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@dircategory Software development
@direntry
* asdf: (asdf). Another System Definition Facility (for Common Lisp)
@end direntry
This manual describes ASDF, a system definition facility
for Common Lisp programs and libraries.
You can find the latest version of this manual at
@url{https://common-lisp.net/project/asdf/asdf.html}.
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ASDF Copyright @copyright{} 2001-2015 Daniel Barlow and contributors.
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This manual Copyright @copyright{} 2001-2015 Daniel Barlow and contributors.
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This manual revised @copyright{} 2009-2015 Robert P. Goldman and Francois-Rene Rideau.
Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining
a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the
``Software''), to deal in the Software without restriction, including
without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish,
distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software, and to
permit persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so, subject to
the following conditions:
The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be
included in all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED ``AS IS'', WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND,
EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF
MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND
NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE
LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION
OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION
WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.
@end copying
@title ASDF: Another System Definition Facility
@subtitle Manual for Version @value{VERSION}
@c The following two commands start the copyright page.
@page
@vskip 0pt plus 1filll
@insertcopying
@end titlepage
@c Output the table of contents at the beginning.
@contents
@c -------------------
@ifnottex
@node Top, Introduction, (dir), (dir)
@top ASDF: Another System Definition Facility
@ifnottex
Manual for Version @value{VERSION}
@end ifnottex
* Configuring ASDF::
* Using ASDF::
* Defining systems with defsystem::
* The object model of ASDF::
* Controlling where ASDF searches for systems::
* Controlling where ASDF saves compiled files::
* Error handling::
* Miscellaneous additional functionality::
* Getting the latest version::
* FAQ::
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* Ongoing Work::
* Bibliography::
* Concept Index::
* Function and Class Index::
* Variable Index:: @c @detailmenu
@detailmenu
--- The Detailed Node Listing ---
Loading ASDF
* Loading a pre-installed ASDF::
* Checking whether ASDF is loaded::
* Upgrading ASDF::
* Loading ASDF from source::
Upgrading ASDF
* Issues with upgrading ASDF::
* Replacing your implementation's ASDF::
Configuring ASDF
* Configuring ASDF to find your systems::
* Configuring ASDF to find your systems --- old style::
* Configuring where ASDF stores object files::
Using ASDF
* Loading a system::
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* Convenience Functions::
* Moving on::
Defining systems with defsystem
* The defsystem form::
* A more involved example::
* The defsystem grammar::
* Other code in .asd files::
* The package-inferred-system extension::
The Object model of ASDF
* Operations::
* Components::
* Dependencies::
* Predefined operations of ASDF::
* Creating new operations::
* Common attributes of components::
* Pre-defined subclasses of component::
* Creating new component types::
* Pre-defined subclasses of component::
* Creating new component types::
Controlling where ASDF searches for systems
* Configurations::
* Truenames and other dangers::
* XDG base directory::
* Backward Compatibility::
* Configuration DSL::
* Configuration Directories::
* Shell-friendly syntax for configuration::
* Search Algorithm::
* Caching Results::
* Configuration API::
* Introspection::
* Status::
* Rejected ideas::
* TODO::
* Credits for the source-registry::
Configuration Directories
Introspection
* *source-registry-parameter* variable::
* Information about system dependencies::
Controlling where ASDF saves compiled files
* Output Configurations::
* Output Backward Compatibility::
* Output Configuration DSL::
* Output Configuration Directories::
* Output Shell-friendly syntax for configuration::
* Semantics of Output Translations::
* Output location API::
* Credits for output translations::
Miscellaneous additional functionality
* Controlling file compilation::
* Controlling source file character encoding::
* Some Utility Functions::
* Where do I report a bug?::
* What has changed between ASDF 1 ASDF 2 and ASDF 3?::
* Issues with installing the proper version of ASDF::
* Issues with configuring ASDF::
* Issues with using and extending ASDF to define systems::
* ASDF development FAQs::
``What has changed between ASDF 1, ASDF 2, and ASDF 3?''
