'''Ratcl''' (pronounced ''radical'') is an extension for Tcl to explore and
manage structured data collections. It grew out of experience with the Metakit
[http://www.equi4.com/metakit/] embedded database library. See the [overview]
for further information.  The [glossary] may also help find your bearing.

Ratcl is part of [Vlerq] [http://www.vlerq.org/], an ongoing research project
which aims to create a general-purpose, language agnostic, high performance
column-wise data manipulation framework.

*** Documentation ***

This area was started June 21st, 2007.  There is limited documentation so far:
* C source code + over 800 Tcl tests - see the vqcore.tgz + vqtcl.tgz downloads
* an API overview, with examples - [http://www.equi4.com/pub/vq/exra/]
* paper presented at the 2006 Tcl/Tk conference (PDF [http://www.equi4.com/pub/docs/chicago/vq2006paper.pdf], slides [http://www.equi4.com/pub/docs/chicago/vq2006slides.pdf])
* contributed [vops] - look here when you don't find a view operator in the API overview

The documentation will be brought up-to-date and expanded here as time permits.

*** Downloads ***

Ratcl is open source under the MIT license [http://www.opensource.org/licenses/mit-license.php]. Its core is written in C, with some Tcl wrapper
code on top. The '''vqtcl''' package is portable and easier to build than
'''vqcore'''.

* C source code with 800+ Tcl tests - http://www.equi4.com/pub/vq/vqcore.tgz
* a TEA3 extension generated from it - http://www.equi4.com/pub/vq/vqtcl.tgz
* all the latest sources: ''svn checkout svn://svn.equi4.com/vlerq/trunk vlerq''

There is a Ratcl Starkit with some extensions at http://www.equi4.com/pub/sk/ratcl.kit :
* Ratk will display any view as browsable window in Tk (by Brian Theado)
* view wrappers around SQLite and Oratcl (by Brian Theado)
* the SQLite extension itself (by Richard Hipp)
* Tkcon is included for interactive use (by Jeff Hobbs)
* and more... (TBD)
This Starkit can be used in Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux.

*** Get involved ***

There is a mailing list at http://groups.google.com/group/vlerq

*** Credits ***

Several people have helped shape Ratcl over the years, including:

* Brian Theado
* Mark Roseman
* Steve Landers

For mistakes, omissions, failures, lack of progress: blame JCW, Vlerq's author.