fare
add user manual documentation
This looks like a really interesting library, and I like the interface passing style. However, I can't find any user documentation. The article referenced in the README does a good job of explaining interface passing style, but not how to actually use this library. I would like some documentation and examples of how to actually use lisp-interface-library, and what data structures are available.
Can you give an example example of use? A case where you would like the thing explained? A program where you would like to use one of the data structures? A template for the document?
For example: how would I create an AVL tree with non-numeric keys? Or is there a generic way to iterate over collections? is there an equivalent to cl:map that uses interfaces? etc.
Example:
(asdf:make "lil")
(in-package :interface)
(define-interface <string-map> (<avl-tree>)
((key-interface :allocation :class :initform <string> :reader key-interface))
(:abstract)) ;; must be pure or stateful!
(in-package :pure)
(define-interface <string-map> (<avl-tree> interface:<string-map>)
()
(:singleton))
Another way:
(in-package :pure)
(define-interface <parametric-avl-tree>
((key-interface :type <order>
:reader key-interface :initarg :key-interface)
(value-interface :type <type>
:reader value-interface :initarg :value-interface))
(:parametric (key-interface &optional (value-interface <any>))
(make-interface :key-interface key-interface :value-interface value-interface)))
(defparameter <string-avl-tree> (parametric-avl-tree interface:<string>))
Presumably, the parametric-avl-tree ought to be predefined in tree.lisp.
To iterate over collections, enjoy the fact that <collection> inherits from <for-each>, and pure:<fount> or stateful:<fount>
I pushed support for <string-map>, including tests. Tests in test/ are a good place to look for examples.
Well, to me, at least some browsable catalogue, rather than fully-fledged documentation, is enough to make this library more useful. Imagine there is no http://en.cppreference.com/w/cpp and alike and the only thing we have is the source code of C++ STL, which is definitely terrible.
