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+
+# About GCLI
+
+## GCLI is a Graphical Command Line Interpreter.
+
+GCLI is a command line for modern computers. When command lines were invented,
+computers were resource-limited, disconnected systems with slow multi-tasking
+and poor displays. The design of the Unix CLI made sense in 1970, but over 40
+years on, considering the pace of change, there are many improvements we can
+make.
+
+CLIs generally suffer from poor discoverability; It's hard when faced with a
+blank command line to work out what to do. As a result the majority of programs
+today use purely graphical user interfaces, however in doing so, they lose some
+of the benefits of CLIs. CLIs are still used because generally, in the hands of
+a skilled user they are faster, and have a wider range of available options.
+
+GCLI attempts to get the best of the GUI world and the CLI world to produce
+something that is both easy to use and learn as well as fast and powerful.
+
+GCLI has a type system to help ensure that users are inputting valid commands
+and to enable us to provide sensible context sensitive help. GCLI provides
+integration with JavaScript rather than being an alternative (like CoffeeScript).
+
+
+## History
+
+GCLI was born as part of the
+[Bespin](http://ajaxian.com/archives/canvas-for-a-text-editor) project and was
+[discussed at the time](http://j.mp/bespin-cli). The command line component
+survived the rename of Bepsin to Skywriter and the merger with Ace, got a name
+of it's own (Cockpit) which didn't last long before the project was named GCLI.
+It is now being used in the Firefox's web console where it doesn't have a
+separate identity but it's still called GCLI outside of Firefox. It is also
+used in [Eclipse Orion](http://www.eclipse.org/orion/).
+
+
+## Environments
+
+GCLI is designed to work in a number of environments:
+
+1. As a component of Firefox developer tools.
+2. As an adjunct to Orion/Ace and other online editors.
+3. As a plugin to any web-page wishing to provide its own set of commands.
+4. As part of a standalone web browser extension with it's own set of commands.
+
+
+## Related Pages
+
+Other sources of GCLI documentation:
+
+- [Writing Commands](writing-commands.md)
+- [Writing Types](writing-types.md)
+- [Developing GCLI](developing-gcli.md)
+- [Writing Tests](writing-tests.md) / [Running Tests](running-tests.md)
+- [The Design of GCLI](design.md)
+- Source
+  - The most up-to-date source is in [this Github repository](https://github.com/joewalker/gcli/).
+  - When a feature is 'done' it's merged into the [Mozilla clone](https://github.com/mozilla/gcli/).
+  - From which it flows into [Mozilla Central](https://hg.mozilla.org/mozilla-central/file/tip/devtools/client/commandline).
+- [Demo of GCLI](http://mozilla.github.com/gcli/) with an arbitrary set of demo
+  commands
+- Other Documentation
+  - [Embedding docs](https://github.com/mozilla/gcli/blob/master/docs/index.md)
+  - [Status page](http://mozilla.github.com/devtools/2011/status.html#gcli)
+
+
+## Accessibility
+
+GCLI uses ARIA roles to guide a screen-reader as to the important sections to
+voice. We welcome [feedback on how these roles are implemented](https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/enter_bug.cgi?product=Firefox&component=Developer+Tools:+Graphic+Commandline+and+Toolbar&rep_platform=All&op_sys=All&short_desc=GCLI).
+
+The command line uses TAB as a method of completing current input, this
+prevents use of TAB for keyboard navigation. Instead of using TAB to move to
+the next field you can use F6. In addition to F6, ALT+TAB, CTRL+TAB, META+TAB
+make an attempt to move the focus on. How well this works depends on your
+OS/browser combination.
+
+
+## Embedding GCLI
+
+There are 3 basic steps in using GCLI in your system.
+
+1. Import a GCLI JavaScript file.
+   For serious use of GCLI you are likely to be creating a custom build (see
+   below) however if you just want to have a quick play, you can use
+   ``gcli-uncompressed.js`` from [the gh-pages branch of GCLI]
+   (https://github.com/mozilla/gcli/tree/gh-pages)
+   Just place the following wherever you place your script files.
+
+        <script src="path/to/gcli-uncompressed.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
+
+2. Having imported GCLI, we need to tell it where to display. The simplest
+   method is to include an elements with the id of ``gcli-input`` and
+   ``gcli-display``.
+
+        <input id="gcli-input" type="text"/>
+        <div id="gcli-display"></div>
+
+3. Tell GCLI what commands to make available. See the sections on Writing
+   Commands, Writing Types and Writing Fields for more information.
+
+   GCLI uses the CommonJS AMD format for it's files, so a 'require' statement
+   is needed to get started.
+
+        require([ 'gcli/index' ], function(gcli) {
+          gcli.add(...);         // Register custom commands/types/etc
+          gcli.createTerminal(); // Create a user interface
+        });
+
+   The createTerminal() function takes an ``options`` objects which allows
+   customization. At the current time the documentation of these object is left
+   to the source.
+
+
+## Backwards Compatibility
+
+The goals of the GCLI project are:
+
+- Aim for very good backwards compatibility with code required from an
+  'index' module. This means we will not break code without a cycle of
+  deprecation warnings.
+
+  There are currently 3 'index' modules:
+  - gcli/index (all you need to get started with GCLI)
+  - demo/index (a number of demo commands)
+  - gclitest/index (GCLI test suite)
+
+  Code from these modules uses the module pattern to prevent access to internal
+  functions, so in essence, if you can get to it from an index module, you
+  should be ok.
+
+- We try to avoid needless change to other modules, however we don't make any
+  promises, and don't provide a deprecation cycle.
+
+  Code from other modules uses classes rather than modules, so member variables
+  are exposed. Many classes mark private members using the `_underscorePrefix`
+  pattern. Particular care should be taken if access is needed to a private
+  member.
+
+
+## Creating Custom Builds
+
+GCLI uses [DryIce](https://github.com/mozilla/dryice) to create custom builds.
+If dryice is installed (``npm install .``) then you can create a built
+version of GCLI simply using ``node gcli.js standard``. DryIce supplies a custom
+module loader to replace RequireJS for built applications.
+
+The build will be output to the ``built`` directory. The directory will be
+created if it doesn't exist.