(SLIB): Index entry for replacement `system'.

[bpt/guile.git] / doc / ref / slib.texi

@c -*-texinfo-*-
@c This is part of the GNU Guile Reference Manual.
@c Copyright (C)  1996, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004
@c   Free Software Foundation, Inc.
@c See the file guile.texi for copying conditions.

@page
@node SLIB
@chapter SLIB
@cindex SLIB

Before the SLIB facilities can be used, the following Scheme expression
must be executed:

@smalllisp
(use-modules (ice-9 slib))
@end smalllisp

@findex require
@code{require} can then be used in the usual way (@pxref{Requesting
Features,,, slib, The SLIB Manual}).  For example,

@example
(use-modules (ice-9 slib))
(require 'primes)
(probably-prime? 13)
@result{} #t
@end example

@findex system
Note that @code{(ice-9 slib)} provides a new definition of
@code{system}, one giving a plain exit code return value, as per the
SLIB specification (@pxref{System Interface,,, slib, The SLIB
Manual}).

@menu
* SLIB installation::
* JACAL::
@end menu

@node SLIB installation
@section SLIB installation

The following seems to work (e.g., with slib versions 2c7 and 2d2):

@enumerate
@item
Unpack slib somewhere, e.g., @file{/usr/local/share/slib}.

@item
Create a symlink in the Guile site directory to slib, e.g.,:

@example
ln -s /usr/local/share/slib /usr/local/share/guile/site/slib
@end example

@item
Use Guile to create the catalog file, e.g.,:

@example
# guile
guile> (use-modules (ice-9 slib))
guile> (load "/usr/local/share/slib/mklibcat.scm")
guile> (quit)
@end example

The catalog data should now be in
@file{/usr/local/share/guile/site/slibcat}.

If instead you get an error such as:

@example
Unbound variable: scheme-implementation-type
@end example

then a solution is to get a newer version of Guile,
or to modify @file{ice-9/slib.scm} to use @code{define-public} for the
offending variables.

@item
Install the documentation:

@example
cd /usr/local/share/slib
rm /usr/local/info/slib.info*
cp slib.info /usr/local/info
install-info slib.info /usr/local/info/dir
@end example
@end enumerate

@node JACAL
@section JACAL
@cindex JACAL

@cindex Jaffer, Aubrey
@cindex symbolic math
@cindex math -- symbolic
Jacal is a symbolic math package written in Scheme by Aubrey Jaffer.  It
is usually installed as an extra package in SLIB (@pxref{Packages not
shipped with Guile}).

You can use Guile's interface to SLIB to invoke Jacal:

@smalllisp
(use-modules (ice-9 slib))
(slib:load "math")
(math)
@end smalllisp

@noindent
For complete documentation on Jacal, please read the Jacal manual.  If
it has been installed on line, you can look at @ref{Top, , Jacal, jacal,
JACAL Symbolic Mathematics System}.  Otherwise you can find it on the web at
@url{http://www-swiss.ai.mit.edu/~jaffer/JACAL.html}


@c Local Variables:
@c TeX-master: "guile.texi"
@c End: