[armedbear-cvs] r12548 - trunk/abcl/doc

[Mark Evenson]

Author: mevenson
Date: Tue Mar 16 04:32:25 2010
New Revision: 12548

Log:
Documentation for using SLIME in ABCL.


Added:
   trunk/abcl/doc/slime.markdown

Added: trunk/abcl/doc/slime.markdown
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+SLIME
+=====
+
+  Author:   Mark Evenson 
+  Created:  16-MAR-2010
+  Modified: 16-MAR-2010
+
+SLIME is divided conceptually in two parts: the "swank" server process
+which runs in the native Lisp and the "slime" client process running
+in Emacs Lisp.  These instructions were were written to accompany
+ABCL, but there is nothing ABCL specific in the instructions
+
+## Obtaining SLIME
+
+SLIME does not follow a release process in the standard, so you are
+best off with obtaining the [latest version from CVS][1]. [Daily
+snapshots as gzipped tarballs are also available][2].  Your local OS
+packaging system (i.e. MacPorts on OSX) may have a version as well.
+
+[1]: http://common-lisp.net/project/slime/#downloading
+[2]: http://common-lisp.net/project/slime/snapshots/slime-current.tgz
+
+## Starting SLIME
+
+One first locates the SLIME directory on the filesystem.  In the code
+that follows, the SLIME top level directory is assumed to be
+"~/work/slime", so adjust this value to your local value as you see
+fit.
+
+Then one configures Emacs with the proper initialization hooks by
+adding code something like the following to "~/.emacs":
+
+  (add-to-list 'load-path "~/work/slime")
+  (setq slime-lisp-implementations 
+    '((abcl ("~/work/abcl/abcl"))
+      (abcl.svn ("~/work/abcl.svn/abcl"))
+      (sbcl ("/opt/local/bin/sbcl"))))
+  (require 'slime)
+  (slime-setup '(slime-fancy slime-asdf slime-banner))
+
+One further need to customize the setting of
+SLIME-LISP-IMPLEMENTATIONS to the location(s) of the Lisp(s) you wish to
+invoke via SLIME.  The value is list of lists of the form
+
+   (SYMBOL ("/path/to/lisp"))
+
+where SYMBOL is a mnemonic for the Lisp implementation, and the string
+"/path/to/lisp" is the absolute path of the Lisp implementation that
+SLIME will associate with this symbol.  In the example above, I have
+defined three implementations, the main abcl implementation, a version
+that corresponds to the latest version from SVN invoked by
+"~/work/abcl.svn/abcl", and a version of SBCL.
+
+To start SLIME one simply issues M-x slime from Emacs.  This will
+start the first entry in the SLIME-LISP-IMPLEMENTATIONS list.  If you
+wish to start a subsequent Lisp, prefix the invocation via M-u
+(i.e. M-u M-x slime).  This will present an interactive chooser over
+all symbols contained in SLIME-LISP-IMPLEMENTATIONS.
+
+After you invoke SLIME, you'll see a buffer open up named
+*inferior-lisp* where the Lisp image is started up, the required swank
+code is complied and then loaded, finally, you'll see the "flying
+letters" resolving itself to a "CL-USER>" prompt with an inspiration
+message in the minibuffer.  Your initiation to SLIME has begun...
+
+
+## Starting swank on its own
+
+In debugging, one may wish to start the swank server by itself without
+connection to Emacs.  The following code will both load and start the swank server
+from a Lisp image.  One merely needs to change *SLIME-DIRECTORY* to
+point to the top directory of the server process.
+
+  (defvar *slime-directory* #p"~/work/slime/") ;; Don't forget trailing slash
+  (load (merge-pathnames "swank-loader.lisp" *slime-directory*) :verbose t)
+  (swank-loader:init)
+  (swank:start-server "/tmp/swank.port") ;; remove if you don't want
+                                         ;; swank to start listening for connections.
+
+When this code finishes executing, an integer representing the port on
+which the server starts will be written to '/tmp/swank.port' and also
+returned as the result of evaluating SWANK:START-SERVER.  One may
+connect to this port via issuing M-x slime-connect in Emacs.
+
+