Archive-name: literate-programming-faq Last-modified: 1994/08/23 Version: 1.1.10 Welcome to the Literate Programming Frequently Asked Questions List ------------------------------------------------------------------- This version was created Tuesday, August 23, 1994, and should considered stale after 90 days. Information contained in this document is the best available at preparation. The original file was dated October 15, 1993 (just for historical purposes). Disclaimer: "This FAQ is presented with no warranties or guarantees of ANY KIND including correctness or fitness for any particular purpose. The author of this document has attempted to verify correctness of the data contained herein; however, slip-ups can and do happen. If you use this data, you do so at your own risk." Copyright 1993, 1994 David B. Thompson. All rights reserved worldwide. Permission is granted to copy this document for free distribution so long as it remains intact and unmodified. For other arrangements, contact the author/maintainer via email: thompson@sun1.coe.ttu.edu. What's New? ----------- + Add Fold2Web entry. + Correct noweb.el entry. (Thanks Dominique!) + Update nuweb.el entry. + Update SchemeWEB entry. + Update WWW and literate programming entry. + Update c2cweb entry. = ====================================================================== * Introduction or "What's this all about?" ------------------------------------------ This document is for new and experienced users of literate programming tools. The purpose is to explain the concept of literate programming and to provide a resource for locating files of interest to literate programmers and those interested in literate programming. The Literate Programming (LitProg) Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) list is maintained by Dave Thompson, who can be reached at: thompson@sun1.coe.ttu.edu * Preferred mailing address for FAQ related comments/questions. wqdbt@ttacs1.ttu.edu * Forwarded to my pc. Comment and constructive criticism is welcome. Direct flames to /dev/null (or > nul if you're a msdos user! ;-) If you find an error, please report it. I'm particularly interested in establishing the locations of generally available literate programming tools. If you are the author of such a tool and wish to have it included in this list, please send email. Please note this is a work-in-progress. It is *not* complete, and probably will not be complete for some months. Nevertheless, the information contained herein may be useful to some. Use it as it is intended. - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- - Typography ------------ Major sections of the FAQ are divided by double lines (====). Minor sections and other divisions are separated by single lines (----). Major topics use a "* " as a leader. Minor topics use a "- " as a leader. This should simplify searching for topics. = ====================================================================== Table of Contents: ------------------ * Introduction, or "What's this all about?" - Typography * How do I get the FAQ? - Literate Programming FAQ - FWEB FAQ * Is there a newsgroup? (The comp.programming.literate newsgroup) * What internet nodes are of interest to literate programmers? * What is literate programming? * How do I begin literate programming? * What literate programming tools are available and where are they? - APLWEB - AWEB - CLiP - CWEB - FunnelWeb - FWEB - IMPACT - lit2x - Literate Programmer's Workshop (LPW) - MapleWEB - MWEB (Schrod/Detig) - MWEB (Sewell) - noweb - nuweb - ProTeX - RWEB - SchemeWEB - Spidery WEB - WEB - WinWordWEB * Are there other tools I should know about? - C2LaTeX - c2cweb - c2man - cnoweb - Fold2web - FunnelWeb mode - noweb.el - nuweb.el - TIE - Web mode * What other resources are available? - World Wide Web - TeX Resources - Virtual Coursework * Are there any code examples? - Examples included with developer's tools - Cameron Smith's KR-CWEB - Stanford GraphBase * Bibliographies. * How to anonymously ftp. * Acknowledgements. * End notes. = ====================================================================== * How do I get the FAQ? ----------------------- - Literate Programming FAQ -------------------------- You have many ways to get a current copy of this FAQ. One is to use anonymous ftp (if you don't know how, see a later section in this FAQ) to connect to one of the Comprehensive TeX Arvchive Network (CTAN) sites or the Literate Programming Archive and retrieve a copy of the file. Open an ftp connection to one of the CTAN sites and retrieve the file: help/LitProg-FAQ (For more information on CTAN and the literate programming archive, see the section below entitled "Internet Nodes of Interest to Literate Programmers.") An alternative is to use the fileserver at Sam Houston State University (SHSU). Send a message to FILESERV@SHSU.EDU and include in your message: SENDME LITPROG.FAQ The file server will forward a copy of the file to you via email. - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- - FWEB FAQ ---------- Marcus Speh maintains the FWEB FAQ. The current version number is 1.29. It can be retrieved in the same way as this FAQ; either by anonymous ftp or through the SHSU file server. On the SHSU server, the file name is FAQ.FWEB. Invoke your ftp software, open a connection to NIORD.SHSU.EDU [192.92.115.8], attach to the directory FAQ, and transfer the file FAQ.FWEB. Alternatively, send a message to the file server, FILESERV@SHSU.EDU, and include the following text in a one line message: SENDME FAQ.FWEB The file server will send the current version of the file via email. The FWEB FAQ exists in various formats, including HyperText (see other resources below). In Europe, the complete distribution can also be obtained from ftp.desy.de [131.169.10.115] in directory /pub/faq/web/fweb/. It is also available from the literate programming archive (LPA) in the directory LPA/Documentation/faq/fweb (see the references to LPA below for more information). Also, Marcus Speh is looking for someone willing to take over the FWEB FAQ. The text of his email message follows... "Please add to the FWEB FAQ the note that I am looking for someone to take the maintenance