newlisp -x and embedding data files

[protozen]

Is there a way to embedded files into the compiled executable? I would like to build a self contained website distributed as an executable - delivering static files that have been embedded. Alternatively, can the executable be rewritten if updates were made through such a web app?

[HPW]

Hello,



You may have a look at the link option:



http://www.newlisp.org/downloads/newlisp_manual.html#link">http://www.newlisp.org/downloads/newlis ... .html#link">http://www.newlisp.org/downloads/newlisp_manual.html#link



Regards

[ryuo]

If all else fails you can embed the files into the source code as symbols via [text][/text] blocks. You could put these in external modules. newLISP may embed all the modules loaded via the load function, but I am not heavily familiar with how this feature works. As a last resort, you could create a script that builds the full source file from the individual modules before newLISP creates an executable from it. This is easily done with a Makefile, if you've ever used UNIX development tools.

[protozen]

Thanks for the input ryuo, this is what I was thinking I'd have to do if there was no sanctioned way.

[rrq]

I don't think newlisp -x embeds other than the nominated module.

However, you may well use

Code Select Expand

(write-file "myembedding.lsp" (source))
which gets you a quite decent snapshot of the currently loaded state, in newlisp source.

Then just add the "run clauses", and embed that.

[rrq]

Hmm; I'm sure you'd work it out, but as I tried it, I realized it requires a slightly more complex source clause, such as:

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(write-file "myembedding.lsp"
  (join (map source (filter (fn (s) (context? (eval s))) (symbols)))
    ""))
and this needs to be in the MAIN context.

[rrq]

I already had this on my todo list since I also much prefer free standing executables for production code. So, just to complete the thought, I put together a small embedding module, which takes care of including loaded files into the embedding by means of replacing the standard load function. I've made it available here,

http://www.realthing.com.au/files/newlisp/embed.lsp">//http://www.realthing.com.au/files/newlisp/embed.lsp

It kept me entertained a cold and windy winter Saturday afternoon.

[protozen]

I already had this on my todo list since I also much prefer free standing executables for production code. So, just to complete the thought, I put together a small embedding module, which takes care of including loaded files into the embedding by means of replacing the standard load function. I've made it available here,

http://www.realthing.com.au/files/newlisp/embed.lsp">//http://www.realthing.com.au/files/newlisp/embed.lsp

It kept me entertained a cold and windy winter Saturday afternoon.

Hey thanks for this, I appreciate your input and work.

[Lutz]

Also linked from here: http://www.newlisp.org/modules/various/index.html">http://www.newlisp.org/modules/various/index.html



Ps: changed the location link

[rrq]

I thought to add the note, that often it's best to skip the final embedding step, since that step must be done with the newlisp runtime environment of the target machine. E.g., I have a development machine with libffi.so.6 and a target machine with only libffi.so.5, so my embedded program doesn't run happily ever after.



The point is that the embedded program is still dynamically linked. Therefore it's probably better to rather export the embedding base, which is a self-contained newlisp source, and run this with the target newlisp runtime.  Obviously you should still have the same newlisp version.



Thus, my step 3 should be to add a inital line of

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#!/usr/bin/newlisp

(or similar) to the embedding base, to make it an executable script, instead of the -x embedding to make it a dynamic ELF.



Though, maybe one can pre-link a dynamic executable into an exportable static executable (for compatible OS), but I'm not familar with the hoops and incantations for this.