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https://github.com/vindarel/replic
Build a terminal application in no time from an existing library.
https://github.com/vindarel/replic
common-lisp readline
Last synced: about 1 month ago
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Build a terminal application in no time from an existing library.
- Host: GitHub
- URL: https://github.com/vindarel/replic
- Owner: vindarel
- Created: 2018-01-28T19:48:57.000Z (almost 7 years ago)
- Default Branch: master
- Last Pushed: 2023-01-04T17:14:43.000Z (about 2 years ago)
- Last Synced: 2024-05-19T05:36:08.366Z (8 months ago)
- Topics: common-lisp, readline
- Language: Common Lisp
- Homepage:
- Size: 130 KB
- Stars: 31
- Watchers: 4
- Forks: 3
- Open Issues: 2
-
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.org
Awesome Lists containing this project
README
[[http://quickdocs.org/replic][file:http://quickdocs.org/badge/replic.svg]]
* Replic
Building a readline application is cool, but readline gives you the
basics and you must still build a REPL around it: loop and read
commands, catch a =C-c=, a =C-d=, ask confirmation to quit, print the
general help, the help of a command, setup the completion of commands, the
completion of their arguments, load an init file,
colorize output,... =replic= does this for you.
You can use =replic= as a *ready-to-use executable* or as a *library*.
Using the executable, you can define functions and variables in
=~/.replic.lisp=, give them completion candidates, and use them
straight away on the replic command line.
With the library you can automatically build a
REPL and turn functions you already have into commands in the readline prompt,
with the process described below.
There are a few examples below, in =src/examples.lisp= and expect more to come.
This is an attempt at generalizing what I did several times with
=cl-readline=.
What this is *not*:
- this is not a Lisp REPL. See [[https://github.com/koji-kojiro/cl-repl][cl-repl]] for that (itself not a
replacement for Slime ;) )
- this is not a shell. See [[https://github.com/bradleyjensen/shcl][shcl]] or [[https://github.com/nibbula/lish][Lish]].
Example applications built on replic:
- [[https://github.com/vindarel/cl-torrents][cl-torrents]]
- [[https://github.com/OpenBookStore/openbookstore][OpenBookStore]]
- here's [[https://github.com/vindarel/lyrics/commit/0a75ae78a172b2aba427d2a5911d8034174c43fd][a commit]] that added replic capabilities to a library. The
library was to be used on the Lisp REPL. With the creation of an
executable and 5 lines of =replic= setup, we can use it in the
terminal, as a readline-based application with nice autocompletion.
** Installation
You can [[https://gitlab.com/vindarel/replic/-/jobs][download the executable]] (a 14MB zipped download, a 60Mo
GNU/Linux x64 self-contained binary, instant start-up !), make it
executable (=chmod +x replic=) and run it: =./replic=,
or build it yourself.
- the library is on Quicklisp and on [[http://ultralisp.org/][Ultralisp]]:
: (ql:quickload "replic")
or clone this repo into =~/quicklisp/local-projects/=,
then build the executable with =make build=.
Run it:
: ./replic -h
#+BEGIN_SRC text
Available options:
-h, --help Print this help and exit.
-q, --quiet Do not load the init file.
-l, --load ARG Load the given file.
#+END_SRC
: ./replic
and see the available commands:
: replic > help
: replic > help help
Now add commands in your lisp init file (see next section) or build an
application with it (see the Developer section).
** User: the executable and the init file
Given the example =~/.replic.lisp= below, you can
try =hello = (completion for =hello=) and =goodbye =,
where can be completed from what was given to =hello=.
#+BEGIN_SRC lisp
(in-package :replic.user)
(defparameter *names* '()
"List of names (string) given to `hello`. Will be autocompleted by `goodbye`.")
(defun hello (name)
"Takes only one argument. Adds the given name to the global
`*names*` variable, used to complete arguments of `goodbye`.
"
(format t "hello ~a~&" name)
(push name *names*))
(defun goodbye (name)
"Says goodbye to name, where `name` should be completed from what was given to `hello`."
(format t "goodbye ~a~&" name))
(replic.completion:add-completion "goodbye" (lambda () *names*))
(export '(hello goodbye))
#+END_SRC
#+html:
Note that only the =export='ed functions and parameters will be taken
into account.
