---
name: "cyi"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "zinc-compiler"
version: "1.0.2-2"
release: "Debian 3.1 (Sarge)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/cyi"
---

# cyi(1)

interactive interpreter for Zinc.

## NAME

**cyi** – interactive interpreter for Zinc.

## SYNOPSIS

**cyi** \[*option* ...\] \[*module*\]

## DESCRIPTION

**cyi** is an interactive environment that allows evaluating and debugging Zinc goals with respect to a Zinc module loaded into the interpreter. At startup, **cyi** loads either the *module* specified on the command line or the Zinc prelude.

### Goals

A goal is a Zinc expression optionally followed by a where-clause that can be used for providing local definitions for the goal. All free variables of the goal must be declared either in the where clause or by using a let expression as goal. The bindings of the free variables are displayed together with the normal form of the goal after successful evaluation unless the goal is of type IO *t*.

### Commands

At the prompt of the interactive environment, the following commands can be entered:

- *goal*

  Evaluate *goal* in the context of the current module.

- **:debug** *goal*

  Invoke the debugger for *goal*. It may take some time to recompile the source modules with debugging information.

- **:type** *goal*

  Print the type of *goal* instead of evaluating it.

- **:load** *module*

  Set the current evaluation context to *module*. This command will compile *module* and all modules it depends on. The module can be specified either by the name of its source file (ending in *.lcurry* or *.curry*) or a plain module name. **cyi** displays the name of the current module in its prompt.

- **:load**

  Reset the current evaluation context to the Curry prelude.

- **:reload**

  Repeat the last load command.

- **:freshen**

  Recompile the current module and all imported source files.

- **:clean**

  Remove all compiled files for the current module and all imported source files.

- **:edit** *file*

  Invoke the editor for *file*. The default editor is */usr/bin/vi*, but this can be changed by setting one of the environment variables VISUAL and EDITOR to your preferred editor before starting **cyi**.

- **:edit**

  Edit the source file of the current module.

- **:set** *option* ...

  Use *option*s when compiling modules.

- **:set**

  Display the current set of compiler options.

- **:unset**

  Reset all compiler options.

- **:cd** *dir*

  Change the current directory to *dir*.

- **:cd**

  Print the current directory.

- **:!** *command*

  Execute the shell command *command*.

- **:version**

  Display the compiler's version.

- **:help**

  Show the list of supported commands.

- **:quit**

  Quit **cyi**.

All commands, except for **:cd** and **:clean**, may be abbreviated to their first letter.

## SEE ALSO

[cyc(1)](/cyc/1.md), [cymake(1)](/cymake/1.md)

## BUGS

**cyi** is implemented as a shell script which invokes [cymake(1)](/cymake/1.md) and [cyc(1)](/cyc/1.md) for compiling modules and goals. Commands are read from the standard input using the shell's builtin read command. Some shells, e.g. */bin/sh* on Solaris, cannot read raw input but apply backslash processing to the input. When **cyi** is executed under such a shell, all backslash characters on the command line must be escaped by another backslash character; i.e., you have to enter \\\\x -\> x in a goal instead of \\x -\> x and ord '\\\\n' instead of ord '\\n'. In order to remind you of this limitation, **cyi** displays the following warning at startup when it is appropriate.

```
Warning: Backslashes on the command line must be escaped
```

```
  For instance, use \\x -> x for a lambda abstraction
```

```
  and '\\n' for the linefeed character.
```

## AUTHOR

This man page was written by Wolfgang Lux for the Muenster Curry Compiler, and later adapted by Diego Berrueta to the Zinc Project.