* What are ASDF 1 2 3?::
* How do I detect the ASDF version?::
* ASDF can portably name files in subdirectories::
* Output translations::
* Source Registry Configuration::
* Usual operations are made easier to the user::
* Many bugs have been fixed::
* ASDF itself is versioned::
* ASDF can be upgraded::
* Decoupled release cycle::
* Pitfalls of the transition to ASDF 2::
* What happened to the bundle operations::
Issues with installing the proper version of ASDF
* My Common Lisp implementation comes with an outdated version of ASDF. What to do?::
* I'm a Common Lisp implementation vendor. When and how should I upgrade ASDF?::
Issues with configuring ASDF
* How can I customize where fasl files are stored?::
* How can I wholly disable the compiler output cache?::
Issues with using and extending ASDF to define systems
* How can I cater for unit-testing in my system?::
* How can I cater for documentation generation in my system?::
* How can I maintain non-Lisp (e.g. C) source files?::
* I want to put my module's files at the top level. How do I do this?::
* How do I create a system definition where all the source files have a .cl extension?::
* How do I mark a source file to be loaded only and not compiled?::
* How do I work with readtables?::
ASDF development FAQs
* How do run the tests interactively in a REPL?::
@end detailmenu
@end menu
@end ifnottex
@c -------------------
@node Introduction, Quick start summary, Top, Top
@comment node-name, next, previous, up
@chapter Introduction
@cindex ASDF-related features
@vindex *features*
@cindex Testing for ASDF
@cindex ASDF versions
@cindex :asdf
@cindex :asdf2
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@cindex :asdf3
ASDF is Another System Definition Facility:
a tool for specifying how systems of Common Lisp software
are made up of components (sub-systems and files),
and how to operate on these components in the right order
so that they can be compiled, loaded, tested, etc.
If you are new to ASDF, @pxref{Quick start summary,,the quick start
guide}.
ASDF presents three faces:
one for users of Common Lisp software who want to reuse other people's code,
one for writers of Common Lisp software who want to specify how to build their systems,
and one for implementers of Common Lisp extensions who want to extend
the build system.
For more specifics,
to learn how to use ASDF to load a system.
to learn how to define a system of your own.
@xref{The object model of ASDF}, for a description of
Note that
ASDF is @emph{not} a tool for library and system @emph{installation};
it plays a role like @code{make} or @code{ant}, not like a package manager.
In particular, ASDF should not to be confused with Quicklisp or ASDF-Install,
that attempt to find and download ASDF systems for you.
Despite the name, ASDF-Install is not part of ASDF, but a separate piece of software.
ASDF-Install is also unmaintained and obsolete.
We recommend you use Quicklisp
(@uref{http://www.quicklisp.org/}) instead,
a Common Lisp package manager which works well and is being actively maintained.
If you want to download software from version control instead of tarballs,
so you may more easily modify it, we recommend clbuild (@uref{http://common-lisp.net/project/clbuild/}).
We recommend @file{~/common-lisp/}
as a place into which to install Common Lisp software;
starting with ASDF 3.1.2, it is included in the default source-registry configuration.
Finally, note that this manual is incomplete.
All the bases are covered,
but many more advanced topics are only barely alluded to.
The source code remains the ultimate source of information,
and the mailing-list the best place to ask for help.
@node Quick start summary, Loading ASDF, Introduction, Top
@chapter Quick start summary
@itemize
@item To load an ASDF system:
@itemize
@item
Load ASDF itself into your Lisp image, using
@code{(require "asdf")}.
Check that you have a recent version using @code{(asdf:asdf-version)}.
For more details, or if any of the above fails, @pxref{Loading ASDF}.
@item
Make sure the system is installed where ASDF can find it.
The simplest way is to put all your lisp code in subdirectories of
@file{~/common-lisp/} (starting with ASDF 3.1.2),
or @file{~/.local/share/common-lisp/source/}
(for ASDF 2 and later, or if you want to keep source in a hidden directory).
For more details, @pxref{Configuring ASDF to find your systems}.
@item
Load your system with @code{(asdf:load-system "@var{my-system}")}.
@xref{Using ASDF}.
@end itemize
@item To make your own ASDF system:
@itemize
@item
As above, load and configure ASDF.
@item
Make a new directory for your system, @code{@var{my-system}/},
again in a location where ASDF can find it.
All else being equal, the easiest location is probably
@file{~/common-lisp/my-system/}.
@xref{Configuring ASDF to find your systems}.
@item
Create an ASDF system definition listing the dependencies of
your system, its components, and their interdependencies,
and put it in @file{@var{my-system}.asd}.
This file must have the same name as your system, all lowercase.
@xref{Defining systems with defsystem}.
