Getting started with clojure and LightTable
If you are new to clojure you should consider LightTable as it is very easy to setup and get started.
Installing the required software
Make sure that you have jdk 7 or greater installed. This can be either oracle jdk or openjdk depending on your preference and OS.
To verify it run:
➜ java -version
java version "1.8.0_102"
Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.8.0_102-b14)
Java HotSpot(TM) 64-Bit Server VM (build 25.102-b14, mixed mode)
Download Leiningen and follow the installation instructions.
Download LightTable and extract it.
Generating a Leiningen project
Leiningen is a dependency managment and build automation tool for clojure projects.
In order to create a leiningen project all you have to do is:
➜ lein new hello
This will generate a scaffold for a project named hello using the default template.
Opening the project in LightTable
Fire up LightTable from the extracted directory.
Go to File ➜ Open Folder and open the hello folder that was generated by leiningen.
From the navigation pane on the left browse and open the src ➜ hello ➜ core.clj file.
Interacting with the code
What makes clojure particularly special is that it enables you to develop your code interactively.
Place the cursor anywhere inside the (defn foo ... ) function and hit ctrl + enter. You should see a progress indication in the status status and a highlighted #'hello.core/foo message near the foo function after a while (this process takes a bit more during the first time).
So, what did just happen?
A clojure REPL has been started under the scenes and we just compiled and loaded the foo function on it. This might don't seem like a big deal but it actually is.
To get a feeling why, try the following: delete the foo function, and create a new one:
(defn add [x y]
(+ x y))
Evaluate it by hitting ctrl + enter as before. Type below:
(add 5 3)
and evaluated the call. You should see a highlighted 8 next to (add 5 3).
Try changing the add function by adding an extra parameter or make it do division instead, re-evaluate add and then evaluate the call again.
Just enough customization
Probably you want to change LightTable's default font and theme.
Hitting ctrl+space will open a pane on the right. Type settings and select Settings: User behaviors.
Find the following line:
[:editor :lt.objs.style/set-theme "default"]
Remove the default text and hit tab. You should see a drop-down list with all the themes LightTable supports out of the box. Make your selection, save the file and you should see the changes right away.
Below there is the following line:
;; [:app :lt.objs.style/font-settings "Courier New" "11"]
Remove ;;. Lines starting with a ; are considered comments and they are quite distinctive by being grayed-out. Set the font family and size of your preference and save.
LightTable also supports fonts with programming ligatures like Fira Code.
You can find configuration instructions here.
Configure paredit
If you are going to play around with clojure for a while, you should consider getting familiar with the paredit plugin as it can really make your life a lot easier.
The paredit plugin is installed by default but you have to configure some key bindings in order to use it. Hit ctrl + space, type user keymap and open the Settings: User keymap.
Add the following lines just before the final closing bracket ]:
[:editor "ctrl-shift-k" :paredit.grow.right]
[:editor "ctrl-shift-j" :paredit.shrink.right]
To see it in action, go to the editor, and evaluate the following:
(range 10)
Now type (reduce +) before the previous form:
(reduce +) (range 10)
Place the cursor inside the (reduce +) form and hit ctrl-shift-k, you should see the (range 10) wrapped as follows:
(reduce + (range 10))
If you hit ctrl-shift-j you will see the form being unwrapped.
Check this SO post if you want to configure more paredit commands.
Where to go from here
If you prefer to read a book about clojure you should check Clojure for the Brave and True which is available online for free.
If you prefer solving problems then there are a number of options:
Although it might be a bit tough for beginners, you should check clojure's reference documentation.
Have fun!