Smalltalk Interchange File Facility
by Eric Arseneau eat@huv.com

Porting Information

1.0 Introduction
----------------------
This document outline some basic information on how to go about porting to an unsupported dialect.

2.0 Steps
------------
A) Create the package in which you wish to place the support layer of SIF
B) File in one of into the newly created package
	'sifupport.st' - for dialects that do not need the category: component in it's class definition selector
		VA, Dolphin, VSE
	'sifsupport with systemcategories.st' - for the dialects that must have the category: part of the class definition selector
		VW, Squeak
Note that this files were generated using SmalltalkInterchangeFileOutManager fileOutSifSupportUsingSystemCategories: with true and false.
This will give you the support layer of SIF in the new dialect.

C) Define a new class as a subclass of SmalltalkInterchangeFileInManager and using an existing working port, implement the following methods, using one of the implementations as an example:
	SmalltalkInterchangeDialectNameFileInManager>>fileInClassItem:
	SmalltalkInterchangeDialectNameFileInManager>>fileInMethodItem:intoClass:
	SmalltalkInterchangeDialectNameFileInManager>>handleAnnotationsOnGlobalInitializerItem:
	SmalltalkInterchangeDialectNameFileInManager>>newStreamOnFileNamed:
	SmalltalkInterchangeDialectNameFileInManager>>nextWord
	SmalltalkInterchangeDialectNameFileInManager class>>initialize

D) This will give you the basic support for filing in SIF code.  When you are done implementing these methods, use it to bootstrap itself
	SmalltalkInterchangeDialectNameFileInManager initialize.
	SmalltalkInterchangeFileManager newForFileIn
		fileName: 'st-support.sif';
		fileIn.
This will bring in the SIF support code and provide the correct categories and all.

E) Now create a subclass of SmalltalkInterchangeFileOutManager and as with the file in manager, implement the following:
	SmalltalkInterchangeDialectNameFileOutManager>>classOfBehavior:
	SmalltalkInterchangeDialectNameFileOutManager>>classDefinitionInfoFor:
	SmalltalkInterchangeDialectNameFileOutManager>>methodItemInfoFor:ofClass:
	SmalltalkInterchangeDialectNameFileOutManager>>packageItemInfoFor:
	SmalltalkInterchangeDialectNameFileOutManager>>poolVariableItemInfoFor:in:

F) File in the 'SIFTestAll.sif' in order to do tests.

G) E-mail me if you need any help mailto:eat@huv.com or want to place it onto the same plac eyou got this from

3.0 Contact
----------------
http://www.PocketSmalltalk.com/sif
mailto:eat@huv.com