RE: [Axiom-developer] Debugging Boot

[Bill Page]

On November 24, 2006 2:40 AM Martin Rubey wrote:

> > > > I.e., how can I access, say, an Axiom variable from 
> > > > I'd like to say 
> -------------------------------------------------------------
> > > > p := (x**2)::OUTFORM
> > > > 
> > > > )fin
> > > > 
> > > > putWidth(p)
> > > > 
> --------------------------------------------------------------
> > 
> Vanuxem Gregory <address@hidden> writes
> > A more simple way (without history):
> > 
> > (cddadr (find-if #'(lambda (a) (eql (car a) 'Q)) (caar |
> > $InteractiveFrame|))))
> > 
> > Where Q (or for example |a|) is the name of the variable. 
> 
> Thanks, that seems to do the trick. unfortunately, I seem to 
> be unable to use boot-syntax in boot-mode :-(

I think there might be some confusion. There is no such thing as
"boot-mode" in Axiom. When you see the BOOT> prompt you are
interacting with the Lisp intepreter. The prompt BOOT> indicates
that you are in the "BOOT" package, i.e. the BOOT namespace which
the default namespace for the Axiom interpreter. (Yes, it is a
confusing name.)

> 
> For example, I'd like to interpret
> 
>   putWidth u is [[.,:n],:.] => n
> 
> but (is (|putWidth| u) [[.,:n],:.])
> 
> doesn't work...

Keep in mind that BOOT is a *compiler*, not an interpreter. You
would first of all have to compile

  putWidth u is [[.,:n],:.] => n

into Lisp code. Then you could enter the result to be interpreted
by Lisp. But I think you would find that rather awkward.

I think what you probably want to do is keep the source code of
the entire routine that you are debugging in a file. Make changes
to it, re-compile it, and load the resulting lisp code - replacing
the previous function definintions. Then execute some test in
Axiom.

Regards,
Bill Page.