[Ilisp-devel] Re: [Ilisp-help] edit-definitions-lisp problems

[Lynn Q. <qu...@AI...>]

Bob Rogers wrote:
>  I can only imagine that
>  the ilisp process filter is running during the sit-for interval, and it
>  somehow fails to preserve the current buffer. 

Are native threads somehow being used here?  I am running on a dual processor
AMD Athlon machine.  That might help to explain the problem.

Wrapping save-excursion around (sit-for 1) fixes some of the problems,
but I encountered another problem:

When I did a M-. in a real application I got an error in
lisp-make-cl-method-definition-regexp.  It appears to be a 
bug related to case-sensitivity in read-from-string.  See below.

I did M-. on a method call (selected-object interactor) and got an
error:

Here is the *Messages* buffer
and backtrace:
 
*Messages*
Finding any selected-object definitions
GUI::SELECTED-OBJECT is a generic function with 1 method.
lisp-find-next-possibility returned [cl-struct-ilisp-defn-spec (nil nil "(METHOD GUI::SELECTED-OBJECT NIL)") "(METHOD GUI::SELECTED-OBJECT NIL)" "function" "/m/opt/IU/FREEDIUS/lisp/basic-gui/interactor.lisp" nil nil].
[doing (lisp-locate-definition-in-file lisp-locate-clisp [cl-struct-ilisp-defn-spec (nil nil "(METHOD GUI::SELECTED-OBJECT NIL)") "(METHOD GUI::SELECTED-OBJECT NIL)" "function" "/m/opt/IU/FREEDIUS/lisp/basic-gui/interactor.lisp" nil nil] t).]
Searching /m/opt/IU/FREEDIUS/lisp/basic-gui/interactor.lisp for function (METHOD GUI::SELECTED-OBJECT NIL)
[doing (lisp-locate-clisp (nil nil "(METHOD GUI::SELECTED-OBJECT NIL)") "function" t nil).]
lisp-make-cl-method-definition-regexp: 
Entering debugger...
_______________________________

Backtrace:
Debugger entered--Lisp error: (wrong-type-argument consp NIL)
  reverse(NIL)
  lisp-make-cl-method-definition-regexp("(METHOD GUI::SELECTED-OBJECT NIL)")
  lisp-make-cl-method-fspec-finder([cl-struct-ilisp-defn-spec (nil nil "(METHOD GUI::SELECTED-OBJECT NIL)") "(METHOD GUI::SELECTED-OBJECT NIL)" "function" "/m/opt/IU/FREEDIUS/lisp/basic-gui/interactor.lisp" nil nil])
  lisp-make-cl-definition-regexp([cl-struct-ilisp-defn-spec (nil nil "(METHOD GUI::SELECTED-OBJECT NIL)") "(METHOD GUI::SELECTED-OBJECT NIL)" "function" "/m/opt/IU/FREEDIUS/lisp/basic-gui/interactor.lisp" nil nil])
  lisp-locate-clisp((nil nil "(METHOD GUI::SELECTED-OBJECT NIL)") "function" t nil)
  lisp-locate-definition-in-file(lisp-locate-clisp [cl-struct-ilisp-defn-spec (nil nil "(METHOD GUI::SELECTED-OBJECT NIL)") "(METHOD GUI::SELECTED-OBJECT NIL)" "function" "/m/opt/IU/FREEDIUS/lisp/basic-gui/interactor.lisp" nil nil] t)
  lisp-next-definition(nil t)
  next-definition-lisp(nil t)
  lisp-edit-definitions-normal(("GUI" "::" "selected-object") "any" nil nil)
  edit-definitions-lisp(("GUI" "::" "selected-object") "any")
  call-interactively(edit-definitions-lisp)
_______________________________

I tracked to problem down to the NIL being passed to reverse is not eq
to nil.  (I didn't realize Elisp read-from-string was case sensitive.)

   null(intern("NIL")) = nil

Thus lisp-make-cl-method-definition-regexp("(METHOD GUI::SELECTED-OBJECT NIL)")
calls reverse(NIL).



BTW: I appreciate your suggestion to consider using SLIME.  I have
     downloaded the cvs sources for SLIME, studied the sources and
     have tried using it.  My impressions are:

   .  The SLIME communication architecture is a major improvement over
      that in ILISP.

   .  SLIME offers a better integrated debugging environment.

   .  SLIME is currently not ready for "prime time" use.  

   .  SLIME is a serious project and is likely to produce a far
      superior replacement for ILISP.