diff --git a/basis/alien/marshall/marshall-docs.factor b/basis/alien/marshall/marshall-docs.factor
new file mode 100644
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+++ b/basis/alien/marshall/marshall-docs.factor
@@ -0,0 +1,645 @@
+! Copyright (C) 2009 Jeremy Hughes.
+! See http://factorcode.org/license.txt for BSD license.
+USING: help.markup help.syntax kernel quotations sequences
+strings alien alien.c-types math byte-arrays ;
+IN: alien.marshall
+
+: $memory-note ( arg -- )
+    drop "This word returns a pointer to unmanaged memory."
+    print-element ;
+
+: $c-ptr-note ( arg -- )
+    drop "Does nothing if its argument is a non false c-ptr."
+    print-element ;
+
+: $see-article ( arg -- )
+    drop { "See " { $vocab-link "alien.inline" } "." }
+    print-element ;
+
+: $marshall-descr* ( arg -- )
+    dup
+    "When the argument is a sequence, returns a pointer to an array of"
+    print-element print-element
+    "otherwise returns a pointer to a single "
+    print-element print-element " value." print-element ;
+
+: $marshall-descr** ( arg -- )
+    "Takes a one or two dimensional array of "
+    print-element print-element
+    " and returns a pointer to the equivalent C structure."
+    print-element ;
+
+HELP: ?malloc-byte-array
+{ $values
+    { "c-type" c-type }
+    { "alien" alien }
+}
+{ $description "Does nothing if input is an alien, otherwise assumes it is a byte array and calls "
+  { $snippet "malloc-byte-array" } "."
+}
+{ $notes $memory-note } ;
+
+HELP: alien-wrapper
+{ $var-description "For wrapping C pointers in a structure factor can dispatch on." } ;
+
+HELP: unmarshall-cast
+{ $values
+    { "alien-wrapper" alien-wrapper }
+    { "alien-wrapper'" alien-wrapper }
+}
+{ $description "Called immediately after unmarshalling. Useful for automatically casting to subtypes." } ;
+
+HELP: marshall-bool
+{ $values
+    { "?" "a generalized boolean" }
+    { "n" "0 or 1" }
+}
+{ $description "Marshalls objects to bool." }
+{ $notes "Will treat " { $snippet "0" } " as " { $snippet "t" } "." } ;
+
+HELP: marshall-bool*
+{ $values
+    { "?/seq" "t/f or sequence" }
+    { "alien" alien }
+}
+{ $description { $marshall-descr* "bool" } }
+{ $notes { $list $c-ptr-note $memory-note } } ;
+
+HELP: marshall-bool**
+{ $values
+    { "seq" sequence }
+    { "alien" alien }
+}
+{ $description { $marshall-descr** "generalized booleans" } }
+{ $notes { $list $c-ptr-note $memory-note } } ;
+
+HELP: marshall-primitive
+{ $values
+    { "n" number }
+    { "n" number }
+}
+{ $description "Marshall numbers to C primitives."
+    $nl
+    "Factor marshalls numbers to primitives for FFI calls, so all "
+    "this word does is convert " { $snippet "t" } " to " { $snippet "1" }
+    ", " { $snippet "f" } " to " { $snippet "0" } ", and lets anything else "
+    "pass through untouched."
