RE: [Gcl-devel] Questions concerning Documentation, Sockets, FFI

[Mike Thomas]

Hi Eric.

Thanks for the details.

> On linux info is pretty much natural so there
> were no issues with it.

The info files should be accessible from the Lisp command prompt (Windows,
Linux or any other) using the "describe" function.  The following example
worked for me after clicking on a shortcut to "gclm.bat" and also after
running "saved-gcl.exe" from a DOS box.

If this example - (describe '+) - doesn't work for you let me know:

============================================================================
=
>(describe '+)

+ - external symbol in LISP package
 value:
   (DESCRIBE 'DEFUN)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
+
[Function]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
+                                                          [Special
variable]

>From (+ gcl.info):

+                                                                [Function]
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

   `+'  &rest numbers =>  sum

Arguments and Values::
......................

   number--a number.

   sum--a number.

Description::
.............

   Returns the sum of numbers, performing any necessary type
conversions in the process.  If no numbers are supplied, 0 is returned.

Examples::
..........

      (+) =>  0
      (+ 1) =>  1
      (+ 31/100 69/100) =>  1
      (+ 1/5 0.8) =>  1.0

Exceptional Situations::
........................

   Might signal type-error if some argument is not a number.  Might
signal arithmetic-error.

See Also::
..........

   *Note Numeric Operations::, *Note Rational Computations::, *Note
Floating-point Computations::, *Note Complex Computations::

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-


>
============================================================================
=

> On a second note a little readme in the binary
> (windows at least) describing the docs, what they are,
> where they are, and how to convert them would probably
> solve any problem that arises.

Yes.  This sounds like a cross-platform documentation problem.  Perhaps we
could also add a note to the REPL start-up message describing "describe".

Cheers

Mike Thomas.