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Date: Sat, 31 Oct 1998 13:41:59
To: djgpp AT delorie DOT com
From: Ralph Proctor <ralphgpr AT shadow DOT net>
Subject: Re: "port"
Cc: bowman AT montana DOT com
In-Reply-To: <363B460F.22B214F3@montana.com>
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 <71f91k$1cn$1 AT news DOT luth DOT se>
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Reply-To: djgpp AT delorie DOT com

At 10:17 AM 10/31/98 -0700, you wrote:

>I would like to stress again: files such as readme.djg, readme.1st,
>please_oh_please_read_me, are not there to fill up nooks and crannies in
>a zip file.

The problems I have had with some readme files (not the ones that come with
the normal contributions to this list) have been that following the text
TO THE LETTER the build does not work, because the writer must be
assuming the reader is aware of a number of things outside the scope
of the readme.

Doing exactly what is ordered in the readme should do the trick.
If additional work or expertise is called for then the writer should
IMHO so state.

I hasten to add that my troubles have been with applications probably not of
much interest to most C programmers, but to me they are just great and of
use to a programmer limited in funds and not able to buy the super-dooper
commercial packages. Maybe that's why the readme sometimes assumes
a high level of skill in the reader.

Ralph