6 ms·

How to Use Clojure for Scripting

116 points by asimjalis 10y ago

sooheon 10y ago
If you want to keep the repl running this is fine, but for scripts, you should be using planck[1] or lumo[2]. Planck in my experience has nice command-line args parsing by default, both should be fast enough not to be annoying when running scripts. [1] http://planck-repl.org http://planck-repl.org [2] https://anmonteiro.com/2016/11/the-fastest-clojure-repl-in-the-world/ https://anmonteiro.com/2016/11/the-fastest-clojure-repl-in-t...
- krat0sprakhar 10y ago
  Seconded. Planck is fantastic for scripting, and the accompanying tutorial[0] is great for getting started. The only problem is that its OSX only [0] - http://planck-repl.org/scripts.html http://planck-repl.org/scripts.html
  - weavejester 10y ago
    The Planck 2.0 beta has Linux support, I believe.
  - cossovich 10y ago
    Yep, now with Linux support. There's a wiki page[1] that has details on building for different distros. Works a treat on my Ubuntu 16.04 desktop. [1] https://github.com/mfikes/planck/wiki/Building https://github.com/mfikes/planck/wiki/Building
  - Scarbutt 10y ago
    I don't get it, why didn't he used nodejs from the start instead of JSCore so it would have windows,linux,osx support?
    - notduncansmith 10y ago
      So that it would have iOS support via JSCore.
dm3 10y ago
You don't need that `cemerick.pomegranate` import. Boot can already do that - the `deps` functions should look like this: (defn deps [the-deps] (merge-env! :dependencies the-deps))
- asimjalis 10y ago
  Nice. I like it. Thanks!
nebosite 10y ago
I love it. Simple and easy to get started.
Jach 10y ago
Only sort of related, does anyone have any insight into whether Slamhound will eventually support ClojureScript? Namespace declarations were probably my least favorite part about Clojure until I happened on Slamhound, now I pretty much don't have to think about them. Working with ClojureScript without Slamhound is rather annoying...
ethagnawl 10y ago
I thought Boot's scripting features were removed in the 2.0 release? If I remember correctly, there was a major overhaul in both its API and feature set. I'll have to revisit the changelog/docs. Anyways, running a clj file using the provided shebang does indeed work! Albeit _much_ more slowly than a comparable Perl|Python|Ruby script.
abeyer 10y ago
"This turns Clojure into a scripting language much like Python, Ruby, Perl, or Bash" would be if you added a sleep(45) to the beginning of every script you wrote with them. All the latency of a compiled language with all the bugs of dynamic one. :) I'm (mostly) kidding... I want to like clojure. I've always had a soft spot in my heart for lisp, and clojure seems to be the best contender for hitting the right balance between the classic "no syntax at all, just more parens" and various more modern takes on "It's lisp, but with our own weird syntax bits layered on." Unfortunately the JVM'ness of it has shown through so much as to kind of turn me off. (Not least of all the overhead of starting a JVM to do anything.)
- Spiritus 10y ago
  If you think Clojure has too much startup overhead for scripting, maybe Pixie[1] will pique your interest. [1] https://github.com/pixie-lang/pixie https://github.com/pixie-lang/pixie
  - agumonkey 10y ago
    Here's a wonderful talk to introduce its design and value https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AjhFZVfB9c https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AjhFZVfB9c
  - eroiusghs 10y ago
    If I could simply `apt-get install pixi-lang` or `brew install pixi-lang` I'd be using it.
  - abeyer 10y ago
    Thanks, hadn't seen that, but am going to check it out.
- islon 10y ago
  If the JVM or the startup time bother you you can try using ClojureScript with node.js.
- baldfat 10y ago
  > I want to like clojure. I've always had a soft spot in my heart for lisp Have you tried Racket?
jiyinyiyong 10y ago
Boot is too slow to start. Use Lumo, which is based on Node.js and boots really fast. And npm packages are available too. Well, it's more JavaScript than Java. https://github.com/anmonteiro/lumo https://github.com/anmonteiro/lumo
funnyclj 10y ago
how do you start a boot repl in production?

