doc/ref/slib.texi

   1 @c -*-texinfo-*-
   2 @c This is part of the GNU Guile Reference Manual.
   3 @c Copyright (C)  1996, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007
   4 @c   Free Software Foundation, Inc.
   5 @c See the file guile.texi for copying conditions.
   6
   7 @node SLIB
   8 @section SLIB
   9 @cindex SLIB
  10
  11 SLIB is a portable library of Scheme packages which can be used with
  12 Guile and other Scheme implementations.  SLIB is not included in the
  13 Guile distribution, but can be installed separately (@pxref{SLIB
  14 installation}).  It is available from
  15 @url{http://people.csail.mit.edu/jaffer/SLIB.html}.
  16
  17 After SLIB is installed, the following Scheme expression must be
  18 executed before the SLIB facilities can be used:
  19
  20 @lisp
  21 (use-modules (ice-9 slib))
  22 @end lisp
  23
  24 @findex require
  25 @noindent
  26 @code{require} can then be used in the usual way (@pxref{Require,,,
  27 slib, The SLIB Manual}).  For example,
  28
  29 @example
  30 (use-modules (ice-9 slib))
  31 (require 'primes)
  32 (prime? 13)
  33 @result{} #t
  34 @end example
  35
  36 A few Guile core functions are overridden by the SLIB setups; for
  37 example the SLIB version of @code{delete-file} returns a boolean
  38 indicating success or failure, whereas the Guile core version throws
  39 an error for failure.  In general (and as might be expected) when SLIB
  40 is loaded it's the SLIB specifications that are followed.
  41
  42 @menu
  43 * SLIB installation::
  44 * JACAL::
  45 @end menu
  46
  47 @node SLIB installation
  48 @subsection SLIB installation
  49
  50 The following procedure works, e.g., with SLIB version 3a3
  51 (@pxref{Installation, SLIB installation,, slib, The SLIB Portable Scheme
  52 Library}):
  53
  54 @enumerate
  55 @item
  56 Unpack SLIB and install it using @code{make install} from its directory.
  57 By default, this will install SLIB in @file{/usr/local/lib/slib/}.
  58 Running @code{make install-info} installs its documentation, by default
  59 under @file{/usr/local/info/}.
  60
  61 @item
  62 Define the @code{SCHEME_LIBRARY_PATH} environment variable:
  63
  64 @example
  65 $ SCHEME_LIBRARY_PATH=/usr/local/lib/slib/
  66 $ export SCHEME_LIBRARY_PATH
  67 @end example
  68
  69 Alternatively, you can create a symlink in the Guile directory to SLIB,
  70 e.g.:
  71
  72 @example
  73 ln -s /usr/local/lib/slib /usr/local/share/guile/@value{EFFECTIVE-VERSION}/slib
  74 @end example
  75
  76 @item
  77 Use Guile to create the catalog file, e.g.,:
  78
  79 @example
  80 # guile
  81 guile> (use-modules (ice-9 slib))
  82 guile> (require 'new-catalog)
  83 guile> (quit)
  84 @end example
  85
  86 The catalog data should now be in
  87 @file{/usr/local/share/guile/@value{EFFECTIVE-VERSION}/slibcat}.
  88
  89 If instead you get an error such as:
  90
  91 @example
  92 Unbound variable: scheme-implementation-type
  93 @end example
  94
  95 then a solution is to get a newer version of Guile,
  96 or to modify @file{ice-9/slib.scm} to use @code{define-public} for the
  97 offending variables.
  98
  99 @end enumerate
 100
 101 @node JACAL
 102 @subsection JACAL
 103 @cindex JACAL
 104
 105 @cindex Jaffer, Aubrey
 106 @cindex symbolic math
 107 @cindex math -- symbolic
 108 Jacal is a symbolic math package written in Scheme by Aubrey Jaffer.
 109 It is usually installed as an extra package in SLIB.
 110
 111 You can use Guile's interface to SLIB to invoke Jacal:
 112
 113 @lisp
 114 (use-modules (ice-9 slib))
 115 (slib:load "math")
 116 (math)
 117 @end lisp
 118
 119 @noindent
 120 For complete documentation on Jacal, please read the Jacal manual.  If
 121 it has been installed on line, you can look at @ref{Top, , Jacal, jacal,
 122 JACAL Symbolic Mathematics System}.  Otherwise you can find it on the web at
 123 @url{http://www-swiss.ai.mit.edu/~jaffer/JACAL.html}
 124
 125
 126 @c Local Variables:
 127 @c TeX-master: "guile.texi"
 128 @c End: