Dot mode is an experimental command processor to supplement the standard interface to Macaulay. It is in the early stages of development; a stable version may eventually replace the current interface for those who choose to move on. Meanwhile, it should only be used at your own peril; we reserve the right to change it in ways that will break scripts that worked on earlier incarnations. We are hoping that certain hardy souls will want to play around with this interface as a work in progress, and influence its design. Hence, it is documented here.
So far, all of the source code is contained in the one file dot_fns.c, and should be more readable than the standard established by other Macaulay source files. If you want to add a sleepless night of your own to this effort, please send us the resulting code, which will be duly attributed in future releases. Please address all correspondence on dot mode to dab@math.columbia.edu