New Test Suite Creates a new test suite
window (see section 2.10)
Open... Opens a find-file dialog for choosing a file to
load into a definitions window.
Open Recent Lists recently opened
files. Choosing one of them opens that file for editing.
Open Test Suite... Opens a test suite file
(see section 2.10).
Install PLT File... Opens a dialog asking
for the location of the PLT file (either on the local disk
or on the web) and installs the contents of the PLT file.
Revert Re-loads the file that is currently in the
definitions window. All changes since the file was last saved will
be lost.
Save Definitions Saves the program in the definitions
window. If the program has never been saved before, a save-file
dialog appears.
Save Definitions As... Opens a save-file dialog for
choosing a destination file to save the program in the definitions
window. Subsequent saves write to the newly-selected file.
Save Other Contains these sub-items
Save Definitions As Text... Like Save
Definitions As..., but the file is saved in plain-text format (see
DrScheme Files). Subsequent saves also write in
plain-text format.
Save Interactions Saves the contents of the interactions
window to a file. If the interaction constants have never been saved
before, a save-file dialog appears.
Save Interactions As... Opens a save-file dialog for
choosing a destination file to save the contents of the interactions
window. Subsequent saves write to the newly-selected file.
Save Interactions As Text... Like Save
Interactions As..., but the file is saved in plain-text format (see
DrScheme Files). Subsequent saves are write in plain-text
format.
Log Definitions and Interactions... Starts a
running of log of the text in the interactions and
definitions windows, organized by executions. In a
directory of your choosing, DrScheme saves files with the
names 01-definitions, 01-interactions, 02-definitions,
02-interactions, etc as you execute and interact with
various programs.
Print Definitions... Opens a dialog for printing the
current program in the definitions window.
Print Interactions... Opens a dialog for printing the
contents of the interactions window.
Close Closes this DrScheme window. If this window is
the only open DrScheme window, DrScheme quits.
Quit or Exit Exits DrScheme (under
Mac OS X this menu item is in the apple menu).
All Edit menu items operate on either the definitions or interactions
window, depending on the location of the selection or blinking
caret. Each window maintains its own Undo and Redo history.
Undo Reverses an editing action. Each window maintains a
history of actions, so multiple Undo operations can reverse
multiple editing actions.
Redo Reverses an Undo action. Each
window (and boxed-subwindow) maintains its own history of
Undo actions, so multiple Redo operations can
reverse multiple Undo actions.
Cut Copies the selected text to the clipboard and
deletes it from the window.
Copy Copies the selected text to the clipboard.
Paste Pastes the current clipboard contents into the
window.
Delete or Clear Deletes the selected text.
Select All Highlights the entire text of the buffer.
Wrap Text Toggles between wrapped text and
unwrapped text in the window.
Find Opens a search dialog or, depending on the
preferences, an interactive searching window attached to the frame.
Find Again Finds the next occurrence of the text
that was last searched for.
Replace & Find Again Replaces the selection with the
replace string (if it matches the find string) and finds the next
occurrence of the text that was last searched for.
Search in Files... Opens a dialog where you
can specify the parameters of a multi-file search. The
results of the search are displayed in a separate window.
Keybindings Shows all of the keybindings
available in the current window.
Preferences... opens the preferences dialog. See
section 3.2 (In Mac OS X, this menu item is under
the apple menu)
One each of the following show/hide pairs of menu items
appears at any time.
Show Definitions Shows the definitions window.
Hide Definitions Hides the definitions window.
Show Interactions Shows interactions window.
Hide Interactions Hides interactions window.
Show Contour Shows a ``20,000 foot''
overview window along the edge of the DrScheme
window. Each pixel in this window corresponds to a letter
in the program text.
Hide Contour Hides the contour window.
Show Profile Shows the current profiling
report. This menu is only useful if you have enabled
profiling in the Language dialog. Profiling does not
apply to all languages. When it does, the checkbox that
enables it is in the details portion of the dialog.
Hide Profile Hides any profiling
information currently displayed in the DrScheme window.
Split Splits the current window in half to
allow for two different portions of the current window to
be visible simultaneously.