of the FAQ over - I am ready to assist in any way whatsoever, including tons of mail, notes for v1.29->v1.30, Texinfo sources, a WWW server and Hypertextification etc." If you're interested, send mail to marcus@x4u2.desy.de and express your willingness to serve. = ====================================================================== * Is there a newsgroup? ----------------------- One of the most important resources is the literate programming newsgroup, comp.programming.literate. You can read this newsgroup using your standard reader. Altenatively, the newsgroup is gated to a mailing list hosted by George Greenwade and Sam Houston State University. You can subscribe by sending mail to the list-server, LISTSERV@SHSU.EDU, and include in the message one line of text: SUBSCRIBE LITPROG "your name in quotes" The list is unmoderated; messages sent to litprog@shsu.edu are automatically distributed to all subscribers and cross-posted to comp.programming.literate. Archives of the mailing list and newsgroup are maintained on niord.shsu.edu [192.92.115.8] in the directory litprog. = ====================================================================== * What internet nodes are of interest to literate programmers? -------------------------------------------------------------- The principal nodes of interest to literate programmers are the Literate Programming Archive (LPA hereafter) and the CTAN (Comprehensive TeX Archive Network). The Literate Programming Archive (LPA) is: Node: ftp.th-darmstadt.de [130.83.55.75] Directory: programming/literate-programming Notes: Fastest response during off-U.S. [yep] business hours. The CTAN sites are: ftp host IP CTAN root Institution and Sponsor ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ftp.tex.ac.uk 134.151.79.32 pub/archive Aston Univ./UK TeX U.G. ftp.dante.de 129.206.100.192 soft/tex DANTE e.V. ftp.shsu.edu 192.92.115.10 tex-archive Sam Houston State Univ. Other nodes and directories of interest include: Node: niord.shsu.edu [192.92.115.8] Directory: various (do some snooping!) Notes: Has a gopher server. Node: ftp.desy.de [131.169.10.115] Directory: pub/web. Various documents, samples, and the FWEB FAQ. Notes: Has a www server, http://info.desy.de:80/ = ====================================================================== * What is Literate Programming? ------------------------------- Literate programming is the combination of documentation and source together in a fashion suited for reading by human beings. In fact, literate programs should be enjoyable reading, even inviting! (Sorry Bob, I couldn't resist!) In general, literate programs combine source and documentation in a single file. Literate programming tools then parse the file to produce either readable documentation or compilable source. The WEB style of literate programming was created by D.E. Knuth during the development of his TeX typsetting software. All the original work revolves around a particular literate programming tool called WEB. Knuth says: The philosophy behind WEB is that an experienced system programmer, who wants to provide the best possible documentation of his or her software products, needs two things simultaneously: a language like TeX for formatting, and a language like C for programming. Neither type of language can provide the best documentation by itself; but when both are appropriately combined, we obtain a system that is much more useful than either language separately. The structure of a software program may be thought of as a web that is made up of many interconnected pieces. To document such a program we want to explain each individual part of the web and how it relates to its neighbours. The typographic tools provided by TeX give us an opportunity to explain the local structure of each part by making that structure visible, and the programming tools provided by languages such as C or Fortran make it possible for us to specify the algorithms formally and unambigously. By combining the two, we can develop a style of programming that maximizes our ability to perceive the structure of a complex piece of software, and at the same time the documented programs can be mechanically translated into a working software system that matches the documentation. Another author (Eric W. van Ammers) wrote me a short article treating his opinions on literate programming. The text follows: First observation on LP About 90% of the disussion on this list is about problems with applying some WEB-family member to a particular programming language or a special documentation situation. This is ridiculous, I think. Let me explain shortly why... Lemma 1: I have proposed for many years that programming has nothing to do with programming langauges, i.e. a good programmer makes good programs in any language (given some time to learn the syntax) and a bad programmer will never make a good program, no matter the language he uses (today many people share this view, fortunately). Lemma 2: Literate Programming has (in a certain way not yet completely understood) to do with essential aspects of programming. Conclusion 1: A LP-tool should be independent of programming language. Lemma 3: It seems likely that the so called BOOK FORMAT PARADIGM [ref. 1] plays an important role in making literate programs work. Lemma 4: There are very many documentation systems currently being used to produce documents in the BOOK FORMAT. Conclusion 2: A LP-tool should be independent of the documentation system that the program author whishes to use. My remark some time ago that we should discuss the generic properties of an LP-tool was based on the above observation. References: [1] Paul W. Oman and Curtus Cook. Typographical style is more than cosmetic. CACM 33, 5, 506-520 (May 1990) Second observation on LP The idea of a literate program as a text book should be extendend even further. I would like to see a literate program as an (in)formal argument of the correctness of the program. Thus a literate program should be like a textbook on mathematicics. A mathematical textbook explains a theory in terms of lemma and theorems. But the proofs are never formal in the sense that they are obtaind by symbol manipulation of a proof