
				Language::Zcode
				---------------

Z-code is the machine language for the Z-machine, the virtual machine
that the Infocom text adventure games (among others) run on.
Language::Zcode provides tools to parse story files written in Z-code,
and to "compile" them to executables in other languages (such as Perl).

See (or perldoc) lib/Language/Zcode.pm for many more details.

For a quick taste of Language::Zcode's awesome power:
perl -Ilib minizork.pl
perl -Ilib minizork.pl -t win32 (on Windows)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VERSION 0.8
-----------

Language::Zcode currently supports:
- Parsing almost any Z-code story file
- Compiling all v3 opcodes (and some v4/5) to Perl (just run scripts/plotz.pl)
- Z-machine v3 emulation. Tested by playing all the way through Infidel.
- Proof of concept translation to PIR (Parrot assembly) and XML

See Changes for more on the past and present, Todo for the future.

WARNING: This is an ALPHA version. Interfaces et al. are subject to change.
Bugs abound. Things may not work at all. Might spam your SO.

Please let me know about things that are broken. Or even better, send a patch!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
INSTALL
-----------

perl Makefile.PL
make
make test
make install (if you really think it's wise)

Use nmake on Windows: ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/Softlib/MSLFILES/nmake15.exe

If you don't have make or nmake, you can run the tests with:
    perl -Ilib -e "runtests (glob('t/*.t'))"

and install by copying the stuff in lib/ to where your Perl modules sit -
someplace like /usr/local/lib/perl5, or C:/Perl/site/lib (but don't
clobber any existing Language/ modules!)

Oh, yeah. Also copy the executable scripts/plotz.pl to someplace in your path.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Amir Karger (akarger@cpan.org)

Copyright (c) 2003-4 Amir Karger.  All rights reserved.  This program is free
software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as
Perl itself.

