Method Versions — Retracted May 19th, 2011
Patrick Stein

When I wrote the method-versions library, I had read about ContextL and decided that I only wanted a very small subset of it and wanted it to be very easy to use. It turns out that I didn’t quite understand the complexity-level of ContextL. It is actually very similar to what I had wanted.

With my library, you set up some versions and a variable to track the current version:

(method-versions:define-method-version :v1.0)
(method-versions:define-method-version :v1.1 :v1.0)

(declaim (special *protocol-version*))
(defparameter *protocol-version* :v1.0)

In ContextL, you just set up some layers:

(contextl:deflayer :v1.0)
(contextl:deflayer :v1.1 (:v1.0))

In my library, you then set up a generic function that uses a special method combination that keys off of the special variable:

(defgeneric send-cmd (cmd)
  (:method-combination method-versions:method-versions-method-combination
                       *protocol-version*))

In ContextL, you declare a layered function:

(contextl:define-layered-function (cmd))

In my library, you then declare different methods using the version as a method qualifier.

(defmethod send-cmd ((cmd login-cmd))
  (send-string (login-name cmd))
  (send-string (login-password cmd)))

(defmethod send-cmd :v1.0 ((cmd login-cmd))
  (send-string (login-name cmd))
  (send-string (login-password cmd))
  (send-string (login-location cmd)))

In ContextL, you declare layered methods specifying which layer the functions belong to:

(contextl:define-layered-method send-cmd ((cmd login-cmd))
  (send-string (login-name cmd))
  (send-string (login-password cmd)))

(contextl:define-layered-method send-cmd :in :v1.0 ((cmd login-cmd))
  (send-string (login-name cmd))
  (send-string (login-password cmd))
  (send-string (login-location cmd)))

In my library, you set your special variable appropriately and invoke the method:

(let ((*protocol-version* :v1.1))
  (send-cmd cmd))

In ContextL, you declare which layer you want to be active when you go to invoke the method:

(contextl:with-active-layers (:v1.1)
  (send-cmd cmd))

My library does not let you specify other method qualifiers like :around or :after. ContextL does.

I am going to leave my library published because I think it is a reasonably understandable, yet non-trivial, use of non-standard method combinations. However, I am going to end up using ContextL for the projects that I had intended for my library.

CL-FFT v1.4.2011.03.24 released March 24th, 2011
Patrick Stein

Elliott Johnson provided me with some patches for my CL-FFT library so that it will work with Allegro modern mode (mlisp).

Thank you!

CL-Growl patched for CCL April 29th, 2010
Patrick Stein

Alexandre Paes submitted a patch for my CL-Growl library so it now works with CCL (aka. Clozure, formerly OpenMCL), too.

Here is the source tarball: cl-growl_1.1.2010.04.29.tar.gz and the corresponding GPG signature: cl-growl_1.1.2010.04.29.tar.gz.asc. For other ways to access this code, see the CL-Growl page.

Thank you, Alex!

Submitted small bug-fix to iPhone Spelling Toy February 10th, 2010
Patrick Stein

I just uploaded the first update to my iPhone Spelling Toy. The update includes two minor changes:

  • Corrected spelling of siete (Spanish for seven)
  • Corrected spelling of colores (Spanish for colors)

Today, I am working on adding animal drawings.

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