	    !!!!  Welcome to the PORTALS Development system.  !!!!

           Portals represents the ultimate in flexible programming.  It
        is a completely programmable compiler that can, essentially, do
        almost anything that is currently performed by other, expensive
        single language compiling systems, and much, much more. It is a
        fundamental learning tool for anyone who needs to know how high
        level languages function.  We hope you enjoy it.

	   Before you can begin using PORTALS there  are a few small i-
        tems that you must do first.

           Check to insure  that   your system has all of the following
        components:

                           80386 or greater processor
                           A minimum of 4MB of memory
                           MSDOS 5.0 or above
                           VGA Color graphics (Mode 18)

           Optional equipment

                           SB Compatible Soundboard
                           SVGA VESA Graphics
                           Mouse (Optional)

	   The easiest way to setup PORTALS is to use the installation
	program.  Just enter the following command at your DOS prompt:

  	                            INSTALL

	   The installation program shall automatically setup the sys-
	tem, alter the  path  statement in your autoexec.bat file, and
	reset your machine for you.   All changes to your autoexec.bat
	file will be made automatically. If this is a sharware version
        of PORTALS, the PORTALS home directory is named 'PDSBETA'.  O-
        therwise, it will be named 'PORTALS'.

	   If, for some reason, you choose not to use the installation
	program, you must perform the  following steps.  If you follow
	the sequence below exactly, you should have no problems in the
	startup.

        1: You should  print  this  file out on your printer using the
           TYPE README > PRN command at the DOS prompt.

	2: You must create a directory which PORTALS shall  use as its
	   home location.  You must also  create a subdirectory within
	   the home directory as follows:

	        > [HOME DIRECTORY NAME] > SYSTEM

	   All PORTALS files are placed in the SYSTEM directory.  The
	   HOME DIRECTORY is for  use with any .PDS sources which you
	   create.  This will be your development directory.

	3: Edit your autoexec.bat file to include the following line:

                     SET PDS=C:\[HOME DIRECTORY NAME]\SYSTEM

	4: Now, add [HOME DIRECTORY NAME]\SYSTEM to  your PATH state-
	   ment in you autoexec.bat file. This will enable you to use
	   all of the PORTALS programs anywhere on your hard disk.

	5: Copy all PORTALS files except TEST.PDS, START.BAT, and the
           file SAMPLE.CAB, to the SYSTEM  subdirectory  in your HOME
           DIRECTORY.  Now, copy the other files to your HOME DIRECT-
           ORY.  Rename the file SAMPLE.CAB to  SAMPLE.ZIP and unpack
           it if you so desire.  SAMPLE.ZIP is not needed  to operate
           PORTALS.  (See below)

	6: Use the IDE to read the help files which are contained  in
 	   the [HOME DIRECTORY NAME]/SYSTEM directory.

           After reseting your machine, you can read the STARTUP.HLP
           file by simply using the following entry on a DOS command
           line after the  system has completed its reset operation,
           and you have entered into you HOME DIRECTORY:

                                   START

	7: Be sure to use START. It contains the PORTALS EULA, and a
           number  of  other important aspects of PORTALS, including
           registration information.  Thank you!


        SAMPLE.ZIP

           There is an additional ZIP file included with this version
        of Portals.  It is called SAMPLE.ZIP. You will find it in the
        PDSBETA, (PORTALS if this is a registered version), directory
        after installation. It contains a very simple, sample program
        that was written using the PORTALS system only.  The PDS file
        that was used to create it, as well as  the PORTALS generated
        ASM file, are also included.

          The executable, named SAMPLE.EXE, is a simple program which
        demonstrates some of the features of the EXEC.OBJ file that's
        included  with the registered version of PORTALS.  If you are
        a registered owner, you can  use the MAKEFILE.BAT file to re-
        create a new assembly source file if you make any changes.  A
        LIF file called NEW.LIF is also included to provide addition-
        al LIF programming examples.  However, it can only be used in
        its complete form in the registered package.  You can take it
        apart, and use portions of it in EXAMPLE.LIF.

