1.2 Choosing a Language

► |  | Dr Racket: Programming Environment

1 | Interface Essentials
2 | Languages
3 | Interface Reference
4 | Extending Dr Racket
| Index

▼ | 1 | Interface Essentials

1.1 | Buttons
1.2 | Choosing a Language
1.3 | Editing with Parentheses
1.4 | Searching
1.5 | Tabbed Editing
1.6 | The Interactions Window
1.7 | Graphical Syntax
1.8 | Graphical Debugging Interface
1.9 | The Module Browser
1.10 | Creating Executables

top← prev up next →

#### 1.2`` Choosing a Language

DrRacket supports multiple dialects of Racket, as well as some non-Racket languages. You specify a language in one of two ways:

- Select the Use the language declared in the source option (via the Language|Choose Language... menu item), and then specify a specific language as part of the program usually by starting the definitions-window content with #lang.

- Select the Language|Choose Language... menu item, and choose a specific language. After changing the language, click Run to reset the language in the interactions window. The bottom-left corner of DrRacket’s main window also has a shortcut menu item for selecting previously selected languages.

Using a language declared in a program’s source is the recommend mode, and it is described further in Language Declared in Source.

The Language|Choose Language... dialog contains a Show Details button for configuring certain details of the chosen language. Whenever the selected options do not match the default language specification, a Custom indicator appears next to the language-selection control at the top of the dialog.

See Languages (later in this manual) for more information on the languages that DrRacket supports.

top← prev up next →