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README.md

# Isabelle Elixir

Elixir clients for the [Isabelle](https://isabelle.in.tum.de/) server.

The library talks to Isabelle's TCP server protocol directly. For protocol
details, see chapter 4 of the
[Isabelle system manual](https://isabelle.in.tum.de/doc/system.pdf).

## Installation

```elixir
{:isabelle_elixir, "~> 0.3"}
```

Local server helpers need the Isabelle executable. Set `ISABELLE_TOOL` when
`isabelle` is not already on `PATH`:

```sh
export ISABELLE_TOOL=/path/to/Isabelle2025-2/bin/isabelle
```

## Which Client?

Start with `IsabelleClient` (see corresponding livebook tutorial). It owns one socket and keeps a local LIFO stack of
sessions, with the most recently started session treated as active.

Use `IsabelleClient.Shared` when several Elixir processes should share one
connection. It owns the socket in a `GenServer` and routes async task replies by
Isabelle task id.

Use `IsabelleClient.Raw` when you want protocol-level control: explicit socket
ownership, explicit session ids, and explicit task waiting.

## Quick Start

```elixir
{:ok, server} = IsabelleClient.start_server()
{:ok, client} = IsabelleClient.connect(server)
{:ok, client, _task} = IsabelleClient.start_session(client, session: "HOL")

{:ok, task} =
  IsabelleClient.check_text(client, "Example", """
  theorem "x = x"
    by simp
  """)

IsabelleClient.messages(task)
```

`check_text/5` is a convenience for snippets. It writes a temporary theory of
this shape:

```isabelle
theory Example imports Main begin
<your text starts on line 2>
end
```

So Isabelle diagnostics report line 1 as the generated header; snippet line `n`
appears as Isabelle line `n + 1`. Offsets are absolute Isabelle symbol offsets
from the start of the generated file.

## More Examples

The main tutorial is in the Livebooks:

1. `livebook_examples/IsabelleClient.livemd`: default client, diagnostics,
   line/offset filtering, sessions, checking files/text, building sessions.
2. `livebook_examples/IsabelleClientShared.livemd`: shared process-owned
   client for concurrent callers.
3. `livebook_examples/IsabelleClientRaw.livemd`: raw socket usage, server
   management, protocol commands, explicit async tasks.


## Existing Servers

You do not have to start a local server from Elixir. If an Isabelle server is
already reachable, connect with its password, host, and port:

```elixir
{:ok, client} =
  IsabelleClient.connect("server-password",
    host: "isabelle.example.org",
    port: 9999
  )
```

The same applies to `IsabelleClient.Shared` and `IsabelleClient.Raw`.

## Sessions

Isabelle sessions live in the server and are addressed by session id.
`IsabelleClient` keeps local session bookkeeping for ergonomics:

```elixir
{:ok, client, _task} = IsabelleClient.start_session(client, session: "HOL", label: "main")

IsabelleClient.sessions(client)
IsabelleClient.active_session(client)
```

Starting a session pushes it onto `client.sessions`. Stopping a session removes
it; if it was active, the previous session becomes active again. Pass
`session_id:` when you want to address a non-active session explicitly.

Sessions may outlive a client connection, and a client may use a session started
elsewhere if given its id. `client.sessions` is local state, not a server-side
session query.

## Results

`messages/1` returns user-facing Isabelle messages. `diagnostics/1` returns the
raw diagnostic maps, including positions when Isabelle provides them.

```elixir
IsabelleClient.messages(task)
IsabelleClient.errors(task)
IsabelleClient.warnings(task, line: 5)
IsabelleClient.diagnostics(task, file: "Example.thy", line: 5, offset: 42)
```

Position filters support `file:`, `line:`, and `offset:`. Offsets are Isabelle
symbol offsets, not columns.

Common results can also be decoded:

```elixir
IsabelleClient.session_build_result(task)
IsabelleClient.use_theories_result(task)
IsabelleClient.nodes(task)
IsabelleClient.exports(task)
```