Is this mailing list for general questions using Slime or for Slime development only? If Slime development only, is there a general usage/newbie question mailing list?
Thank you, Zach Calvert
* Zach Calvert [2008-01-18 20:43+0100] writes:
Is this mailing list for general questions using Slime or for Slime development only? If Slime development only, is there a general usage/newbie question mailing list?
You can ask any Slime related question to here. We try to be helpful, but answering newbie questions and hand-holding takes quite a bit of time, so don't be upset if not all questions are answered.
I'm not aware of any other Slime mailing list, but you can try your luck at the #lisp IRC channel.
Helmut.
Thanks for the response. I'm getting used to XEmacs at the same time learning about Lisp, so this is probably a newbie question.
I've set up my XEmacs, Gnu Lisp, and Slime as documented here: http://db.glug-bom.org/wiki/index.php/Using_XEmacs_as_a_lisp_shell
I can get to the REPL using M-x slime and I can successfully run commands such as
(+ 2 3)
5
However, when trying to open a file buffer, so I can write libraries/save work/etc, I try it using C-x C-f, give it a file name, and enter lisp code. When I try to compile using C-c C-c or C-c C-k, I get "Not connected" Also, the minibuffer is also always filled with the line: Polling "C:\Documen~\zcalver\Locals~1\Temp\slime.5876".. (Abort with 'M-x slime-abort-connection'.)
When I try defining a hello world function and running the compile command, I can barely see this "Not connected" line, which is promptly covered up by the Polling line listed above.
First, how do I get rid of that obnoxious polling line? Second off, how do I open a buffer that will allow me to write libraries and such to a file and then compile them/load them for use in the REPL?
Thanks bunches, Zach Calvert
On Jan 18, 2008 4:56 PM, Helmut Eller heller@common-lisp.net wrote:
- Zach Calvert [2008-01-18 20:43+0100] writes:
Is this mailing list for general questions using Slime or for Slime development only? If Slime development only, is there a general usage/newbie question mailing list?
You can ask any Slime related question to here. We try to be helpful, but answering newbie questions and hand-holding takes quite a bit of time, so don't be upset if not all questions are answered.
I'm not aware of any other Slime mailing list, but you can try your luck at the #lisp IRC channel.
Helmut.
slime-devel site list slime-devel@common-lisp.net http://common-lisp.net/mailman/listinfo/slime-devel
+ "Zach Calvert" zachcalvert@gmail.com:
Thanks for the response. I'm getting used to XEmacs at the same time learning about Lisp, so this is probably a newbie question.
I've set up my XEmacs, Gnu Lisp, and Slime as documented here: http://db.glug-bom.org/wiki/index.php/Using_XEmacs_as_a_lisp_shell
I can get to the REPL using M-x slime and I can successfully run commands such as
(+ 2 3)
5
Um, from what you write below I am guessing that this is the *inferior-lisp* buffer. Right?
[...]I get "Not connected" Also, the minibuffer is also always filled with the line: Polling "C:\Documen~\zcalver\Locals~1\Temp\slime.5876".. (Abort with 'M-x slime-abort-connection'.)
Which probably means what it says: Slime is still looking for the lisp backend to come online, so you have in fact not succeeded in starting slime at all (which is why I made the above guess).
What *should* happen is this: Slime runs your lisp in the *inferior-lisp* buffer (this clearly happens for you), and send it commands to load and run the lisp backend for slime (which is called swank for no good reason that I am aware of). Meanwhile, slime (which runs on emacs) keeps polling for the backend swank while displaying the "obnoxious polling" message in the minibuffer. As soon as the background swank has started and the connection is established, the *inferior-lisp* buffer is pushed into the background, and instead you see a buffer called *slime-repl <name of your lisp>*. The prompt you should see looks like CL-USER> which is another reason I think you are looking at the wrong buffer.
The *inferior-lisp* buffer should be filling up with all sorts of messages about compiling and loading swank. Are you seeing nothing of the sort? What does the buffer look like after you started slime and things have settled down?
- Harald
* Zach Calvert [2008-01-19 00:17+0100] writes:
I've set up my XEmacs, Gnu Lisp, and Slime as documented here: http://db.glug-bom.org/wiki/index.php/Using_XEmacs_as_a_lisp_shell
GNU Common Lisp (GCL) isn't supported by Slime. Slime needs a Lisp implementation with certain features (TCP sockets, debugger interface, threads, etc) which are not standardized. For the supported implementations Slime has the necessary glue code to access those features. GCL may implement those features in some way, but nobody wrote the glue for Slime yet. [I once tried, but I gave up because at time GCL didn't even have server sockets and I doubt that it has a good debugger. Also, GCL seems to be used primarily for the applications Axiom and Maxima which have special Emacs interfaces (unrelated to Slime).]
Slime works best with CMUCL, SBCL, OpenMCL, Allegro CL, and Lispworks. GNU CLISP (not to be confused with GCL), Corman Lisp, and ECL are supported to some degree but the fancy bits (like M-. and good debugging) are missing.
Of the free (as in gratis) Lisp implementations, only CLISP is available on Windows. [On Windows, Slime might have problems at startup because Windows filenames use backslashes () and not slashes. This can be worked around, but it's probably not your problem.]
The trial editions of Allegro and Lispworks need some special setup for Slime. I think most of what Bill Clementson wrote here http://bc.tech.coop/blog/040306.html is still valid. For Allegro have a look at http://www.franz.com/emacs/slime.lhtml.
If you are learning Lisp just for fun then you could also start with Emacs Lisp instead of Common Lisp. Granted, Emacs Lisp as a language has some flaws but if you have a running Emacs you already have the complete Emacs Lisp environment and Emacs' and Emacs Lisp' documentation is just fantastically good. If you know how programming in Emacs Lisp feels like it's also easier to understand Slime.
Helmut.
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Harald Hanche-Olsen -
Helmut Eller -
Zach Calvert