README.org: Give a brief description of the configuration file.

[runlisp] / README.org

diff --git a/README.org b/README.org
index b59221a..fe14cd7 100644 (file)
--- a/README.org
+++ b/README.org
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 #+AUTHOR: Mark Wooding
 #+LaTeX_CLASS: strayman
 #+LaTeX_HEADER: \usepackage{tikz, gnuplot-lua-tikz}
 #+AUTHOR: Mark Wooding
 #+LaTeX_CLASS: strayman
 #+LaTeX_HEADER: \usepackage{tikz, gnuplot-lua-tikz}

+#+LaTeX_HEADER: \DeclareUnicodeCharacter{200B}{}

 #+EXPORT_FILE_NAME: doc/README.pdf
 
 ~runlisp~ is a small C program intended to be run from a script ~#!~
 #+EXPORT_FILE_NAME: doc/README.pdf
 
 ~runlisp~ is a small C program intended to be run from a script ~#!~


@@ -233,8 +234,19 @@ The ~runlisp~ program looks for configuration in a number of places.
     directories to add support for privately installed Lisp systems, or
     to override settings made by earlier configuration files.
 
     directories to add support for privately installed Lisp systems, or
     to override settings made by earlier configuration files.
 

-The configuration syntax is complicated, and explained in detail in the
-*runlisp.conf* manpage.
+But configuration files generally look like =.ini=-style files.  A line
+beginning with a semicolon ~;~ is a comment and is ignored.  Most lines
+are assignments, which look like
+#+BEGIN_QUOTE
+/name/ ~=~ /value/
+#+END_QUOTE
+and assignments are split into sections by section headers in square
+brackets:
+#+BEGIN_QUOTE
+~[~​/section/​~]~
+#+END_QUOTE
+The details of the configuration syntax are complicated, and explained
+in the *runlisp.conf* manpage.

 
 Configuration options can also be set on the command line, though the
 effects are subtly different.  Again, see the manual pages for details.
 
 Configuration options can also be set on the command line, though the
 effects are subtly different.  Again, see the manual pages for details.


@@ -249,7 +261,12 @@ The ~prefer~ option specifies a /preference list/ of Lisp
 implementations.  The value is a list of Lisp implementation names, as
 you'd give to ~-L~, separated by commas and/or spaces.  If the
 environment variable ~RUNLISP_PREFER~ is set, then this overrides any
 implementations.  The value is a list of Lisp implementation names, as
 you'd give to ~-L~, separated by commas and/or spaces.  If the
 environment variable ~RUNLISP_PREFER~ is set, then this overrides any

-value found in the configuration files.
+value found in the configuration files.  So your ~$HOME/.runlisp.conf~
+file might look like this:
+
+: ;;; -*-conf-*-
+:
+: prefer = sbcl, clisp

 
 When deciding which Lisp implementation to use, ~runlisp~ works as
 follows.  It builds a list of /acceptable/ Lisp implementations from the
 
 When deciding which Lisp implementation to use, ~runlisp~ works as
 follows.  It builds a list of /acceptable/ Lisp implementations from the