
			THE BASIC DAP README


	   (See "INSTALL" for help on installation)

1. INTRODUCTION

This directory and its subdirectories contain the source code for
Dap, which is a small statistics and graphics package based on C.  
It provides core methods of data management, analysis, and graphics
that are commonly used in statistical consulting practice.  Anyone
familiar with the basic syntax of C programs can learn to use Dap
quickly and easily from the manual and the examples contained in
it; advanced features of C are not necessary, although they are
available.  (The manual contains a brief introduction to the C
syntax needed for Dap.)  Because Dap processes files one line at a
time, rather than reading entire files into memory, it can be, and
has been, used on data sets that have very many lines and/or very
many variables.

Dap is a GNU program and is free software distributed under a
GNU-style copyleft. See the file COPYING for details.

2. GOALS

I wrote Dap to use in my statistical consulting practice because
the utterly famous, industry standard statistics system (you
know the one I mean) is not available on GNU/Linux and costs a
bundle every year under a lease arrangement. I was generally happy
with that system, except for the graphics, which were all but
impossible to use,  but there were a number of clumsy constructs
left over from its ancient origins. Thus, I decided to mimic
the core of the functionality of that system in the context of
the C language, which allows much more programming flexibility.

3. DISCLAIMER

The thing works, but there are some definite "home brew" aspects
to Dap. Anyone wishing to beautify the computations of
significances or other aspects, which appear to be correct but are
done my own idiosyncratic way, has my blessing.  If I ever get
more time in the future to devote to that, I may do it myself, but
since it all seems to work pretty well as is, there is not a whole
lot of incentive for me to do so.

4. BUG REPORTS

Send bug reports to <bug-dap@gnu.org>.
