOCUMENTATION

POD-format documentation is included in Shoebox.pm.  POD is readable
with the 'perldoc' utility.  See ChangeLog for recent changes.


MACPERL INSTALLATION NOTES

Don't bother with the makefiles.  Just make a Text directory in your
MacPerl site_lib or lib directory, and move Shoebox.pm into there.


SUPPORT

Questions, bug reports, useful code bits, and suggestions for
Text::Shoebox should just be sent to me at sburke@cpan.org


AVAILABILITY

The latest version of Text::Shoebox is available from the
Comprehensive Perl Archive Network (CPAN).  Visit
<http://www.perl.com/CPAN/> to find a CPAN site near you.


COPYRIGHT

Copyright 2000, Sean M. Burke <sburke@cpan.org>, all rights reserved.
This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
it under the same terms as Perl itself.

AUTHOR

Sean M. Burke <sburke@cpan.org>

I hasten to point out, incidentally, that I am not in any way
affiliated with the Summer Institute of Linguistics.