Collapse
If the window has been split before, this menu item becomes
enabled, allowing you to collapse the split window.
Note: whenever a program is executed, the interactions window is made
visible if it is hidden.
Choose Language Opens a dialog for selecting the
current evaluation language. Click Execute to make the
language active in the interactions window. See
section 2.5 for more information about the
languages.
Add Teachpack... Opens a
find-file dialog for choosing a teachpack to extend the current
language. Click Execute to make the teachpack available in the
interactions windows. See Extending DrScheme for information on creating teachpacks.
Clear All Teachpacks Clears all of the current teachpacks.
Click Execute to clear the teachpack from the interactions window.
In addition to the above menus, there is a menu item for
each teachpack that clears only that one teachpack.
Execute Resets the interactions window and executes the
program in the definitions window.
Break Breaks the current evaluation.
Kill Terminates the current evaluation.
Clear Error Highlight Removes the red
background that signals the source location of an error.
Create Executable... Creates a separate launcher for running
your program. See Executables for more info.
Create Servlet... Creates a servlet with the
contents of the current definitions window, for use in the
web server.
Module Browser... Prompts for a file and
then opens a window showing the module import structure
for the module import DAG starting at the selected module.
The module browser window contains a square for each
module. The squares are colored based on the number of
lines of code in the module. If a module has more lines of
code, it gets a darker color.
In addition, for each normal import, a blue line drawn is
from the module to the importing module. Similarly, purple
lines are drawn for each for-syntax import. In the initial
module layout, modules to the left import modules to the
right, but since modules can be moved around
interactively, that property might not be preserved.
To open the file corresponding to the module, right click on the box
for that module (control-click under Mac OS).
Reindent Indents the selected text according to the
standard Scheme formatting conventions. (Pressing the Tab key has
the same effect.)
Reindent All Indents all of the text in either the
definitions or interactions window, depending on the location of the
selection or blinking caret.
Comment Out with Semicolons Puts ``;''
characters at each of the the beginning of each selected line of text.
Comment Out with a Box Boxes the selected
text with a comment box.
Uncomment Removes all ``;'' characters at
the start of each selected line of text or removes a comment box
around the text. Uncommenting only removes a ``;'' if it
appears at the start of a line and it only removes the first
``;'' on each line.
Insert Comment Box Inserts a box that is
ignored by DrScheme; use it to put comments to people
reading your program.
Insert Image... Opens a find-file dialog for selecting
an image file in GIF, BMP, XBM, or XPM format. The image is treated
as a value.
Insert Fraction... OPENS a dialog prompting
for a mixed-notation fraction and inserts that into the
current editor.
Insert Large Letters... Opens a dialog
asking for a line of text and inserts a large version of
that (made with semicolons and spaces) into the current
editor.
Insert Lambda Inserts the symbol lambda
into the program. This has the same behavior as if
lambda were typed at this point, except that the
lambda symbol is implicitly delimited from neighboring
characters.
Insert XML Box
This menu item inserts an XML box. XML boxes must contain
which are s-expressions representing the XML expression.
See also XML in DrScheme.
Insert Scheme Box
Inserts a Scheme box. These boxes contain Scheme code and
are meant to be inside XML boxes.
See also XML in DrScheme.
Insert Scheme Splice Box
Inserts a Scheme splice box. These boxes are intended to
be inside XML boxes. The Scheme expression inside must
evaluate to a list and that list is spliced into the
containing XML box.
See also XML in DrScheme.
Opens a window that lists all of the opened DrScheme
frames. Selecting one of them brings the window to the
front.
Most Recent Window Toggles between the
currently focused window and the one that most recently had
the focus.
Next Window
Brings the next window to the front.
Previous Window
Brings the previous window to the front.
Additionally, after the above menu items, this menu contains
an entry for each window in DrScheme. Selecting a menu item
brings the corresponding window to the front.
This panel controls the main font used by DrScheme.
Indenting
This panel controls which keywords DrScheme recognizes for indenting,
and how each keyword is treated.
General
Auto-save files -- If checked, the editor generates
autosave files (see DrScheme Files) for files that have not been saved after five
minutes.
