3.6 Operating on files

The File menu allows you to perform operations on files stored on disk. Some commands are only available for tools which need to interact with the files you have stored on disk, such as the Listener and Editor.

The default commands available in the File menu are described below. Note that in some tools, the File menu contains additional commands specific to that tool. Please refer to the relevant chapters for each tool for a description of these additional commands.

Choose File > New to open a new buffer in the built-in Editor. If an Editor window has not yet been created, this command also creates one. The new buffer is unnamed.Alternatively, you can click the button in the toolbar. This toolbar button is available on appropriate tools, and in the podium as shown in The Podium.

Choose File > Open to open an existing file in a new editor buffer. Where appropriate, a dialog appears, allowing you to choose a filename. If an editor window has not yet been created, this command creates one. Alternatively, you can click the button in the toolbar. This toolbar button is available on appropriate tools, and in the LispWorks podium, shown in The Podium.

Choose File > Load to load a file of Lisp source code or a fasl (binary) file. Choose File > Compile to compile a file of Lisp source code. Choose File > Compile and Load compile a source file and load the resulting fasl file. When appropriate, each command displays a dialog, allowing you to choose the file you want to load or compile.

Choose File > Print to print a file. A dialog allows you to choose a file to print. The current printer can be changed or configured by choosing the File > Printer Setup... menu option.

Choose File > Browse Parent System to view the parent system of the current file in the System Browser. This command is only available if the system has already been defined. See 26 The System Browser for a complete description of the System Browser.

Choose File > Recent Files to raise a submenu listing the last 10 files visited via the File > Open... and File > Save As... commands. This allows speedy return to the files you are working on.

Note: As described above, the behavior of each command can vary slightly according to the tool in which the command is chosen. For instance, choosing File > Print in the Editor prints out the displayed file, whereas choosing File > Print in the Listener prompts you for a file to print.