           When you load SAMPLE.EXE, you shall see six (6) mouse but-
        tons on the task bar located at the bottom.  Do not  look for
        any super graphics like shadowed text.  Although EXEC.OBJ can
        support it, there was no need for it in this sample program.

           The buttons provide the following functions:

        EXIT  = returns you to DOS.

        IMAGE = provides three different image displays as follows:

             1st click: 50% Reduction in background image
             2nd click: Clears image
             3rd click: Displays second BMP image
             4th click: Clears image
             5th click: Displays dual reductions
             6th click: Clears image

           (Images are only viewable in 256 or > color modes.  In the
        initial mode (12h) the displays are garbled because there are
        only 16 color palettes available)

        FONTS = sample of fonts available in the registered version

        MIDI  = plays an XMS type MIDI file

        WAVE  = plays a sample WAV file.

        VMODE = provides three additional video VESA mode settings,

                   Mode 112h -  640X480 X 16 millon colors
                   Mode 103h -  800X600 X 256 colors
                   Mode 105h - 1024X768 X 256 colors

                                    WARNING

           The program SAMPLE.EXE uses  SVGA graphics. DO NOT RUN THIS
        FILE UNLESS YOUR SYSTEM SUPPORTS VESA VIDEO MODES.  If you are
        not sure, then do not execute any video mode changes until you
        find out if your monitor supports these modes. Doing otherwise
        may damage your monitor.  The mouse should  be fully active in
        all modes.  If you are  having trouble  with your mouse in the
        higher resolution modes (103h-105h) then try using the includ-
        ed mouse driver if your mouse is Microsoft compatible. This is
        the driver used during the creation of the program, and it has
        supported all VESA modes in a DOS environment.


        TROUBLESHOOTING COMMON SITUATIONS WHEN USING PORTALS

        Problem:  Everytime I try to compile a source, I keep getting
                  a message saying that  the compiler cannot find the
                  PDS.INI file, or my LIF file.

        Solution: Be sure that you have set your  PORTALS environment
                  correctly.  If you used the PORTALS install program
                  this should have been done for you. However, if the
                  entries were changed somehow then the system is not
                  able to locate the correct directory.  Be sure that
                  SET PDS=C:\PDSBETA\SYSTEM.

                  A second situation is that you may be placing a di-
                  ectory path in  the  PDS.INI file for your LIF file
                  entry. The Compiler, as well as the IDE use the en-
                  vironment path  designated by the SET PDS= entry in
                  your AUTOEXEC.BAT file to  locate the proper direc-
                  tory for you LIF file. If you have placed a path in
                  the PDS.INI 'lifefile=' directive then that path is
                  appended to the  environment string, causing an er-
                  roneous path. If you have placed such a path in the
                  PDS.INI file, remove it.

        Problem:  Everytime I compile a source, the programs seems to
                  get caught in an endless loop and never ends.

        Solution: Check the PDS source for missing components of loop
                  macros.  For example, this can happen if you have a
                  'while' type of statement without an 'end while' to
                  terminate the loop.  The compiler has been designed
                  to detect some endless situations. However, because
                  of the flexibility provided in  writing macros, the
                  compiler has little, if any, control in how you im-
                  pliment macro loops.  Therefore, you must pay close
                  attention to your statements to prevent such situa-
                  tions from occurring.



	   ACKNOWLEGEMENT

           Northeastern Engineering Labs gives special thanks to the
           individuals and organization named below for their assis-
           tance in the development of the PORTALS system:

                                 Rusty Davis
                             David & Deborah Day
                                    HCDSS

	   The ZIP file compressor used in PORTALS is a freeware ar-
 	   chiver provided by the following authors.

                                  Mark  Adler
                               Richard B. Wales
                               Jean-loup Gailly
                             Onno  van der Linden
                                Kai Uwe Rommel
                              Igor  Mandrichenko
                                  John Bush
                                Paul Kienitz.

              Many thanks to them for a job well done and for their
	   consideration in allowing programmers the option of mak-
	   ing a profit from their works without raking  them  over
	   the coals under threats of legal action before we have a
           chance to even get off the ground.  We owe them.


