clisp1

Ansi[38] common lisp[1] compiler, interpreter and debugger.

Usage

clisp [{[-h] | [--help]}] [--version] [--license] [-help-image] [-B lisp-lib-dir] [-b] [-K linking-set] [-M mem-file] [-m memory-size] [-L language] [-N locale-dir] [-Edomain encoding] [{[-q] | [--quiet] | [--silent] | [-v] | [--verbose]}] [-on-error action] [-repl] [-w] [-I] [-disable-readline] [{[-ansi] | [-traditional]}] [-modern] [-p package] [-C] [-norc] [-lp directory ...] [-i init-file ...] [-c [-l] lisp-file [-o output-file] ...] [-x expressions ...] [lisp-file [argument ...]]

Overview

Invokes the Common Lisp[1] interpreter and compiler.

Interactive Mode

When called without batch arguments, executes the read-eval-print loop[2], in which expressions are in turn

• READ[3] from the standard input,

• EVAL[4]uated by the lisp interpreter,

• and their results are PRINT[5]ed to the standard output.

Non-Interactive (Batch) Mode

Invoked with -c, compiles the specified lisp files to a platform-independent bytecode which can be executed more efficiently.

Invoked with -x, executes the specified lisp expressions.

Invoked with lisp-file, runs the specified lisp file.

Batch mode activates the -q option.

Options

-h --help: Displays a help message on how to invoke CLISP[6].

--version: Displays the CLISP[6] version number, as given by the function LISP-IMPLEMENTATION-VERSION[7], the value of the variable *FEATURES*, as well some other information.

--license: Displays a summary of the licensing information, the GNU[8] GPL[9].

-help-image: Displays information about the memory image being invoked: whether is it suitable for scripting as well as the :DOCUMENTATION supplied to EXT:SAVEINITMEM.

-B lisp-lib-dir: Specifies the installation directory. This is the directory containing the linking sets and other data files. This option is normally not necessary, because the installation directory is already built-in into the clisp executable. Directory lisp-lib-dir can be changed dynamically using the SYMBOL-MACRO[10] CUSTOM:*LIB-DIRECTORY*.

-b: Print the installation directory and exit immediately. The namestring of CUSTOM:*LIB-DIRECTORY* is printed without any quotes. This is mostly useful in module Makefiles, see, e.g., modules/syscalls/Makefile.in (file in the CLISP sources).

-K linking-set

Specifies the linking set to be run. This is a directory (relative to the lisp-lib-dir) containing at least a main executable (runtime) and an initial memory image. Possible values are

base

the core CLISP[6]

full

core plus all the modules with which this installation was built, see Section 32.2, “External Modules”.

The default is base.

-M mem-file: Specifies the initial memory image. This must be a memory dump produced by the EXT:SAVEINITMEM function by this clisp runtime. It may have been compressed using GNU[8] gzip[11].

-m memory-size

Sets the amount of memory CLISP[6] tries to grab on startup. The amount may be given as

n
nB

measured in bytes

n
nW

measured in machine words (4×n on 32-bit platforms, 8×n on 64-bit platforms)

nK
nKB

measured in kilobytes

nKW

measured in kilowords

nM
nMB

measured in megabytes

nMW

measured in megawords

The default is 3 megabytes. The argument is constrained above 100 KB.

This version of CLISP[6] eventually uses the entire memory-size.

-L language: Specifies the language CLISP[6] uses to communicate with the user. This may be one of english, german, french, spanish, dutch, russian, danish. Other languages may be specified through the environment variable[12] LANG, provided the corresponding message catalog is installed. The language may be changed dynamically using the SYMBOL-MACRO[10] CUSTOM:*CURRENT-LANGUAGE*.

-N locale-dir: Specifies the base directory of locale files. CLISP[6] will search its message catalogs in locale-dir/language/LC_MESSAGES/clisp.mo. This directory may be changed dynamically using the SYMBOL-MACRO[10] CUSTOM:*CURRENT-LANGUAGE*.