@item
Use @code{(asdf:load-system "@var{my-system}")}
to make sure it's all working properly. @xref{Using ASDF}.
@end itemize
@end itemize
@c FIXME: (1) add a sample project that the user can cut and paste to
@c get started. (2) discuss the option of starting with Quicklisp.
@node Loading ASDF, Configuring ASDF, Quick start summary, Top
@comment node-name, next, previous, up
@chapter Loading ASDF
@menu
* Loading a pre-installed ASDF::
* Checking whether ASDF is loaded::
* Upgrading ASDF::
* Loading ASDF from source::
@node Loading a pre-installed ASDF, Checking whether ASDF is loaded, Loading ASDF, Loading ASDF
@section Loading a pre-installed ASDF
The recommended way to load ASDF is via:
@lisp
(require "asdf")
@end lisp
All actively maintained Lisp implementations now include a copy of ASDF 3
that you can load this way using Common Lisp's @code{require} function.@footnote{
NB: all implementations except GNU CLISP also accept
@code{(require "ASDF")}, @code{(require 'asdf)} and @code{(require :asdf)}.
For portability's sake, you should use @code{(require "asdf")}.
}
the following implementations provide ASDF 3 this way:
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ABCL, Allegro CL, CLASP, Clozure CL, CMUCL, ECL, GNU CLISP, LispWorks, MKCL, SBCL.
The following implementations only provide ASDF 2:
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mocl, XCL.
The following implementations don't provide ASDF:
Corman CL, GCL, Genera, MCL, SCL.
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The latter implementations are not actively maintained (except maybe GCL);
if some of them are ever released again, they probably will include ASDF 3.
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If the implementation you are using doesn't provide a recent ASDF 3,
we recommend you upgrade it.
If for some reason you would rather not upgrade it,
we recommend you replace your implementation's ASDF.
@xref{Replacing your implementation's ASDF}.
If all else fails, see @pxref{Loading ASDF from source} below.
If you use an actively maintained that fails to provide an up-to-date enough ASDF,
you may also send a bug report to your Lisp vendor and complain about it
--- or you may fix the issue yourself if it's free software.
@node Checking whether ASDF is loaded, Upgrading ASDF, Loading a pre-installed ASDF, Loading ASDF
@section Checking whether ASDF is loaded
To check that ASDF is properly loaded, you can run this form:
@lisp
(asdf:asdf-version)
@end lisp
If it returns a string,
that is the version of ASDF that is currently installed.
If that version is suitably recent (say, 3.1.2 or later),
then you can skip directly to next chapter: @xref{Configuring ASDF}.
If it raises an error,
then either ASDF is not loaded, or
you are using a very old version of ASDF,
and need to install ASDF 3.
You can check whether an old version is loaded
by checking if the ASDF package is present.
The form below will allow you to programmatically determine
whether a recent version is loaded, an old version is loaded,
or none at all:
@lisp
(when (find-package :asdf)
(let ((ver (symbol-value
(or (find-symbol (string :*asdf-version*) :asdf)
(find-symbol (string :*asdf-revision*) :asdf)))))
(etypecase ver
(string ver)
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(cons (with-output-to-string (s)
(loop for (n . m) on ver
do (princ n s)
(when m (princ "." s)))))
(null "1.0"))))
If it returns @code{nil} then ASDF is not installed.
Otherwise it should return a string.
If it returns @code{"1.0"}, then it can actually be
any version before 1.77 or so, or some buggy variant of 1.x.
If you are experiencing problems with ASDF,
please try upgrading to the latest released version,
using the method below,
before you contact us and raise an issue.
@node Upgrading ASDF, Loading ASDF from source, Checking whether ASDF is loaded, Loading ASDF
@c FIXME: tighten this up a bit -- there's a lot of stuff here that
@c doesn't matter to almost anyone. Move discussion of updating antique
@c versions of ASDF down, or encapsulate it.
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If you want to upgrade to a more recent ASDF version,
you need to install your ASDF in a configured path, just like any other system.
We recommend you download an official tarball or checkout a release from git into
@file{~/common-lisp/asdf/}.
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(@pxref{Configuring ASDF to find your systems}).
If your implementation provides ASDF 3 or later (and it should),
you don't need any extra step to load it beyond the usual @code{(require "asdf")}:
ASDF will automatically look whether an updated version of itself is available
amongst the regularly configured systems, before it compiles anything else.
