README

         Java Communicating Sequential Processes - Development Kit
                      JCSP 0.5 (Early Access)

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CONTENTS


  Overview of Java Communicating Sequential Processes
    - Introduction
    - Purpose
    - Version Compatibility
    - Bug Fixes
    - What the JCSP DK Contains
    - Submitting Comments
    - Reporting Bugs and Requesting Features


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         OVERVIEW OF Java Communicating Sequential Processes
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INTRODUCTION
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Thank you for downloading the JCSP 0.5 (Early Access) release.

This release of the JCSP Development Kit is the first publically available
release of the Software. This release is for eveluation purposes only
and as such does not constiute a product. The API's contained within this
release are likely to Change between this and subsequent versions.

As part of our ongoing effort to improve the quality of the JCSP,
we will continue to fix bugs and develop new features.
In order to help us prioritize our bug-fixing effort, please submit
any bugs you find as soon as possible, using the procedure described
in the "Reporting Bugs" section below.


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PURPOSE
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The JCSP DK allows you to:

      - Develop process networks

      - Develop User interfaces to control the networks


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VERSION COMPATIBILITY
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There are currently no guarantees about compatibility bewtween versions
of the API. If the version number changes from 0.5 to 0.6 there may be
different API's, if the version changes from 0.5.0 to 0.5.1 the API will
be the same but the documentation or implementation may have changed to
fix bugs.

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BUG FIXES
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As with any release, we will continue vigorously testing and
debugging the JCSP.

As always, your comments and bug reports are important to making
future releases successful.  We will use your feedback to help plan
future releases.  Please report bugs, request features and submit
comments using the procedure noted below in the sections "Submitting
Comments" and "Reporting Bugs and Requesting Features".


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WHAT THE JCSP DK CONTAINS
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JCSP LANGUAGE CLASSES
        - The language classes include the classes for Channels, Processes
          and Parallel, Sequential and Alternative constructs.

JCSP AWT CLASSES
        - The AWT classes include the versions of the JDK AWT components
          with the Channel interfaces.

JCSP UTIL CLASSES
        - The UTIL classes include the implementations of the ObjectStores,
          and buildingblocks which are useful for developing applications.


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SUBMITTING COMMENTS
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We are very interested in receiving your comments and suggestions
as early as possible. Send an email to Paul Austin at p_d_austin@hotmail.com


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REPORTING BUGS AND REQUESTING FEATURES
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To report bugs or feature requests, send an email to Peter Welch at
P.H.Welch@ukc.ac.uk.

When submitting a bug, be sure you include the version number of
the JCSP you are running.

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Copyright (C) 1997-98 Paul Austin &
The University of Kent at Canterbury, Kent, England
All rights reserved.