[MIT-Scheme-devel] callbacks

[Chris Hanson]

   Date: Fri, 11 Mar 2005 22:38:38 +0000
   From: Matt Birkholz <address@hidden>

   The main loop looks like the nut needing cracking.  GTk's main loop
   needs to run timeout, input, and idle functions if things like the
   canvas are going to work.  I assume GTk is using SIGALRM, so Scheme's
   thread timer would have to be implemented by a GTk timeout function.
   Ideally the idle function would be removed when Scheme has no runnable
   threads, and input or timeout functions would be added when Scheme has
   threads waiting on input ports or timeouts.

If you really are interested in accessing GTK+/GNOME and not more
general stuff, there's a simpler way to do this: implement a C program
that runs in a separate process and talks to Scheme via pipes or a
socket.  In fact, someone already has one of these:

        http://www.turtle.dds.nl/gtk-server/

   I assume the ringing silence here means I am not duplicating other
   efforts.  Full speed ahead!?

You aren't duplicating any work here, except the aforementioned FFI
project, which is one way to solve the problem.