mira
Section: User Commands (1)
Updated: November 2019
- NAME
-
- SYNOPSIS
-
- DESCRIPTION
-
- OPTIONS
-
- SPECIAL CALLS
-
- ENVIRONMENT
-
- FILES
-
- SEE ALSO
-
- COPYRIGHT
-
NAME
mira - the Miranda(tm) functional programming system
SYNOPSIS
mira
[options]
[file]
DESCRIPTION
Miranda is a functional programming system with lazy evaluation,
polymorphic strong typing and function definition by pattern matching.
The mira program takes a single argument which is the name of
a file of definitions (called a "script"). If no argument is given a
default name "script.m" is assumed. The names of files
containing miranda scripts must end in ".m" and mira will
add this if missing. The specified file need not yet exist - in this
case you will be starting a Miranda session with an empty current
script.
The basic action of the Miranda system is to evaluate expressions in
the environment established by the script, so in its simplest mode of
use it behaves like a desk calculator. Expressions are typed one per
line, terminated by ENTER.
The interpreter also accepts
certain commands (mostly beginning with a `/' character) - these
include /help or /h which prints a summary of the available
commands, and /man or /m which gives access to the online
manual of the Miranda system (menu driven and self explanatory). This
documents all aspects of the Miranda language and system and should be
consulted for further details. It is also possible to access the
Miranda system manual directly from a UNIX shell by the command mira
-man.
OPTIONS
- -lib pathname
-
Specifies location of the miralib directory. For default see FILES.
Can also be done by setting environment variable MIRALIB. The location
of the miralib directory can be interrogated (but not changed) from
within the miranda session by the command `/miralib'.
- -gc
-
Switches on a flag causing the garbage collector to print information
each time a garbage collection takes place. This flag can also be
switched on and off from within the miranda session by the commands
`/gc', `/nogc'.
- -count
-
Switches on a flag causing statistics to be printed after each
expression evaluation. This flag can also be switched on and off from
within the miranda session by the commands `/count', `/nocount'.
- -list (-nolist)
-
Switches on (off) a flag causing Miranda scripts to be listed to the
screen during compilation. This flag can also be switched on and off
from within the miranda session by the commands `/list', `/nolist'.
- -nostrictif
-
Enables the compiler to accept old Miranda scripts with no `if'
after the guard comma.
- -hush (-nohush)
-
The miranda system decides whether or not to give prompts and other
feedback by testing its standard input with `isatty'. If the standard
input does not appear to be a terminal it assumes that prompts would be
inappropriate, otherwise it gives them. In either case this behaviour
can be overriden by an explicit flag ("-hush" for silence, "-nohush" for
prompts etc). This switch is also available from within a miranda
session by the commands `/hush', `/nohush'.
- -dic SIZE
-
Causes the dictionary, used by the compiler to store identifiers etc.,
to be SIZE bytes (default 100k). This can be interrogated (but not changed)
from within the miranda session by the command `/dic'.
- -heap SIZE
-
Causes the heap to be SIZE cells (default 2500k). This can
changed within the miranda session by the command `/heap SIZE'.
A cell is 9 bytes (2 words of 32 bits, and a tag field).
- -editor prog
-
Causes the resident editor (usual default `vi') to be prog
instead. This can also be done from within the miranda session by the
command /editor prog. Any occurrences of ! and % in
prog will be replaced by the line number and the name of the file
to be edited, respectively. For more detailed discussion see online manual
subsection 31/5.
- -UTF-8 (-noUTF-8)
-
Assume the current locale is (is not) UTF-8 overriding environment vars
(version 2.044 and later).
- -stdenv
-
Run mira without loading the standard environment. Any script needing
functions from <stdenv> will then have to explicitly %include <stdenv>,
or define the required functions itself. Not recommended as normal
practise and may have unexpected consequences.
- -object
-
Used for debugging the compiler. Modifies the behaviour of ?identifier(s)
to show the associated combinator code, which may or may not be comprehensible
as there is no documentation other than the source code.
SPECIAL CALLS
The following special calls to mira do not start a Miranda session
but accomplish another purpose.
- mira -man
-
Enter Miranda online manual from the UNIX shell. From within a
Miranda session this is done by the command `/man' or `/m'.
- mira -version
-
Prints version information. This information can be obtained
within a Miranda session by the command `/version' or `/v'.
- mira -V
-
More detailed version information. Can be obtained within a Miranda session
by the command `/V'.
The remaining special calls are discussed in more detail in the online manual
- we list them here for completeness.
- mira -exec
-
Special call permitting the use of miranda script as a stand-alone
program. See online manual subsection 31/4 for details.
- mira -exec2
-
As -exec except that it redirects stderr to a log file.
See online manual subsection 31/4 for details.
These three relate to separate compilation and Miranda's
built in `make' facility. See online manual section 27 (the library
mechanism):-
- mira -make [files]
-
Checks that all the miranda source files listed have up-to-date .x
(intermediate code) files, triggering compilation processes if necessary.