checker. Rather the proofs are by so called "informal rigour", i.e. by very precise and unambiguous sentences in a natural language. Eric W. van Ammers Department of Computer Science Wageningen Agricultural University Dreijenplein 2 E-mail: ammers@rcl.wau.nl 6703 HB Wageningen voice: +31 (0)8370 83356/84154 The Netherlands fax: +31 (0)8370 84731 = ====================================================================== * How do I begin literate programming? -------------------------------------- A recommended book is D.E. Knuth's collection of articles (1992) "Literate Programming," Center for the Study of Language and Information, Stanford University, ISBN 0-937073-80-6 (pbk). This book gives insight into Knuth's thoughts as he developed the web system of literate programming (and TeX for typesetting). It does not document methods for literate programming. A recommended book is Wayne Sewell's (1989) "Weaving a Program: Literate Programming in WEB," Van Nostrand Reinhold, ISBN 0-442-31946-0 (pbk). This book focuses on using Knuth's web system. Some talk exists in the newsgroup/mailing list for a Usenet University course in literate programming. I'm sure discussion of this topic will be welcomed. If you are interested, please participate. = ====================================================================== * What literate programming tools are available and where are they? ------------------------------------------------------------------- A significant number of tools for literate programming are available. Most have been ported from their original systems, so support multiple computer platforms. If you are the developer of such a tool, and would like to make the software freely available, please send me email and I'll reply with a form (like those below) for you to fill in. (Or short-circuit the process and kludge a form from below. :-) - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- - APLWEB -------- Developer: Christoph von Basum Version: Unknown Hardware: MSDOS Languages: IBM APL2 and STSC APL Formatter: Plain TeX Availability: Anonymous ftp from: LPA:/apl watserv1.uwaterloo.ca:/languages/apl/aplweb Readme: Unknown Description: None available. Support: Unknown Note: The status of this particular package is unknown. - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- - AWEB ------ Developer: Unknown Version: Unknown Hardware: Unknown Languages: Ada Formatter: Unknown Availability: Anonymous ftp from: LPA:/ada/web Readme: Unknown Description: None available Support: Not supported. - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- - CLiP ------ Developer: E.W. van Ammers and M.R. Kramer Version: Unknown Hardware: Vax/VMS, Unix, and MS-DOS Languages: Any programming language. Formatter: Any formatter (TeX, LaTeX, Troff, Runoff, etc) or any wordprocessor including WYSIWYG systems (Word Perfect, Win Word, Ami Pro, Word, etc.) Availability: Anonymous ftp from: sun01.info.wau.nl:/CLIP/ms_dos MS-DOS version sun01.info.wau.nl:/CLIP/vax_vms VAX/VMS version CTAN:/web/clip LPA:/machines/ms-dos LPA:/machines/vax Readme: With bundle above Description: CLiP does not use explicite commands to perform the extraction process. Rather it recognizes pseudostatemens written as comments in the programming language in question. CLiP distinguishes pseudostatments from ordinary comments because the former comply with a a particular style. This style can be adjusted to suit virtually any programming language. The CLiP approach to LP makes the system extremely versatile. It is independent of programming language and text processing environment. We designed CLiP to be compatible with hypertext systems as well but we have not yet experimented with this form of documentation. Features: + CLiP imposes virtually no limitations on the text-processing system used to produce the documentation. If the text-processor supports these items you can + structure the documentation according to your own taste. + include drawings, pictures, tables etc. + disclose your documentatio my means of X-ref tables, Indexes, Table of contents, Table of tables, Table of figures, etc. + typeset the documented code. + Extracts any number of modules from a maximum of 64 source files. + No pretty-printing. Code from the source files is copied "as is" to the module. + Appearance of code segments in the documentation matches those of the modules to ease the identification of code segements. + Supports partially specified data types. + Comprehensive user manual (preliminary version) and technical description. - No automatic generation of a X-ref table for program identifiers. Support: Bugs, problems and assistance by e-mail: ammers@rcl.wau.nl - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- - CWEB ------ Developer: Silvio Levy and D.E. Knuth Version: 3.0 Hardware: Unix systems (dos and amiga ports available) Languages: C and C++ Formatter: Plain TeX and LaTeX. Availability: Anonymous ftp from: labrea.stanford.edu:/pub/cweb LPA:/c.c++ CTAN:/web/c_cpp/cweb DOS version in CTAN:/web/c_cpp/cwb30p8c DOS version in LPA:/machines/ms-dos Amiga version CTAN:/web/c_cpp/AmigaCWEB Mac port of CTANGLE in LPA:/machines/mac LaTeX support in LPA:/c.c++ Readme: Bundled with above Description: No description provided. Support: Bugs to levy@math.berkeley.edu Note: A fork of CWEB 3.x was developed by Marc van Leeuwen which implements several changes to CWEB. It is available for anonymous ftp from ftp.cwi.nl:pub/cweb. The principle changes are: - Scans include files for typedef definitions - Grammar and formatting rules are well separated, allowing for run-time selection of a rule set (via command line option) - New manual. - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- - FunnelWeb ----------- Developer: Ross N. Williams: ross@guest.adelaide.edu.au Version: Unknown Hardware: MSDOS, Mac, VMS, Sun. Other ports reported. Languages: No restrictions. Formatter: Plain TeX for printing. Otherwise, no restrictions. Availability: Anonymous ftp from: CTAN:/web/funnelweb LPA:/independent ftp.adelaide.edu.au:/pub/funnelweb Readme: With bundle above. Description: FunnelWeb is a production-quality literate-programming tool that emphasises simplicity and