Starting the SICStus Prolog top-level
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This page describes how to initialise the SPIDER plug-in when you start Eclipse for the first time. You will need to follow these instructions before you start working with SICStus Prolog in its IDE. You should not have to repeat this process unless there is a software upgrade. These instructions are written specifically for use with the SL6 linux systems in the School of Computer Science in the University of Birmingham.
SICStus Prolog 4.2.0
Peter Hancox
Eclipse 3.6.1 (Helios)

School of Computer Science
University of Birmingham
SPIDER 0.0.4
24 September 2012

 

Before you start, you might want to revise your knowledge of some essential linux commands.

     

  1. Login to a machine running Scientific Linux 6
    2. The Eclipse IDE is available when logged into Windows 7 but these instructions are designed primarily for SL6.

     

  2. Find the location of the SICStus Prolog executable
    3. You will have to enter the location of the SICStus Prolog executable when you initialise SPIDER. Start a Terminal session and type which sicstus.

    Location of SICStus Prolog

     

  3. Start Eclipse

    4.  

  4. Select a workspace
    5. Use the Browse button to take you to the directory in which you want to store your Prolog programs. (To avoid embarrassment and potential plagiarism, you should set the access permissions of this directory to stop other people accessing and copying your files. Use:
    chmod 700 directory_name.)

    Select a workspace

     

  5. Select the preferences menu

    6. Preferences menu

     

  6. Set your preferences
    1. Paste in the location of the Prolog executable;
    2. Change the editor's default indent to 5 (unless you want to use up more of your printing quota);
    3. Click on the OK button.

    Setting preferences

     

  7. Exit Eclipse
    8. When you have finished, simply select "Exit" from the File menu.

    Exit Eclipse

     

  8. Start Eclipse again
    9. If you can't remember how to do this, look again at step 3.

     

  9. Select the "Cheat Sheet" option
    10. Cheat sheets are a part of Eclipse that give easy-to-follow instructions.

    Select Cheat Sheets

     

  10. Select the Hello World Prolog project "Cheat Sheet"

    11. Hello World Cheat Sheet

     

  11. Start the Hello World instructions

    12. Hello World instructions