README file of Share-Ware utility CHORD

To download the program make sure you checked the 'Load to local disk' option (in Mosaic) and 'Save next link as...' (in Netscape), then click this next reference: CHORD3.5.ZIP

Here's the README, to give you a feel for the tool:
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This is a description of a Share-Ware utility called CHORD.

It's purpose is to provide guitar players with a tool to produce good
looking, self-descriptive music sheet from a text file.

CHORD read a text file containing the lyrics of a song, the chords to
be played, their description and some other optional data to produce a
PostScript document that includes:

        Centered titles
        Chord names above the words
        Graphical representation of the chords at the end of the songs

CHORD also provides support for

        Multiple logical pages per physical pages ( 1, 2 or 4)
        Configurable fonts for the lyrics and the chord names
        Multiple songs inside one file
        The complete ISO 8859-1 character set
and  
        Chorus marking

NEW IN VERSION 3.5

o Generation of PostScript indexes.
o Generation of PostScript chord-charts.
o Additional 'comments' style (box and italic).
o Directive to set a monospace font (ie: not-proportional) suitable for
  tabs.
o Support for A4 paper format.
o Page numbers are now "physical page numbers".
o Chord-charts (-dump option) now include chords from .chordrc file.
o Option to print/not-print page numbers.
o Option to print/not-print chord grids.
o Option to print grids only for "difficult" chords.
o Directive to force a physical page break.
o Directive to force a virtual page break.
o Chords are printed in a logical order.
o Special chord [N.C.] (no-chord) without a chord grid.
o New (and improved!) {define} syntax.
o Chord names and directives are case-insensitive.
o Public domain getopt() routine (for portability).
o (almost) lint free (better portability)
o Ansi-C compliant
o ... and bug fixes

NEW IN VERSION 1.2

o More flexible Page Numbering
  o Left/right
  o always-present
  o an option for simgle spacing on lines with no chords
o Distinction between an unplayed string and a buffed one
o TOC generation
o Some bug fixes

NEW IN VERSION 1.1

o CHORD supports transposition. See the man page.
o miscellanious bug fixes, including dubious coding that kept IBM and
  SGI from executing CHORD properly
o the grids now indicate string played open
o Error messages noe correctly report the name of the file and
  the line number where the error was found

===== PLATFORM =====

CHORD has been developped on SPARCStations running Solaris 2.2 and
OpenWindows 3.2. The PostScript previewer (PageView), SparcPrinters and
LaserWriter II have had no problem with the output. Please report any
changes your system requires.

===== CREDITS =====

CHORD has been developped and is still being maintained by Martin
Leclerc and Mario Dorion. 

CHORD uses the GNU getopt() routine made available to the community by
the Free Software Foundation.

We would like to thanks the following individuals:

Steve Putz, who has kindly contributed a number of suggestions, bug
fixes and enhancements(?).

Jim Gerland (GERLAND@ubvms.cc.buffalo.edu), who has performed the initial
VMS port.

Leo Bicknell (ab147@freenet.acsu.buffalo.edu) has provided the chord sorting
routine.

Additional thanks to Fred handloser (and his pal Duncan) and many
others for providing many suggestions of features that were implemented
in CHORD 3.5.


===== COMPILING =====

CHORD is written in fairly portable C and should work on most UNIX
systems with little or no change. Let us know of your problems.

Simply edit the Makefile to meet your environment and 'make'.

Note: If your environment does not offer a getopt() routine edit the
Makefile to de-comment the lines (INCL, SRC and OBJ) that mention the
included getopt routine ... We reccomend using your system's getopt()
if it is available.

===== COPYRIGHT =====

CHORD is a Share-Ware that is licensed following the conditions of the
general GNU license. You are authorized to use this program free of
charge. You are authorized to distribute this program freely as long as
the full source is included. You are not allowed to remove the
`copyright' notices from the authors nor are you allowed to pretend you
wrote it. You are not allowed to charge any money for CHORD. You are
not allowed to distribute a modified version of CHORD without written
authorizations from the authors. You are not allowed to use parts of
CHORD in any other commercial or public-domain software. Sorry for all
the negatives rules ... but we've been bitten once!


As we said, CHORD is a Share-Ware. The authors spent a great deal of
time making it as feature-full and usable as possible. If you like this
program, please take the time to send a postcard from your home town or
locality to each of the two authors and let them know what you think of
CHORD. Please send the cards to the following addresses:

        Martin Leclerc          Mario Dorion
        19 Browning             18 Georgia Crescent
        Dollard des Ormeaux     Pointe Claire
        Quebec, H9G 2K5         Quebec, H9R 5V7
        CANADA                  CANADA