See more examples in the =src/examples.lisp= file of this repository.
*** Define a default completion function for a command's arguments
First write a function or a variable and =export= it. It becomes a command
in the command line interface.
You can tell a command to complete its arguments against a given
variable or function:
#+BEGIN_SRC lisp
(replic.completion:add-completion "goodbye" (lambda () *names*))
;; or
(replic.completion:add-completion "goodbye" #'my-function)
#+END_SRC
Now everytime you type =goodbye fooTAB=, the lambda function is run and
you get completion candidates that start with "foo".
The functions must return a list of strings.
When you have many functions whose arguments should be completed similarly,
you can set a default completion function:
#+BEGIN_SRC lisp
(setf replic.completion:*default-command-completion* #'my-function)
#+END_SRC
*** A different completion function for each argument
Each parameter of a command can be completed with its own method.
Let's define a command =say= that wants first a greeting message, and
then a name:
#+BEGIN_SRC lisp
(defun say (verb name)
(format t "~a, ~a !~&" verb name))
#+END_SRC
We can provide the completion functions in the same order as the arguments:
#+BEGIN_SRC lisp
(replic.completion:add-completion "say"
(list "greetings" "\"nice to see you\"")
(lambda () *names*))
#+end_src
Now if you type =say TAB= you get the two greeting choices. After you
pick one and press TAB again, you get the names that were given to
=hello=.
*** Built-in commands
You get a built-in =help= command that shows the documentation of
functions and variables:
#+BEGIN_SRC text
replic > help
Available commands
==================
help ... Print the help of all available commands.
reload ... NIL
set ... Change a variable, see its value, or see all variables.
quit --- Quit the application.
Available variables
===================
*verbose* ... If true, print debugging information during the program execution.
#+END_SRC
Write a preamble and a postamble in =*help-preamble*= and =*help-postamble*=.
You can read the help of a specific command or variable (with completion):
: help help
The general =help= shows the first paragraph of the
functions/parameters docstring, the =help = function is more
complete and shows all of it.
*** Setting and seeing variables
=set= can be used with zero, one or two arguments:
: set
shows all available variables,
: set *variable*
this prints the value of this variable (use auto-completion),
: set *variable* new-value
and this sets a new value. "yes", "true" and "t" denote true.
We kept the "earmuffs" to denote variables.
*** Configuration file
Replic reads an =init=-like configuration file. It searches a
=.replic.conf= file under =~/.config/= and at the user's home
directory (=~/.replic.conf=).
These are the default parameters with their default values:
#+BEGIN_SRC text
[default]
confirm-exit = true
verbose = false
prompt = >
history = true
write-history = true
#+END_SRC
"true", "True" and "t" are truthy and "false", "False" and "nil" are falsy.
By default, replic reads and sets the options of the =[default]= section.
You can have a section per program:
#+BEGIN_SRC text
[myprogram]
option = val
#+end_src
Options of config files are overriden by command line arguments.
** Developer: using replic as a library with an existing system
=replic= is in Quicklisp:
: (ql:quickload "replic")
Follow the documentation below, and see example applications on [[https://github.com/vindarel/replic/wiki][the wiki]].
*** Change the prompt
You can change the prompt. It defaults to "> ". It can contain ansi colors.
#+BEGIN_SRC lisp
(setf replic:*prompt* (cl-ansi-text:green "replic > "))
#+END_SRC
You can add a prefix to it, for example one that changes with the
state of the application (current directory,...):
#+BEGIN_SRC lisp
(setf replic:*prompt-prefix* (format t "(~a) " "sthg"))
#+END_SRC
and concatenate the two with =(replic:prompt)=.
*** [optional] Load base commands (help, reload, set)
If you want to have the base commands (=help=, =reload=, =set=,
=quit=), import the base package:
#+BEGIN_SRC lisp
(replic.completion:functions-to-commands :replic.base)
#+END_SRC
*** Create commands from a package's exported functions
This is the core of the library.