If your implementation doesn't, @pxref{Replacing your implementation's ASDF}.
@menu
* Issues with upgrading ASDF::
* Replacing your implementation's ASDF::
@node Issues with upgrading ASDF, Replacing your implementation's ASDF, , Upgrading ASDF
@subsection Issues with upgrading ASDF
Note that there are some limitations to upgrading ASDF:
@itemize
@item
Previously loaded ASDF extensions become invalid, and will need to be reloaded.
Examples include CFFI-Grovel, hacks used by ironclad, etc.
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Since it isn't possible to automatically detect what extensions
need to be invalidated,
ASDF will invalidate @emph{all} previously loaded systems
when it is loaded on top of a forward-incompatible ASDF version.
@footnote{
@vindex *oldest-forward-compatible-asdf-version*
Forward incompatibility can be determined using the variable
@code{asdf/upgrade::*oldest-forward-compatible-asdf-version*},
which is 2.33 at the time of this writing.}
Starting with ASDF 3 (2.27 or later),
this self-upgrade will be automatically attempted as the first step
to any system operation, to avoid any possibility of
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a catastrophic attempt to self-upgrade in mid-build.
For this and many other reasons (including being able to use UIOP),
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you should load, configure and upgrade ASDF
as one of the very first things done by your build and startup scripts.
It is safer if you ensure that ASDF 3 or later is present as a special step
at the very beginning of whatever script you are running,
before you start using ASDF to load anything else.
@item
Before all implementations provided ASDF 3 or later (now the case in May 2015),
it was unsafe to upgrade ASDF as part of loading a system
that depends on a more recent version of ASDF,
since the new one might shadow the old one while the old one is running,
and the running old one will be confused
when extensions are loaded into the new one.
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In the meantime, we recommend that your systems should @emph{not} specify
@code{:depends-on ("asdf")}, or @code{:depends-on ((:version "asdf" "3.1.2"))},
unless it @emph{also} checks that a recent enough ASDF is installed,
with such code as:
@example
#-asdf3.1 (error "@var{MY-SYSTEM} requires ASDF 3.1.2")
@end example
@end itemize
Note that bugs in CMUCL and XCL prevent upgrade of ASDF from an old forward-incompatible version.
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Happily, CMUCL comes with a recent ASDF,
and XCL is more of a working demo than something you'd use seriously anyway.
@node Replacing your implementation's ASDF, , Issues with upgrading ASDF, Upgrading ASDF
@subsection Replacing your implementation's ASDF
All maintained implementations now provide ASDF 3 in their latest release.
If your doesn't, we recommend you upgrade it.
Now, if you insist on using an old implementation that didn't provide ASDF or provided an old version,
we recommend installing a recent ASDF, as explained below,
into your implementation's installation directory
(which requires proper write permissions and may necessitate execution as a system administrator).
Thus your modified implementation will now provide ASDF 3.
If all fails, we recommend you load ASDF from source;
@pxref{Loading ASDF from source}.
The ASDF source repository contains a tool to help you upgrade your implementation's ASDF.
You can invoke it from the shell command-line as
@code{tools/asdf-tools install-asdf lispworks}
(where you can replace @code{lispworks} by the name of the relevant implementation),
or you can @code{(load "tools/install-asdf.lisp")} from your Lisp REPL.
It works on
Allegro CL, Clozure CL, CMU CL, ECL, GCL, GNU CLISP, LispWorks, MKCL, SBCL, SCL, XCL.
It doesn't work on ABCL, Corman CL, Genera, MCL, MOCL.
Happily, ABCL is usually pretty up to date and shouldn't need that script.
GCL requires a very recent version, and hasn't been tested much.
Corman CL, Genera, MCL are obsolete anyway.
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@node Loading ASDF from source, , Upgrading ASDF, Loading ASDF
@section Loading ASDF from source
If your implementation doesn't include ASDF,
if for some reason the upgrade somehow fails,
does not or cannot apply to your case,
you will have to install the file @file{asdf.lisp}
somewhere and load it with:
@lisp
(load "/path/to/your/installed/asdf.lisp")
@end lisp
The single file @file{asdf.lisp} is all you normally need to use ASDF.
You can extract this file from latest release tarball on the
@url{https://common-lisp.net/project/asdf/,ASDF website}.
If you are daring and willing to report bugs, you can get
the latest and greatest version of ASDF from its git repository.