Backup files -- If checked, when saving
a file for the first time in each editing session, the
original copy of the file is copied to a backup file in
the same directory. The backup files have the same name
as the original, except that they end in either
.bak or ~.
Map delete to backspace -- If checked, the editor
treats the Delete key like the Backspace key.
Show status-line -- If checked, DrScheme shows a status
line at the bottom of each window.
Count line and column numbers from one -- If
checked, the status line's line:column counter counts from
one. Otherwise, it counts from zero.
Display line numbers in buffer; not character
offsets -- If checked, the status line shows a line:column
display for the current selection rather than the character offset
into the text.
Wrap words in editor buffers -- If checked, DrScheme editors
auto-wrap text lines by default. Changing this preference affects
new windows only.
Use separate dialog for searching -- If checked,
then selecting the Find menu item opens a separate
dialog for searching and replacing. Otherwise, selecting
Find opens an interactive search-and-replace panel at
the bottom of a DrScheme window.
Reuse existing frames when opening new files
-- If checked, new files are opened in the same DrScheme
window, rather than creating a new DrScheme window for
each new file.
Enable keybindings in menus -- If checked, some
DrScheme menu items have keybindings. Otherwise, no menu items
have key bindings. This preference is designed for
people who are comfortable editing in Emacs and find the
standard menu keybindings interfere with the Emacs keybindings.
Automatically print to postscript file -- If checked,
printing will automatically save postscript files. If not, printing
will use the standard printing mechanisms for your computer.
Scheme
Highlight between matching parens -- If checked, the
editor marks the region between matching parenthesis with a gray
background (in color) or a stipple pattern (in monochrome) when
the flashing caret is next to a parenthesis.
Correct parens -- If checked, the editor automatically
converts a typed ``)'' to ``]'' to match ``['', or it converts a
typed ``]'' to ``)'' to match ``(``.
Flash paren match -- If checked, typing a closing
parenthesis, square bracket, or quotation mark flashes the
matching open parenthesis/bracket/quote.
Warnings
Ask before changing save format -- If checked, DrScheme
consults the user before saving a file in non-text format (see
DrScheme Files).
Verify exit -- If checked, DrScheme consults the user
before exiting.
Only warn once when executions and interactions are not
synchronized -- If checked, DrScheme warns the user on the first
interaction after the definitions window, language, or teachpack is
changed without a corresponding click on Execute. Otherwise,
the warning appears on every interaction.
HTTP Proxy
This preferences panel allows you to configure your HTTP
proxy. Contact your system administrator for details.
Profiling
This preference panel configures the profiling report. The
band of color shows the range of colors that profiled
functions take on. Colors near the right are used for code
that is not invoked often and colors on the right are used
for code that is invoked often.
If you are interested in more detail at the low end,
choose the ``Square root'' check box. If you are
interested in more detail at the upper end, choose the
``Square'' check box.
Check Syntax
This panel controls the font and color styles used by the Check
Syntax colorizations.
Browser
This panel contains a single choice, allowing you to
either read the help with an external, platform-specific
browser, or to use PLT's (relatively poor, but stable)
built in browser.
Most key presses simply insert a character into the editor (``a'',
``3'', ``('', etc.). Other keys and key combinations act as keyboard
shortcuts that move the blinking caret, delete a line, copy the
selection, etc. Keyboard shortcuts are usually trigger by key
combinations using the Control, Meta, or Command key.
C-key = This means press the Control key, hold it
down and then press key and then release them
both. For example: C-e (Control-E) moves the blinking caret to the end
of the current line.
M-key = Same as C-key, except with the
Meta key. Depending on your keyboard, Meta may be called ``Left'',
``Right'' or have a diamond symbol, but it's usually on the bottom row next
to the space bar. M-key can also be performed as a
two-character sequence: first, strike and release the Escape key, then
strike key. Under Windows and Mac OS, Meta is only
available through the Escape key.
DEL = The Delete key.
SPACE = The Space bar.
Note: On most keyboards, ``<'' and ``>'' are shifted characters. So, to
get M->, you actually have to type Meta-Shift->. That is, press and
hold down both the Meta and Shift keys, and then strike ``>''.
