trivial-dump-core: Wrapper that allows the saving of the
current lisp image as a "core" or as an "executable" across
implementations.

trivial-dump-core

trivial-dump-core is an MIT-licensed wrapper that provides a common
interface between lisp implementations for the creation of lisp image
files and executables.

Currently trivial-dump-core supports SBCL, Clozure CL and CLISP.

* Installation

  trivial-dump-core is available via [[http://www.quicklisp.org/beta/][quicklisp]]:

#+BEGIN_SRC lisp
  (ql:quickload "trivial-dump-core")
#+END_SRC

  The source repository is at https://github.com/rolando2424/trivial-dump-core

* Library functions

  There are three main functions in trivial-dump-core:

  * dump-image
  
  * dump-image-init

  * save-executable

** dump-image

   The =dump-image= function is used to freeze the state of your Lisp
   session and store it in an "image file." You can then, at a later
   time, load that image file back into your Lisp implementation.

   The =dump-image= function takes the path of the image file as its
   only argument.

** save-executable

   The =save-executable= function creates an executable file that
   includes the Lisp image (you can distribute it as-is without
   needing to install the Lisp implementation on the target
   machine). Some implementations (Clozure, SBCL) will exit after this
   function is called.

   The =save-executable= function takes 3 arguments:

   * =filename= - Path of the executable file

   * =init-function= - Zero-argument function object that acts as the
     entry point to your executable (the equivalent of main() in C).

** dump-image-init
   
   Almost the same as dump-image, but takes and init-function argument, like save-executable.

* Examples

** dump-image

   Let's open up, for example, Clozure CL:

#+BEGIN_SRC
   rolando@rolando-desktop:~$ ccl
   Welcome to Clozure Common Lisp Version 1.7-r14925M  (LinuxX8632)!
   ?
#+END_SRC

   Now we load trivial-dump-core (we assume you have quicklisp
   installed already).

#+BEGIN_SRC
   ? (ql:quickload "trivial-dump-core")
   To load "trivial-dump-core":
     Load 1 ASDF system:
       trivial-dump-core
   ; Loading "trivial-dump-core"
   [package trivial-dump-core]
   (TRIVIAL-DUMP-CORE)
   ?
#+END_SRC

   Let's define a new function:

#+BEGIN_SRC lisp
   ? (defun hello-world ()
       (format t "Hello, World!"))
   HELLO-WORLD
   ?
#+END_SRC

   So now this lisp interpreter has a function called
   =hello-world=. Let's save dump the interpreter state to a file
   called "my-core.ccl":

#+BEGIN_SRC
   ? (trivial-dump-core:dump-image "my-core.ccl")
   To run the image, use the following command in the terminal:
   ccl -I my-core.ccl
   rolando@rolando-desktop:~$
#+END_SRC

   You'll notice that we're back in the command-line. This behaviour
   is implementation-dependent. For example, in CLISP you stay in the
   REPL even after creating an image.

   Also notice the command =ccl -I my-core.ccl= appeared. That's the command
   you have to type in the command-line to make ccl open the image you
   just created. Even though the specific flags you need to use change
   from implementation to implementation, trivial-dump-core will
   always show you the command you need to use to open back the image.

   So let's open it.

#+BEGIN_SRC
   rolando@rolando-desktop:~$ ccl -I my-core.ccl
   Welcome to Clozure Common Lisp Version 1.7-r14925M  (LinuxX8632)!
   ?
#+END_SRC

   So far, everything is the same as usual right? However, before
   creating this image, we defined a new function called
   =hello-world=. This function should still exist, even though we
   closed the lisp interpreter.

#+BEGIN_SRC lisp
   ? (hello-world)
   Hello, World!
   NIL
   ?
#+END_SRC

   As you can see, the function still exists.

   Currently, you can use the =dump-image= function in SBCL, CLISP and
   Clozure CL.

   Keep in mind that you can't open an image using a implementation
   that's different from the one that created it, ie. you can't create
   an image in SBCL and then open it in CLISP.

** save-executable
   This time, let's open up SBCL.

#+BEGIN_SRC
   rolando@rolando-desktop:~$ sbcl
   This is SBCL 1.0.55, an implementation of ANSI Common Lisp.
   More information about SBCL is available at <http://www.sbcl.org/>.

   SBCL is free software, provided as is, with absolutely no warranty.
   It is mostly in the public domain; some portions are provided under
   BSD-style licenses.  See the CREDITS and COPYING files in the
   distribution for more information.
   *
#+END_SRC

   As before, we'll need to load trivial-dump-core using quicklisp.

#+BEGIN_SRC
   * (ql:quickload 'trivial-dump-core)
   To load "trivial-dump-core":
     Load 1 ASDF system:
       trivial-dump-core
   ; Loading "trivial-dump-core"
   [package trivial-dump-core]
   (TRIVIAL-DUMP-CORE)
   *
#+END_SRC

   Let's define a new function.