-Edomain encoding

Specifies the encoding used for the given domain, overriding the default which depends on the environment variable[12]s LC_ALL, LC_CTYPE, LANG. domain can be

file

affecting CUSTOM:*DEFAULT-FILE-ENCODING*

pathname

affecting CUSTOM:*PATHNAME-ENCODING*

terminal

affecting CUSTOM:*TERMINAL-ENCODING*

foreign

affecting CUSTOM:*FOREIGN-ENCODING*

misc

affecting CUSTOM:*MISC-ENCODING*

blank

affecting all of the above.

Warning
Note that the values of these SYMBOL-MACRO[10]s that have been saved in a memory image are ignored: these SYMBOL-MACRO[10]s are reset based on the OS environment after the memory image is loaded. You have to use the RC file, CUSTOM:*INIT-HOOKS* or init function to set them on startup, but it is best to set the aforementioned environment variable[12]s appropriately for consistency with other programs. See Section 31.1, “Customizing CLISP Process Initialization and Termination”.

-q --quiet --silent -v --verbose: Change verbosity level: by default, CLISP[6] displays a banner at startup and a good-bye message when quitting, and initializes *LOAD-VERBOSE*[13] and *COMPILE-VERBOSE*[14] to T[15], and *LOAD-PRINT*[13] and *COMPILE-PRINT*[14] to NIL[16], as per [ANSI CL standard]. The first -q removes the banner and the good-bye message, the second sets variables *LOAD-VERBOSE*[13], *COMPILE-VERBOSE*[14] and CUSTOM:*SAVEINITMEM-VERBOSE* to NIL[16]. The first -v sets variables CUSTOM:*REPORT-ERROR-PRINT-BACKTRACE*, *LOAD-PRINT*[13] and *COMPILE-PRINT*[14] to T[15], the second sets CUSTOM:*LOAD-ECHO* to T[15]. These settings affect the output produced by -i and -c options. Note that these settings persist into the read-eval-print loop[2]. Repeated -q and -v cancel each other, e.g., -q -q -v -v -v is equivalent to -v.

-on-error action

Establish global error handlers, depending on action:.PP appease

continuable[17] ERROR[18]s are turned into WARNING[19]s (with EXT:APPEASE-CERRORS) other ERROR[18]s are handled in the default way

debug

ERROR[18]s INVOKE-DEBUGGER[20] (the normal read-eval-print loop[2] behavior), disables batch mode imposed by -c, -x, and lisp-file,

abort

continuable[17] ERROR[18]s are appeased, other ERROR[18]s are ABORT[21]ed with EXT:ABORT-ON-ERROR

exit

continuable[17] ERROR[18]s are appeased, other ERROR[18]s terminate CLISP[6] with EXT:EXIT-ON-ERROR (the normal batch mode behavior).

Language reference

The language implemented is ANSI[39][38] Common Lisp[1]. The implementation mostly conforms to the ANSI Common Lisp standard, see Section 31.10, “Maximum ANSI CL compliance”. [ANSI CL] ANSI CL standard1994. ANSI[40] INCITS 226-1994 (R1999)
Information Technology - Programming Language - Common Lisp
[formerly ANSI X3.226-1994 (R1999)].

Command line user environment

help

get context-sensitive on-line help, see Chapter 25, Environment chap-25.

(APROPOS name)

list the SYMBOL[41]s matching name.

(DESCRIBE symbol)

describe the symbol.

(exit)
(quit)
(bye)

quit CLISP[6].

EOF (Control+D on UNIX[42])

leave the current level of the read-eval-print loop[2] (see also Section 1.1, “Special Symbols sec_1-4-1-3”).

arrow keys

for editing and viewing the input history, using the GNU[8] readline[26] library.

TAB key

Context sensitive:

• If you are in the “function position” (in the first symbol after an opening paren or in the first symbol after a #'[44]), the completion is limited to the symbols that name functions.

• If you are in the "filename position" (inside a string after #P[45]), the completion is done across file names, GNU[8] bash[46]-style.

• If you have not typed anything yet, you will get a help message, as if by the help command.