@xref{Getting the latest version}.
For maximum convenience you might want to have ASDF loaded
whenever you 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.
@node Configuring ASDF, Using ASDF, Loading ASDF, Top
@comment node-name, next, previous, up
@chapter Configuring ASDF
For standard use cases, ASDF should work pretty much out of the box.
We recommend you skim the sections on configuring ASDF to find your systems
and choose the method of installing Lisp software that works best for you.
Then skip directly to @xref{Using ASDF}. That will probably be enough.
You are unlikely to have to worry about the way ASDF stores object files,
and resetting the ASDF configuration is usually only needed in corner cases.
* Configuring ASDF to find your systems::
* Configuring ASDF to find your systems --- old style::
* Configuring where ASDF stores object files::
@node Configuring ASDF to find your systems, Configuring ASDF to find your systems --- old style, Configuring ASDF, Configuring ASDF
@section Configuring ASDF to find your systems
In order to compile and load your systems, ASDF must be configured to find
the @file{.asd} files that contain system definitions.
There are a number of different techniques for setting yourself up with
ASDF, starting from easiest to the most complex:
@itemize @bullet
@item
Put all of your systems in one of the standard locations, subdirectories
of
@itemize
@item
@item
@file{~/.local/share/common-lisp/source/}.
If you install software there, you don't need further
configuration.@footnote{@file{~/common-lisp/} is only included in
the default configuration
starting with ASDF 3.1.2 or later.}
You can then skip to the next section. @xref{Loading a system}.
@item
If you're using some tool to install software (e.g. Quicklisp),
the authors of that tool should already have configured ASDF.
@item
If you have more specific desires about how to lay out your software on
disk, the preferred way to configure where ASDF finds your systems is
the @code{source-registry} facility,
fully described in its own chapter of this manual.
@xref{Controlling where ASDF searches for systems}. Here is a quick
recipe for getting started:
The simplest way to add a path to your search path,
say @file{/home/luser/.asd-link-farm/}
is to create the directory
@file{~/.config/common-lisp/source-registry.conf.d/}
and there create a file with any name of your choice,
and with the type @file{conf}@footnote{By requiring the @file{.conf}
extension, and ignoring other files, ASDF allows you to have disabled files,
editor backups, etc. in the same directory with your active
configuration files.
ASDF will also ignore files whose names start with a @file{.} character.
It is customary to start the filename with two digits, to control the
sorting of the @code{conf} files in the source registry directory, and
thus the order in which the directories will be scanned.},
for instance @file{42-asd-link-farm.conf},
containing the line:
@kbd{(:directory "/home/luser/.asd-link-farm/")}
If you want all the subdirectories under @file{/home/luser/lisp/}
to be recursively scanned for @file{.asd} files, instead use:
@kbd{(:tree "/home/luser/lisp/")}
ASDF will automatically read your configuration
the first time you try to find a system.
If necessary, you can reset the source-registry configuration with:
@lisp
(asdf:clear-source-registry)
@end lisp
@item
In earlier versions of ASDF, the system source registry was configured
using a global variable, @code{asdf:*central-registry*}.
For more details about this, see the following section,
@ref{Configuring ASDF to find your systems --- old style}.
Unless you need to understand this,
skip directly to @ref{Configuring where ASDF stores object files}.
@end itemize
Note that your Operating System distribution or your system administrator
may already have configured system-managed libraries for you.
@node Configuring ASDF to find your systems --- old style, Configuring where ASDF stores object files, Configuring ASDF to find your systems, Configuring ASDF
@section Configuring ASDF to find your systems --- old style
@c FIXME: this section should be moved elsewhere. The novice user
@c should not be burdened with it. [2014/02/27:rpg]
The old way to configure ASDF to find your systems is by
@code{push}ing directory pathnames onto the variable
@code{asdf:*central-registry*}.
You must configure this variable between the time you load ASDF
and the time you first try to use it.
Loading and configuring ASDF presumably happen
as part of some initialization script that builds or starts
your Common Lisp software system.
(For instance, some SBCL users used to put it in their @file{~/.sbclrc}.)
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The @code{asdf:*central-registry*} is empty by default in ASDF 2 or ASDF 3,
but is still supported for compatibility with ASDF 1.
When used, it takes precedence over the above source-registry.@footnote{
It is possible to further 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, let's say you want ASDF to find the @file{.asd} file
@file{/home/me/src/foo/foo.asd}.