+} ;
+
+HELP: marshall-char*
+{ $values
+    { "n/seq" "number or sequence" }
+    { "alien" alien }
+}
+{ $description $see-article }
+{ $notes { $list $c-ptr-note $memory-note } } ;
+
+HELP: marshall-char**
+{ $values
+    { "seq" sequence }
+    { "alien" alien }
+}
+{ $description $see-article }
+{ $notes { $list $c-ptr-note $memory-note } } ;
+
+HELP: marshall-char**-or-strings
+{ $values
+    { "seq" "a sequence of strings" }
+    { "alien" alien }
+}
+{ $description "Marshalls an array of strings or characters to an array of C strings." }
+{ $notes { $list $c-ptr-note $memory-note } } ;
+
+HELP: marshall-char*-or-string
+{ $values
+    { "n/string" "a number or string" }
+    { "alien" alien }
+}
+{ $description "Marshalls a string to a C string or a number to a pointer to " { $snippet "char" } "." }
+{ $notes { $list $c-ptr-note $memory-note } } ;
+
+HELP: marshall-double*
+{ $values
+    { "n/seq" "a number or sequence" }
+    { "alien" alien }
+}
+{ $description $see-article }
+{ $notes { $list $c-ptr-note $memory-note } } ;
+
+HELP: marshall-double**
+{ $values
+    { "seq" sequence }
+    { "alien" alien }
+}
+{ $description $see-article }
+{ $notes { $list $c-ptr-note $memory-note } } ;
+
+HELP: marshall-float*
+{ $values
+    { "n/seq" "a number or sequence" }
+    { "alien" alien }
+}
+{ $description $see-article }
+{ $notes { $list $c-ptr-note $memory-note } } ;
+
+HELP: marshall-float**
+{ $values
+    { "seq" sequence }
+    { "alien" alien }
+}
+{ $description $see-article }
+{ $notes { $list $c-ptr-note $memory-note } } ;
+
+HELP: marshall-int*
+{ $values
+    { "n/seq" "a number or sequence" }
+    { "alien" alien }
+}
+{ $description $see-article }
+{ $notes { $list $c-ptr-note $memory-note } } ;
+
+HELP: marshall-int**
+{ $values
+    { "seq" sequence }
+    { "alien" alien }
+}
+{ $description $see-article }
+{ $notes { $list $c-ptr-note $memory-note } } ;
+
+HELP: marshall-long*
+{ $values
+    { "n/seq" "a number or sequence" }
+    { "alien" alien }
+}
+{ $description $see-article }
+{ $notes { $list $c-ptr-note $memory-note } } ;
+
+HELP: marshall-long**
+{ $values
+    { "seq" sequence }
+    { "alien" alien }
+}
+{ $description $see-article }
+{ $notes { $list $c-ptr-note $memory-note } } ;
+
+HELP: marshall-longlong*
+{ $values
+    { "n/seq" "a number or sequence" }
+    { "alien" alien }
+}
+{ $description $see-article }
+{ $notes { $list $c-ptr-note $memory-note } } ;
+
+HELP: marshall-longlong**
+{ $values
+    { "seq" sequence }
+    { "alien" alien }
+}
+{ $description $see-article }
+{ $notes { $list $c-ptr-note $memory-note } } ;
+
+HELP: marshall-non-pointer
+{ $values
+    { "alien-wrapper/byte-array" "an alien-wrapper or byte-array" }
+    { "byte-array" byte-array }
+}
+{ $description "Converts argument to a byte array." }
+{ $notes "Not meant to be called directly. Use the output of " { $link marshaller } " instead." } ;
+
+HELP: marshall-pointer
+{ $values
+    { "obj" object }
+    { "alien" alien }
+}
+{ $description "Converts argument to a C pointer." }
+{ $notes "Can marshall the following types: " { $snippet "alien, f, byte-array, alien-wrapper, struct-array" } "." } ;
+
+HELP: marshall-short*
+{ $values
+    { "n/seq" "a number or sequence" }
+    { "alien" alien }
+}
+{ $description $see-article }
+{ $notes { $list $c-ptr-note $memory-note } } ;
+
+HELP: marshall-short**
+{ $values
+    { "seq" sequence }
+    { "alien" alien }
+}
+{ $description $see-article }
+{ $notes { $list $c-ptr-note $memory-note } } ;
+
+HELP: marshall-uchar*
+{ $values
+    { "n/seq" "a number or sequence" }
+    { "alien" alien }
+}
+{ $description $see-article }