reliability. Everything about FunnelWeb, from the simplicity of its language to the comprehensive tutorial in the user's manual, has been designed to make this as simple, as practical, and as usable a tool as possible. Features: + Provides a simple macro preprocessor facility. + Can produce typeset documentation. + Runs on Sun, VMS VAX, Macintosh, PC, and others. + Portable C source code distributed under GNU licence. + Comprehensive user's manual including tutorial. + Programming-language independent. + Can generate multiple output files. + Allows complete control over the output text. + Regression test suite with over 200 tests. + Fully worked example (in /pub/funnelweb/examples). - Requires TeX to produce typeset documentation. - Typesets program code using TT font only. Support: No formal support available. Mailing list maintained with about 50 subscribers. Informal assistance available from mailing list. - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- - FWEB ------ Developer: John A. Krommes Version: 1.30a (1.40 for the experienced, patient, and brave) Hardware: Unix, VMS, and DOS platforms (anything with ANSI C) Languages: C, C++, Fortran-77, Fortran-90, Ratfor, TeX; also, a language-independent mode. Formatter: Plain TeX and LaTeX. Availability: Anonymous ftp from: ftp.pppl.gov:/pub/fweb CTAN:/web/fweb LPA:/fweb DOS version in LPA:/machines/ms-dos Readme: In bundle with above. Description: It also has a well-developed user's manual and its own FAQ (see above). Beginning with 1.40, documentation is maintained in gnu texinfo format. It runs on most platforms: VMS, PC, UNIX, and pretty much anything that the GNU C compiler (GCC) is supported for. Features: + Processes multiple languages during a single run (so one can mix C and Fortran, for example). + Language-independent mode (v1.40). + Ability to turn off pretty-printing (v1.40). + Built-in Ratfor translator. + Built-in macro preprocessor (closely follows ANSI C, with extensions). + A style file that allows the user to adjust many parameters and behavior patterns of FWEB. + Various operator-overloading features that provide additional pretty-printing capabilities to languages such as C++ and Fortran-90. + Numerous miscellaneous features and command-line options. Support: Bug reports and suggestions to krommes@princeton.edu - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- - IMPACT -------- Developer: Timothy Larkin, from Levy/Knuth CWEB 3.1 Version: 1.0 Hardware: Macintosh; requires AppleEvents. Languages: C, C++ Formatter: TeX Availability: CTAN archives Readme: A short readme file is included in the SEA archive. Description: IMPACT implements CTangle from the Levy/Knuth CWEB 3.1. It operates as a foreground program, tangling files selected from the Mac File Picker. Or it can operate in the background, tangling files in response to odoc events sent by other applications, such as editors. Support: I welcome any reports of bugs. The product will be updated as new versions of the CWEB appear. Other features may be added as users suggest them. - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- - lit2x ------- Developer: Unknown Version: Unknown Hardware: Unknown Languages: Unknown Formatter: Unknown Availability: Anonymous ftp from: LPA:/independent Readme: Unknown Description: None available Support: Unknown - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- - Literate Programmer's Workshop (LPW) -------------------------------------- Developer: Norbert Lindenberg Version: 1.1 Hardware: Apple Macintosh Languages: C++, Object Pascal & others Formatter: self-contained WYSIWYG system Availability: Anonymous ftp from: LPA:/machines/mac CTAN:/web/lpw ftp.apple.com:/pub/literate.prog Readme: With bundle above. Also comes with 38-page manual. Description: The Literate Programming Workshop is an environment for the integrated development of program source text and documentation in combined documents. It consists of a WYSIWYG word processor based on a style sheet approach, a mechanism to extract parts of the text in a document, and a project management system that handles multi-document projects. The system is designed to be used in conjunction with the Macintosh Programmer's Workshop: it prepares raw source text for the MPW compilers, accepts MPW error messages, and shows them in the context of the original documents. Automatic indexing and hypertext features allow for easy access to both source text and documentation. LPW is shareware. Support: Bugs, problems, and questions to lpw@aol.com. - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- - MapleWEB ---------- Developer: Unknown Version: Unknown Hardware: Unknown Languages: Maple Formatter: Unknown Availability: Anonymous ftp from: LPA:/maple Readme: Unknown Description: None Support: Unknown - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- - MWEB (Schrod/Detig) --------------------- Developer: Joachim Schrod Version: Unknown Hardware: Unknown Languages: Modula-2 Formatter: Unknown Availability: Anonymous ftp from: LPA:/modula-2 Readme: Unknown Description: None Support: Not supported. - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- - MWEB (Sewell) --------------- Developer: Sewell Version: Unknown Hardware: Unknown Languages: Modula-2 Formatter: Unknown Availability: Anonymous ftp from: LPA:/modula-2 Readme: Unknown Description: None Support: Not supported. - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- - noweb ------- Developer: Norman Ramsey Version: 2.6 Hardware: Unix and DOS platforms. Languages: All programming languages. Formatter: Plain TeX, LaTeX, and HTML (Mosaic) formatters. Availability: Anonymous ftp from: CTAN:/web/noweb LPA:/independent DOS version also in LPA:/machines/ms-dos also bart.kean.edu:/pub/leew Last recourse, use bellcore.com:/pub/norman Readme: With bundle above. Description: noweb is designed to meet the needs of literate programmers while remaining as simple as possible. Its primary advantages are simplicity, extensibility, and language-independence. noweb uses 5 control sequences to WEB's 27. noweb now supports indexing and identifier cross-reference, including hypertext ``hot links'' courtesy of Mosaic. The simple noweb manual