GNU Ad HoC was originally envisioned as a library of autoconf-like
macros targeted at automating system management tasks.

As the idea evolved in my mind, I noticed there were many other uses
for such macros.  They would allow people to share shell-programming
wisdom, and to write elaborate and portable shell-scripts through
high-level macros instead of the non-portable alternative, namely,
shell functions.

Ad HoC currently provides a minimal set of macros for performing tasks
such as creating, comparing and updating files from a central
repository with a local directory.  But it is still missing more
examples like @file{example.tar} (which is used to set up the
laboratory in which I work), some real documentation and lots of
additional macros.

In the near future, I plan to port to GNU Ad HoC some shell-scripts
for software installation that I've been developing in the last few
years, but that I could never release because almost no one else was
able to use them.  They will become more usable after being converted
to GNU Ad HoC.

With regards to the documentation, I'm sorry to say that the only
documentation of GNU Ad HoC available so far is in the @file{*.m4}
files in the macro directory.  I hope this is enough for you to start
to play with it.  Duke, remember the source!

I hope you enjoy GNU Ad HoC as much as I do.  If you're willing to
lend me a hand, drop me a note, I'll be glad to have help.  And, if
you need any help, don't hesitate to write to the GNU Ad HoC mailing
list: @email{adhoc@@gnu.org}.

Sincerely,

Alexandre Oliva  @email{oliva@@lsd.ic.unicamp.br}
