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From: haible@ma2s2.mathematik.uni-karlsruhe.de (Bruno Haible)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.beta
Subject: BETA and X-Windows (was: Re: LISP and X-Windows)
Date: 10 Sep 1994 21:48:51 GMT
Organization: University of Karlsruhe, Germany
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Keywords: beta, lisp, clim, clx, ew, clio, clue, garnet
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In comp.lang.lisp, Norbert Widmann <widmann@Informatik.TU-Muenchen.DE> wrote:
>
> I am a beginning LISP programmer using clisp on a Linux PC. I am 
> trying to use X for displaying some (very simple) graphics and
> animations.
>
> I have clx for clisp and can get the demos working. But I somehow
> can't get my own programms work. Besides I really hate XLib and
> don't care anything about graphic-contexts, drawables and functions
> with 120 parameters.
> ...
> Isn't there an easy to use library using clx functions to
> open a window and draw some lines, circles, etc? Like back
> in those Basic or Logo days. And perhaps double-buffering for 
> animations?
>
> If someone could give me some assistance I would try to
> write it myself, but right now I am really frustrated with
> programming at XLib Level.

When I contrast this situation in Lisp and C to the tiny X11 Hello-World
program for Beta:


ORIGIN '~beta/Xt/v1.8/awenv';

(* The traditional "Hello World" program, 
 * here made by the use of a Label widget
 *)

--- PROGRAM: descriptor --- 

AwEnv
(# hello: @Label;
do hello.init; 
   'Hello World' -> hello.label 
#) 


I can only keep wondering: How do you get Hello-World programs that small?
Are Mjolner's libraries especially "designed" for Hello-World programs?
Is it clever use of inheritance and "initialization methods"? (Please
forgive me the Lisp terminology.)


                    Bruno Haible
                    haible@ma2s2.mathematik.uni-karlsruhe.de