# geiser-gambit

> support for Gambit in Geiser

**Wikidata**: [Q108040375](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q108040375)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/geiser-gambit

## Summary
Geiser-Gambit is a free software package that provides support for the Gambit Scheme implementation within the Geiser development environment for GNU Emacs. Written in Emacs Lisp and licensed under the 3-clause BSD License, it serves as a bridge allowing developers to use Gambit-specific features inside the Geiser IDE. It is part of the broader Geiser Project and is available for installation via the NonGNU Emacs Lisp Package Archive.

## Key Facts
- **Definition:** An Emacs Lisp extension that enables the Geiser IDE to interface with the Gambit Scheme interpreter and compiler.
- **License:** Distributed under the 3-clause BSD License.
- **Part Of:** A component of the Geiser Project.
- **Platform:** Runs on GNU Emacs.
- **Programming Language:** Written in Emacs Lisp.
- **Latest Version:** Version 0.18.1 (released February 8, 2022).
- **Repository:** Source code is maintained at `https://gitlab.com/emacs-geiser/gambit.git`.
- **Gentoo Package:** Available as `app-emacs/geiser-gambit`.
- **Aliases:** Also known as `emacs-geiser-gambit` and `Geiser-Gambit`.

## FAQs
### Q: What is the primary function of Geiser-Gambit?
A: Geiser-Gambit acts as a backend module that connects the Geiser user interface in GNU Emacs to the Gambit Scheme system. It allows users to run Scheme code, perform autodoc, and access REPL features specific to Gambit within the Emacs editor.

### Q: Under what license is Geiser-Gambit distributed?
A: The software is distributed as free software under the terms of the 3-clause BSD License.

### Q: Where can the software be downloaded?
A: The software can be downloaded from the NonGNU Emacs Lisp Package Archive (ELPA) at `https://elpa.nongnu.org/nongnu/geiser-gambit.html` or cloned from its GitLab repository.

## Why It Matters
Geiser-Gambit plays a specific and essential role in the Scheme development ecosystem by bridging one of the most efficient Scheme implementations (Gambit, which compiles Scheme to C) with one of the most powerful development environments (GNU Emacs via Geiser). While Geiser provides a generic platform for Scheme hacking, it relies on specific modules to communicate with different Scheme interpreters and compilers.

Without Geiser-Gambit, developers using the Gambit system would lack the tight integration—such as inline evaluation, error navigation, and documentation lookup—that Geiser provides. By offering this support under a permissive 3-clause BSD license and making it available through standard package archives, the tool lowers the barrier to entry for complex Scheme development. Its presence in the NonGNU ELPA and as a Gentoo package indicates its recognized utility and stable maintenance within the open-source community.

## Notable For
- **Interoperability:** Specifically enabling communication between the Geiser IDE and the Gambit Scheme-to-C compiler.
- **Integration:** Being an official part of the Geiser Project suite of tools.
- **Accessibility:** Inclusion in the NonGNU Emacs Lisp Package Archive, making it easily accessible to a wide user base without manual installation.
- **Licensing:** Use of the permissive 3-clause BSD License, allowing for broad modification and redistribution.

## Body

### Technical Overview
Geiser-Gambit is a software library written in Emacs Lisp, classified as free software. It functions as an extension for GNU Emacs, specifically designed to operate as part of the Geiser Project. Its core technical purpose is to provide a "use" value for Gambit within Geiser, allowing the development environment to interact with the Gambit Scheme system, which is known for interpreting and compiling Scheme code into C code.

### Version History
The development of Geiser-Gambit has seen several unstable version releases tracked in the provided data:
- **0.16:** Released April 21, 2021.
- **0.17:** Released December 4, 2021.
- **0.18:** Released February 7, 2022.
- **0.18.1:** Released February 8, 2022. This is listed as the preferred version in available records.

### Distribution and Availability
The software is open-source and maintained in a GitLab repository. It is officially hosted on the web at `https://gitlab.com/emacs-geiser/gambit` and documentation is available via the NonGNU ELPA website. For users of Gentoo Linux, it is packaged directly within the distribution's repository as `app-emacs/geiser-gambit`. The software is copyrighted but freely distributable under its license terms.

## References

1. [Source](https://gitlab.com/emacs-geiser/gambit/-/tags/0.16)
2. [Source](https://gitlab.com/emacs-geiser/gambit/-/tags/0.17)
3. [Source](https://gitlab.com/emacs-geiser/gambit/-/tags/0.18)
4. [Geiser-Gambit version 0.18.1. 2022](https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/gnu-emacs-sources/2022-02/msg00021.html)