------- NICETEXT : How-to-get-started ------- ******************* BEGINNER ************ 1. Do a "gmake install" (If you don't have gmake and a GNU C++ compiler for your system then read the PORTING file for more details.) 2. Read the DESCRIPTION section of the man pages for "nttpd", "nicetext", and "scramble". (either "more man/cat1/nttpd.1" or "man nttpd") 3. Try running the "bin/qstart-nttpd" shell-script 4. Point your favorite browser to http://localhost:2119/ Be aware that there is MUCH more to the software than the nttpd program, but it is the quickest way to get a flavor for what this system can do. ******************* INTERMEDIATE ************ 5. Try using the "nicetext" and "scramble" programs from the command-line. The "examples/database" directory has some very large dictionaries and style sources. 6. Next, walk through the "examples/tutorial" which shows how to make and use custom dictionaries and style-sources. ******************* ADVANCED ************ 7. If you cannot get enough of this neat software, then you can read the papers in the "doc" directory. 8. If you have enough system resources then you can remake the dictionaries and style-sources in "examples/database" from "examples/words" and "examples/texts". 9. If you are completely absorbed by this software, you should then try to make your own style-sources. You can also try to create very large and complex custom dictionaries. 10. If you want to make this work with other natural languages, simply modify the lexical scanner to recognize different letters. (Of course, you must follow the rules described in the papers for the tranformations to work, but it should not be that hard!) Feel free to e-mail me with comments! The FAQ will appear on http://www.ctgi.net/ only if needed. (Right now, there are no questions because this is the first public release!) - Mark Chapman markc@ctgi.net