+{ $notes { $list $c-ptr-note $memory-note } } ;
+
+HELP: marshall-uchar**
+{ $values
+    { "seq" sequence }
+    { "alien" alien }
+}
+{ $description $see-article }
+{ $notes { $list $c-ptr-note $memory-note } } ;
+
+HELP: marshall-uint*
+{ $values
+    { "n/seq" "a number or sequence" }
+    { "alien" alien }
+}
+{ $description $see-article }
+{ $notes { $list $c-ptr-note $memory-note } } ;
+
+HELP: marshall-uint**
+{ $values
+    { "seq" sequence }
+    { "alien" alien }
+}
+{ $description $see-article }
+{ $notes { $list $c-ptr-note $memory-note } } ;
+
+HELP: marshall-ulong*
+{ $values
+    { "n/seq" "a number or sequence" }
+    { "alien" alien }
+}
+{ $description $see-article }
+{ $notes { $list $c-ptr-note $memory-note } } ;
+
+HELP: marshall-ulong**
+{ $values
+    { "seq" sequence }
+    { "alien" alien }
+}
+{ $description $see-article }
+{ $notes { $list $c-ptr-note $memory-note } } ;
+
+HELP: marshall-ulonglong*
+{ $values
+    { "n/seq" "a number or sequence" }
+    { "alien" alien }
+}
+{ $description $see-article }
+{ $notes { $list $c-ptr-note $memory-note } } ;
+
+HELP: marshall-ulonglong**
+{ $values
+    { "seq" sequence }
+    { "alien" alien }
+}
+{ $description $see-article }
+{ $notes { $list $c-ptr-note $memory-note } } ;
+
+HELP: marshall-ushort*
+{ $values
+    { "n/seq" "a number or sequence" }
+    { "alien" alien }
+}
+{ $description $see-article }
+{ $notes { $list $c-ptr-note $memory-note } } ;
+
+HELP: marshall-ushort**
+{ $values
+    { "seq" sequence }
+    { "alien" alien }
+}
+{ $description $see-article }
+{ $notes { $list $c-ptr-note $memory-note } } ;
+
+HELP: marshall-void**
+{ $values
+    { "seq" sequence }
+    { "alien" alien }
+}
+{ $description "Marshalls a sequence of objects to an array of pointers to void." }
+{ $notes { $list $c-ptr-note $memory-note } } ;
+
+HELP: marshaller
+{ $values
+    { "type" "a C type string" }
+    { "quot" quotation }
+}
+{ $description "Given a C type, returns a quotation that will marshall its argument to that type." } ;
+
+HELP: out-arg-unmarshaller
+{ $values
+    { "type" "a C type string" }
+    { "quot" quotation }
+}
+{ $description "Like " { $link unmarshaller } " but returns an empty quotation "
+    "for all types except pointers to non-const primitives."
+} ;
+
+HELP: pointer-unmarshaller
+{ $values
+    { "type" " a C type string" }
+    { "quot" quotation }
+}
+{ $description "If in the vocab in which this word is called, there is a subclass of " { $link alien-wrapper }
+    " named after the type argument, " { $snippet "pointer-unmarshaller" } " will return a quotation which "
+    "wraps its argument in an instance of that subclass. In any other case it returns an empty quotation."
+}
+{ $notes "Not meant to be called directly. Use the output of " { $link marshaller } " instead." } ;
+
+HELP: primitive-marshaller
+{ $values
+    { "type" "a C type string" }
+    { "quot/f" "a quotation or f" }
+}
+{ $description "Returns a quotation to marshall objects to the argument type." }
+{ $notes "Not meant to be called directly. Use the output of " { $link marshaller } " instead." } ;
+
+HELP: primitive-unmarshaller
+{ $values
+    { "type" "a C type string" }
+    { "quot/f" "a quotation or f" }
+}
+{ $description "Returns a quotation to unmarshall objects from the argument type." }
+{ $notes "Not meant to be called directly. Use the output of " { $link unmarshaller } " instead." } ;
+
+HELP: struct-field-unmarshaller
+{ $values
+    { "type" "a C type string" }
+    { "quot" quotation }
+}
+{ $description "Like " { $link unmarshaller } " but returns a quotation that "
+    "does not call " { $snippet "free" } " on its argument."