is only 2 pages; documenting the full power of noweave and notangle requires another 3 pages. noweb works ``out of the box'' with any programming language, and its formatter-dependent part is a 60-line nawk program. The primary sacrifice relative to WEB is the loss of prettyprinting. Support: email to the author - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- - nuweb ------- Developer: Preston Briggs: preston@cs.rice.edu Version: 0.87 Hardware: Unix systems: Sparcs, RS/6000s, HPs; (!) MSDOS and Amiga. Languages: Any programming language or combination of programming languages. Formatter: Latex Availability: Anonymous ftp from: Unix: CTAN:/web/nuweb DOS: CTAN:/web/nuweb-pc LPA:/independent Amiga: CTAN:/web/nuweb/nuweb_ami Amiga: wuarchive.wustl.edu/pub/aminet Readme: Send mail to preston@cs.rice.edu Description: A single program that takes a web file written in a combination of latex and any programming language(s) and produces a latex file that can be pretty printed and a set of files containing code for compilation/interpretation by the appropriate language processors. Strengths include speed, simplicity, multiple languages, nice indices and cross-references, latex. Doesn't require any special macros or macro files. Drawbacks: latex-dependent, no code pretty printing, harder to make indices than cweb. More good stuff: nice support for make, doesn't reformat source files, so they're easy to debug. Lots of control without too much effort. That is, it doesn't do too much! Future directions... Very little change planned, except perhaps refinements in the indexing software. Support: Hack it yourself or send e-mail to preston@cs.rice.edu - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- - ProTeX -------- Developer: Eitan Gurari Version: 1.1 (AlProTeX 1.2) Hardware: Any platform with TeX (ProTeX is written in TeX) Languages: Any language Formatter: TeX and LaTeX Availability: Anonymous ftp from: ftp.cis.ohio-state.edu : pub/tex/osu/gurari/ LPA:/independent Readme: Unknown Description: There is a book published on using ProTeX, @Book{Gurari:TLD94, author = "Eitan M. Gurari", title = "{\TeX} and {\LaTeX}: Drawing and Literate Programming", publisher = pub-MH, year = "1994", address = pub-MH:adr, bibdate = "Wed Sep 29 17:55:14 1993", acknowledgement = ack-nhfb, } Support: gurari@cis.ohio-state.edu - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- - RWEB ------ Developer: Unknown Version: Unknown Hardware: Unknown Languages: Unknown Formatter: Unknown Availability: Anonymous ftp from: LPA:/reduce Readme: Unknown Description: Web generator in AWK. Support: Unknown - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- - SchemeWEB ----------- Developer: John D. Ramsdell Version: 2.1 Hardware: Unix and DOS platforms Languages: Any dialect of Lisp. Formatter: LaTeX. Availability: The Unix version is in the Scheme Repository and it is available via anonymous ftp from: cs.indiana.edu:/pub/scheme-repository/utl/schemeweb.sh LPA:/lisp CTAN:/tex-archive/web/schemeweb The DOS version is part of the PCS/Geneva Scheme system which is available via anonymous ftp from: cui.unige.ch:/pub/pcs LPA:/machines/ms-dos Readme: In bundle with above. Description: SchemeWEB is a Unix filter that allows you to generate both Lisp and LaTeX code from one source file. The generated LaTeX code formats Lisp programs in typewriter font obeying the spacing in the source file. Comments can include arbitrary LaTeX commands. SchemeWEB was originally developed for the Scheme dialect of Lisp, but it can easily be used with most other dialects. Support: Bug reports to ramsdell@mitre.org. - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- - SpideryWEB ------------ Developer: Norman Ramsey Version: Unknown Hardware: Unix and DOS platforms Languages: Most Algol-like languages, including C, Ada, Pascal, Awk, and many others. Formatter: Plain TeX and latex for text formatters. Availability: Anonymous ftp from: CTAN LPA:/spiderweb Readme: In distribution. Description: A system for building language-dependent WEBs. Spider is frozen; no further development is planned. Support: Bug reports to spider-bugs@oracorp.com. - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- - WEB ----- Developer: Donald Knuth Version: Unknown Hardware: Unknown Languages: Pascal Formatter: TeX (of course! ;-) Availability: Anonymous ftp from: LPA:/pascal Readme: Unknown Description: This is the original software that started it all. The original TeX processor was written in WEB. Support: None known. - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- - WinWordWEB ------------ Developer: Lee Wittenberg Version: Unknown Hardware: Needs Microsoft Word for Windows, v.2.x, and, of course, MS-Windows 3.x. Languages: Any programming language. Formatter: Word for Windows 2.x for text formatting and file maintenance. Availability: Anonymous ftp from: bart.kean.edu:pub/leew LPA:/machines/ms-dos World-Wide Web (WWW) Readme: WORDWEB.DOC in the downloadable package describes the system. Description: WinWordWEB is a set of a Word for Windows macros (plus a paragraph style) that provide a crude literate programming environment. The ``look and feel'' of the system is based on Norman Ramsey's noweb, but can easily be modified to suit individual tastes. Support: None. WinWordWEB was written as a prototype to see if a WYSIWYG literate programming system was possible. It is intended as a jumping off point for future work by others. However, the system is surprisingly usable as it stands, and the author is interested in hearing from users (satisfied and dissatisfied). Anyone interested in actively supporting (and improving) the product should contact the author via email. = ====================================================================== * Are there other tools I should know about? -------------------------------------------- First of all, I'll list some not-quite-literate-programming tools. Some may consider these to be pretty-printers. Others may call them literate programming tools. In any event, they don't seem to be quite in the same category as the tools listed above, so I'll include them here. - C2LaTeX --------- Developer: John D. Ramsdell Version: