Standalone application problems

[Andrew L. M. Shalit <alms>]

   Date: Thu, 20 Dec 90 12:49:28 cst
   From: rodney@huntsai.boeing.com (Rodney Daughtrey)


   When I try to create a standalone application, the resulting
   application behaves strangely when I run it.  In my application,
   I have a menu item whose MENU-ITEM-ACTION is as follows:

   '(eval-enqueue
     '(progn (foo)
	     (ask *my-modeless-dialog* (window-show))
	       .
	       .))

   When I attempt to execute this menu item, FOO is executed correctly,
   but then I get the error

   >ERROR: NIL cannot be FUNCALLed or APPLYed

I believe ASK is a special form which isn't handled by the simple
evaluator.  Hence, this call will invoke the compiler.  In general,
you shouldn't count on evaluating anything more than simple function
calls in a stand-alone application.

   Also, other modal dialogs don't work correctly. Dialogs invoked with
   the MODAL-DIALOG call often won't respond to clicking on
   buttons in the dialog (i.e. the DIALOG-ITEM-ACTIONS for these buttons
   are not run).  Clicking outside the dialog, however, does produce a
   beep, as usual.

When you create the actions, make sure you say #'(lambda . . .),
rather than '(lambda . . .).  The latter form will invoke the
compiler at run time.

     -andrew