Re: generating a manual from annotations in source code

[thi <ttn@netcom.com>]

Clark McGrew <mcgrew@ale.physics.sunysb.edu> writes:

> I'd like to see docstrings compiled into the executable since it
> minimizes the number of files that need to be installed.  Imagine for
> a moment an application the is extended by GUILE, but that doesn't
> load any scheme files (ie. everything is implemented as a primitive).
> I want to copy the exe to "joe user" without having to install a lot
> of extra files, but I want include the doc-strings.  It's nice when
> you're able to point somebody at an EXE and say, "copy and run this on
> your machine."

yikes!

paranoid gut reaction aside, perhaps a workable compromise is to have
`lookup-docstring' first consult static tables and then search in
`%doc-path', etc.  runtime selection (or more generally) definition
would be best.

(define (lookup-docstring)
  (cond ((getenv "APP_DOCS_FILE") => get-docs-from-file)
	((getenv "APP_DOCS_PATH") => get-docs-from-path)
	(%doc-path                => get-docs-from-path)
	(else (get-docs-from-internal-tables))))

of course, this code lacks specificity but you get the idea. :->

thi