Newsgroups: comp.lang.dylan
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From: jpl@nrtc.northrop.com (Jeff P. Lankford)
Subject: Newbie Questions
Message-ID: <Dr1zKI.EI0@gremlin.nrtc.northrop.com>
Sender: news@gremlin.nrtc.northrop.com (Usenet News Manager)
Organization: Northrop Grumman Corporation
Date: Tue, 7 May 1996 20:57:54 GMT
Lines: 40

I've been considering using Dylan/Mindy for programming some run-of-the-mill
applications, and i have questions for which i have yet to find answers.

1. Is there a tutorial available for expert CLOS programmers?

2. How does the programmer control the parser/compiler?  I found apply(), but
   i don't see load() or a read macro. Is there a compile() routine?

3. does Dylan support object polymorphism analogous to CLOS (change-class)?
   i can't find the reference right now, but something i read in "The Mindy
   Compiler and Interpreter" implied that an existing definition couldn't
   be reloaded. If so, does it raise a condition that can be handled?

4. i don't see any example of how to specify a function to be used as
   the key-test for a table, since there is no relevent initialization keyword.
   Is there something like: (setf (key-test my-table) 'my-key-test)?

5. i find no description of support for foreign function interface.
   There is description of interfaces to particular "extension modules".
   How can i invoke X Window and Motif functions from Dylan/Mindy?
   I'd prefer not to have to write an interface method for each function
   i want to use (ala Tcl, Python).

6. is there any way to enable/disable garbage collection for a critical
   section?

7. are there multi-value-bind's, analogous to Common Lisp?

8. Is there a repository / archive of contributed source code?
   has anyone written an assert macro?  The trouble with these new-fangled
   languages is that there is a steep start-up cost associated with building
   a reasonable set of programming components.  If no has written an
   assert, it will make a nice little learning exercise, whose solution i
   would be willing to contribute to a code repository.

Please reply by e-mail, as i don't watch this newsgroup.  I will summarize
for the group, assuming i receive adequate response.
jpl