In your lisp initialization file, you could have the following:
(require "asdf")
(push "/home/me/src/foo/" asdf:*central-registry*)
@end lisp
Note the trailing slash: when searching for a system,
ASDF will evaluate each entry of the central registry
and coerce the result to a pathname.@footnote{
ASDF will indeed call @code{eval} on each entry.
It will skip entries that evaluate to @code{nil}.
Strings and pathname objects are self-evaluating,
in which case the @code{eval} step does nothing;
but you may push arbitrary s-expressions onto the central registry.
These s-expressions may be evaluated to compute context-dependent
entries, e.g. things that depend
on the value of shell variables or the identity of the user.
The variable @code{asdf:*central-registry*} is thus a list of
``system directory designators''.
A @dfn{system directory designator} is a form
which will be evaluated whenever a system is to be found,
and must evaluate to a directory to look in (or @code{NIL}).
By ``directory'', we mean
``designator for a pathname with a non-empty DIRECTORY component''.
The trailing directory name separator
is necessary to tell Lisp that you're discussing a directory
rather than a file. If you leave it out, ASDF is likely to look in
@code{/home/me/src/} instead of @code{/home/me/src/foo/} as you
intended, and fail to find your system definition.
Typically there are a lot of @file{.asd} files, and
a common idiom was to put
@emph{symbolic links} to all of one's @file{.asd} files
in a common directory
and push @emph{that} directory (the ``link farm'')
onto
@code{asdf:*central-registry*},
instead of pushing each individual system directory.
ASDF knows to follow @emph{symlinks}
to the actual location of the systems.@footnote{
On Windows, you can use Windows shortcuts instead of POSIX symlinks.
if you try aliases under MacOS, we are curious to hear about your experience.}
For example, if @code{#p"/home/me/cl/systems/"}
is an element of @code{*central-registry*}, you could set up the
system @var{foo} as follows:
@example
$ cd /home/me/cl/systems/
$ ln -s ~/src/foo/foo.asd .
@end example
This old style for configuring ASDF is not recommended for new users,
but it is supported for old users, and for users who want a simple way to
programmatically control what directories are added to the ASDF search path.
@node Configuring where ASDF stores object files, Resetting the ASDF configuration, Configuring ASDF to find your systems --- old style, Configuring ASDF
@section Configuring where ASDF stores object files
ASDF lets you configure where object files will be stored.
Sensible defaults are provided and
you shouldn't normally have to worry about it.
This allows the same source code repository to be shared
between several versions of several Common Lisp implementations,
between several users using different compilation options,
with users who lack write privileges on shared source directories, etc.
This also keeps source directories from being cluttered
with object/fasl files.
Starting with ASDF 2, the @code{asdf-output-translations} facility
was added to ASDF itself. This facility controls where object files will be stored.
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This facility is fully described in a chapter of this manual,
@ref{Controlling where ASDF saves compiled files}.
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@c FIXME: possibly this should be moved elsewhere. It's redundant here,
@c and makes this section of the manual too long and daunting for the
@c new user. [2014/02/27:rpg]
@c The simplest way to add a translation to your search path,
@c say from @file{/foo/bar/baz/quux/}
@c to @file{/where/i/want/my/fasls/}
@c is to create the directory
@c @file{~/.config/common-lisp/asdf-output-translations.conf.d/}
@c and there create a file with any name of your choice and the type @file{conf},
@c for instance @file{42-bazquux.conf}
@c containing the line:
@c @kbd{("/foo/bar/baz/quux/" "/where/i/want/my/fasls/")}
@c To disable output translations for source under a given directory,
@c say @file{/toto/tata/}
@c you can create a file @file{40-disable-toto.conf}
@c with the line:
@c @kbd{("/toto/tata/")}
@c To wholly disable output translations for all directories,
@c you can create a file @file{00-disable.conf}
@c with the line:
@c @kbd{(t t)}
@c Note that your Operating System distribution or your system administrator
@c may already have configured translations for you.
@c In absence of any configuration, the default is to redirect everything
@c under an implementation-dependent subdirectory of @file{~/.cache/common-lisp/}.
@c @xref{Controlling where ASDF searches for systems}, for full details.
@c The required @file{.conf} extension allows you to have disabled files
@c or editor backups (ending in @file{~}), and works portably
@c (for instance, it is a pain to allow both empty and non-empty extension on CLISP).
