Julia is a high-level, high-performance programming language for technical computing. It is designed to be easy to use and has a syntax that is familiar to users of other technical computing environments. One popular way to use Julia is through the Julia REPL (Read-Eval-Print Loop), which allows users to interactively execute Julia code and see the results immediately.
If you are using Emacs as your text editor, you may be wondering how to set up a Julia REPL within Emacs. In this article, we will explore three different ways to achieve this.
Option 1: Using the Julia REPL directly
The simplest way to use the Julia REPL in Emacs is to run it directly within an Emacs buffer. To do this, you need to have Julia installed on your system and accessible from the command line. Once you have Julia installed, you can start the Julia REPL by typing julia in a terminal.
To run the Julia REPL within Emacs, you can use the M-x shell command to open a shell buffer. In the shell buffer, type julia to start the Julia REPL. You can then interact with the Julia REPL just like you would in a regular terminal.
M-x shell
julia
Option 2: Using the ESS package
If you are already familiar with the Emacs Speaks Statistics (ESS) package, you can use it to run a Julia REPL within Emacs. ESS provides a powerful interface for interacting with various statistical programming languages, including Julia.
To use ESS with Julia, you first need to install the ESS package and configure it to recognize Julia as a supported language. Once you have ESS installed and configured, you can start a Julia REPL by typing M-x julia in Emacs. This will open a new buffer with a Julia REPL, where you can execute Julia code and see the results.
M-x julia
Option 3: Using the julia-repl package
If you prefer a dedicated package specifically designed for running a Julia REPL within Emacs, you can use the julia-repl package. This package provides a seamless integration of the Julia REPL into Emacs, with features like syntax highlighting, code completion, and inline evaluation.
To use the julia-repl package, you first need to install it from the Emacs package manager. Once installed, you can start a Julia REPL by typing M-x julia-repl in Emacs. This will open a new buffer with a Julia REPL, where you can execute Julia code and see the results.
M-x julia-repl
After exploring these three options, it is clear that the julia-repl package provides the most seamless and feature-rich experience for running a Julia REPL within Emacs. It offers advanced features like syntax highlighting and code completion, which can greatly enhance your productivity when working with Julia code.
Therefore, if you are an Emacs user looking to use Julia, I would recommend using the julia-repl package for the best experience.