Unknown Hardware: Unix Languages: C Formatter: LaTeX but it's easy to change the formatter. Availability: Anonymous ftp from omnigate.clarkson.edu:/pub/tex/tex-programs/c2latex. Readme: Absent. Documentation is in the C source for c2latex. Description: C2latex provides simple support for literate programming in C. Given a C source file in which the comments have been written in LaTeX, c2latex converts the C source file into a LaTeX source file. It can be used to produce typeset listings of C programs and/or documentation associated with the program. C2latex produces LaTeX source by implementing a small number of rules. A C comment that starts at the beginning of a line is copied unmodified into the LaTeX source file. Otherwise, non-blank lines are surrounded by a pair of formatting commands (\begin{flushleft} and \end{flushleft}), and the lines are separated by \\*. Each non-blank line is formatted using LaTeX's \verb command, except comments within the line are formatted in an \mbox. Support: Send bug reports to ramsdell@mitre.org. - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- - c2cweb -------- Developer: Werner Lemberg Version: 1.4 Hardware: DOS, OS/2, Unix (gcc) - CWEB source included Languages: C, C++ Formatter: TeX Availability: Anonymous ftp from CTAN:/web/c_cpp/c2cweb Readme: In distribution. Description: c2cweb will transform plain C or C++ code into a CWEB file to get a pretty formatted output. A modified CWEAVE (which transforms the CWEB file into a TeX file, see below) is included also. Support: Werner Lemberg - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- - c2man ------- Developer: Graham Stoney Version: 2.0 patchlevel 26 Hardware: Unix, MSDOS, OS/2. Languages: C Formatter: nroff -man, texinfo (requires yacc/byacc/bison, lex/flex, and nroff/groff/texinfo/LaTeX). Availability: Anonymous ftp from ftp.wustl.edu: /usenet/comp.sources.reviewed/volume03/c2man* ftp.informatik.uni-stuttgart.de: /pub/archive/comp.sources/reviewed/c2man* Readme: See distribution. Description: The primary philosophy here is to use the programming language as far as possible to express the programmer's intentions, and to use comments only when the programming language is not sufficiently expressive. A comment can then become part of the language grammar which is recognised by a "documentation compiler". This tool parses a superset of the programming language and can automatically generate documentation in human-readable form by associating the programmer's comments with the objects in the code by their context. Support: Actively supported; mailing list available: send "subscribe c2man " (in the message body) to listserv@research.canon.oz.au. - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- - cnoweb -------- Developer: Jim Fox Version: 1.4 (January 4, 1991) Hardware: Anything with C and TeX. Languages: C Formatter: Plain TeX. Availability: Anonymous ftp from: CTAN LPA:/c.c++ Readme: Unknown, cnoweb.tex contains documentation. Description: cnoweb is as it's name describes: write C, not web. No tangling or weaving is implemented. Documentation (between standard /* */ delimiteres) is written in TeX. cnoweb provides typesetting of documentation, an table of contents of routines, and pretty-printing of C source. Support: None known. - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- - Fold2Web ---------- Developer: Bernhard Lang Version: V0.8 Hardware: MSDOS Languages: All (must allow comment lines) Formatter: LaTeX Availability: Anonymous ftp from: kirk.ti1.tu-harburg.de (134.28.41.50) /pub/fold2web/readme /pub/fold2web/fold2web.zip Readme: In distribution Description: The idea behind the Fold2Web tool is the following: A programmer can write his program source with a folding editor and later map the folded source files automatically to WEB-files. The generated WEB-files can then be modified by inserting required documentations. The advantage by starting program developement with original sources is to get short design cycles during the compile/debug steps. By using a folding editor the global structuring information can be already captured in folds during this developement phase. Fold information is typically stored in comment lines and thus will not affect the efficiency of the compile/debug design cycle. Some folding editors and a folding mode for the emacs are available (e.g. see our FUE folding editor for MSDOS machines which is a modified micro emacs. Pick it at kirk in directory /pub/fold2web). After reaching a stable version of a program source its time to convert the source file to a WEB-file and do the program documentation. Fold2Web is written to convert folded source text of any programming language to nuweb files. The folded structure is kept by mapping folds to scraps. Fold markers which differ between languages due to different ways of specifying comments can be configured for each language. Good results can also achived when given but poor documented program sources have to be modified. Such sources can be folded using a folding editor to extract the global structures. This offers a global view to the program structures and help to understand its functionality. Furthermore the program code is not affected, only comment lines are inserted. Once folded the program source can be automatically translated to a WEB document using the above tool. Support: email to lang@tu-harburg.d400.de - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- - Funnelweb Mode ---------------- Developer: Daniel Simmons Version: Unknown Availability: Litprog archives (was in email) Anonymous ftp from: ftp.imada.ou.dk Description: The other day I did a quick hack to nuweb.el as included with the nuweb distribution so as to make a funnelweb-mode.el. I've only used it briefly, and I'm sure that it can be improved quite a bit. I've been thinking about adding support for folding on sections, a pull-down menu to select macro definitions (like the recent functions posted to gnu.emacs.sources for a C function definition pull-down menu) and some kind of tags support for funnelweb. Support: Unknown - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- - noweb.el ---------- Developer: Bruce Stephens Version: