A java oriented approach for working with ABCL (common lisp on the jvm)


;;################################################
#|
swing_example.lisp
Usage:
ABCL-PROMPT>>> (load "swing_example.lisp")

Use with ABCL (known as Armed Bear Common Lisp)
Author: Berlin Brown <berlin dot brown at gmail.com>
Date: 4/15/2008

"The opposite of a correct statement is a false statement." -- Niels Bohr

*LICENSE* (new bsd license):
-----------------------
[2] http://www.opensource.org/licenses/bsd-license.php

*Short Overview*
---------------
Swing Client View (an swing example implemented for ABCL lisp)

*Full Overview*
---------------
I always have trouble finding the right tool to create simple, throw-away
UIs. I created this code to launch a set of perl test scripts.
I needed basic menu-item/button action handlers and a text-area
to view and/or parse the incoming text that would have normally
been piped to standard output.

I ended up choosing common-lisp as opposed to python or
ruby because the lisp syntax is
just as light, and powerful a general purpose language;
it is perfectly suited for my task.
I commonly use emacs, so I am already equipped with an editor.
I decided to use Swing and ABCL for the
UI toolkit, and for no real particular reason. If I can
create this UI using swing running on the JVM,
it will be 100 times easier using another toolkit. Plus,
swing and the jvm is reliatively
portable. In the future, I hope to convert this to a more
portable MVC architecture.
This Swing widget creation code could operate as the view
for a larger system and then I could
easily switch with another lisp gui toolkit library.

*Setup and Environment*
-----------------------
ABCL runs like any other java application. Once, you compile
the single jar and resource
bundled *.cls lisp binary files, a script is available
that you use to launch the ABCL main class:

org.armedbear.lisp.Main

You need a working java runtime and JDK
(preferablly Sun's jre/jdk 1.5 or greater),
a common lisp implementation (e.g. CMUCL, SBCL, or CLISP)
and the ABCL package.
Download the latest ABCL from sourceforge [1] http://armedbear.org/abcl.html
Any of the common lisp implemenations will work.
In the past, I have compiled
ABCL on win32 cygwin with clisp and Ubuntu Linux with SBCL.
I didn't experience any issues. You may have some
trouble configuring the customization
file to point to your JDK. I had to modify the script
and just removed the operating
system detect code.

I added this to the buttom of the ABCL customizations.lisp file
to override any pre-existing definitions:
(setq *jdk* "C:\\Program Files\\Java\\jdk1.5.0_11\\")
(setq *java-compiler* "javac")

Follow the steps in the README file:
Start your common lisp implemenation and get to the lisp REPL prompt:

Load build-abcl.lisp:

(load "build-abcl.lisp")

Then do:

(build-abcl:build-abcl :clean t :full t)

Launch the ABCL startup script:
$$$ abcl.bat

c:\botclient\botnetclient\lisp\ui\swin
g>org.armedbear.lisp.Main
Armed Bear Common Lisp 0.0.10 (built Tue Apr 8 2008 12:43:18 -0500)
Java 1.5.0_11 Sun Microsystems Inc.
Java HotSpot(TM) Client VM
Low-level initialization completed in 0.656 seconds.
Startup completed in 2.171 seconds.
Type ":help" for a list of available commands.

CL-USER(1): (load "swing_example.lisp")

*Source Code*
-----------------------
This code can be a little hard to follow. There is a lot of typing needed
to setup and instantiate the java classes or access the java fields.
So, I suggest you use lisp syntactic sugar to
beautify and cleanup the example
and remember to send me your patches.

*Useful tests from the ABCL java test suite*
-----------------------
[a] Example to create an instance of a java object
with the String constructor
-------------------
(deftest jnew.1
(let ((constructor (jconstructor "java.lang.String" "java.lang.String")))
(jclass-of (jnew constructor "foo")))
"java.lang.String"
"java.lang.String")

[b] Accessing the 'int' java primitive
-------------------
(deftest jclass-name.8
(jclass-name (jclass "int"))
"int")

[c] Invoking a java method.
-------------------
(deftest jclass.4
(let ((class1 (jcall (jmethod "java.lang.Object" "getClass") "foo"))
(class2 (jclass "java.lang.String")))
(jcall (jmethod "java.lang.Object" "equals" "java.lang.Object")
class1 class2))
t)

[d]
-------------------
(deftest jclass.3
(equal (jclass '|java.lang.String|) (jclass "java.lang.String"))
t)

Example static method call "System.getenv('KEY')
(jstatic "getenv" (jclass "java.lang.System") "KEY")

Java Static Fields:
(jfield-raw "java.lang.Boolean" "TRUE")