@c Excluded are files the name of which start with a @file{.} character.
@c It is customary to start the filename with two digits
@c that specify the order in which the directories will be scanned.
@c ASDF will automatically read your configuration
@c the first time you try to find a system.
@c You can reset the source-registry configuration with:
@c @lisp
@c (asdf:clear-output-translations)
@c @end lisp
@c And you probably should do so before you dump your Lisp image,
@c if the configuration may change
@c between the machine where you save it at the time you save it
@c and the machine you resume it at the time you resume it.
@c (Once again, you should use @code{(asdf:clear-configuration)}
@c before you dump your Lisp image, which includes the above.)
Note that before ASDF 2,
other ASDF add-ons offered the same functionality,
each in subtly different and incompatible ways:
ASDF-Binary-Locations, cl-launch, common-lisp-controller.
ASDF-Binary-Locations is now not needed anymore and should not be used.
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cl-launch 3.000 and common-lisp-controller 7.2 have been updated
to delegate object file placement to ASDF.
@node Resetting the ASDF configuration, , Configuring where ASDF stores object files, Configuring ASDF
@section Resetting the ASDF configuration
@c FIXME: this should probably be moved out of the "quickstart" part of
@c the manual. [2014/02/27:rpg]
When you dump and restore an image, or when you tweak your configuration,
you may want to reset the ASDF configuration.
For that you may use the following function:
@defun clear-configuration
Undoes any ASDF configuration
regarding source-registry or output-translations.
@end defun
@vindex *image-dump-hook*
This function is pushed onto the @code{uiop:*image-dump-hook*} by default,
which means that if you save an image using @code{uiop:dump-image},
or via @code{asdf:image-op} and @code{asdf:program-op},
it will be automatically called to clear your configuration.
If for some reason you prefer to call your implementation's underlying functionality,
be sure to call @code{clear-configuration} manually,
or push it into your implementation's equivalent of @code{uiop:*image-dump-hook*},
e.g. @code{sb-ext:*save-hooks*} on SBCL, or @code{ext:*before-save-initializations*}
on CMUCL and SCL, etc.
@node Using ASDF, Defining systems with defsystem, Configuring ASDF, Top
@chapter Using ASDF
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* Convenience Functions::
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@node Loading a system, Convenience Functions, Using ASDF, Using ASDF
@section Loading a system
The system @var{foo} is loaded (and compiled, if necessary)
by evaluating the following Lisp form:
(asdf:load-system :@var{foo})
On some implementations (@pxref{Convenience Functions}),
ASDF hooks into the @code{cl:require} facility and you can just use:
@example
(require :@var{foo})
@end example
Note that the canonical name of a system is a string, conventionally lowercase.
A system name can also be specified as a symbol (including a keyword),
in which case its @code{symbol-name} is taken and lowercased.
The name must be a suitable value for the @code{:name} initarg
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to @code{make-pathname} in whatever filesystem the system is to be found.
The lower-casing-symbols behaviour is unconventional,
but was selected after some consideration.
The type of systems we want to support
either have lowercase as customary case (Unix, Mac, Windows)
or silently convert lowercase to uppercase (lpns).
@c so this makes more sense than attempting to use @code{:case :common},
@c which is reported not to work on some implementations
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@node Convenience Functions, Moving on, Loading a system, Using ASDF
@section Convenience Functions
@findex load-system
@findex compile-system
@findex test-system
ASDF provides three commands for the most common system operations:
@code{load-system}, @code{compile-system}, and @code{test-system}.
It also provides @code{require-system}, a version of @code{load-system}
that skips trying to update systems that are already loaded.
Starting with ASDF 3.1, a function @code{make} is also available,
that does ``The Right Thing'' with your system.
The default behaviour is to load the system as if by @code{load-system};
but instead of this default, system authors can specify
the intended use of their system with a @code{:build-operation} argument in the system definition,
or by otherwise defining methods for @code{build-op}.
@c FIXME: We seem to export @findex bundle-system also.
@findex operate
@findex oos
Because ASDF is an extensible system
for defining @emph{operations} on @emph{components},
it also provides a generic function @code{operate},
so you may arbitrarily operate on your systems beyond the default operations.
At the interactive REPL, users often use its shorter alias @code{oos},
which stands for operate-on-system, a name inherited from @code{mk-defsystem}.