MIT 6.001, Fall 1997

MIT Scheme for 6.001

MIT Scheme runs under Windows 95 and Windows NT. It also runs under Windows 3.1, but you will need to use the Windows 3.1 installer. If the computer you wish to install MITScheme on is not connected to the internet, you can use the floppy install. MIT Scheme can also be used in the 6.001 lab and on Athena.

To download MIT Scheme, you will need a program like Winzip to extract the files from a zip archive. Once you have winzip, you can click on the link below to download a zip file containing the MIT Scheme installation to a temporary folder, extract the files (again, in a temporary directory), and run the "setup.exe" program. The InstallWizard will ask you some questions; we strongly suggest that you accept all of the defaults. You can then delete the temporary files, including the zip file.

Here are some more detailed instructions. The exact sequence of where to click and what to type depends on which web browser, which zip program you use, and which temporary folder you use. On a Windows NT 4.0 machine, with Netscape Communicator 4.02, and after Winzip has been installed, the following should work. If you have a different operating system, or set of software, the installation sequence should be similar, but not precisely the same. If you find that you have to do something substantially different, and if you think it should be documented, send email to 6001-webmaster@ai.mit.edu, and we will amend these instructions accordingly. If you have trouble with the installation process, send email to 6001-scm-support@ai.mit.edu.

Click on the "Download MIT Scheme in zip format" link below.
Netscape should say (in essence) "What do you want to do with this file?"
Click "Pick App..."
Click "Browse..."
Go to the Desktop by clicking on the folder with the up arrow on it repeatedly, then double click on "My Computer", then "(C:)", then "Program Files", then "WinZip", then "Winzip32.exe". Click "OK".
You should get a warning about security. Select "Open it", and then click "OK".
WinZip should start up. Click on "Install" (It should be one of the big icons at the top of the window). Click on "OK".
The InstallWizard should start up. It will give you a series of prompts. Click on "Next" for each one. Do not try to change the default settings. It's just asking for trouble. When you get to the last prompt, click on "Finish".
When the InstallWizard is done, go back to WinZip, and click on "OK". Then, quit WinZip.
You are all set. You should be able to get to MIT Scheme either from a shortcut on your desktop, or from the start menu. Information about how to download problem sets and where they go can be found on the problem sets page.

Download MIT Scheme in zip format

A Note About EdScheme

Edscheme has been developed for student use by Schemers, Inc., a small Florida company founded by two high school teachers. It has been used successfully in high schools and colleges for several years. It strives to be much more student-friendly than MIT Scheme: text is color-coded to distinguish Scheme primitives, keywords, user definitions, constants, etc.; there are dynamic reminders (as you type in your program) of expected Scheme syntax and your syntactic errors; there is point-and-click lookup of previously entered procedure definitions; and it has modern Windows 95 menu control of most features, much clearer error messages, and convenient online documentation.

However, because EdScheme has not been used in 6.001 before, and because we do not have the resources to adapt the problem sets for it, we do not encourage EdScheme use this term. (We believe that all but one or two problem sets will work properly in EdScheme -- but this is a belief, not a promise; problem sets using graphics won't work.)

EdScheme is available for a free two week trial:

Download the EdScheme Initialization Files in ZIP Format Since EdScheme does not run under Emacs, M-x load-problem-set does not work for EdScheme users. EdScheme users will have to load the problem sets by hand. (The EdScheme documentation explains how to include initialization files.) If you do use EdScheme, the 6001 instructors would be very interested to hear what you think of it and to learn of any problems.

After the two week free trial, you have to buy a copy to continue using EdScheme. It lists for $130 but is available to 6.001 students for $68.95. Remember that:

software piracy is a crime. As aspiring professionals in technical fields, you have a special stake in protecting the intellectual property of software developers. In particular, Schemers, Inc. is a small business whose activities are a real benefit to the Scheme/6.001 community. Illegal use of EdScheme will be treated as an academic offense in 6.001.

Here is MIT's official policy statement on this issue:
"Whether the software and databases used at M.I.T. are owned by users or third parties and are protected by copyright and/or other laws, or subject to license or other contractual arrangement, it is the policy of M.I.T. that users abide by any legal restrictions imposed by the owner of the software or database."

For more information on copyright see MIT CWIS copyright information.

A Note About DrScheme

DrScheme is The Rice University Programming Languages Team's graphical user interface to a Scheme system for students. A quick examination of the latest version was encouraging. And DrScheme is free.

DrScheme strives to be much more student-friendly than MIT Scheme: text is color-coded, for example to highlight (in red) undefined variables; it has a syntax analysis command which, for example, can display arrows from occurrences of variables to their definitions elsewhere in the code; it has several output modes in addition to the standard one, for example an output mode which shows sharing in lists, and another output mode in which values are printed as canonical INPUT expressions -- in this mode, for example, the list value which is the result of evaluating (cons 1 (cons (+ 2 3) '())) prints out as (list 1 5). DrScheme also has modern Windows 95 menu control of most features, and error messages which are much clearer for students than MIT Scheme.

To run satisfactorily, it requires at least 20MB of RAM and a 150MHZ processor. It has extensive online documentation which is, however, not always up to date. Its user interface favors working in a single Scheme file, which makes it inconvenient for 6.001 problem sets which load multiple files. DrScheme has not been used in 6.001, and we do not encourage its use this term. (We believe that all but one or two problem sets will work properly in DrScheme -- but this is a belief, not a promise; problem sets using graphics won't work.) Since DrScheme does not run under Emacs/Edwin, DrScheme users will have to load the problem sets by hand.

If you do use DrScheme, the 6001 instructors would be very interested to hear what you think of it and to learn of any problems.