- mira -exports [files]
-
Sends to stdout a list of the identifiers exported from the given
miranda source files, together with their types (may force compilation
if needed).
- mira -sources [files]
-
Send to stdout a list of all the Miranda source files on which the given
source files directly or indirectly depend (via %include or %insert
statements), excluding the standard environment <stdenv>.
- mira -version
-
Gives version information. This information can also be obtained from
within a Miranda session by the command `/version'.
- mira -V
-
More detailed version information.
ENVIRONMENT
- MIRALIB
-
Specifies the location of the miralib directory. A -lib flag,
if present, overrides this. For default location see FILES.
- EDITOR
-
The first time it is called (i.e. if no .mirarc file is present
in the home directory or in miralib) the miranda system takes
the preferred editor from this environment variable - if
not set `vi' is assumed. Chosen editor can be changed from
within a Miranda session by the command /editor prog.
Any occurrences of ! and % in prog will be replaced
by the line number and the name of the file to be edited, respectively.
For more detailed discussion see online manual subsection 31/5.
- LC_CTYPE, LANG
-
At startup (version 2.044 and later) the miranda system inspects LC_TYPE,
or if that is empty LANG, to
determine if it is running in a UTF-8 locale. On Windows/Cygwin this
information is taken from the user-default ANSI code page. An
explicit -UTF-8 or -noUTF-8 flag, if present, overrides.
- RECHECKMIRA
-
If this is set to any non-empty string the Miranda system checks to see
if any relevant source file has been updated, and performs any
necessary recompilation, before each interaction with the user. This is
the appropriate behaviour if an editor window is being kept open during
the Miranda session. By default the check is performed only after `/e'
commands and `!' escapes. This can also be controlled from
within a Miranda session by the commands `/recheck', `/norecheck'.
- SHELL
-
Determines what shell is used in `!' escapes. This will normally
contain the name of the user's login shell. If no SHELL is present in
the environment, /bin/sh is assumed.
- MIRAPROMPT
-
Sets a string to be used as session prompt instead of the default prompt
"Miranda " (version 2.044 and later).
- NOSTRICTIF
-
If this is set to any non-empty string Miranda accepts old scripts with no `if'
after the guard comma. Equivalent to calling mira with option
-nostrictif. Deprecated - you should put the `if's in.
The behaviour of the menudriver program that displays pages of the online
manual can be modified using three environment variables:-
- VIEWER
-
The program used for displaying pages of the online manual.
If this variable is not set the default is
normally `more -d' or (roughly equivalent) `less -EX'.
If you set VIEWER to something, you may also need to set an environment
variable RETURNTOMENU.
- RETURNTOMENU=YES
-
Prevents another prompt being given after displaying each section,
causing instead an immediate return to contents page. Appropriate if
VIEWER is a program that pauses for input at end of file (e.g.
`less'). It should be `NO' if VIEWER is a program that
quits silently at end of file (e.g. `more -d', `less -EX').
- MENUVIEWER
-
Can be used to
specify the program used to display manual contents pages (default is
usually `cat' or `more').
To find the current settings of the online manual enter ???
to the "next selection" prompt of the manual system.
FILES
- /usr/lib/miralib
-
A directory containing files which mira needs - by default it
looks for this at /usr/lib/miralib, then /usr/local/lib/miralib,
and lastly at ./miralib. If it does not find a miralib of the
same version number as itself in one of these places it exits with a panic
message. This behaviour can be overriden with the -lib option or
by setting the environment variable MIRALIB.
- $HOME/.mirarc
-
Records most recent settings of heap size, dictionary size, editor
and various flags which can be toggled during a session. Written and
read by mira using a peculiar format, not intended to be edited by
humans. The settings can be interrogated within a Miranda session
by the command /settings or /s, and changed by various session
commands (use /aux or /a to list these). The only setting
which cannot be changed in a session is dictionary
size - this is done using the -dic option when mira is invoked.
This rarely needs to be changed, however.
If a .mirarc is
copied to miralib/.mirarc the settings it records will be picked
up by new users, who will not yet have their own .mirarc file. This
allows an administrator to change the default settings, e.g. to
have a default editor other than vi. The $HOME/.mirarc
once created will override the global one, however, allowing users
to make individual choices.
SEE ALSO
http://miranda.org.uk
the Miranda home page.
D.A.Turner An Overview of Miranda, SIGPLAN Notices, 21(12), December 1986.
A convenient summary of the main features of Miranda.
Miranda System Manual. Accessed
by mira -man or /man from within a Miranda session.
COPYRIGHT
The Miranda system is Copyright (c) Research Software
Limited 1985-2019. For distribution terms see the file "COPYING" included
in the distribution.
Index
- NAME
-
- SYNOPSIS
-
- DESCRIPTION
-
- OPTIONS
-
- SPECIAL CALLS
-
- ENVIRONMENT
-
- FILES
-
- SEE ALSO
-
- COPYRIGHT
-
This document was created by
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using the manual pages.
Time: 02:19:14 GMT, December 05, 2019