Create the commands you'll find at the readline prompt from the
/exported/ functions and variables of a given package:
#+BEGIN_SRC lisp
(replic.completion:functions-to-commands :my-package)
#+END_SRC
To exclude functions, use the =:exclude= list:
#+BEGIN_SRC lisp
(replic.completion:functions-to-commands :my-package :exclude '("main"))
#+END_SRC
For more control, you can create a command from one given function:
#+BEGIN_SRC lisp
(replic.completion:add-command :function :package)
;; add a variable:
(replic.completion:add-variable :*variable* :package)
#+END_SRC
It is generally a good idea to have a package for the lisp functions
you'll use at the repl, and another package for the ones that must be
commands at the readline interface.
*** [optional] Automatically printing the result of functions
A lisp function from a library usually returns some result and doesn't
necessarily print it. If you want =replic= to automatically print it,
ask it like so:
#+BEGIN_SRC lisp
(replic:autoprint-results-from :my-package :exclude '("exclude" "those-functions"))
#+END_SRC
*** [optional] Overriding the default printing of results
We export a default =print-result (result)= function, which is called
for functions whose results are printed automatically (see
=autoprint-results-from= and =autoprint-results-p=).
A user can override this function in his/her lisp init file:
#+BEGIN_SRC lisp
;; ~/.replic.lisp
(in-package :replic)
(defun print-result (result)
(format t "=== this new result is:~&")
(format t "~a~&" result))
#+END_SRC
In doing so, you should see a warning at startup:
: WARNING: redefining REPLIC:PRINT-RESULT in DEFUN
*** Load a config file
=replic= searches by default for a =.replic.conf= (see above). The
function =replic.config:apply-config= takes as paramaters:
- (warn: the parameters order was changed on Jan, 2023) an optional
section parameter (string), defaults do the "default" section.
- an optional package name, defaults to =:replic=.
If you do this:
#+BEGIN_SRC lisp
(replic.config:apply-config)
#+END_SRC
this will read the settings inside the "default" section, and it will
apply them to the parameters of the =replic= package. So, you can
change "confirm-exit" and other built-in parameters (see below).
If you have a config file with another section:
#+BEGIN_SRC text
[default]
confirm-exit: true
[my-app]
confirm-exit: false
#+end_src
You would read the "my-app" section with:
#+BEGIN_SRC lisp
(replic.config:apply-config "my-app")
#+END_SRC
this still tries to set =replic='s default parameters.
: WARN: this is less tested.
If you do:
#+BEGIN_SRC lisp
(replic.config:apply-config "my-app" :my-app-package)
#+END_SRC
this will try to set the parameters of your own application.
As an optional third parameter, you can give another file name:
#+BEGIN_SRC lisp
(replic.config:apply-config :mypackage ".mysoftware.conf")
#+END_SRC
*** Default parameters
The exported variables from the package you give as argument can be
overriden in the config file. For example, the =:replic= package
exports:
#+BEGIN_SRC text
(:export :main
:confirm
:repl
:help
:set
:reload
;; settings ;; <--- exported *parameters* start here.
:*help-preamble*
:*help-postamble*
:*prompt*
:*prompt-prefix*
:*confirm-exit*
:*write-history*
:*verbose*))
#+END_SRC
so we can configure:
#+BEGIN_SRC text
[default]
write-history = true
verbose = true
prompt = my silly prompt
#+END_SRC
and so on.
*** Start the repl
Start the repl:
: (replic:repl)
That's it. You didn't have to write the REPL.
# For illustration, this is [[https://github.com/vindarel/cl-torrents/commit/ebc1dba5b168dd8432bff42c52a90e3bc6e19454#diff-1b0d53aa910ad7e1016f52042eb10b53L285][the code we saved]] by switching to replic
# (not counting the extra features).
*** Settings
Variables that are exported from a package on the lisp side will
be automacitally available for the config file and read when the
application starts up. The rule is that in the config file, we don't
use earmuffs (=*foo*= -> =foo=). Lispers shall use a lispy config
file anyway.
The available variables are:
- =*verbose*= (bool): if true, print debugging information during the program execution.
- =*confirm-exit*= (bool): if true (the default), ask for
confirmation when a user tries to exit the program with a =C-d= (EOF).
- =*prompt*= (str): the readline prompt. Defaults to simply => =. Can
contain ansi colours (use =cl-ansi-text:green= for example).
