                       =================================
                          STARDATES IN STAR TREK FAQ
                           Computer-Related Addenda
                                 Version 1.6.1
                       by Andrew Main <zefram@fysh.org>
                       1997-12-26, stardate [-30]0458.96
                       =================================


1.  TABLE OF CONTENTS

1.  Table of contents
2.  About the Stardates in Star Trek FAQ
3.  The `stardate' program
4.  Other versions of the `stardate' program
5.  Adding a stardate header to email messages
6.  Obtaining the latest version of the FAQ
7.  Legal notice


2.  ABOUT THE STARDATES IN STAR TREK FAQ

This package is based on the Stardates in Star Trek FAQ available on USENET.
The FAQ describes a system of stardates, and how it was developed.  See
section 6 for information on getting hold of the latest version.

The version numbers of this package and the FAQ will generally correspond.
For example, this is version 1.6.1 of the Computer-Related Addenda package,
and was prepared at the same time as version 1.6 of the FAQ.  Consequently, if
you have differing version numbers, it probably means that whichever item you
have with the lower version number is out of date.


3.  THE `STARDATE' PROGRAM

The file `stardate.c' is a C program that will manipulate dates in various
formats.  It can display the current date, or a date specified in one of five
formats.  It can display dates in any of these five formats.  The date formats
supported are stardates (of course), the Julian, Gregorian and Quadcent
calendars, and the traditional Unix form of date specification.

Note that the previous version of this program, distributed in version 1.6 of
this package, gave the wrong results in some cases when compiled in a 16-bit
(or in fact anything up to 31-bit) environment (such as DOS).  This bug is
fixed in this version.  All versions produce correct results in a 32-bit (or
greater) environment.

`stardate.1' is the nroff source for the program's Unix-style manual page.
(On Unix systems, this should be installed in the appropriate man directory.)
`stardate.man' is a plain text formatted version of stardate.1.

Please do not ask me for an executable of this program.  I have the facilities
to compile only for a few Unix platforms; definitely not DOS.  Similarly, do
not ask me for a version in Pascal or any other language.  Some people have
translated this program's predecessors into Pascal, Java, Haskell and other
languages, and several people have bolted GUIs onto them, but I haven't kept
track of these efforts.


4.  OTHER VERSIONS OF THE `STARDATE' PROGRAM

As this stardate program is completely new (at the time of writing), this is
the only implementation of it.  However, if past performances are repeated,
this will only be a temporary situation.  If you are considering translating
this program into another language, or reimplementing it with a different
interface, please read this section.

Several people have asked me for permission to write programs based on the
Stardates FAQ.  There is no need to do so.  While the FAQ itself is
copyrighted, the stardate system it describes is not.  However, if you write
such a program, please mention in its documentation that it is based on
version 1 of the Stardates in Star Trek FAQ, and include some information on
how to get hold of the FAQ.

In a change from my previous policy, I will now maintain a list of alternate
versions of this stardate program.  So if you write such a program, feel free
to send me a brief description.  Future versions of this package will include
a list of other stardate programs.


5.  ADDING A STARDATE HEADER TO EMAIL MESSAGES

If you use the Elm electronic mail reader to send email on a Unix system, it
is possible to have an extra header line added to all your email messages,
giving the stardate at which the message was sent.  To do this, you must make
sure the `stardate' program is in your command path.  Then, add the following
line to your ~/.elm/elmheaders file, or, if the file doesn't exist, create it
containing only this line:

X-Stardate: `stardate`

(Note the backquotes.)  An extra line will then be added to the header of all
email messages sent using Elm.


6.  OBTAINING THE LATEST VERSION OF THE FAQ

The Stardates in Star Trek FAQ is posted to the USENET newsgroup
rec.arts.startrek.tech every 30 days.  It is cross-posted to rec.answers and
news.answers.  It can be found by searching any of these newsgroups for the
subject line "Stardates in Star Trek Mini-FAQ" (without the quotes).
Depending on the configuration at your site, it is possible that it may be
expired earlier than intended, and therefore not be available.

It is also available for anonymous FTP from rtfm.mit.edu (18.70.0.209) as file
/pub/usenet/news.answers/star-trek/stardates.  This will contain the last
version to be distributed via USENET.  rtfm.mit.edu also has a number of
mirrors, in which it is archived as star-trek/stardates.  These URLs point to
a selection of mirrors around the world -- pick the one closest to you:

<URL:ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/star-trek/stardates>
<URL:ftp://src.doc.ic.ac.uk/usenet/news-faqs/news.answers/star-trek/stardates>
<URL:ftp://ftp.pasteur.fr/pub/FAQ/star-trek/stardates>
<URL:ftp://ftp.sunet.se/pub/usenet/news.answers/star-trek/stardates>
<URL:ftp://hwarang.postech.ac.kr/pub/usenet/news.answers/star-trek/stardates>

If you do not have access to FTP, you can obtain a copy from rtfm.mit.edu by
email.  To do so, send an email message to <mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu>
containing the line:

send usenet/news.answers/star-trek/stardates

As a last resort, you can obtain the latest version direct from the author by
email.  To do so, send an email message to <zefram@fysh.org>, with the subject
line "send stardates".  Messages for the attention of the author should be
sent to the same address, using some other subject line.


7.  LEGAL NOTICE

Copyright (c) 1996, 1997 Andrew Main.  All rights reserved.

Redistribution and use, in source and binary forms, with or without
modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions
are met:
1. Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright
   notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
2. Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright
   notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer
   in the documentation and/or other materials provided with the
   distribution.
3. All advertising materials mentioning features or use of this
   software must display the following acknowledgement:
       This product includes software developed by Andrew Main.
4. The name of Andrew Main may not be used to endorse or promote
   products derived from this software without specific prior
   written permission.

THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED ``AS IS'' AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED
WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF
MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED.
IN NO EVENT SHALL ANDREW MAIN BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT,
INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING,
BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES;
LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER
CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT
LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN
ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE
POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