+}
+{ $notes "Not meant to be called directly. Use the output of " { $link unmarshaller } " instead." } ;
+
+HELP: struct-primitive-unmarshaller
+{ $values
+    { "type" "a C type string" }
+    { "quot/f" "a quotation or f" }
+}
+{ $description "Like " { $link primitive-unmarshaller } " but returns a quotation that "
+    "does not call " { $snippet "free" } " on its argument." }
+{ $notes "Not meant to be called directly. Use the output of " { $link unmarshaller } " instead." } ;
+
+HELP: struct-unmarshaller
+{ $values
+    { "type" "a C type string" }
+    { "quot" quotation }
+}
+{ $description "Returns a quotation which wraps its argument in the subclass of "
+    { $link struct-wrapper } " which matches the " { $snippet "type" } " arg."
+}
+{ $notes "Not meant to be called directly. Use the output of " { $link unmarshaller } " instead." } ;
+
+HELP: struct-wrapper
+{ $var-description "For wrapping C structs in a structure factor can dispatch on." } ;
+
+HELP: unmarshall-bool
+{ $values
+    { "n" number }
+    { "?" "a boolean" }
+}
+{ $description "Unmarshalls a number to a boolean." } ;
+
+HELP: unmarshall-bool*
+{ $values
+    { "alien" alien }
+    { "?" "a boolean" }
+}
+{ $description "Unmarshalls a C pointer to a boolean." } ;
+
+HELP: unmarshall-bool*-free
+{ $values
+    { "alien" alien }
+    { "?" "a boolean" }
+}
+{ $description "Unmarshalls a C pointer to a boolean and frees the pointer." } ;
+
+HELP: unmarshall-char*
+{ $values
+    { "alien" alien }
+    { "n" number }
+}
+{ $description $see-article } ;
+
+HELP: unmarshall-char*-free
+{ $values
+    { "alien" alien }
+    { "n" number }
+}
+{ $description $see-article } ;
+
+HELP: unmarshall-char*-to-string
+{ $values
+    { "alien" alien }
+    { "string" string }
+}
+{ $description "Unmarshalls a " { $snippet "char" } " pointer to a factor string." } ;
+
+HELP: unmarshall-char*-to-string-free
+{ $values
+    { "alien" alien }
+    { "string" string }
+}
+{ $description "Unmarshalls a " { $snippet "char" } " pointer to a factor string and frees the pointer." } ;
+
+HELP: unmarshall-double*
+{ $values
+    { "alien" alien }
+    { "n" number }
+}
+{ $description $see-article } ;
+
+HELP: unmarshall-double*-free
+{ $values
+    { "alien" alien }
+    { "n" number }
+}
+{ $description $see-article } ;
+
+HELP: unmarshall-float*
+{ $values
+    { "alien" alien }
+    { "n" number }
+}
+{ $description $see-article } ;
+
+HELP: unmarshall-float*-free
+{ $values
+    { "alien" alien }
+    { "n" number }
+}
+{ $description $see-article } ;
+
+HELP: unmarshall-int*
+{ $values
+    { "alien" alien }
+    { "n" number }
+}
+{ $description $see-article } ;
+
+HELP: unmarshall-int*-free
+{ $values
+    { "alien" alien }
+    { "n" number }
+}
+{ $description $see-article } ;
+
+HELP: unmarshall-long*
+{ $values
+    { "alien" alien }
+    { "n" number }
+}
+{ $description $see-article } ;
+
+HELP: unmarshall-long*-free
+{ $values
+    { "alien" alien }
+    { "n" number }
+}
+{ $description $see-article } ;
+
+HELP: unmarshall-longlong*
+{ $values
+    { "alien" alien }
+    { "n" number }
+}
+{ $description $see-article } ;
+
+HELP: unmarshall-longlong*-free
+{ $values
+    { "alien" alien }
+    { "n" number }
+}
+{ $description $see-article } ;
+
+HELP: unmarshall-short*
+{ $values
+    { "alien" alien }
+    { "n" number }
+}
+{ $description $see-article } ;
+
+HELP: unmarshall-short*-free
+{ $values
+    { "alien" alien }
+    { "n" number }
