The Ciao library browser

Author(s): Angel Fernandez Pineda.

The librowser library provides a set of predicates wich enable the user to interactively find Ciao libraries and/or any predicate exported by them.

This is a simple example:

?- apropos('*find*').
persdbrt_sql: dbfindall/4
persdbrtsql: dbfindall/4
conc_aggregates: findall/3
linda: rd_findall/3
vndict: find_name/4
internals: $find_file/8
aggregates: findall/4,findall/3

yes
?-

Librowser is specially useful when inside GNU Emacs: just place the cursor over a librowser response and press C-cTAB in order to get help on the related predicate. Refer to the "Using Ciao inside GNU Emacs" chapter for further information.

Usage and interface

Library usage:
It is not necesary to use this library at user programs. It is designed to be used at the Ciao toplevel shell: ciaosh. In order to do so, just make use of use_module/1 as follows:
use_module(library(librowser)).
Then, the library interface must be read. This is automatically done when calling any predicate at librowser, and the entire process will take a little moment.So, you should want to perform such a process after loading the Ciao toplevel:
```
Ciao 0.9 #75: Fri Apr 30 19:04:24 MEST 1999
?- use_module(library(librowser)).

yes
?- update.
```
Whether you want this process to be automatically performed when loading ciaosh, you may include those lines in your .ciaorc personal initialization file.
Exports:
- Predicates:
  update/0, browse/2, where/1, describe/1, system_lib/1, apropos/1.
Imports:
- System library modules:
  regexp/regexp_code, read, fastrw, system, streams, lists.
- Packages:
  prelude, nonpure, assertions, regexp.

Documentation on exports

PREDICATE

update/0:

This predicate will scan the Ciao system libraries for predicate definitions. This may be done once time before calling any other predicate at this library.

update/0 will also be automatically called (once) when calling any other predicate at librowser.

Usage:

Creates an internal database of modules at Ciao system libraries.

PREDICATE

browse/2:

This predicate is fully reversible, and is provided to inspect concrete predicate specifications. For example:

?- browse(M,findall/A).

A = 3,
M = conc_aggregates ? ;

A = 4,
M = aggregates ? ;

A = 3,
M = aggregates ? ;

no
?-

Usage:browse(Module,Spec)

Asocciates the given Spec predicate specification with the Module which exports it.

The following properties should hold at call time:
(librowser:module_name/1)Module is a module name (an atom)
(librowser:pred_spec/1)Spec is a Functor/Arity predicate specification

PREDICATE

where/1:

This predicate will print at the screen the module needed in order to import a given predicate specification. For example:

?- where(findall/A).
findall/3 exported at module conc_aggregates
findall/4 exported at module aggregates
findall/3 exported at module aggregates

yes
?-

Usage:where(Spec)

Display what module to load in order to import the given Spec.

The following properties should hold at call time:
(librowser:pred_spec/1)Spec is a Functor/Arity predicate specification

PREDICATE

describe/1:

This one is used to find out which predicates were exported by a given module. Very usefull when you know the library, but not the concrete predicate. For example:

?- describe(librowser).
Predicates at library librowser :

apropos/1
system_lib/1
describe/1
where/1
browse/2
update/0

yes
?-

Usage:describe(Module)

Display a list of exported predicates at the given Module

The following properties should hold at call time:
(librowser:module_name/1)Module is a module name (an atom)

PREDICATE

system_lib/1:

It retrieves on backtracking all Ciao system libraries stored in the internal database. Certainly, those which were scanned at update/0 calling.

Usage:system_lib(Module)

Module variable will be successively instantiated to the system libaries stored in the internal database.

The following properties should hold at call time:
(librowser:module_name/1)Module is a module name (an atom)

PREDICATE

apropos/1:

This tool makes use of regular expresions in order to find predicate specifications. It is very usefull whether you can't remember the full name of a predicate. Regular expresions take the same format as described in library patterns. Example:

?- apropos('atom_*').

terms: atom_concat/2
concurrency: atom_lock_state/2
atomic_basic: atom_concat/3,atom_length/2,atom_codes/2
iso_byte_char: atom_chars/2

yes
?-

Usage:apropos(RegSpec)

This will search any predicate specification Spec which matches the given RegSpec incomplete predicate specification.

The following properties should hold at call time:
(librowser:apropos_spec/1)RegSpec is a Pattern/Arity specification.

Documentation on internals

REGTYPE

apropos_spec/1:

Defined as:

apropos_spec(_1).
apropos_spec(_1/Arity) :-
        int(Arity).

Usage:apropos_spec(S)

S is a Pattern/Arity specification.

The Ciao library browser

Usage and interface

Documentation on exports

Documentation on internals

Module Sections

Global Links

Indices