FreeSnell-1b7 thin-film optics program release

[Aubrey Jaffer]

This message announces the release of FreeSnell-1b7.

FreeSnell is a program which computes optical properties of multilayer
thin-film coatings.  Dielectric, metallic, and granular metallic films
are supported.  The FreeSnell package includes a SCM script (program)
"nk" to create, manage, and query a refractive-index spectral
database.

FreeSnell is an application of the SCM Scheme implementation and the
WB B-tree database package.

FreeSnell is free software.  It is released under the GNU General
Public License (GPL).

The FreeSnell home page details installation and links to
distributions, documentation, and examples:

        http://swiss.csail.mit.edu/~jaffer/FreeSnell

                              -=-=-=-=-
FreeSnell-1b7 news:

* MS-Windows installer.
* Colorful new logo.
* Interactive nk-shell.
* freesnell-discuss email group
  http://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/FreeSnell-discuss

  * Makefile: Always put - between FreeSnell and version.
  (mfiles): Added.
  (pinstall): Added usercat; removed FreeSnell.nsi.
  (install): test -d is not needed with mkdir -p.
  (nk.rwb): Depends on nk.scm.
  (infoz): mkdir -p.
  (doszip): Do it like Jacal.
  (tagfiles): Added FreeSnell.nsi.
  (pubfiles, upfiles): Removed FreeSnell.lnk and nk.lnk.
  (FreeSnell.html, w32install): Added targets.
  (FreeSnell_toc.html): Add icons.
  (pinstall pubfiles): Added FreeSnell.nsi.
  (images): Added FS96.png and FS.ico.
  (FS96.png, FS.ico): Create from FreeSnell_96x64.ps.
  (upfiles, pubfiles): Added nk.lnk.
  (release): cvs tag the files.

  * index.html (Volunteer opportunities): Added section.
  (FreeSnell Development): Link to freesnell-discuss email list.
  (Running): Corrected directory path.

  * nk.scm (load-spectrum.nk!): Read non-SOPRA files by line.
  (nk:error): Removed.
  (load-spectrum.nk!): Fail gracefully if first line is bad.
  (nk:open-database!): Handle locked or missing databases.
  (add-nk-spectra, del-nk-spectra): use nk:open-database!.
  (nk.script): With no argument, run nk-shell.
  (nki.usage): Split from nk.usage.
  Force-output to make sure message appears.
  (nki): Added interactive command mode.
  (graph-spectrum): Fixed for Ghostgum on MS-Windows.

  * FreeSnell.texi (Supported nk Formats): Added.
  (Specifying Designs): Links to validation-suite
  pages need .html to avoid contention with .scm files.
  (Installation): Added nk.lnk.
  (The nk script): Updated plot options.  Described nki.

                              -=-=-=-=-

The FreeSnell package is available from
 http://swiss.csail.mit.edu/ftpdir/scm/FreeSnell-1b7.zip
 swiss.csail.mit.edu:/pub/scm/FreeSnell-1b7.zip
Also available as MS-Windows installer:
 http://swiss.csail.mit.edu/ftpdir/scm/FreeSnell-1b7-1.exe
 swiss.csail.mit.edu:/pub/scm/FreeSnell-1b7-1.exe

SLIB is the portable scheme library which FreeSnell requires:
 http://swiss.csail.mit.edu/ftpdir/scm/slib-3b1.zip
 swiss.csail.mit.edu:/pub/scm/slib-3b1.zip
Also available as RPM:
 http://swiss.csail.mit.edu/ftpdir/scm/slib-3b1-1.noarch.rpm
 swiss.csail.mit.edu:/pub/scm/slib-3b1-1.noarch.rpm
Also available as MS-Windows installer:
 http://swiss.csail.mit.edu/ftpdir/scm/slib-3b1-1.exe
 swiss.csail.mit.edu:/pub/scm/slib-3b1-1.exe

SCM is the Scheme implementation under which FreeSnell runs.
SCM source is available from:
 http://swiss.csail.mit.edu/ftpdir/scm/scm-5e5.zip
 swiss.csail.mit.edu:/pub/scm/scm-5e5.zip
 http://swiss.csail.mit.edu/ftpdir/scm/scm-5e5-1.src.rpm
 swiss.csail.mit.edu:/pub/scm/scm-5e5-1.src.rpm
Also available as i386 binary RPM:
 http://swiss.csail.mit.edu/ftpdir/scm/scm-5e5-1.i386.rpm
 swiss.csail.mit.edu:/pub/scm/scm-5e5-1.i386.rpm
Also available as i386 MS-Windows installer:
 http://swiss.csail.mit.edu/ftpdir/scm/slib-3b1-1.exe
 swiss.csail.mit.edu:/pub/scm/slib-3b1-1.exe

WB databases are used via SCM.
 http://swiss.csail.mit.edu/ftpdir/scm/wb-2a2.zip
 swiss.csail.mit.edu:/pub/scm/wb-2a2.zip
 http://swiss.csail.mit.edu/ftpdir/scm/wb-2a2-1.src.rpm
 swiss.csail.mit.edu:/pub/scm/wb-2a2-1.src.rpm
Also available as i386 binary RPM:
 http://swiss.csail.mit.edu/ftpdir/scm/wb-2a2-1.i386.rpm
 swiss.csail.mit.edu:/pub/scm/wb-2a2-1.i386.rpm