*Synonymous java code (see the lisp function initTextAreaLayout)*:
---------------------------------
I created a 100% java skeleton version to see how to
transform that code to lisp. Here is
some of the java source.

import java.awt.BorderLayout;
import java.awt.event.ActionEvent;
import javax.swing.AbstractAction;
import javax.swing.BoxLayout;
import javax.swing.JButton;
import javax.swing.JFrame;
import javax.swing.JMenu;
import javax.swing.JMenuBar;
import javax.swing.JMenuItem;
import javax.swing.JPanel;
import javax.swing.JScrollPane;
import javax.swing.JTextArea;
import javax.swing.JTextField;
import javax.swing.ScrollPaneConstants;
import javax.swing.UIManager;

private void initTextAreaLayout() {
pathField = new JTextField(DEFAULT_PATH, 40);
final JPanel topPanel = new JPanel();
topPanel.setLayout(new BoxLayout(topPanel, BoxLayout.Y_AXIS));
topPanel.add(pathField);

final JPanel buttonPanel = new JPanel();
this.readRequestsButton = new JButton("Run Action");

buttonPanel.add(this.readRequestsButton);
topPanel.add(buttonPanel);

contentArea = new JTextArea(25, 60);
JScrollPane scrollPane = new JScrollPane(contentArea,
ScrollPaneConstants.VERTICAL_SCROLLBAR_ALWAYS,
ScrollPaneConstants.HORIZONTAL_SCROLLBAR_ALWAYS);

getContentPane().setLayout(new BorderLayout());
getContentPane().add(topPanel, BorderLayout.NORTH);
getContentPane().add(scrollPane, BorderLayout.CENTER);
}

*Tested with JDK/JRE version*:
---------------------------------
Java version "1.5.0_11"
Java(TM) 2 Runtime Environment, Standard Edition (build 1.5.0_11-b03)
Java HotSpot(TM) Client VM (build 1.5.0_11-b03, mixed mode)

*Thanks*
---------------------------------
[2] Peter Graves - creator of ABCL

--------------------------------------
** ABCL Lisp Helpers **
--------------------------------------
Example static method call "System.getenv('KEY')
(jstatic "getenv" (jclass "java.lang.System") "KEY")

Fields:
(jfield-raw "java.lang.Boolean" "TRUE")

--------------------------------------
** Useful Java Swing Constructors **
Also see: [3] http://java.sun.com/javase/6/docs/api/javax/swing/JPanel.html
--------------------------------------

JTextField() / JTextField(String text, int columns)
JPanel()
JScrollPane()
/ JScrollPane(Component view) /
JScrollPane(Component view, int vsbPolicy, int hsbPolicy)

*Notes*
[4] ABCL is not forgiving with passing the wrong type to a java method. Make
sure the right type is passed to the right argument.
ABCL returns generic errors:

Debugger invoked on condition of type JAVA-EXCEPTION:
#<JAVA-EXCEPTION {4654F6}>

[5] I defined some constants and parameters at the top of the code to reduce
some redundant code.

(defconstant j-string "java.lang.String")

(defparameter *new-jmenu-item* (jconstructor j-jmenuitem j-string))

|#

;;################################################

(defpackage :swing-view
(:use :common-lisp :java))
(in-package :swing-view)

;;----------------------------
;; ** Java Class String Constant Definitions **
;;----------------------------
(defconstant *default-path* "file://./latin_text.txt")
(defconstant j-string "java.lang.String")
(defconstant j-component "java.awt.Component")
(defconstant j-container "java.awt.Container")
(defconstant j-layout-manager "java.awt.LayoutManager")
(defconstant j-borderlayout "java.awt.BorderLayout")
(defconstant j-actionevent "java.awt.event.ActionEvent")
(defconstant j-abstractaction "javax.swing.AbstractAction")
(defconstant j-boxlayout "javax.swing.BoxLayout")
(defconstant j-jbutton "javax.swing.JButton")
(defconstant j-jframe "javax.swing.JFrame")
(defconstant j-jmenu "javax.swing.JMenu")
(defconstant j-jmenubar "javax.swing.JMenuBar")
(defconstant j-jmenuitem "javax.swing.JMenuItem")
(defconstant j-jpanel "javax.swing.JPanel")
(defconstant j-jscrollpane "javax.swing.JScrollPane")
(defconstant j-jtextarea "javax.swing.JTextArea")
(defconstant j-jtextfield "javax.swing.JTextField")
(defconstant j-scrollpaneconstants "javax.swing.ScrollPaneConstants")
(defconstant j-uimanager "javax.swing.UIManager")

(defparameter *scroll-h-always* (jfield-raw j-scrollpaneconstants
"HORIZONTAL_SCROLLBAR_ALWAYS"))
(defparameter *scroll-v-always* (jfield-raw j-scrollpaneconstants
"VERTICAL_SCROLLBAR_ALWAYS"))

