I am working on the zebu-compiler.system file for the Zebu parser
software, and would like some help understanding some of the finer
points of .system construction. The zebu grammar compiler has two
ways of specifying grammars: the so-called `null-grammar' and a
meta-grammar called "zebu-mg". Part of the zebu-compiler.system (as
modified by Rudi Schlatte's patches) build involves generating a lisp
source file from a null-grammar specification (a .zb file) of the
meta-grammar and then lisp-compiling that to an (in this case) .x86f
file (I am using the defsystem.lisp that comes with the Debian CMUCL
2.5.0 packages). However, this is causing some difficulties because
of where the intermediate lisp file wants to go, and that it keeps
getting overwritten (e.g. when being compiled for different
lisp.cores), causing the `make' to think that the earlier binaries are
out of date and need rebuilding.
I understand from skimming the source code that `modern' mk:defsystem
(mk:*defsystem-version* -> "3.2 Interim, 2000-03-15") has added some
features (e.g. support of non-lisp compilers) not documented in the
circa 1990 mk:defsystem user guide, and I am trying to understand how
to fix the .system file to avoid the problems discussed above. I was
thinking that if the system could be told how to build a .x86f file
directly from a .zb (i.e. zebu grammer file) then that would perhaps
solve the problem. How does one add compilers to mk:defsystem? How
would one specify a nice safe place to park the intermediate lisp file
where it won't cause confusion?
Any other solutions from those who understand modern mk:defsystem
better than I do are more than welcome.
Thanks.
--
Russell Senior ``The two chiefs turned to each other.
·······@aracnet.com Bellison uncorked a flood of horrible
profanity, which, translated meant, `This is
extremely unusual.' ''
The "external language" support that has been added in the latest
versions of MK:DEFSYSTEM essentially deals with a specific case of
gcc. Even this is far from satisfactory given what I personally
expect of a tool that deals with a C compiler and above all the
preprocessor and linker specifications -I and -L.
Cheers
--
Marco Antoniotti ========================================================
NYU Courant Bioinformatics Group tel. +1 - 212 - 998 3488
719 Broadway 12th Floor fax +1 - 212 - 995 4122
New York, NY 10003, USA http://bioinformatics.cat.nyu.edu
Like DNA, such a language [Lisp] does not go out of style.
Paul Graham, ANSI Common Lisp
Russell Senior wrote:
> I am working on the zebu-compiler.system file for the Zebu parser
> software, and would like some help understanding some of the finer
> points of .system construction...
Hello Russell. I have a distribution of Zebu for which I've written a
defsystem that employs some of the techniques in which you're interested
(including the use of MK:DEFINE-LANGUAGE). Please see the LISA project
site for downloads:
http://sourceforge.net/projects/lisa
Regards,
--
-----------------------------------------------------------------
David E. Young
Fujitsu Network Communications (defun real-language? (lang)
(········@computer.org) (eq lang 'LISP))
"The fact that ... we still
live well cannot ease the pain of
feeling that we no longer live nobly."
-- John Updike