Introduction to the Siren Workbook

What is this?

This document is the Siren Version 7.2 user's guide. This manual is available as a web site (http://create.ucsb.edu/Siren/Doc), a PDF file for printing (http://create.ucsb.edu/Siren/7.2.Workbook.pdf), or on-line in a workspace outline view within Smalltalk (the best way to read it).

Throughout this document, there are many executable Smalltalk expressions, generally enclosed in square brackets, as in
[ some code]
If you are reading this text within a Smalltalk run-time system, you can select this text by double-clicking on either of the square brackets, and then using the pop-up contextual menu to evaluate the expression (see the menu items "do it," "print it," "inspect it," or "debug it"). There is a more complete description of how to use these features in the section below on getting started.

Who is this intended for?

Before we start, readers should be reminded that Siren is a Smalltalk-80-based programming framework for developing music/sound applications. Siren is not an application in itself. The ideal user will be literate in some object-oriented programming language, and posses at least a moderate understanding of musical terms.

For those unfamiliar with the syntax of Smalltalk, there is a section at the end of this outline that introduces the language.

--Stephen Travis Pope (stp@create.ucsb.edu) 2003.12.23