Re- Summary-the init.lisp file

[STEVE.M@AppleLink.Apple.COM (Aladdin Systems,Steven Mitchell,PRT)]

Sub:    Summary: the init.lisp file
 
In reply to Mathieu Lafourcade's recent message:
 
> The file init.lisp must be in the same folder as the MCL
> application. (Darryn J Kozak )
 
In MCL 2.0 final (reportedly coming to an APDA near you in a few
months), I believe save-application with the :init-file keyword
will accept any pathname, so the init file can be anywhere.
 
If the filename ends in ".lisp", and there is a ".fasl" file with
a later "write date" ("modification date" is the Macintosh term),
the fasl file will be loaded instead. The fasl will be loaded if
it is found and the lisp file is not (or does not exist). My guess
is that no file types other than ".lisp" and ".fasl" will be
treated specially, and that the 4 character Finder file type will
not be examined.
 
 
> The init.lisp file is only used if you start up MCL by
> opening the application,
> not by double-clicking on the icon for a lisp file.
> This seemed pretty counter-intuitive to me, but it is
> documented. (dan)
 
This is documented, and I believe MCL has always behaved this way,
to give you an easy way to avoid loading your init file, and to
allow your various applications to customize their own environments.
 
However, I have a suspicion that MCL 2.0 final may load your init
file no matter how you start MCL, at least if you have done
save-application with the :init-file keyword. This makes sense to
me - you did ask for the init file to be loaded when MCL is started.
Further, MCL could be started by an AppleEvent from another program
asking it to open a document; in this case you probably don't want
your init file bypassed. You can do a separate save-application to
save each of your applications (hence the name); each can have its
own init file.
 
 
> BTW : In a summary, "do I have to" refer to the author of the mail?
> What do you prefer, being glorified or being shadowed?
 
You will have to reply for the people who want to be shadowed. If I'd
known you glorify, I'd have responded sooner. You know, some people
who have put up questions in the past have offered a modest prize :-).
But seriously, can you spell plagiarism?
 
_Steve (my true name)