@@ -11,8 +11,66 @@
 local declare = ss.declare
 
 -- make this module available to require() when linked into a lua bytecode program with luac
 local ct = ss.namespace 'cortav'
+ct.info = {
+	version = ss.version {0,1; 'devel'};
+	package_name = 'cortav';
+	contributors = {
+		{ name = 'lexi hale', handle = 'velartrill';
+		  mail = 'lexi@hale.su', homepage = 'https://hale.su' };
+	};
+	ident_string = function(i)
+		return string.format('%s %s', i.package_name, i.version)
+	end;
+	credits = function(i)
+		local all = ss.copy(i.contributors)
+		for i,who in pairs(all) do
+			who.role = who.role or 'core functionality'
+		end
+		for name,ext in pairs(ct.ext.loaded) do
+			if ext.contributors then
+				for _,c in pairs(ext.contributors) do
+					local ofs, ref = ss.find(all, function(a)
+						return a.handle == c.handle
+					end)
+					if ofs then
+						ref.role = string.format('%s; %s extension', ref.role, name)
+					else
+						local c = ss.clone(ext.author)
+						c.role = name .. ' extension'
+					end
+				end
+			end
+		end
+		return all
+	end;
+	credits_ascii = function(contributors)
+		local body = ''
+		for _, c in pairs(contributors) do
+			local str
+			if c.handle then
+				str = string.format('%s “%s” <%s>', c.name, c.handle, c.mail)
+			else
+				str = string.format('%s <%s>', c.name, c.mail)
+			end
+			if c.homepage then
+				str = string.format('%s (%s)', str, c.homepage)
+			end
+			if c.role then
+				str = string.format('%s: %s', str, c.role)
+			end
+			body = body .. string.format(' ~ %s\n', str)
+		end
+		return body
+	end;
+	about = function(i)
+		return i:ident_string() .. '\n' ..
+		       i.credits_ascii(i:credits())
+	end;
+}
+
+
 ct.render = {}
 
 ct.exns = {
 	tx = ss.exnkind('translation error', function(msg,...)