Re: [cclan-list] Adding load-only source files to ASDF

[Robert G. <rpg...@re...>]

Richard M Kreuter wrote:
> Gary King <gw...@me...> writes:
> 
>> Load-only source files seems to be a perennial ASDF request. The  
>> patch below purports to add load-only Common Lisp source files to  
>> ASDF. One can create a system file with them either by using the new  
>> class "interpreted-cl-source-file" or by using the keyword :load-only- 
>> p. For example, both of the files in the below would only be loaded,  
>> not compiled:
>>
>> (asdf:defsystem test5
>>    :components
>>    ((:module "deps"
>> 	    :pathname "."
>> 	    :components
>> 	    ((:interpreted-cl-source-file "file1")
>> 	     (:file "file2" :load-only-p t)))))
>>
>> If no-one sees any problems with this, I'll commit it soon.
> 
> Why have both a class and a slot?  The lack of a writer suggests that
> you don't expect the value to change once an instance is created; why
> not have just the class?
> 
> In fact, if you're willing to use just a class, I think you can
> implement the functionality as an extension using asdf's protocols:
> 
> (defclass load-only-cl-source-file (cl-source-file)
>   ())
> 
> (defmethod perform ((o compile-op) (c load-only-cl-source-file))
>   nil)
> 
> (defmethod output-files ((o compile-op) (c load-only-cl-source-file))
>   nil)
> 
> (defmethod input-files ((o load-op) (c load-only-cl-source-file))
>   (list (component-pathname c)))
> 
> I named the class "load-only-cl-source-file" because asdf doesn't
> control whether an implementation's LOAD interprets or compiles the
> file.  I'm not certain that this implements everything necessary; it
> does everything the documentation calls for except for adding method
> to EXPLAIN, and does seem to work for a system with two files that
> merely print output when compiled and loaded.
> 
> I'm all for including features that people find useful in asdf.lisp
> itself, however.
> 
I was actually the one who asked for this --- I found myself adding this
to a large number of systems.  In particular to systems I was importing
into ASDF.  Some of those have macros, etc. that need loading only.  A
good example is my tester forms, built on Dick Waters' RT, where I have
tests that check values against structures that are described using #S,
which doesn't compile (at least on ACL).

I figured once I put this kind of source file in about 8 systems that it
was time to move it into asdf proper!  ;-)