LAML

This is the homepage of LAML Version 16.20 slim (September 11, 2001) . This slim version only provides the Scheme source files, examples, and the installation guide; All remaining documentation is addressed at the the LAML WWW site in Aalborg, Denmark. As an alternative you can download a full version which includes all the documentation.

See below for a section about installation of LAML.

The LAML home page at the Computer Science WWW server at Aalborg University contains additional and up-to-date information about LAML.

Scheme System Platform Operating System Status mzscheme unix solaris-7 OK mzscheme unix linux probably OK mzscheme windows win95 OK mzscheme windows win98 OK mzscheme windows nt40 OK mzscheme windows win2000 OK guile unix solaris-7 OK scm unix solaris-7 OK scm unix solaris-6 ? scm unix linux ? drscheme windows nt40 OK

A bold 'OK' means that I use the combination myself, and that it works for me. An 'OK' means that am confident that the configuration works, and that it is supported in the distribution. (Perhaps I used it earlier, I have tested it to some degree, or others have reported positively on that combination.) When a combination is OK you should be able to install LAML with no or very reasonable efforts (GNU Emacs support included). If you use a combination not supported you should make some porting efforts, which is more difficult.

Currently I use MzScheme on both Unix (static LAML and for CGI programming) and Windows (Win2000, NT, Win98). Before that I used SCM on Unix. DRScheme is too slow for LAML purposes, at least for my taste; But as noticed, DRScheme works with LAML if you have time to wait. I do not use Guile in my daily work, but I have ported LAML to Guile and tested it in a reasonable way. LAML is also known to work with MzScheme on Linux. I have never used LAML on a Mac.

As part of the LAML distribution we have a useful Scheme R4RS manual browser. My contribution is solely the indexing (which is not accurate in the index made from the TeXInfo source of the document).

(current-time)	Returns the number of seconds elapsed since January 1, 1970
(sort-list list leq-fn)	Returns a sorted version of list. The sorting is based on the function leq-fn, which returns when two elements in the list are considered less than or equal
(file-exists? file-path)	Returns whether a file named file-path (full path) exists.
(delete-file file-name)	Deletes a file.
(directory-exists? dir-path)	Returns whether the directory dir-path exists
(copy-file source destination)	Copy the source file to destination file. Both source and destination are supposed to be full paths

In addition, the following functions are desirable although not used in the central pieces of the LAML software. If you cannot implement them, just relax...

(make-directory-in-directory in-directory-path new-dir)	Make a new directory new-dir in an existing directory path. Used in LENO and Course-plan.
(directory-list path)	Return a list of files and directories in path. As of version 15, this function is only used in laml-ls.
(mail receiver title contents)	Send email to receiver with title and contents.

The Scheme system compatibility files in lib4/compatibility/ provide implementations of the functions mentioned above. (In case no implementation is possible, we call the error procedure.) In the distribution, there are a compatibility files for a number of Scheme systems and operating systems.

When we start a LAML process, we transfer a bit of context to the processing which gives us knowledge about the name of the file, on which the laml source resides, and the directory in which the source file is placed. In addition, the underlying Scheme process needs to know where the LAML software is located (and a few other options to allow correct processing using a particular Scheme engine).

We support the following LAML processing methods:

• Via an Emacs text editor
  A single keystroke (C-o or double key stroke C-x C-o) or a single Emacs command (M-x laml-process-current-buffer or M-x laml-sync-process-current-buffer) starts a Scheme processor on the buffer with an LAML file. This is undoubtedly the most flexible method of LAML activation. It requires Emacs to be configured appropriately. The Emacs configuration is described as part of the LAML installation guide referred to above.

• Via an operating system command file called laml
  From a command prompt activate the laml command on an laml file in the current directory:

  c:\users\kurt\laml> laml file

  The file is written without the laml extension. First, however, insert the laml/bin directory into your PATH. Also, on UNIX, make sure that the command file is executable ( chmod 775 laml, for instance).

