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Look Ma, no console! 13 Aug 2013 | 06:48 pm
pLisp is now officially a GUI app. The code still contains #ifdefs to revert to console mode if required, but the results are decent enough to persist with this change. I zeroed in on GTK+ after dithe...
Building a Lisp Interpreter from Scratch -- Part 12: Exception Handling and Object System 4 Jul 2013 | 08:33 pm
(This is Part 12 of a series of posts on pLisp) This post is almost an afterthought, since I initially thought of winding up with Part 11. But then I got to working on exceptions and an object system...
Building a Lisp Interpreter from Scratch -- Part 11: This and that 17 Jun 2013 | 04:28 pm
(This is the final part of a series of posts on pLisp) Well, it's time to wind up the series. It's been fun, spending time doing two of my favourite things (programming and writing; the only way this...
Building a Lisp Interpreter from Scratch -- Part 10: Foreign Functions 6 Jun 2013 | 10:03 pm
(This is Part 10 of a series of posts on pLisp) The foreign functions interface in pLisp is the gateway to access and use external code. It is defined by two special forms, LOAD-FOREIGN-LIBRARY and C...
May 27, 2013 27 May 2013 | 10:36 pm
(Obligatory 'Random thoughts on the IPL' post of the year) 1. If there is a single piece of imagery that succinctly captures the essence of this whole sordid IPL season -- no, make that the entire IP...
Building a Lisp Interpreter from Scratch -- Part 9: Serialization 24 May 2013 | 07:00 pm
(This is Part 9 of a series of posts on pLisp) Serialization in pLisp is an all-or-nothing thing, i.e. not at the level of individual objects, but at the image level. You can invoke the CREATE-IMAGE ...
May 20, 2013 20 May 2013 | 08:33 pm
Quick, what's the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word "shochaley"? If you answered "Vidya Balan", pat yourself on the back and stand in the line over there for your lollipop. I under...
Building a Lisp Interpreter from Scratch -- Part 8: Garbage Collection 6 May 2013 | 04:54 pm
(This is Part 8 of a series of posts on pLisp) There are many algorithms available for garbage collection. We go with the simplest (well, the second simplest, since mark-and-sweep is simpler, but nee...
May 3, 2013 3 May 2013 | 07:54 pm
Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel. Watching Musharraf's travails after his return to Pakistan reminds me of a Tom and Jerry cartoon: the one where Tom sneaks furtively into a yard, only ...
Building a Lisp Interpreter from Scratch -- Part 7: Continuations 23 Apr 2013 | 11:10 pm
(This is Part 7 of a series of posts on pLisp) Ah, continuations. The feature that needed so much wracking of the brain, so much rewrite of the code to implement. All this frustration stemmed from a...