• If you have not started typing the next symbol (i.e., you are at a whitespace), the current function or macro is DESCRIBEd.

• Otherwise, the symbol you are currently typing is completed.

Using and extending clisp

Common Lisp[1] is a programmable programming language. —John Foderaro[47].PP When CLISP[6] is invoked, the runtime loads the initial memory image and outputs the prompt; at which one can start typing DEFVAR[48]s, DEFUN[49]s and DEFMACRO[50]s.

To avoid having to re-enter the same definitions by hand in every session, one can create a lisp file with all the variables, functions, macros, etc.; (optionally) compile it with COMPILE-FILE[51]; and LOAD[31] it either by hand or from the RC file; or save a memory image to avoid the LOAD[31] overhead.

However, sometimes one needs to use some functionality implemented in another language, e.g., call a C[52] library function. For that one uses the Foreign Function Interface and/or the External Modules facility. Finally, the truly adventurous ones might delve into Extending the Core.

Files

clisp
clisp.exe

startup driver (an executable or, rarely, a shell script) which remembers the location of the runtime and starts it with the appropriate arguments

lisp.run
lisp.exe

main executable (runtime) - the part of CLISP[6] implemented in C[52].

lispinit.mem

initial memory image (the part of CLISP[6] implemented in lisp)

config.lisp

site-dependent configuration (should have been customized before CLISP[6] was built); see Section 31.12, “Customizing CLISP behavior”

*.lisp

lisp source

*.fas

lisp code, compiled by CLISP[6]

*.lib

lisp source library information, generated by COMPILE-FILE, see Section 24.3, “Function REQUIRE”.

*.c

C code, compiled from lisp source by CLISP[6] (see Section 32.3, “The Foreign Function Call Facility”)

For the CLISP[6] source files, see Chapter 34, The source files of CLISP.

Environment

All environment variable[12]s that CLISP[6] uses are read at most once.

CLISP_LANGUAGE

specifies the language CLISP[6] uses to communicate with the user. The legal values are identical to those of the -L option which can be used to override this environment variable[12].

LC_CTYPE

specifies the locale which determines the character set in use. The value can be of the form language or language_country or language_country.charset, where language is a two-letter ISO 639 language code (lower case), country is a two-letter ISO 3166 country code (upper case). charset is an optional character set specification, and needs normally not be given because the character set can be inferred from the language and country. This environment variable[12] can be overridden with the -Edomain encoding option.

LANG

specifies the language CLISP[6] uses to communicate with the user, unless it is already specified through the environment variable[12] CLISP_LANGUAGE or the -L option. It also specifies the locale determining the character set in use, unless already specified through the environment variable[12] LC_CTYPE. The value may begin with a two-letter ISO 639 language code, for example en, de, fr.

HOME
USER

used for determining the value of the function USER-HOMEDIR-PATHNAME[34].

SHELL
COMSPEC

is used to find the interactive command interpreter called by EXT:SHELL.

TERM

determines the screen size recognized by the pretty printer.

ORGANIZATION

for SHORT-SITE-NAME[53] and LONG-SITE-NAME[53] in config.lisp.

CLHSROOT

for CUSTOM:CLHS-ROOT in config.lisp.

IMPNOTES

for CUSTOM:IMPNOTES-ROOT in config.lisp.

EDITOR

for editor-name in config.lisp.

LOGICAL_HOST_host_FROM
LOGICAL_HOST_host_TO
LOGICAL_HOST_host

for CUSTOM:*LOAD-LOGICAL-PATHNAME-TRANSLATIONS-DATABASE*

Input and outut

See Section 21.1.1, “Initialization of Standard Streams”.

Projects

• Enhance the compiler so that it can inline local functions.

• Embed CLISP[6] in VIM[64].

