Useful Common Lisp setup on PC


#1

I thought I’d share a way to comfortably work with a CommonLisp interpreter on a larger computer - applies to Linux, Windows and MacOS:

  • install GNU CommonLisp (CLISP)

  • install Sublime Editor

  • in Sublime install SublimeREPL plugin (https://sublimerepl.readthedocs.io/en/latest/)

  • in Preferences/Package Settings/SublimeREPL/Settings-Default change “show_transferred_text” to true and save

  • in Preferences/Key Bindings add the following lines to the user part of the settings and save:

    [
    { “keys”: [“ctrl+alt+b”], “command”: “repl_transfer_current”, “args”: {“scope”: “selection”}}
    ]

  • set Sublime Layout to 2 columns (View/Layout/Columns: 2)

  • set Tools/Build System to “sublimerepl_build_system_hack”

  • in one editor column open Tools/SublimeREPL/Common Lisp/GNU Clisp

  • in other column type in your Lisp code (or load a Lisp file), make sure your View/Syntax is set to Lisp and select your code

  • press Ctrl+Alt+b - your selection is transferred to the REPL and evaluated (you may also use several other ways to transfer your code to the running CLISP interpreter - see Tools/SublimeREPL/Eval in REPL)

Looks like a long list of steps, but it’s not really complicated. The result is a nice lightweight setup with a split screen, one half showing the REPL results, the other one offering an editor panel. Very similar to the common “R” language setup using RStudio.

— EDIT: Works exactly the same way with SBCL as well (Steel Bank CommonLisp), just choose Tools/SublimeREPL/Common Lisp/SBCL as your REPL.
To add graphics, you may use “Sketch”: https://github.com/vydd/sketch
Needs some libraries to be installed beforehand, but works like a charm then.