2015-04-28

New feature: Quicklisp library bundles

Quicklisp library bundles are self-contained sets of systems that are exported from Quicklisp and loadable without involving Quicklisp.

I added the feature to the Quicklisp client on April 18th and announced it at ELS on the 20th. To get it, use (ql:update-client). It will be available when you restart for the next session.

I've wanted to provide this feature since the beginning of Quicklisp. I primarily pictured this as a kind of delivery tool, where your project should have access to a specific set of supporting libraries without the complexity of Quicklisp loaded in as well.

The interface is pretty simple: (ql:bundle-systems '("foo" "bar" "baz") :to "my-bundle/") will produce a file named "my-bundle/bundle.lisp" that, when loaded, will make "foo", "bar", and "baz" accessible via ASDF without involving Quicklisp at all. All the libraries on which "foo", "bar", and "baz" depend are also included in the bundle, recursively.

The bundle can be relocated without any issues. All its pathnames and indexes are relative to its bundle.lisp.

When bundle.lisp is loaded, the systems in the bundle take precedence over all other ASDF systems. Multiple bundles can be loaded at the same time; the most recently loaded one has the highest precedence. And a bundle can be loaded more than once. If loaded again, it will be moved to the top of the precedence list again.

Bundles also have a local-projects directory that adds some of the automagic from the Quicklisp local-projects feature. Bundle local-projects systems take precedence over the bundle's "built-in" systems.

Quicklisp library bundles are also documented! But they are only lightly tested. If you think library bundles might help you solve a problem, please give them a try and let me know if you have any problems or questions.

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