Playing with LambdaAPI2

LambdaAPI2 is a java-written implementation of pure lambda-calculus. Its aim is to support (hypothetical) applications of lambda-calculus. The purpose of the present document is to invit and help you to discover and evaluate the LambdaAPI2 software, by experimenting it.

This document relates to version 1.0 of the LambdaAPI2 software.

• Installation
• Verbose

Installation

The LambdaAPI2 software is provided in source form (exclusively). Experimenting with the software consists in compiling, running, and editing its source code, repeatedly. This is a good job for the Eclipse Platform we have used and we suggest to use.

In order to install the software with Eclipse you just have to:

1. create a new Java project (File / New / Project... / Java),
2. give it a name,
3. copy the provided source directory content into the project source directory,
4. refresh the project hierarchy (File / Refresh).

The software uses only the JRE System Library (jdk 1.4 or later).

For running (Run / Run...), you have to specify the main class: org.xmloperator.lambda2.MainTest. After running, you should see on the Console view something like:

All is OK, during 222 ms.

Verbose

You have passed the full validation test. The console message concludes All is OK and gives a time delay. This delay will of course depend on the characteristics of your machine and the type of the java virtual machine. In order to obtain more information on this validation test, you can (temporarily) change the value of the IS_VERBOSE parameter in the MainTest class. Proceed as follows:

1. Open an editing view of the MainTest class.
2. Find the line that ends with: boolean IS_VERBOSE = false;
3. Replace false by true.
4. Save MainTest.
5. Rerun MainTest.

On the console view, you obtain a list of test messages and the usual conclusion All is OK. Each test is usually concluded by one message line, starting with the name of the concerned class.

The full validation test is composed of several package validation tests. Each package validation test is composed of zero or more class validation test(s). Each of these classes and packages contains a Test class, with a main method. This means that you can decide to run just this class or this package. If so, simply specify the Test class into the running dialog.