Faster Clojure REPL Startup With Java 9 Snapshot

After upgrading to Java 8, Clojure development seemed faster due to quicker REPL startup times. So when I saw a snapshot of Java 9 had been released I was hopeful that startup performance would be even faster.

As Clojure runs on the Java Virtual machine (JVM), each time you start a REPL then you wait for a new JVM to start. Other than this REPL startup, Clojure feels faster than developing with Java directly.

Here is how I set up Java 9 Snapshot on my Linux laptop (Ubuntu 14.10), it should be the same for any decent operating system.

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Clojure With Light Table and Emacs Keybindings

When I teach people Clojure I use Light Table because it is really simple to use and its Instarepl gives instant feedback of the code as you type it. This feedback helps you understand Clojure quickly and gives you more confidence when coding.

As I do most of my Clojure development (and most everything else) in Emacs I really miss the excellent Emacs keybindings when I use Light Table. Luckily there is an Emacs plugin for Light Table, so here is a quick guide on how to install & use this Emacs plugin.

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LightTable 0.2.3 - Even More Light for Clojure

So as soon as I decided to write about LightTable, the developers go and improve a whole bunch of things. With the 0.2.3 release that happened earlier today the configuration of LightTable now works correctly.

This change is going to make it so much easier to use LightTable for demo’s and coding dojo’s. The has been an update to the default solarized light theme that looks very pretty to me.

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Clojure Development With LightTable 0.2.x

LightTable is a kickstarter project to create new kind of developer tool for Clojure development, inspired by the Inventing on Principle talk by Bret Victor.

LightTable aims to give developers instant feedback about their code, showing how any change affects their applications. Giving you a developer “surface” to work on, which will bring information to the places you need it the most. The principles of the LightTable design include:

  • Documentation there when you need it, no need to search
  • Edit anywhere and anything - not just text and not just as files
  • Discover by doing, changes produces instantaneous results
  • Shine a light on related pieces of code

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