[Gcl-devel] Re: Happy!; ILISP+GCL; Building GCL

[Chris Hall]

Camm Maguire <address@hidden> writes:

> Greetings!
> 
> Chris Hall <address@hidden> writes:
> > (BTW, how do I access the current value of READTABLE-CASE in GCL?  For
> > the life of me I can't figure out how.  I assume it is :upcase, since
> > that is what SBCL, CLISP and CMUCL each show.)
> > 
> 
> We have not yet implemented READTABLE-CASE -- it is merely a symbol in
> the common-lisp package.

Thanks.  That is what I thought based on my explorations, but I'm too
new to have any confidence yet.

> > 
> > For the sometimes-ANSI-sometimes-CLtL1 stuff to work (via the GCL_ANSI
> > environment variable), am I correct in thinking that after 'make
> > install' I need to manually copy the non-ANSI saved_gcl to
> > $PREFIX/lib/unixport/?  Is there anything else I need to or should
> > copy, before I rm the build directories?
> > 
> 
> I'd recommend building local .debs as above.  I might provide an
> aptable location of backported .debs at some point if time permits.  

I have, thanks - 2.6.1.36 and gclcvs.

> 
> > 
> > As for source-level debugging - which I understand relies on GDB? -
> > I'm guessing that I need to --enable-debug at build-time, too?  (It
> > nearly doubles the size of saved_ansi_gcl!)
> > 
> 
> You can debug at the lisp level and/or at the C level.  The latter is
> only possible if the image was configures with --enable-debug.  As it
> makes things bigger, we've left it off by default.  Might want to
> include a debugging image in the .deb at some point too.  
> 
> I'd like to work on debugging and profiling in 2.7.x.

Ah.  So if I was to try interfacing to select() and wanted to debug
the call to select(), I'd need this then.  Okey-dokey, no problem.

> 
> GCL currently has no support for logical-pathname-translations.  2.7.0
> has support for setf functions (i.e. (defun (setf foo) ...) which are
> lacking in 2.6.1.  Both branches support user-defined setf expansions
> via defsetf.

I just took a look at defsetf in CLHS - yikes!  I, for one, am
genuinely *very* impressed that anyone can implement this stuff so
that it works reliably.

> 
> As others have said, hope to get to logical pathnames in 2.7.x.  Paul
> has also indicated that the spec is very shaky here.  I'm not sure if
> he has included tests in this area in his suite.  Such tests are
> extremely helpful in implementing something new like this.
> 

Well, I can tell you are pretty busy with all this stuff, I only
mentioned it because of the difference in behavior between 2.6.1-36
and 2.7.0-20, simply as feedback in case it was unknown or useful.

I'm no where near competent enough in Lisp and/or GCL to consider
submitting bug reports yet, so I didn't what else to do.  If it is
bothersome to anybody, or if there is a better forum for such
things, I'll be happy to make the change.

> 
> -- 
> Camm Maguire                                          address@hidden
> ==========================================================================
> "The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens."  --  Baha'u'llah

-- 
Good judgment comes from experience. Experience comes from bad
judgment.
- Jim Horning