  
  [1X1. Installation and Preface[0X
  
  To  install  the package, just unpack it in your packages directory (usually
  [10X~/gap/pkg[0X  for  local  installation).  To use [5Xpolymaking[0X, you need a working
  installation of the program polymake [7Xhttp://www.math.tu-berlin.de/polymake/[0X.
  The  package  has  been tested on linux and Mac OS X (10.4 and 10.5). But it
  should be as platform independent as [5XGAP[0X and polymake.
  
  The  interaction  with  polymake is restricted to writing files and carrying
  out simple operations looking like
  [10Xpolymake file KEYWORD1 KEYWORD2 KEYWORD3[0X
  on  the  command  line.  Scripts  are not supported. From vertsion 0.7.2 on,
  there is limited client-support. All clients that are called like
  [10Xclient outfile infile1 infile2 ... -option1 -option2[0X
  can now be called from [5XGAP[0X via [2XPolymakeClient[0X ([14X2.7-1[0X).
  
  
  [1X1.1 A few words about the installation of polymake[0X
  
  [5Xpolymaking[0X  will  try  to  guess  the location of polymake. If this fails, a
  warning is issued at load time ([9XInfoWarning[0X level 1). Note that the guessing
  procedure  is  suppressed when [2XPOLYMAKE_COMMAND[0X ([14X3.2-1[0X) is set manually (see
  [14X1.2-4[0X).
  Note  that  polymake  calls  other external functions ("clients") to do some
  work  for  it. These functions must be either in the path from which GAP was
  called  or in a path listed in the [9XPATH[0X environment variable. You can set it
  using the shell command
  [10Xsetenv PATH ${PATH}:<your polymakepath>[0X
  The  general  rule  is:  If  [5Xpolymaking[0X  finds  polymake by itself, there is
  nothing to worry about.
  
  
  [1X1.2 Setting variables for external programs[0X
  
  As [5Xpolymaking[0X uses the program polymake, it needs to know where this program
  lives. The communication with polymake is done by writing files for polymake
  and  reading  its output (as returned to standard output "the prompt"). Note
  that the interface does not read any polymake file.
  
  [1X1.2-1 SetPolymakeDataDirectory[0X
  
  [2X> SetPolymakeDataDirectory( [0X[3Xdir[0X[2X ) ____________________________________[0Xmethod
  
  Sets  the  directory  in  which  all  polymake files are created to [3Xdir[0X. The
  standard  place  for these files is a temporary directory generated when the
  package is loaded. This manipulates [2XPOLYMAKE_DATA_DIR[0X ([14X3.2-2[0X).
  
  [1X1.2-2 SetPolymakeCommand[0X
  
  [2X> SetPolymakeCommand( [0X[3Xcommand[0X[2X ) ______________________________________[0Xmethod
  
  Sets  the  name  for  the  polymake  program  to  [3Xcommand[0X.  This manipulates
  [2XPOLYMAKE_COMMAND[0X ([14X3.2-1[0X).
  
  [1X1.2-3 SetPolymakeClientPaths[0X
  
  [2X> SetPolymakeClientPaths( [0X[3Xdirs[0X[2X ) _____________________________________[0Xmethod
  
  Defines    directories    which    contain    polymake    client   programs.
  [10XSetPolymakeClientPaths(dirs)[0X  sets  [2XPOLYMAKE_CLIENT_PATHS[0X  ([14X3.2-3[0X)  to  [3Xdirs[0X
  which has to be a list of directory objects.
  
  
  [1X1.2-4 Setting variables permanently[0X
  
  To    permanently    set    the    values   of   [2XPOLYMAKE_COMMAND[0X   ([14X3.2-1[0X),
  [2XPOLYMAKE_CLIENT_PATHS[0X ([14X3.2-3[0X) and [2XPOLYMAKE_DATA_DIR[0X ([14X3.2-2[0X), add the lines
  
  [4X------------------------------------------------------------------[0X
    [4XPOLYMAKE_DATA_DIR:=Directory("/home/mypolymakedatadir");[0X
    [4XPOLYMAKE_COMMAND:=Filename(Directory("/home/mypolymakebindir/"),"polymake");[0X
    [4XPOLYMAKE_CLIENT_DIRS:=[Directory("/home/myclients/"),Directory("/home/moreclients/")];[0X
  [4X------------------------------------------------------------------[0X
  
  to  your  [11X.gaprc[0X file (see [14XReference: The .gaprc file[0X). Note that these have
  to  be  [13Xbefore[0X  the  [10XLoadPackage("polymaking");[0X  line. Or you can change the
  values of the above variables by editing [11Xlib/environment.gi[0X
  
