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Commit 6f3a1b81 authored by Robert P. Goldman's avatar Robert P. Goldman Committed by Gary King
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Mostly completed the getting started/using ASDF component.

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......@@ -68,9 +68,9 @@ WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.
* Using asdf to load systems::
* Defining systems with defsystem::
* The object model of asdf::
* Error handling::
* Controlling where ASDF saves compiled files::
* Special variables::
* Error handling::
* Compilation error and warning handling::
* Miscellaneous additional functionality::
* Getting the latest version::
......@@ -84,11 +84,16 @@ WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.
@detailmenu
--- The Detailed Node Listing ---
Using ASDF
@c * Installing ASDF::
Defining systems with defsystem
* The defsystem form::
* A more involved example::
* The defsystem grammar::
* Other code in .asd files::
The object model of asdf
......@@ -137,23 +142,37 @@ and how to extend ASDF.
@node Using asdf to load systems, Defining systems with defsystem, Introduction, Top
@comment node-name, next, previous, up
@chapter Using asdf to load systems
@cindex system directory designator
@chapter Using ASDF
@vindex *central-registry*
@findex load-system
@findex compile-system
@findex test-system
@cindex system directory designator
@findex operate
@findex oos
This chapter describes how to use asdf to compile and load ready-made
Lisp programs and libraries.
@c @menu
@c * Installing ASDF::
@c @end menu
@section Downloading asdf
@section Installing ASDF
Some Lisp implementations (such as SBCL and OpenMCL) come with asdf
included already, so you don't need to download it separately.1
Consult your Lisp system's documentation. If you need to download
asdf and install it by hand, the canonical source is the cCLan CVS
repository at
@url{http://cvs.sourceforge.net/cgi-bin/viewcvs.cgi/cclan/asdf/}.
Many Lisp implementations include a copy of ASDF. You can
usually load this copy using Common-Lisp's @code{require}
function:
@section Setting up asdf
@kbd{(require 'asdf)}
Consult your Lisp implementation's documentation for details. If ASDF
doesn't come bundled with your Lisp or if you want to make
sure that you have the most recent version, then you'll want
to download it from the @url{http://common-lisp.net/project/asdf/,asdf-home} website.
@section Loading ASDF
If your CL implementation does @emph{not} provide ASDF through the
@code{require} feature, then you need to download ASDF and load it
yourself.
The single file @file{asdf.lisp} is all you need to use asdf normally.
Once you load it in a running Lisp, you're ready to use asdf. For
......@@ -162,6 +181,41 @@ start your Lisp implementation, for example by loading it from the
startup script or dumping a custom core -- check your Lisp
implementation's manual for details.
@section Setting up a system to be loaded
To compile and load a system, you need to ensure that its
system definition can be found in one of the directories in
@code{*central-registry*}@footnote{It is possible to customize the
system definition file search. That's considered advanced use, and
covered later: search forward for
@code{*system-definition-search-functions*}. @xref{Defining systems
with defsystem}.}.
There are two ways that you can make a system definition findable
through @code{*central-registry*}. One is to simply insert into
@code{*central-registry*} an entry that specifies the pathname of for
the directory containing the system definition file (a file whose name
is of the form @code{*.asd}).
For example, if we had a
system @var{foo} that is stored in a directory
@file{/home/me/src/foo/}, containing @file{/home/me/src/foo/}, we could
make the foo system asdf-operable by doing @kbd{(push
"/home/me/src/foo/" asdf:*central-registry*)}.
ASDF will also properly handle the case where the
@code{*central-registry*} points to a directory containing a
@emph{symbolic link} to the system definition file.
For example, if @code{#p"/home/me/cl/systems/"} (note the trailing
slash) is a member of @code{*central-registry*}, you could set up the
system @var{foo} for loading with asdf with the following
commands at the shell:
@example
$ cd /home/me/cl/systems/
$ ln -s ~/src/foo/foo.asd .
@end example
The variable @code{asdf:*central-registry*} is a list of ``system
directory designators''@footnote{When we say ``directory'' here, we
mean ``designator for a pathname with a supplied DIRECTORY
......@@ -178,44 +232,64 @@ to a directory to look in. You might want to set or augment
asdf:*central-registry*))
@end lisp
@section Setting up a system to be loaded
To compile and load a system, you need to ensure that a symbolic link to its
system definition is in one of the directories in
@code{*central-registry*}@footnote{It is possible to customize the
system definition file search. That's considered advanced use, and
covered later: search forward for
@code{*system-definition-search-functions*}. @xref{Defining systems
with defsystem}.}.
For example, if @code{#p"/home/me/cl/systems/"} (note the trailing
slash) is a member of @code{*central-registry*}, you would set up a
system @var{foo} that is stored in a directory
@file{/home/me/src/foo/} for loading with asdf with the following
commands at the shell (this has to be done only once):
@example
$ cd /home/me/cl/systems/
$ ln -s ~/src/foo/foo.asd .
@end example
@section Loading a system
@c{FIXME: Add Gary's material about loading system definitions by hand.}
@c{FIXME: Introduce ASDF-binary-locations.}
The system @var{foo} is loaded (and compiled, if necessary) by
evaluating the following form in your Lisp implementation:
@example
(asdf:operate 'asdf:load-op '@var{foo})
(asdf:load-system '@var{foo})
@end example
(In older versions of ASDF, you may need to use @code{asdf:oos}, instead.)
Output from asdf and asdf extensions are supposed to be sent to the CL
stream @code{*standard-output*}, and so rebinding that stream around
calls to @code{asdf:operate} should redirect all output from asdf
operations.
ASDF provides three commands for the most common system
operations: @code{load-system}, @code{compile-system} or @code{test-system}.
Because ASDF is an extensible system for defining
@emph{operations} on @emph{components} also provides a generic
function: @code{operate} (which is usually abbreviated by
@code{oos}). You'll use @code{oos} whenever you want to do something
beyond compiling, loading and testing.
Reminder: before ASDF can operate on a system, however, it must be able
to find and load that system's definition.
@section Summary
To use ASDF:
@itemize
@item
load @file{asdf.lisp} into your Lisp image, either through
@code{require} or @code{load}.
@item
make sure ASDF can find system definitions by loading them
yourself or setting up @code{*central-registry*}.
@item
use @code{operate} (or shorthand @code{oos})
to tell ASDF what you'd like to do to what systems.
For simple operations, you can use @code{load-system}, @code{compile-system} or @code{test-system}
instead.
@end itemize
@section Moving on
That's all you need to know to use asdf to load systems written by
others. The rest of this manual deals with writing system
definitions for Lisp software you write yourself.
definitions for Lisp software you write yourself, including how to
extend ASDF to define new operation and component types.
@node Defining systems with defsystem, The object model of asdf, Using asdf to load systems, Top
@comment node-name, next, previous, up
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