+}
+{ $description $see-article } ;
+
+HELP: unmarshall-uchar*
+{ $values
+    { "alien" alien }
+    { "n" number }
+}
+{ $description $see-article } ;
+
+HELP: unmarshall-uchar*-free
+{ $values
+    { "alien" alien }
+    { "n" number }
+}
+{ $description $see-article } ;
+
+HELP: unmarshall-uint*
+{ $values
+    { "alien" alien }
+    { "n" number }
+}
+{ $description $see-article } ;
+
+HELP: unmarshall-uint*-free
+{ $values
+    { "alien" alien }
+    { "n" number }
+}
+{ $description $see-article } ;
+
+HELP: unmarshall-ulong*
+{ $values
+    { "alien" alien }
+    { "n" number }
+}
+{ $description $see-article } ;
+
+HELP: unmarshall-ulong*-free
+{ $values
+    { "alien" alien }
+    { "n" number }
+}
+{ $description $see-article } ;
+
+HELP: unmarshall-ulonglong*
+{ $values
+    { "alien" alien }
+    { "n" number }
+}
+{ $description $see-article } ;
+
+HELP: unmarshall-ulonglong*-free
+{ $values
+    { "alien" alien }
+    { "n" number }
+}
+{ $description $see-article } ;
+
+HELP: unmarshall-ushort*
+{ $values
+    { "alien" alien }
+    { "n" number }
+}
+{ $description $see-article } ;
+
+HELP: unmarshall-ushort*-free
+{ $values
+    { "alien" alien }
+    { "n" number }
+}
+{ $description $see-article } ;
+
+HELP: unmarshaller
+{ $values
+    { "type" "a C type string" }
+    { "quot" quotation }
+}
+{ $description "Given a C type, returns a quotation that will unmarshall values of that type." } ;
+
+ARTICLE: "alien.marshall" "C marshalling"
+{ $vocab-link "alien.marshall" } " provides alien wrappers and marshalling words for the "
+"automatic marshalling and unmarshalling of C function arguments, return values, and output parameters."
+
+{ $subheading "Important words" }
+"Wrap an alien:" { $subsection alien-wrapper }
+"Wrap a struct:" { $subsection struct-wrapper }
+"Get the marshaller for a C type:" { $subsection marshaller }
+"Get the unmarshaller for a C type:" { $subsection marshaller }
+"Get the unmarshaller for an output parameter:" { $subsection out-arg-unmarshaller }
+"Get the unmarshaller for a struct field:" { $subsection struct-field-unmarshaller }
+$nl
+"Other marshalling and unmarshalling words in this vocabulary are not intended to be "
+"invoked directly."
+$nl
+"Most marshalling words allow non false c-ptrs to pass through unchanged."
+
+{ $subheading "Primitive marshallers" }
+{ $subsection marshall-primitive } "for marshalling primitive values."
+{ $subsection marshall-int* }
+  "marshalls a number or sequence of numbers. If argument is a sequence, returns a pointer "
+  "to a C array, otherwise returns a pointer to a single value."
+{ $subsection marshall-int** }
+"marshalls a 1D or 2D array of numbers. Returns an array of pointers to arrays."
+
+{ $subheading "Primitive unmarshallers" }
+{ $snippet "unmarshall-<prim>*" } " and " { $snippet "unmarshall-<prim>*-free" }
+" for all values of " { $snippet "<prim>" } " in " { $link primitive-types } "."
+{ $subsection unmarshall-int* }
+"unmarshalls a pointer to primitive. Returns a number. "
+"Assumes the pointer is not an array (if it is, only the first value is returned). "
+"C functions that return arrays are not handled correctly by " { $snippet "alien.marshall" }
+" and must be unmarshalled by hand."
+{ $subsection unmarshall-int*-free }
+"unmarshalls a pointer to primitive, and then frees the pointer."
+$nl
+"Primitive values require no unmarshalling. The factor FFI already does this."
+;
+
+ABOUT: "alien.marshall"