Unknown. Availability: LitProg archives (in an email message). Description: This is a very simple mode I just hacked up. There's a lot wrong with it, but I thought others may be interested, even as it stands. It *requires* text properties, and assumes those used in GNU Emacs 19.22; it'll quite likely work with Lucid Emacs, but I haven't tried it. I use it with auctex8.1 and cc-mode 3.229, both of which are loaded separately (I think my emacs is dumped with them, in fact). The idea is to have one mode (which calls itself c-mode, but actually has LaTeX-mode keybindings) generally (this means that the code is hilighted nicely), and have the code chunks use a different keymap. Support: Email to bruce@liverpool.ac.uk - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- - nuweb.el ---------- Developer: Dominique de Waleffe Version: 1.99 Availability: Anonymous ftp from: LPA CTAN Description: Provides a major mode extending Auctex for editing nuweb files. Main features (in 2.0): - Edit scrap bodies in a separate buffer in a different mode (selected using emacs defaults for files, specific indication -*-mode-*-, or a buffer-local variable) - Extends Auctex commands so that nuweb is called before LaTeX, - Easy navigation on scrap definition and use points. - Now creates an imenu (C-M-mouse1) with user index entries, macro definition positions and file definition positions. Support: Email to ddw@sunbim.be - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- - TIE ----- Developer: Unknown Version: Unknown Hardware: Unknown Availability: Anonymous ftp from: LPA:/Tools Readme: Unknown Description: This software merges change files. Support: Unknown - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- - Web mode ---------- Developer: Bart Childs Version: Unknown Tools supported: web, fweb, cweb, funnelweb Availability: Anonymous ftp from ftp.cs.tamu.edu:pub/tex-web/web/EMACS.web-mode thrain.anu.edu.au:pub/web/EMACS.web-mode Description: This version works with versions 18 and 19 of Emacs to be best of my knowledge. I have cleaned up a number of documentation items ... In the same directory is wm_refcard.tex which is an edited version of the famous one to include some web-mode commands. The files limbo* are related to its use and notice that half them have an uppercase L in them for LaTeX. The setup is based upon the fact that we (I am not alone here) primarily use FWEB for C and Fortran programming. We are using version 1.40 of FWEB although John Krommes warns that it is not mature and the manual is not yet updated. The info files are! We are using LaTeX almost exclusively. That will likely change and we will revert to version 1.30 if the final form of 1.40 cannot return to the simple section numbers and avoid the HORRIBLE LATEX 0.1.7.2.4.6 type section numbers. Support: Unknown = ====================================================================== * What other resources are available? ------------------------------------- - World Wide Web ---------------- An untapped resource (by me anyway ;-) is the World Wide Web. Marcus Speh has expended considerable effort in this regard. If you're connected to WWW, then access: http://info.desy.de:80/user/projects/LitProg.html If you aren't connected to WWW, telnet to info.cern.ch and explore. You can reach Marcus' literate programming pages by typing: go http://info.desy.de:80/user/projects/LitProg.html Help for people who have only Email and neither WWW nor telnet, can be obtained by Email from TEST-LIST@INFO.CERN.CH by sending a message, SEND , for example, SEND http://info.desy.de:80/user/projects/LitProg.html to retrieve the LitProg library page. A help file can be retrieved by sending a message to the list server above with the text HELP in the body of the message. Instructions will be returned by email. For literate programming documents, you can try anonymous ftp to ftp.desy.de [131.169.10.115] and get the file: /pub/userWWW/projects/Announce/LitProg.txt - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- - TeX Resources --------------- Another resource of interest to literate programmers is the info-tex mailing list. If you're using (La)TeX as your typsetting system and have access to internet, then you should investigate this mailing list. Mail list service is available through the SHSU list-server. To subscribe, send a message to LISTSERV@SHSU.EDU, and include in the message one line of text: SUBSCRIBE INFO-TEX "your name in quotes" The list is unmoderated; messages sent to info-tex@shsu.edu are automatically distributed to all subscribers and cross-posted to comp.text.tex. Archives of the mailing list and newsgroup are maintained on niord.shsu.edu [192.92.115.8] in the directory info-tex. Another reason the TeX resources should be important is that so many of the literate programming tools rely on either plain TeX or LaTeX as their text formatter. (La)TeX software systems exist for most computing platforms. These systems can be found on CTAN and other major archive sites. Use archie to find them or simply ftp to one of the CTAN sites and browse. - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- - Virtual Coursework -------------------- Marcus Speh plans an introductory course on Literate Programming on the Internet, part of the first semester of "Global Network Academy" [GNA], a non-profit corporation incorporated in the state of Texas, affilated with the Usenet University project. The texts/sample programs for this class will be made available via the World-Wide Web. A special room on GNA Virtual Campus will be staffed by a consultant in one to two hour shifts. Students with questions can telnet to the virtual campus and ask questions of the staff there. If you are interested in registering for the course either as a student or as a consultant, please contact marcus@x4u.desy.de. You will receive a standard reply message; no further action will be taken until June 94. Interested parties can check the hypertext notes for the completed C++ Course done in a similar fashion, at URL http://info.desy.de:80/pub/uu-gna/html/cc/index.html [Editor's note: Because of workload, Marcus requests that email inquiries be limited to a statement of interest for either a student or consultant position until June 1994.] = ====================================================================== * Are there any code examples? ------------------------------ Examples of web programs are included with the FWEB, CWEB, and noweb distributions. nuweb is written in itself. Cameron Smith converted the K&R calculator program into a literate program. It can be retrieved by anonymous ftp from: niord.shsu.edu [192.92.115.8] directory kr-cweb-sample as krcwsamp.zip or from LPA/Documentation Ross Williams has released a funnelweb example. You can retrieve this file from node ftp.adelaide.edu.au [129.127.40.3] as /pub/funnelweb/examples/except.