Current Status

The current status of CellSpeak is as follows:

• The language definition is completed
• There is a working Compiler
• The compiler and Virtual Machine are integrated into an IDE
• Debugging tools are available for use from within the IDE.
• There is a growing list of packages ( math, strings, system call, graphics)
• There is a complete set of documenation
• There is a growing list of examples available

In short term the compiler and debugger will be integrated into more IDE's. The CellSpeak Virtual Machine will become available for an increasing number of architectures - combinations of OS and processor. The CellSpeak Virtual Machine is very versatile and can run on practically any system - huge, big, small or tiny.

External libraries can be accessed directly from within CellSpeak. But often it is even better to wrap functionality in a CellSpeak package to allow developers to access that functionality as cell-designs. An example of this is the graphics package, where graphics elements - camera's, lights, shapes etc. - are obvious candidates to be presented as CellSpeak designs. Additional packages will be added to the CellSpeak platform for functionality that is best presented as cell-designs.

Install

The best way to understand and learn CellSpeak is start experimenting, tinkering with the examples and so forth.

To get you going simply download the self extracting installer and install the binary distribution. It contains all the tools, the documentation, and the source code of the examples.

The binary distribution is delivered via an installer. All you have to specify is the directory where you want your CellSpeak development files to go. The readme file in the distribution contains the list of installed files and the release notes for the distribution.

The distribution also contains a plugin for Notepad++, so that you can develop, run and debug CellSpeak programs from within Notepad++. More integrations into different IDE's will follow.

To download CellSpeak for win32, click on the link below, and then click on the file that was downloaded to start the installer. The installer contains a Software Publisher Certificate delivered by Digicert.

Alternatively if you want to see where files get copied before doing the installation, you can also download the zip-file and unzip it. The directory contains an install.bat file to copy the files to their destination - edit it to change the directory settings.

IDE integration

The current CellSpeak distribution comes with a standalone command-line compiler and VM, but also with an integration package for Notepad++ where the compiler and VM are available as a plugin.

This allows you to compile, correct, run and debug CellSpeak programs from within the Notepad++ environment and use the available features and plugins of Notepad++. The distribution also contains a file that allows to 'colorize' the CellSpeak cource code, and a plugin that adds icons to the taskbar in Notepad++ from where the CellSpeak commands are directly available. The CellSpeak user manual describes the commands and shortcuts that are available for developing with CellSpeak in Notepad++.

If you do not have Notepad++ installed, you can download it here:

Examples

The current distribution of CellSpeak has a list of examples that show and explain several features of CellSpeak and are a good starting point for new development. You can also find the annotated examples here.

More examples will be added to illustrate the features and possibilities of CellSpeak.