- =*confirm-exit*= (t or nil): if =t= (the default), ask for
confirmation when the user tries to exit the command line with a
=C-d= (EOF).
- =*write-history*= (t or nil): if =t= (the default), write the
commands to the app's history. (this needs =cl-readline= superior
to may, 2018)
- =*help-preamble*=: text to display at the beginning of the help.
- =*help-postamble*=: text to display last.
*** Other helpers
- print colored output from markdown or code with pygments:
=(format-markdown txt :lang "md")=. It outputs text for a console
display with ansi colours. Needs [[http://pygments.org][pygments]], or
does nothing.
** Readline settings
The [[https://tiswww.case.edu/php/chet/readline/readline.html][GNU Readline]] library provides settings you might take advantage
of. We can set the settings in the [[https://tiswww.case.edu/php/chet/readline/readline.html#SEC9][readline init file]] (=~/.inputrc= by
default, obeys the =INPUTRC= environment variable).
For example, you can change the *completion behavior*. This:
: TAB: menu-complete
inserts the first completion candidate, even if there are many,
instead of showing the list of choices under the prompt.
If you prefer *vi mode*:
: set editing-mode vi
etc. See readline's documentation.
** Dev
This is a generalization on =cl-readline=. See also the simple [[https://github.com/vindarel/cl-readline-example][cl-readline
example]]. Once you've built two even basic readline apps you'll want
to factorize the common parts.
We want to store a list of commands (functions, "verbs") and a list of
variables (the ones to use with "set"). We want to read them from any
Lisp file, hence we need to remember the package they come from. This
mechanism is provided through an interface in =completion.lisp=.
Clone this repo in QL's local projects (=~/quicklisp/local-projects=).
Build the executable:
: make build
You can build the binary with SBCL core compression (see commented
.asd). We passed from a 78 to a 18MB binay, but the startup time
increased from 0.04 to 0.26s, which is noticeable. We don't use
compression by default.
*** Develop and test interactively into the console
By starting a swank server in the (real) Lisp repl we can compile code
in our editor and try instantly in the terminal, without re-building
the executable. See this [[http://turtleware.eu/posts/cl-charms-crash-course.html][cl-charms crash course]] for now. Some details
need fixing.
Simpler and still handy, you can add =trace= statements into your
=.replic.lisp=, call the =reload= command and see the effects. Then,
=(untrace)= and reload.
** Changelog
dev
- 2023-01: updated reading a section. Fix loading the ini file for
another app.
To load the ini file, use:
: (replic.config:apply-config)
this will read the "default" section and will check the parameters of
the =replic= package. Optionally, you can read another section of the
ini file:
#+BEGIN_SRC text
[default]
confirm-exit: true
[my-app]
confirm-exit: false
#+end_src
and load it:
: (replic.config:apply-config "my-app")
- read an option from a given section.
This:
: (replic.config:apply-config :myprogram)
only reads and sets options of the "myprogram" section and set the
matching variables found in =:myprogram=.
- July, 2022: added =with-rl-completion=
- v0.12, upcoming in Quicklisp of november
- added: a different completion for each command argument
- added: completion for sentences (strings in quotes).
- Quicklisp, october 2019
- fixed 0.11 regression: arguments had to always be surrounded by
quotes (sept, 14th). We can now write =command arg1 "second arg"=
as expected.
- v0.11 (end of june, 2019)
- added a declarative way to automatically print a function's
result. The default function can be overriden by users (in order
to, for example, color the output).
- fixed: a quoted string on the readline prompt is now understood as
one single argument.
** Resources
- [[https://github.com/vindarel/cl-readline][cl-readline]]
- [[https://github.com/vindarel/cl-readline-example][cl-readline-example]]
Learning:
- [[https://github.com/LispCookbook/cl-cookbook][Common Lisp Cookbook]]
- https://github.com/CodyReichert/awesome-cl#learning-and-tutorials
Getting started:
- [[https://lispcookbook.github.io/cl-cookbook/editor-support.html][Common Lisp editors (Emacs, Portacle, Vim, Lem, Atom, Sublime), notebooks, REPLs]]
- https://lispcookbook.github.io/cl-cookbook/getting-started.html