#+BEGIN_SRC
   * (defun hello-world ()
       (format t "Hello, World!~%"))

   HELLO-WORLD
   *
#+END_SRC

   Finally, we create an executable with the name "sbcl-hello-world"
   using the =save-executable= function, using the =hello-world= has
   the entry point.

#+BEGIN_SRC
   * (trivial-dump-core:save-executable "sbcl-hello-world" #'hello-world)
   [undoing binding stack and other enclosing state... done]
   [saving current Lisp image into sbcl-hello-world:
   writing 3512 bytes from the read-only space at 0x01000000
   writing 2224 bytes from the static space at 0x01100000
   writing 32231424 bytes from the dynamic space at 0x09000000
   done]
   rolando@rolando-desktop:~$
#+END_SRC

   As it already happened with Clozure CL during the =dump-image=
   example, what happens after you call =save-executable= is
   implementation-dependent. In this case, the lisp interpreter closed
   and we are back in the command-line.

   However, there's now a new executable file in the folder. Let's run
   it.

#+BEGIN_SRC
   rolando@rolando-desktop:~$ ./sbcl-hello-world
   Hello, World!
   rolando@rolando-desktop:~$
#+END_SRC

* SBCL and Slime

  There a problem with saving core images in SBCL when it's running
  more than one thread, as is the case with the SBCL+Slime
  combination.

  So to use trivial-dump-core with SBCL running with a Slime prompt,
  the process is a little different.

  You call the functions =dump-image= and =save-executable= as usual,
  but those functions instead of working the normal way, they print
  out a sexp that you need to evaluate in the =*inferior-lisp*= buffer.

** Example

   Inside emacs press =C-u M-x slime RET sbcl RET=.

   When the prompt opens, load trivial-dump-core as normal.

#+BEGIN_SRC
   CL-USER> (ql:quickload 'trivial-dump-core)
   To load "trivial-dump-core":
     Load 1 ASDF system:
       trivial-dump-core
   ; Loading "trivial-dump-core"

   (TRIVIAL-DUMP-CORE)
   CL-USER>
#+END_SRC

   Let's create a new image using =dump-image=.

#+BEGIN_SRC
   CL-USER> (trivial-dump-core:dump-image "sbcl-slime")
   Cannot dump an sbcl image from inside Slime.

   Please go to the *inferior-lisp* buffer in emacs and run the following code:

   (trivial-dump-core::sbcl-dump-image-slime "sbcl-slime")
   NIL
   CL-USER>
#+END_SRC

   Notice the sexp in the message. Copy it into emacs' kill-ring and
   open the =*inferior-lisp*= buffer using =C-x b *inferior-lisp* RET=
   and paste the sexp there.

#+BEGIN_SRC
   * (trivial-dump-core::sbcl-dump-image-slime "sbcl-slime")
   ;; swank:close-connection: NIL
   To run the image, use the following command in the terminal:
   sbcl --core sbcl-slime
   [undoing binding stack and other enclosing state... done]
   [saving current Lisp image into sbcl-slime:
   writing 3512 bytes from the read-only space at 0x01000000
   writing 2224 bytes from the static space at 0x01100000
   writing 35590144 bytes from the dynamic space at 0x09000000
   done]

   Process inferior-lisp finished
#+END_SRC

   The end result is a core file similar to one created in the
   command-line.

   The same thing happens when you try to use =save-executable= with
   SBCL in Slime.

#+BEGIN_SRC
   CL-USER> (ql:quickload 'trivial-dump-core)
   To load "trivial-dump-core":
     Load 1 ASDF system:
       trivial-dump-core
   ; Loading "trivial-dump-core"

   (TRIVIAL-DUMP-CORE)
   CL-USER> (trivial-dump-core:save-executable "sbcl-exec-slime" #'(lambda () (format t "Hello, World!")))
   Cannot run save an sbcl image from inside Slime.

   Please go to the *inferior-lisp* buffer in emacs and run the following code:

   (trivial-dump-core::sbcl-save-slime-and-die "sbcl-exec-slime" #'(LAMBDA ()
                                                                     (FORMAT
                                                                      T
                                                                      "Hello, World!")))
   NIL
   CL-USER>
#+END_SRC

   Copy and paste the form into the =*inferior-lisp*= buffer to create
   an executable.

#+BEGIN_SRC
   * (trivial-dump-core::sbcl-save-slime-and-die "sbcl-exec-slime" #'(LAMBDA ()
                                                                     (FORMAT
                                                                      T
                                                                      "Hello, World!")))
   ;; swank:close-connection: NIL
   [undoing binding stack and other enclosing state... done]
   [saving current Lisp image into sbcl-exec-slime:
   writing 3512 bytes from the read-only space at 0x01000000
   writing 2224 bytes from the static space at 0x01100000
   writing 35340288 bytes from the dynamic space at 0x09000000
   done]

   Process inferior-lisp finished
#+END_SRC


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