LAML This is the homepage of LAML Version 19.00 (January 16, 2003, full). This is the full distribution, including all available documentation. As an alternative, it is possible to download a slim version with only the Scheme files (without the tutorial, without manuals, and without the examples directory). The slim version is much smaller than the full version. The slim version may be OK for a first try of LAML, but we recommend the full version for more serious work. | ![]() |
The LAML home page at the Computer Science WWW server at Aalborg University contains additional and up-to-date information about LAML. The development version of the LAML software home page is also available.
LAML means Lisp Abstracted Markup Language. The main idea behind LAML is to bring XML and HTML into the domain of the Scheme programming language. The LAML tutorial is a good place to start.
You can use the LAML software together with any R4RS compliant Scheme system. The Scheme system must, however, support a few compatibility functions that give access to operating system resources. We recommend that you use one of the XHTML mirrors, or one of the existing XML-in-LAML languages we provide. (The HTML4.01 mirror, as well as number of earlier mirrors, are only supported because a number of useful document styles and tools still make use of them).
The LAML distribution also contains the Scheme elucidator (a tool for creation of elucidative programs), SchemeDoc (a system to document Scheme libraries), and the LENO system (a system for creation of web-based teaching materials). You may also be interested to read the LAML background page.
It is also possible to create your own XML-in-LAML language from an XML DTD, using the LAML DTD parser and the LAML mirror generation tool.
LAML can be used for creation of both static WEB pages and for server side CGI programming purposes (via the cgi library).
For installation details, please see the installation section below.
LAML is free software, as defined by the GNU general public licence.
In order to trace the recent developments of the system please consult the page what is new in LAML.
Below follows a structured overview of the LAML software in terms of library interfaces and programmatic descriptions of styles and tools. Dimmed entries represent old stuff, provided for backward compatibility. Notice that all the examples, as referred by the right column, are found in the examples directory of the full version
|
The following table shows the existing LAML configurations by Scheme systems, Platform and Operating System:
In the table, mzscheme means versions less than 200 of MzScheme. The newest version of MzScheme is version 203 (as of December 31, 2002). In the table, mzscheme-200 refers to that version. Thus, you can use version 203 of MzScheme if you configure LAML with mzscheme-200 instead of mzscheme. Still, version 103 and 101 are to be perfectly OK in relation to LAML. (If you use version 103 or 101, use mzscheme when you configure LAML). Additional details. 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 version 101 on Unix (solaris 8, static LAML and for CGI programming) and version 203 on Windows (Win2000). In the early days of LAML 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 version 103 on Linux. The Mac version (using unix as platform, osx and operating system, and mzScheme-200 as Scheme system) is due to Jens Rasmussen, jens@fordimankan.dk. 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). |
I recommend that you use LAML from GNU Emacs. The Emacs interface makes it possible to activate LAML directly on a buffer, and to produce an HTML file in a very flexible way. The Emacs interface abstracts away the starting of the Scheme system, and the loading of all the necessary files. The Emacs interface works well on both the UNIX and PC (NT4.0/Win98/Win95) platforms. You can download a PC version of Emacs (win95/98/NT) from the GNU FTP site. If you prefer, we offer a zipped version of GNU Emacs 21.2 for Windows from our web site. As of January 2003 I use version 21.2 but earlier versions (such 21.7) will also work without problems. |
The LAML software uses the following non-standard R4RS functions:
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...
The Scheme system compatibility files in lib/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 you have installed LAML, the appropriate compatibility file will be loaded automatically. |
You are supposed to unzip the LAML distribution into a directory of your choice. Next you have to make a few modifications to a configuration file in order to describe properties of your installation. Finally you run a particular Scheme program which effectuates the configuration process. See the LAML installation guide for details on that. We assume that you are a competent Scheme programmer, and as such that you are able to fix simple installation problems that may occur. |
By processing an LAML file (a file with extension laml) the LAML Scheme expressions are translated to HTML.
Thus, by processing the file f.laml you typically get g.html in the same directory.
Usually f equals g (depending on the method of processing). 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:
|
Elucidative Programming in Scheme is supported by a tool which we call the Scheme Elucidator. Elucidative programming is a variant of literate programming in which programs and internal
documentation is presented in an Internet Browser. The Scheme Elucidator is one of the most
substantial LAML-based pieces of software I have written. 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, elucidative documentation of the Elucidator tool is available from the www.cs.auc.dk web site. See also the Home Page of Elucidative Programming on the Aalborg University WWW site. The LAML tutorial is represented as a set of elucidative programs. |
As an integral part of this software package you will find special LAML support from the Emacs editor, including
a LAML mode with both key bindings.
If you followed the installation steps you should be able to use LAML from emacs.
Many LAML command are available via the LAML menu, which will apear when you work on a Emacs buffer in LAML mode. The following gives an overview of the most important, general LAML Emacs commands.
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 (XML-in-LAML version). 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 |
Besides the papers about LAML available from the LAML home page, there is also a slide presentation of the ideas behind LAML. The slides were - in the original version - presented at the Lisp User Group Meeting in Amsterdam in 1999. There is also a brief version available. The slides are made by the LENO tool, which itself is LAML based. The brief version illustrates the LENO trail facility. The slides are not part of the LAML distribution, but available from the www.cs.auc.dk web site. |
We keep track of the changes from one version to the next. Below you can navigate to these |
In order to port the LAML software package to another Scheme system you will need to carry our some programming work. I have written a guide for people who want to port LAML to another Scheme system. |
Kurt Nørmark
Aalborg University
normark@cs.auc.dk
![]() | Generated: January 16, 2003, 23:27:55 |