## #Schemacs update

[ramin_hal9001@fe.disroot.org]

#Schemacs update

---

I decided to merge my #Scheme react-like declarative GUI framework (schemacs ui), even though the back-end isn't completely bug-free yet. (It is still an experimental software project, so the main branch is the development branch).

Though it is written in pure #R7RS "small" Scheme, the only GUI back-end currently available is for Guile users who go to the trouble to install Guile-GI all on their own.

If Guile-GI is installed, put on your safety goggles and run this command in the Guile REPL:

(load "./main-gui.scm")

I haven't tried getting it to work in a Guix shell for almost a year now, but my last attempt did not go well (it crashed while initializing Gtk). To anyone who wants to try the GUI, I am sorry to inconvenience you, but I'm afraid I just have to ask you to please install Guile-GI yourself using the old-fashioned ./configure && make && make install method. If anyone happens to be able to get it to work in a Guix shell, please let me know, or open a PR on the Codeberg Git repository.

The only examples for how to use (schemacs ui) are in the test suite and the Schemacs Debugger. The only documentation so far are the comments in the source code, though I did try to be very thorough with comments.

The "Debugui" debugger works, but only has one single feature: the eval-expression command, which is bound to M-: (Alt-Colon). This command works the same as in #Emacs but you enter a Scheme language command instead. The #EmacsLisp interpreter is not yet connected to the GUI.

Now that this is merged, I am going to work on a few tasks in the Emacs Lisp interpreter that have been pending for more than a few weeks now. Then, back to creating new features in the GUI toward the goal of making it a useful program editor. And also, of course, writing some more documentation.

#tech #software #R7RS #SchemeLang

[baleine@piaille.fr]

@ramin_hal9001 Woah, another guile-gi user! We should organize to continue its development… It seems a bit abandoned and I’d like it to have support for variadic arguments.

P.S. I’m using it in guix shell with little issues in <https://gitlab.gnome.org/noe/gnome-session-shepherd>.

[ramin_hal9001@fe.disroot.org]

@baleine@piaille.fr nice to meet you!

Yes, it seems Guile-GI is the work of just one person who has been maintaining it for many, many years, and is probably getting tired of doing such a thankless chore. Also, there is a competing project, G-Golf, which does just as well, and is more up-to-date.

When I discovered a Guile-GI bug, others here on the Fediverse have told me that the Guile-GI maintianer does participate in discussions on the Guile mailing list, but I haven't tried contacting them about the bug yet.