(defparameter *bl-north* (jfield j-borderlayout "NORTH")
"Definition for swing constants")
(defparameter *bl-east* (jfield j-borderlayout "EAST")
"Definition for swing constants")
(defparameter *bl-center* (jfield j-borderlayout "CENTER")
"Definition for swing constants")
(defparameter *bl-west* (jfield j-borderlayout "WEST")
"Definition for swing constants")
(defparameter *bl-south* (jfield j-borderlayout "SOUTH")
"Definition for swing constants")
(defparameter *box-y-axis* (jfield j-boxlayout "Y_AXIS")
"Definition for swing constants")
(defparameter *box-x-axis* (jfield j-boxlayout "X_AXIS")
"Definition for swing constants")

;;----------------------------
;; ** Java method definitions **
;;----------------------------
(defparameter *method-set-layout*
(jmethod j-container "setLayout" j-layout-manager))
(defparameter *method-jmenu-add* (jmethod j-jmenu "add" j-jmenuitem))
(defparameter *method-jpanel-add* (jmethod j-jpanel "add" j-component))
(defparameter *method-container-add* (jmethod j-container "add" j-component))
(defparameter *method-container-add-2* (jmethod j-container "add"
j-component "java.lang.Object"))

;; Java constructor definitions
(defparameter *new-jmenu-item* (jconstructor j-jmenuitem j-string))
(defparameter *new-scroll-pane*
(jconstructor j-jscrollpane j-component "int" "int"))
(defparameter *new-scroll-pane-2* (jconstructor j-jscrollpane "int" "int"))
(defparameter *new-textarea* (jconstructor j-jtextarea "int" "int"))

;;----------------------------
;; Function implementations
;;----------------------------
(defun j-true () (make-immediate-object t :boolean))
(defun j-false () (make-immediate-object nil :boolean))

(defun to-java-string (s)
(jnew (jconstructor "java.lang.String" "java.lang.String") s))

(defun init-swing (jframe)
"Define the frame properties. Add the button panel and menu"
(progn (setNativeLookUI)
(initTextAreaLayout (get-content-pane jframe))))

(defun get-content-pane (jframe)
"Translated to natural language: Using the instance of
the JFrame object called jframe, invoke the getContentPane method
and return an instance of the Container class"

(jcall (jmethod j-jframe "getContentPane") jframe))

(defun new-borderlayout ()
"Create an instance of the border layout class"
(jnew (jconstructor j-borderlayout)))

(defun new-box-layout (panel axis)
(jnew (jconstructor j-boxlayout j-container "int") panel axis))

(defun path-textfield ()
(jnew (jconstructor j-jtextfield j-string "int")
*default-path* 40))

(defun initTextAreaLayout (content-pane)
"Attach the content text area widget and other components
@content-pane (java.awt.Container) - Container we are adding widgets
@see java.awt.Container"

(let* ((text-field (path-textfield))
(contentArea (jnew *new-textarea* 25 60 ))
(topPanel (jnew (jconstructor j-jpanel)))
(buttonPanel (jnew (jconstructor j-jpanel)))
(scrollPane (jnew *new-scroll-pane* contentArea
*scroll-v-always* *scroll-h-always*)))
(format t "INFO: content-pane obj:= [ ~a | ~a ]~%" content-pane topPanel)
(jcall *method-set-layout* topPanel
(new-box-layout topPanel *box-y-axis*))
;; Add TO the top panel; in java this will look
;; like: topPanel.add(pathField)
(jcall *method-jpanel-add* topPanel text-field)
(jcall *method-set-layout* content-pane (new-borderlayout))
(jcall *method-container-add-2* content-pane topPanel *bl-north*)
(jcall *method-container-add-2* content-pane scrollPane *bl-center*)))

(defun setNativeLookUI ()
"Use the operating system native UI look and feel, do not use the Swing oriented look"
(jstatic "setLookAndFeel"
(jclass j-uimanager)
"com.sun.java.swing.plaf.windows.WindowsLookAndFeel"))
(defun createReaderFrame ()
" Create the simple reader frame "
(let ((simpleFrame (jnew (jconstructor j-jframe))))
(init-swing simpleFrame)
(jcall (jmethod j-jframe "pack") simpleFrame)
(jcall (jmethod j-jframe "setVisible" "boolean")
simpleFrame (j-true))))

(defun lisp-main ()
"Main entry point, create the jframe and attach the widget components then
start the jframe thread"

(format t "INFO: creating panel objects~%")
(createReaderFrame))

#+abcl
(lisp-main)

;;################################################
;; End of Script
;;################################################

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