GNU Objective C notes*********************This document is to explain what has been done, and a little about howspecific features differ from other implementations.  The runtime hasbeen completely rewritten in gcc 2.4.  The earlier runtime had severalsevere bugs and was rather incomplete.  The compiler has had severalnew features added as well.This is not documentation for Objective C, it is usable to someonewho knows Objective C from somewhere else.Runtime API functions=====================The runtime is modeled after the NeXT Objective C runtime.  That is,most functions have semantics as it is known from the NeXT.  Thenames, however, have changed.  All runtime API functions have namesof lowercase letters and underscores as opposed to the`traditional' mixed case names.  	The runtime api functions are not documented as of now.Someone offered to write it, and did it, but we were not allowed touse it by his university (Very sad story).  We have started writingthe documentation over again.  This will be announced in appropriateplaces when it becomes available.Protocols=========Protocols are now fully supported.  The semantics is exactly as on theNeXT.  There is a flag to specify how protocols should be typecheckedwhen adopted to classes.  The normal typechecker requires that allmethods in a given protocol must be implemented in the class thatadopts it -- it is not enough to inherit them.  The flag`-Wno-protocol' causes it to allow inherited methods, while`-Wprotocols' is the default which requires them defined.+load===========This method, if defined, is called for each class and categoryimplementation when the class is loaded into the runtime.  This methodis not inherited, and is thus not called for a subclass that doesn'tdefine it itself.  Thus, each +load method is called exactly once bythe runtime.  The runtime invocation of this method is thread safe.+initialize ===========This method, if defined, is called before any other instance or classmethods of that particular class.  For the GNU runtime, this method is not inherited, and is thus not called as initializer for a subclass that doesn't define it itself.  Thus, each +initialize method is called exactly once by the runtime (or never if no methods of that particular class is never called).  It is wise to guard against multiple invocations anyway to remain portable with the NeXT runtime.  The runtime invocation of this method is thread safe.Passivation/Activation/Typedstreams===================================This is supported in the style of NeXT TypedStream's.  Consult theheaderfile Typedstreams.h for api functions.  I (Kresten) haverewritten it in Objective C, but this implementation is not part of2.4, it is available from the GNU Objective C prerelease archive.    There is one difference worth noting concerning objects stored withobjc_write_object_reference (aka NXWriteObjectReference).  When theseare read back in, their object is not guaranteed to be available untilthe `-awake' method is called in the object that requests that object.To objc_read_object you must pass a pointer to an id, which is validafter exit from the function calling it (like e.g. an instancevariable).  In general, you should not use objects read in until the-awake method is called.Acknowledgements================The GNU Objective C team: Geoffrey Knauth <gsk@marble.com> (manager),Tom Wood <wood@next.com> (compiler) and Kresten Krab Thorup<krab@iesd.auc.dk> (runtime) would like to thank a some people forparticipating in the development of the present GNU Objective C.Paul Burchard <burchard@geom.umn.edu> and Andrew McCallum<mccallum@cs.rochester.edu> has been very helpful debugging theruntime.   Eric Herring <herring@iesd.auc.dk> has been very helpfulcleaning up after the documentation-copyright disaster and is nowhelping with the new documentation.Steve Naroff <snaroff@next.com> and Richard Stallman<rms@gnu.ai.mit.edu> has been very helpful with implementation detailsin the compiler.Bug Reports===========Please read the section `Submitting Bugreports' of the gcc manualbefore you submit any bugs.