GAP Reader/Expander/Writer available

[Leonard Soicher]

Dear All,

The example at the end of ext-rep.txt now includes
<statistical_properties>.  This was done using the GAP
Reader/Expander/Writer which is now installed in the GAP Design Package
on dtrs1 (only). Please see the online documentation for the functions
`BlockDesignsToXMLFile' (an Expander/Writer) and `BlockDesignsFromXMLFile'
(a basic Reader). The Expander does not try to compute resolutions as
this can be quite costly. If you want to compute resolutions (say for the
Writer to write) then use `MakeResolutionsComponent' (see documentation).

I expect to expand the Reader in due course. But it does seem to work
well to read in the the "bare-bones" info on a block design and to
store the statiscal properties (and a few other things, if present)
to pass on to the Writer.

Please try out these functions and let me know of any problems you
encounter.

I now look forward to the final tests and cleaning up to
release the external representation specification. 
I agree with a Sept 1 deadline.

Regards,   Leonard