  On some platforms we also support the variant

  c:\users\kurt\laml> absolute-laml absolute-path file

  where absolute-path is the file path leading to file (again given without extension). This variant is useful from cron jobs, which starts LAML processing at some given point in time.

  The laml command depends on bin/SETENV.EXE which does not work on NT4.0 and Windows 2000, but it works on Win95/98. Thus, it is currently not possible to use the this mode of activation on Window NT or Windows 2000. The laml command works on Unix.

• Directly from a running Scheme interpreter in Emacs
  Activation the Emacs command M-x run-laml-interactively. This gives you a Scheme system in which LAML has been loaded. This means of LAML execution is useful for interactive experiments and for debugging purposes.

  Now use the laml procedure to process a laml file. You can also use one of the LAML tools. Use the parameter less procedures laml-cd to change the working directory, laml-pwd to find out about the working directory, and laml-ls to list the working directory (laml-ls depends on directory-list).

• Directly from a running Scheme interpreter (outside Emacs)
  First start your Scheme system.
  1. Define the variable laml-dir as the file path of your LAML directory. For instance

        (define laml-dir "c:/users/kurt/laml/")

  2. Load laml-init.scm file from the laml directory by

        (load (string-append laml-dir "laml-init.scm"))

     This loads the fundamental setup file laml.scm, and as such lib4/general.scm, and the Scheme necessary compatility file and - if requested in the your installation file configuration - your laml init file. Other useful stuff is also loaded by laml-init.scm, and you will be located in one of LAML example directories.

  3. Now process LAML files with the laml procedure, for instance:

        (laml "index.laml")

     LAML finds file in the so-called LAML startup directory. Change the LAML startup directory with:

        (laml-cd new-dir)

     where new-dir can be absolute, relative, or "..". The function laml-pwd returns the current LAML startup directory.

     Please also notice all the other LAML tools that can be activated from this level.

  If possible, you can arrange that the first two steps are carried out in the init file of your Scheme system.

The Scheme Elucidator is an integrated part the LAML distribution. With respect to installation and setup of the Scheme Elucidator see the Elucidator Installation page. In addition, the distribution contains elucidative documentation of the Elucidator tool itself. See also the Home Page of Elucidative Programming on the Aalborg University WWW site.

The following gives an overview of the most important, general LAML Emacs commands.

• laml-process-current-buffer
  Start LAML asynchronously on the current buffer, say f.laml. This defines the file f.html.
  In the standard setup this command is bound to C-o.

• laml-sync-process-current-buffer
  Start LAML synchronously on the current buffer, say f.laml. This defines the file f.html.
  In the standard setup this command is bound to C-x C-o.

• laml-process-buffer
  Start LAML on particular buffer of your choice, say b. This typically creates the file b.html

• embed
  Embed the currently selected substring or word into a LAML form. A word is selected implicitly by pointing at its first character. This command handles the necessary string splitting and string concatenation.

• unembed
  Unembeds the currently selected form. This is the reverse command to embed. The form is selected by pointing at the start parenthesis or a character in the form name. This command unnests the form, joins neighboring strings, and gets rid of a possibly unnecessary string concatenation form.

• laml-mode
  Set the major mode of the current buffer to LAML mode.

• laml-insert-template
  Insert a stored template. You are prompted for a particular one.

• insert-laml-template
  An alias for laml-insert-template

• nest
  Nest the current Lisp form into an extra form (a general lisp editing command)

• unnest
  The opposite command to nest

Besides these, a variety of specialized template insertion commands are available. They all start with insert-. Use the Emacs completion facility to find out about these.

There also exists a number of more specific emacs command for the Elucidator, the Manual style, and for LENO. See the relevant manual pages for description of these.

In case you want to change the key bindings used by Emacs LAML mode, you will have to change these in emacs-support/dot-emacs-contribution.el

• Changes from version 12 to 13
• Changes from version 13 to 14
• Changes from version 14 to 15
• Changes from version 15 to 16