   OSLib is a set of functions and C headers to provide complete
coverage of the RISC OS application programmer's interface in C. It
provides access from C code to all RISC OS system calls ("SWI's") which
is

      efficient: often, memory access is completely avoided;
      type-safe: every argument can be type-checked by the compiler;
      obvious: a SWI is called by the "obvious" syntax;
      complete: every SWI is covered;
      register-safe: hides (often idiosyncratic) register allocation;
      language-independent: although the headers are specific to C, the
         library is not - any APCS-conformant language can call it.

It also provides names for all the data structures and reason codes used
by the API. Code that uses it is superior to similar code using
_kernel_swi() or _swix(), both in terms of the compile-time checking
that is available, and the size and speed of the code generated.

   OSLib provides a very convenient interface to the RISC OS programmer,
since all the facilities of the C compiler are available to catch errors
and generate good code. It is conceptually very small, in that it is
completely documented by this file. As a bonus, code written using it is
smaller and faster than code written using other means.

   OSLib is copyright  1994, 1998 Jonathan Coxhead. It is distributed in
the hope that it will be useful, but without any warranty; without even
the implied warranty of merchantability or fitness for a particular
purpose.

   It is free software itself, but applications linked to it are not. This
means that any changes to OSLib itself (the contents of the directories
ConvHelp, DefMod, OSLib, rm, Support and SWILib) fall under the terms of the
GNU Public Licence; but programmes written using OSLib do not.

   In other words, OSLib may be used in the construction of proprietory
software.

   Fault reports and suggestions for improvement may be sent to the
maintainers, mailto:<oslib-user.compton.nu>

A number of mail lists have been set up to allow discussion of topics concerned with
OSLib. They are:
	    oslib-news -- announcements about OSLib. Subscribing and posting are both open.
	    oslib-team -- for discussions amongst the developer 'team'. Subscribing and posting 
	       	     	  are both moderated.
	    oslib-user -- for comments from users, as opposed to developers of the library.
	       	     	  Subscribing is open; posting moderated.
To subscribe to any of these mail lists, send e-mail to <listname>-subscribe.compton.nu

OSLib maintainer: Tony van der Hoff <mailto:oslib@mk-net.demon.co.uk>
14 April 2000 