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authorNeil Jerram <neil@ossau.uklinux.net>2009-12-19 01:31:03 +0000
committerNeil Jerram <neil@ossau.uklinux.net>2009-12-19 01:31:03 +0000
commit3d9af0c96644022bfa0a6ca2a10c50e0c70c141c (patch)
treeaae0d7e46f819394fa9b0313407cd2944c6c8c03
parent65de74947772312ed6f116c2c78092acd9f4204d (diff)
downloadguile-3d9af0c96644022bfa0a6ca2a10c50e0c70c141c.tar.gz
New introductory text about Guile
* doc/ref/guile.texi (Top): Rename `Introduction to Guile' as just `Introduction'. * doc/ref/intro.texi: Add new introductory text. [Not yet complete] * doc/ref/preface.texi (Preface): Update for chapter renaming.
-rw-r--r--doc/ref/guile.texi2
-rw-r--r--doc/ref/intro.texi32
-rw-r--r--doc/ref/preface.texi2
3 files changed, 32 insertions, 4 deletions
diff --git a/doc/ref/guile.texi b/doc/ref/guile.texi
index de16f2f5a..0438e2468 100644
--- a/doc/ref/guile.texi
+++ b/doc/ref/guile.texi
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ x
@menu
* Preface::
-* Introduction to Guile::
+* Introduction::
* Programming in Scheme::
* Programming in C::
diff --git a/doc/ref/intro.texi b/doc/ref/intro.texi
index 7feba6136..4fabb4880 100644
--- a/doc/ref/intro.texi
+++ b/doc/ref/intro.texi
@@ -4,8 +4,36 @@
@c Free Software Foundation, Inc.
@c See the file guile.texi for copying conditions.
-@node Introduction to Guile
-@chapter Introduction to Guile
+@node Introduction
+@chapter Introduction
+
+Guile is an implementation of the Scheme programming language. Scheme
+(@url{schemers.org}) is an elegant and conceptually simple dialect of
+Lisp, originated by Guy Steele and Gerald Sussman, and since evolved
+mainly by the series of reports known as RnRS (the Revised^n Reports
+on Scheme).
+
+Unlike -- for example -- Python or Perl, Scheme has no benevolent
+dictator. There are many Scheme implementations, with different
+characteristics and with communities and academic activities around
+them, and the language develops as a result of the interplay between
+these. Guile's particular characteristics are that
+@itemize
+@item
+it is easy to combine with other code written in C
+@item
+it has a historical and continuing connection with the GNU Project
+@item
+it emphasizes interactive and incremental programming
+@item
+it actually supports several languages, not just Scheme.
+@end itemize
+@noindent
+The next section explains what we mean by these points. The sections
+after that cover how you can obtain and install Guile, a tour of the
+ways that you can use it, how to report any problems that you
+encounter, and some typographical conventions that we use in this
+manual.
@menu
* What is Guile?::
diff --git a/doc/ref/preface.texi b/doc/ref/preface.texi
index d7c694a7f..f2d59cc53 100644
--- a/doc/ref/preface.texi
+++ b/doc/ref/preface.texi
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ Language for Extensions. It relates particularly to Guile version
@value{VERSION}. The manual is divided into the following chapters.
@table @strong
-@item Chapter 1: Introduction to Guile
+@item Chapter 1: Introduction
This part provides an overview of what Guile is and how you can use
it. A whirlwind tour shows how Guile can be used interactively and as
a script interpreter, how to link Guile into your own applications,