REQUIREMENTS:
-------------

  To run:
  -------
    Windows: 95/98/NT/2000/XP (for self-installing .exe):
      nothing -- simply install the self-extracting .exe file.
      To run from source: same dependencies as for Unix.

    Unix machine: Python 2.2 or greater, wxWindows and wxPython for running
      from source (see below for windows).  RPM's exist for RedHat
      Linux, and Debian has all needed packages built available in apt.


  To Run from source:
  -------------------
      Python 2.3 - recommended enthought python distribution for Windows
        (http://www.enthought.com)
      (if you don't have the above):
        wxPython 2.4.x unicode version - www.wxpython.org

  Recommended (but optional):
  ---------------------------
      Psyco - http://psyco.sf.net - a general python optimizer.  No
        .exe installer, but a simple install nonetheless - "python setup.py
        install".

  To Build Installer:
  ---------
    py2exe       (http://starship.python.net/crew/theller/py2exe/)
    NSIS (For creation of installation .exe - http://sourceforge.net/projects/nsis

RUNNING IN WINDOWS:
-------------------

  To run shotGui (options file editor for backend process):
    One can either run it from the link on the desktop, or from
    the installed directory as shotGui.exe.

    usage: "shotGui.exe [optionalConfigFile.cfg]"

  To run shotCreate (backend shottab creation process):
    Since this is a command line application, this should be run
    from a command prompt to see the output, or from the gui (run 
    button) which also displays the output.

    Usage:  "shotCreate.exe configFile.cfg"


RUNNING IN UNIX:
----------------

  While this depends on how this was installed, it is planned that both of
  these utilities be set up in such a way as to allow one to run either
  shotGui/shotCreate by simply typing: (eg: it is installed in the path)

    shotGui  [options.cfg]
    shotCreate  options.cfg

  Where options.cfg is the name of the options file you wish to work with.


BULDING Windows Self-Installing EXE:
------------------------------------

  This requires all the build prerequesites listed above for building in
  windows.

  First, ensure "python.exe" is in your path (eg c:\python22)

  Now, build the shotCreate and shotGui exe's:
    cd to where the .py's are, and type:

      python setup.py py2exe

    This should invoke a process which creates a "dist" subdirectory,
    under which are subdirectories "shotGui" and "shotCreate" - within
    these directories are the corresponding .exe's and some dll's (and 
    pyd's).

  The exe's are now built - now to build the self-installing .exe:
    (ensure you have NSIS at least version 2 - beta 3)
    Run "makensis" on the nsi file, such as:

      c:\progra~1\nsis\makensis pyShottab.nsi

    This should create a file pyShottab.exe in the current directory - 
    this is the self-installing exe that should be distributed for 
    all versions of windows.  Note that no other dependencies are
    required for running the program other than this one file.


--

  Dave LeBlanc
  Dalhousie Oceanography
  November 2002.