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diff --git a/doc/interactive_programming.md b/doc/interactive_programming.md index 92906d01..5474d5f9 100644 --- a/doc/interactive_programming.md +++ b/doc/interactive_programming.md @@ -1,16 +1,36 @@ -The idea of interactive programming is at the very heart of CIDER. +Traditional programming languages and development environments often +use a [Edit, Compile, Run +Cycle](http://wiki.c2.com/?EditCompileLinkRun). In this environment, +the programmer modifies the code, compiles it, and then runs it to see +if it does what she wants. The program is then terminated, and the +programmer goes back to editing the program further. This cycle is +repeated over and over until the program behavior conforms to what the +programmer desires. While modern IDEs have optimized this process to +be quick and relatively painless, it's still a slow way to work. -Programmers are expected to program in a very dynamic and incremental manner, -constantly re-evaluating existing Clojure definitions and adding new ones to -their running applications. You never stop/start a Clojure application while -using CIDER - you're constantly interacting with it and changing it. +Clojure and CIDER offer a better way to work called *interactive +programming*. Indeed, this idea is at the very heart of CIDER. -CIDER comes with a handy minor mode called `cider-mode` (complementing -`clojure-mode`) that allows you to evaluate code in your Clojure source -files and load it directly in the REPL. `cider-mode` is the primary -way you're supposed to be interacting with your REPL process. If you -want to get productive with CIDER, you'll have to get intimately familiar -with it. +Using CIDER's interactive programming environment, a programmer works +in a very dynamic and incremental manner. Instead of repeatedly +editing, compiling, and restarting an application, the programmer +starts the application once and then adds and updates individual +Clojure defintions as the program continues to run. Using the CIDER +REPL, the programmer can access the value of different definitions and +invoke program functions with test data, immediately seeing the +result. This methodology is far more efficient than the typical Edit, +Compile, and Run Cycle because the program continues to run and keeps +its state intact while the programmer interacts with it. Indeed, some +Clojure programmers have been known to keep a CIDER session running +for weeks or even months as they continue to write code. + +CIDER's interactive programming environment is partially implemented +using an Emacs minor mode called `cider-mode`. `cider-mode` +complements `clojure-mode` and allows you to evaluate Clojure code +from your source file buffers and send it directly to your running +program through the CIDER REPL. Using the functions offered by +`cider-mode` will improve your productivity and make you a more +efficient Clojure programmer. ## Using cider-mode @@ -72,8 +92,8 @@ Here's a list of `cider-mode`'s keybindings: !!! Tip - There's no need to memorize this list. In any Clojure buffer with `cider-mode` - active you'll have a CIDER menu available, which lists all the most important + There's no need to memorize this list. If you're in a Clojure buffer with `cider-mode` + active you'll have a CIDER menu available. The menu lists all the most important commands and their keybindings. You can also invoke `C-h f RET cider-mode` to get a list of the keybindings for `cider-mode`. @@ -84,10 +104,40 @@ Here's a list of `cider-mode`'s keybindings: An even better solution would be to install [which-key][], which will automatically show you a list of available keybindings as you start typing some - keys. This will simplify your interactions with CIDER quite a lot (especially in - the beginning). Here's what you'd see if you typed <kbd>C-c C-d</kbd> in a + keys. This will simplify your interactions with CIDER quite a lot, + especially in + the beginning. Here's what you'd see if you typed <kbd>C-c C-d</kbd> in a Clojure buffer:  + +!!! Tip + + `cider-find-var` has built-in support for [AVFS][]. AVFS is an a virtual + file system which allows seamless navigation within archives as if they were + normal directories. When AVFS is mounted, `cider-find-var` automatically + opens `jar` and `zip` files inside AVFS folder instead of attempting to + uncompress the archive. + + On Linux-based systems, AVFS is available through the standard + package managers. For example, on Debian derivatives: + + `sudo apt-get install avfs` + + Once installed, you can put `mountavfs` in a place where it will + be invoked + automatically during the startup (`.bash_profile`, for + instance). You can also initialize the + `avfsd` daemon directly like this: + + `/usr/bin/avfsd -o allow_root -o intr -o sync_read .avfs` + + [AVFS][] is not available on Windows but can be installed on MacOS with [some + effort](http://blog.breadncup.com/tag/sunrise-commander/). Some other uses of + [AVFS][] in Emacs include + [dired-avfs](https://github.com/Fuco1/dired-hacks#dired-avfs) and + [sunrise-commander](https://www.emacswiki.org/emacs/Sunrise_Commander_Tips#toc12). + [which-key]: https://github.com/justbur/emacs-which-key +[AVFS]: http://avf.sourceforge.net |