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 Porting `gawk' to a New Operating System
 ----------------------------------------
 
    If you wish to port `gawk' to a new operating system, there are
 several steps to follow.
 
   1. Follow the guidelines in  Adding New Features Adding Code,
      concerning coding style, submission of diffs, and so on.
 
   2. When doing a port, bear in mind that your code must co-exist
      peacefully with the rest of `gawk', and the other ports. Avoid
      gratuitous changes to the system-independent parts of the code. If
      at all possible, avoid sprinkling `#ifdef's just for your port
      throughout the code.
 
      If the changes needed for a particular system affect too much of
      the code, I probably will not accept them.  In such a case, you
      will, of course, be able to distribute your changes on your own,
      as long as you comply with the GPL ( GNU GENERAL PUBLIC
      LICENSE Copying.).
 
   3. A number of the files that come with `gawk' are maintained by other
      people at the Free Software Foundation.  Thus, you should not
      change them unless it is for a very good reason. I.e. changes are
      not out of the question, but changes to these files will be
      scrutinized extra carefully.  The files are `alloca.c',
      `getopt.h', `getopt.c', `getopt1.c', `regex.h', `regex.c', `dfa.h',
      `dfa.c', `install-sh', and `mkinstalldirs'.
 
   4. Be willing to continue to maintain the port.  Non-Unix operating
      systems are supported by volunteers who maintain the code needed
      to compile and run `gawk' on their systems. If no-one volunteers
      to maintain a port, that port becomes unsupported, and it may be
      necessary to remove it from the distribution.
 
   5. Supply an appropriate `gawkmisc.???' file.  Each port has its own
      `gawkmisc.???' that implements certain operating system specific
      functions. This is cleaner than a plethora of `#ifdef's scattered
      throughout the code.  The `gawkmisc.c' in the main source
      directory includes the appropriate `gawkmisc.???' file from each
      subdirectory.  Be sure to update it as well.
 
      Each port's `gawkmisc.???' file has a suffix reminiscent of the
      machine or operating system for the port. For example,
      `pc/gawkmisc.pc' and `vms/gawkmisc.vms'. The use of separate
      suffixes, instead of plain `gawkmisc.c', makes it possible to move
      files from a port's subdirectory into the main subdirectory,
      without accidentally destroying the real `gawkmisc.c' file.
      (Currently, this is only an issue for the MS-DOS and OS/2 ports.)
 
   6. Supply a `Makefile' and any other C source and header files that
      are necessary for your operating system.  All your code should be
      in a separate subdirectory, with a name that is the same as, or
      reminiscent of, either your operating system or the computer
      system.  If possible, try to structure things so that it is not
      necessary to move files out of the subdirectory into the main
      source directory.  If that is not possible, then be sure to avoid
      using names for your files that duplicate the names of files in
      the main source directory.
 
   7. Update the documentation.  Please write a section (or sections)
      for this Info file describing the installation and compilation
      steps needed to install and/or compile `gawk' for your system.
 
   8. Be prepared to sign the appropriate paperwork.  In order for the
      FSF to distribute your code, you must either place your code in
      the public domain, and submit a signed statement to that effect,
      or assign the copyright in your code to the FSF.  Both of these
      actions are easy to do, and _many_ people have done so already. If
      you have questions, please contact me, or `gnu@gnu.org'.
 
    Following these steps will make it much easier to integrate your
 changes into `gawk', and have them co-exist happily with the code for
 other operating systems that is already there.
 
    In the code that you supply, and that you maintain, feel free to use
 a coding style and brace layout that suits your taste.
 

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