***************************************************************
*   Notes by importer to Maxima:                              *
*    This package originally included a modified pois2m.lisp  *
*    file.  This file can not be included in Maxima due to    *
*    the presence of a Macsyma Inc. copyright in the code.    *
*    As of the initial import of the code, it does not work    *
*    with the current Maxima.                                 *
***************************************************************


ANNOUNCEMENT
  Announcing the availability of FORMAT a heirarchical expression
formatter for Macsyma*. 

From the abstract of the documentation:
  "A package for formatting algebraic expressions in Macsyma* ...
It provides facilities for user-directed hierarchical structuring of
expressions, as well as for directing simplifications to selected
subexpressions.  It emphasizes a semantic rather than syntactic description
of the desired form.  The package also provides utilities for obtaining efficiently
the coefficients of polynomials, trigonometric sums and power series."

Some examples may be clearer than words:

/* A Basic rearrangement: */
(c1) format((a+b*x)*(c-x)^2,%poly(x),%factor);
        3                2                        2
(d1) b x  - (2 b c - a) x  + c (b c - 2 a) x + a c

/* A `mathematical' alternative to map or substpart...*/
(c2) format((1+2*a+a^2)*b + a*(1+2*b+b^2),%sum,%product,%factor);
              2          2
(d2) a (b + 1)  + (a + 1)  b

/* Focussing simplifications */
(c3) foo:X^2*SIN(Y)^4-2*X^2*SIN(Y)^2+X^4*COS(Y)^4-2*X^4*COS(Y)^2+X^4+X^2+1$

(c4) trigsimp(foo);
        4    2     4         4    2       4
(d4) (x  + x ) cos (y) - 2 x  cos (y) + x  + 1

/* That helps, but this is better: */
(c5) format(foo,%poly(x),trigsimp);
       4    4       2    4
(d5) x  sin (y) + x  cos (y) + 1

The package is written in Lisp, but should run under DOE & Macsyma Inc's
versions of Macsyma.

FILES & INSTALLATION:
   You  have  a  couple  of  options  for installation.  FORMAT uses the
COEFLIST module for functions to  separate polynomials, trig series  and
series into a `coefficient list' representation.  One version of
COEFLIST uses an enhanced version of the Richard Fateman's Poisson
package to manipulate trig series.   This version of Poisson is (I
think) more robust and adds more flexibility in the kinds of poisson
series that can be manipulated.  However, it is only 99.44% compatible.
It's up to you. See pois2m.ps & decide.

If you want to run FORMAT without loading the alternate poisson
package, you need these files:

format.lisp          ; the source to the FORMAT procedure
coeflist.lisp        ; source for coefficient list extraction.
autoload-m.macsyma   ; autoloading definitions

If you want to use the poisson package, use these files:

format.lisp          ; the source to the FORMAT procedure
coeflistp.lisp       ; source for coefficient list extraction (using Pois2m).
pois2m.lisp          ; enhanced Poisson package.
autoload-mp.macsyma  ; autoloading definitions

Also see the Documentation files:
 format.ps           ; documentation for FORMAT & COEFLIST (12 pages, Postscript) 
 pois2m.ps           ; description of enhanced pois2m (2 pages, Postscript) 
and the Demo files:
 format.demo
 coeflist.demo
 pois2.demo

In anycase, 
  1) put the files somewhere where macsyma will find them, (eg.
in a directory in the (macsyma variable) FILE_SEARCH list; or prepend
the directory containing the files to FILE_SEARCH),  
  2) compile them w/ compile_file("format.lisp"); etc.
  3) have your macsyma-init file load the appropriate autoload-m file so
that macsyma will know where to find the procedures.
  
If you are using a Schelter's DOE macsyma, there are a few declarations
at the top of FORMAT.LISP and COEFLIST.LISP that will first need to be
commented/uncommented.


DISCLAIMER: The use of commercial products or their names implies no
endorsement by NIST, the Dept. of Commerce or  the U.S. Government.

CONTACT:  Bruce Miller; miller@cam.nist.gov
