Create an application

The following chapters will guide you through the development of a simple application using Guile.

As in the first chapters, I propose to approach the exercise through development practices and methods that I greatly appreciate (Test Driven Development, Clean Code, Clean Architecture).

First, you'll make sure your Guile installation works.

Secondly, you'll implement the application's first use cases.

Thirdly, you'll learn how to take advantage of third-party libraries to extend your program (offering user interfaces for example). You'll also learn how to manage dependencies and distribute your program using a package manager.

Prerequisites: this tutorial does not replace an introduction to programming and expects you to be familiar with some basic concepts. You should be comfortable using the command line. If you already know how to program in other languages, this tutorial may be a good first contact with Guile.

Get help: If, at any time, you feel overwhelmed or confused by a feature you're using, take a look at the official language reference. It's distributed with most Guile installations (accessible from a terminal: info guile).

So, what kind of application are you going to create? How about a feature bounty application dedicated to Guile? Everyone could express feature needs for free software coded with Guile and offer rewards for their development. Maybe the first bounties will be for the Guile Hacker Handbook!

Note: this tutorial is written for Guile 3. The code examples can be used in all versions of Guile 3.