* This file should be on CTAN as well. Lee Wittenberg has posted a few litprog examples. They are available via anonymous ftp from: bart.kean.edu:/pub/leew/samples.LP The Stanford GraphBase is a large collection of programs by Don Knuth for doing all kinds of computations and games with graphs; it is written in (Levy/Knuth) CWEB. More details in the distribution. It is available via anonymous ftp from: labrea.stanford.edu:/pub/sgb = ====================================================================== * Bibliographies ---------------- Nelson Beebe has collected an extensive bibliography treating literate programming. His work is available for anonymous ftp from ftp.math.utah.edu [128.110.198.2] in directory /pub/tex/bib as files: litprog.bib litprog.ltx litprog.twx. Although I have not verified this, LPA is an alternate source for these files. Note that they are updated frequently (Nelson says several times each week), so be sure to get a fresh copy before extensive use. Joachim Schrod indicates that these files may be updated daily and can be retrieved via anonymous ftp at LPA/documentation. = ====================================================================== * How to anonymously ftp ------------------------ Pretty much everything mentioned here is available by anonymous FTP. FAQ lists cross-posted to news.answers and rec.answers can be gotten from rtfm.mit.edu [18.181.0.24], under /pub/usenet/news.answers or under /pub/usenet/more.specific.group.name "anonymous FTP" is just a way for files to be stored where anyone can retrieve them over the Net. For example, to retrieve the latest version of the literate programming FAQ, do the following: > ftp rtfm.mit.edu /* connect to the site; message follows */ > anonymous /* type this when it asks for your name */ > /* type your address as the password */ > cd /pub/usenet /* go to the directory you want to be */ > cd comp.programming.literate /* one level down (no slash). */ > dir /* look at what's there */ > get literate-progamming-faq /* get the file; case-sensitive */ > quit /* stop this mysterious thing */ If your FTP program complains that it doesn't know where the site you want to use is, type the numerical address instead of the sitename: > ftp 18.181.0.24 /* connect with numerical address */ If you don't have ftp access, send e-mail to mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu with the single word "help" in the body of the message. Getting binary files (executables, or any compressed files) is only slightly more difficult. You need to set binary mode inside FTP before you transfer the file. > binary /* set binary transfer mode */ > ascii /* set back to text transfer mode */ FAQs and spoiler lists are generally ascii files; everything else is generally binary files. Some common extensions on binary files in archive sites are: .Z Compressed; extract with uncompress .tar.Z Compressed 'tape archive'; uncompress then untar or tar -xvf .gz or .z Gnu gzip; use gunzip (available from prep.gnu.ai.mit.edu) .sit (Mac) StufIt archive .zip Extract with Zip or Unzip .zoo Yet another archive/compress program .lhe (Amiga) ? .lzh Lha archive program. .arj (PC) Arj archive program. .exe (PC) Sometimes self-extracting archives-just execute them. .uue or .UUE Transfer as text file; use uudecode to convert to binary .hqx (Mac) BinHex format; transfer in text mode Generic help can be found in the FAQs of comp.binaries. for how to transfer, extract, and virus-check binary files. (At rtfm.mit.edu) If you can't FTP from your site, use one of the following ftp-by-mail servers: ftpmail@decwrl.dec.com ftpmail@src.doc.ic.ac.uk ftpmail@cs.uow.edu.au ftpmail@grasp.insa-lyon.fr For complete instructions, send a message reading "help" to the server. If you don't know exactly what you're looking for, or exactly where it is, there are programs and servers that can help you. For more info, send e-mail to mail-server@rtfm.mit.with with the body of the message reading send usenet/news.answers/finding-sources Thanks to Aliza R. Panitz (the "buglady") for this text. I copied it verbatim from her post on faq-maintainers with only minor modifications. = ====================================================================== * Acknowledgements ------------------ This document would not have happened without the help of many people. Among them are Marcus Speh, George Greenwade, Rob Beezer, Joachim Schrod, Piet van Oostrum, and Ross N. Williams. A special thanks to Aliza R. Panitz for the text describing how to execute an anonymous ftp for files of interest. Any omissions from these acknowledgements should be considered an act of stupidity on my part. Of course, the authors of literate programming tools mentioned above all play a vital role in the vitality of literate programming. Furthermore, participants in the comp.programming.literate newsgroup (and associated mailing list) all contributed in various fashions. Thank all of you. = ====================================================================== * End notes ----------- This document will continue to evolve. I'm planning on adding entries for additional literate programming tools and will expand the sections on examples as more examples become available. Tools I will include are WEB (the original pascal version) for starters. Others will be added as I find and document them. Omission of a particular tool should not be considered a snub in any sense--simply an error or oversight on my part. = End of File ==========================================================