116 points by asimjalis 10y ago

If you want to keep the repl running this is fine, but for scripts, you should be using planck[1] or lumo[2]. Planck in my experience has nice command-line args parsing by default, both should be fast enough not to be annoying when running scripts. [1] http://planck-repl.org http://planck-repl.org [2] https://anmonteiro.com/2016/11/the-fastest-clojure-repl-in-the-world/ https://anmonteiro.com/2016/11/the-fastest-clojure-repl-in-t...

krat0sprakhar 10y ago
Seconded. Planck is fantastic for scripting, and the accompanying tutorial[0] is great for getting started. The only problem is that its OSX only [0] - http://planck-repl.org/scripts.html http://planck-repl.org/scripts.html
- weavejester 10y ago
  The Planck 2.0 beta has Linux support, I believe.
- cossovich 10y ago
  Yep, now with Linux support. There's a wiki page[1] that has details on building for different distros. Works a treat on my Ubuntu 16.04 desktop. [1] https://github.com/mfikes/planck/wiki/Building https://github.com/mfikes/planck/wiki/Building
- Scarbutt 10y ago
  I don't get it, why didn't he used nodejs from the start instead of JSCore so it would have windows,linux,osx support?
  - notduncansmith 10y ago
    So that it would have iOS support via JSCore.

dm3 10y ago

You don't need that `cemerick.pomegranate` import. Boot can already do that - the `deps` functions should look like this: (defn deps [the-deps] (merge-env! :dependencies the-deps))

asimjalis 10y ago
Nice. I like it. Thanks!

nebosite 10y ago

I love it. Simple and easy to get started.

Jach 10y ago

Only sort of related, does anyone have any insight into whether Slamhound will eventually support ClojureScript? Namespace declarations were probably my least favorite part about Clojure until I happened on Slamhound, now I pretty much don't have to think about them. Working with ClojureScript without Slamhound is rather annoying...

ethagnawl 10y ago

I thought Boot's scripting features were removed in the 2.0 release? If I remember correctly, there was a major overhaul in both its API and feature set. I'll have to revisit the changelog/docs. Anyways, running a clj file using the provided shebang does indeed work! Albeit _much_ more slowly than a comparable Perl|Python|Ruby script.

abeyer 10y ago

"This turns Clojure into a scripting language much like Python, Ruby, Perl, or Bash" would be if you added a sleep(45) to the beginning of every script you wrote with them. All the latency of a compiled language with all the bugs of dynamic one. :) I'm (mostly) kidding... I want to like clojure. I've always had a soft spot in my heart for lisp, and clojure seems to be the best contender for hitting the right balance between the classic "no syntax at all, just more parens" and various more modern takes on "It's lisp, but with our own weird syntax bits layered on." Unfortunately the JVM'ness of it has shown through so much as to kind of turn me off. (Not least of all the overhead of starting a JVM to do anything.)

Spiritus 10y ago
If you think Clojure has too much startup overhead for scripting, maybe Pixie[1] will pique your interest. [1] https://github.com/pixie-lang/pixie https://github.com/pixie-lang/pixie
- agumonkey 10y ago
  Here's a wonderful talk to introduce its design and value https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AjhFZVfB9c https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AjhFZVfB9c
- eroiusghs 10y ago
  If I could simply `apt-get install pixi-lang` or `brew install pixi-lang` I'd be using it.
- abeyer 10y ago
  Thanks, hadn't seen that, but am going to check it out.
islon 10y ago
If the JVM or the startup time bother you you can try using ClojureScript with node.js.
baldfat 10y ago
> I want to like clojure. I've always had a soft spot in my heart for lisp Have you tried Racket?

jiyinyiyong 10y ago

Boot is too slow to start. Use Lumo, which is based on Node.js and boots really fast. And npm packages are available too. Well, it's more JavaScript than Java. https://github.com/anmonteiro/lumo https://github.com/anmonteiro/lumo

funnyclj 10y ago

how do you start a boot repl in production?