Note: Many of the key bindings can also be done with menu items.
Under Windows, some of these keybindings are actually standard menu items.
Those keybindings will behave according to the menus, unless the
Enable keybindings in menus preference is unchecked.
If you are most familiar with Emacs-style
key bindings, you should uncheck the Enable keybindings in menus
preference. Many of the keybindings below are inspired by Emacs.
The standard extension for a Scheme program file is
.scm. The extensions .ss and .sch
are also acceptable.
DrScheme's editor can saves a program file in two different formats:
Plain-text format --
All text editors can read this format. DrScheme saves a program
in plain-text format by default, unless the program contains
images or text boxes. (Plain-text format does not preserve
images or text boxes.)
Plain-text format is platform-specific because different
platforms have different newline conventions. However, most
tools for moving files across platforms support a ``text''
transfer mode that adjusts newlines correctly.
Multimedia format --
This format is specific to DrScheme, and no other editor
recognizes it. DrScheme saves a program in multimedia format by
default when the program contains images, text boxes, or
formatted text.
Multimedia format is platform-independent. Use a ``binary''
transfer mode when moving multimedia-format files across
platforms. (Using ``text'' mode may corrupt the file.)
When you modify an existing file in DrScheme and save it, DrScheme
copies the old version of the file to a special backup file if no
backup file exists. The backup file is saved in the same directory as
the original file, and the backup file's name is generated from the
original file's name:
Under Unix and Mac OS, a tilde (~) is added to the end of
the file's name.
Under Windows, the file's extension is replaced with
.bak.
When a file in an active DrScheme editor is modified but not saved,
DrScheme saves the file to a special autosave file after five minutes
(in case of a power failure or catastrophic error). If the file is
later saved, or if the user exists DrScheme without saving the file,
the autosave file is removed. The autosave file is saved in the same
directory as the original file, and the autosave file's name is
generated from the original file's name:
Under Unix and Mac OS, a pound sign (#) is added to the start
and end of the file's name, then a number is added after the
ending pound sign, and then one more pound sign is appended to
the name. The number is selected to make the autosave filename
unique.
Under Windows, the file's extension is replaced with a number
to make the autosave filename unique.
On start-up, DrScheme reads configuration information from
a preferences file.
The name and location of the preferences file depends on the platform
and user:2
Under Unix, preferences are stored in .plt-prefs.ss
in the user's home directory.
Under Windows, if the HOMEDRIVE and HOMEPATH environment
variables are defined, preferences are stored in
%HOMEDRIVE%\%HOMEPATH%\plt-prefs.ss,
otherwise preferences are stored in plt-prefs.ss in the
directory containing the MrEd executable.
Windows NT, XP, 2000: When DrScheme is launched under Windows
NT, XP, or 2000 and HOMEDRIVE and HOMEPATH are not set, Windows
automatically sets the variables to indicate the root directory of
the main disk. Therefore, when HOMEDRIVE and HOMEPATH are not set,
the preferences file plt-prefs.ss is saved in the root
directory of the main disk.
Under Mac OS X, preferences are stored in
.plt-prefs.ss in the user's preferences folder. Under
Mac OS Classic, preferences are stored in plt-prefs.ss in the
system preferences folder.
A lock file is used while modifying the preferences file, in the same
directory as the preferences file. Under Windows and Mac OS Classic, the
lock file is named .LOCKplt-prefs.ss, and on other
platforms, it is .LOCK.plt-prefs.ss.
If the user-specific preferences file does not exist, and the file
plt-prefs.ss in the defaults collection does
exist, then it is used for the initial preference settings. (See
Library Collections and MzLib for more
information about collections.) This file thus allows site-specific
configuration for preference defaults. To set up such a
configuration, start DrScheme and configure the preferences to your
liking. Then, exit DrScheme and copy your preferences file into the
defaults collection as plt-prefs.ss. Afterward, users
have no preferences will get the preference settings you chose.
2 The MzScheme procedure find-system-path
returns the platform-specific path when given the argument
'pref-file.