[plt-scheme] programming for the web in scheme

vlado wrote:
> I suppose I should start with "I'm an absolute beginner with scheme", so
> be harsh with me, please :)
> 
> I started playing with plt scheme because I grew very frustrated with
> going to incredible lengths to twist the arms of other languages to be
> able to program lazily, that is I want the computer to do the thinking
> more than me. Having said that, I quite like a lot of the ideas I've
> learnt or developed over the years and I would love to continue to use
> them.
> 
> Things what attract me to scheme - the mini languages approach to
> programming is probably the most important, first class functions and
> call/cc and friends close second.
> 
> I've been playing a little with the web-server but have the problem that
> I need to often guesstimate or dive into code reading to find what is
> going on behind the scenes. It would be fine if I was more fluent with
> the language, but I'm not.

Some small tips.

1. *Always* click at at "Check Syntax" before running your servlet
    in the web-server.
2. Use
       (report-errors-to-browser send/finish)
    while developing to get error messages.
3. Remember to restart the web-server on each change
    (is there a way to make a servlet non-cached?)
4. Use the module language to test the start function from within
    DrScheme. E.g (start 'foo) if your servlet never uses the request, or
    use
    (start
      (make-request symbol url environment environment string string)
    where the arguments are: method, uri, headers, bindings, host-ip, and
    client-ip)

Save this in default-web-root/servlets/examples/date.ss

(module date mzscheme
   (require (lib "servlet.ss" "web-server"))
   (provide interface-version timeout start)
   (define interface-version 'v1)
   (define timeout +inf.0)

   ; start : request -> response
   (define (start initial-request)
     (report-errors-to-browser send/finish)
     `(html (head (title "Date Example"))
            (body (h1 "Date Example")
                  (p "The date and time is"
                     ,(date-and-time (/ 1 0))))))

   (require (lib "date.ss"))
   (define (date-and-time)
     (date->string (seconds->date (current-seconds)))))

and see the error message at

   <http://localhost/servlets/examples/date.ss>

then remove the (/ 1 0) to see a functioning servlet.

-- 
Jens Axel Søgaard