Notes

1.: Common Lisp

https://common-lisp.net

2.: read-eval-print loop

[set $man.base.url.for.relative.links]/sec_25-1-1

3.: READ

http://www.ai.mit.edu/projects/iiip/doc/CommonLISP/HyperSpec/Body/fun_readcm_re_g-whitespace.html

4.: EVAL

http://www.ai.mit.edu/projects/iiip/doc/CommonLISP/HyperSpec/Body/fun_eval.html

5.: PRINT

http://www.ai.mit.edu/projects/iiip/doc/CommonLISP/HyperSpec/Body/fun_writecm_p_rintcm_princ.html

6.: CLISP

http://clisp.org

7.: LISP-IMPLEMENTATION-VERSION

http://www.ai.mit.edu/projects/iiip/doc/CommonLISP/HyperSpec/Body/fun_lisp-impl_tion-version.html

8.: GNU

https://www.gnu.org

9.: GPL

https://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html

10.: SYMBOL-MACRO

[set $man.base.url.for.relative.links]/mac_define-symbol-macro

11.: gzip

http://www.gzip.org/

12.: environment variable

[set $man.base.url.for.relative.links]/basedefs/V1_chap08.html

13.: *LOAD-VERBOSE*

http://www.ai.mit.edu/projects/iiip/doc/CommonLISP/HyperSpec/Body/var_stload-pr_ad-verbosest.html

14.: *COMPILE-VERBOSE*

http://www.ai.mit.edu/projects/iiip/doc/CommonLISP/HyperSpec/Body/var_stcompile_le-verbosest.html

15.: T

http://www.ai.mit.edu/projects/iiip/doc/CommonLISP/HyperSpec/Body/convar_t.html

16.: NIL

http://www.ai.mit.edu/projects/iiip/doc/CommonLISP/HyperSpec/Body/convar_nil.html

17.: continuable

[set $man.base.url.for.relative.links]/clhs/glo

18.: ERROR

http://www.ai.mit.edu/projects/iiip/doc/CommonLISP/HyperSpec/Body/contyp_error.html

19.: WARNING

http://www.ai.mit.edu/projects/iiip/doc/CommonLISP/HyperSpec/Body/contyp_warning.html

20.: INVOKE-DEBUGGER

http://www.ai.mit.edu/projects/iiip/doc/CommonLISP/HyperSpec/Body/fun_invoke-debugger.html

21.: ABORT

http://www.ai.mit.edu/projects/iiip/doc/CommonLISP/HyperSpec/Body/fun_abortcm_c_cm_use-value.html

22.: SIGNAL

http://www.ai.mit.edu/projects/iiip/doc/CommonLISP/HyperSpec/Body/fun_signal.html

23.: Emacs

https://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/

24.: SLIME

https://common-lisp.net/project/slime/

25.: ILISP

https://sourceforge.net/projects/ilisp/

26.: readline

http://tiswww.case.edu/php/chet/readline/readline.html

27.: ASCII

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ASCII

28.: *PACKAGE*

http://www.ai.mit.edu/projects/iiip/doc/CommonLISP/HyperSpec/Body/var_stpackagest.html

29.: *PRINT-CASE*

http://www.ai.mit.edu/projects/iiip/doc/CommonLISP/HyperSpec/Body/var_stprint-casest.html

30.: “COMMON-LISP-USER”

[set $man.base.url.for.relative.links]/sec_11-1-2-2

31.: LOAD

http://www.ai.mit.edu/projects/iiip/doc/CommonLISP/HyperSpec/Body/fun_load.html

32.: COMPILE

http://www.ai.mit.edu/projects/iiip/doc/CommonLISP/HyperSpec/Body/fun_compile.html

33.: “run
control” (RC)

http://www.faqs.org/docs/artu/ch10s03.html

34.: USER-HOMEDIR-PATHNAME

http://www.ai.mit.edu/projects/iiip/doc/CommonLISP/HyperSpec/Body/fun_user-homedir-pathname.html

35.: DISASSEMBLE

http://www.ai.mit.edu/projects/iiip/doc/CommonLISP/HyperSpec/Body/fun_disassemble.html

36.: *STANDARD-OUTPUT*

http://www.ai.mit.edu/projects/iiip/doc/CommonLISP/HyperSpec/Body/var_stdebug-i_ace-outputst.html

37.: LIST

http://www.ai.mit.edu/projects/iiip/doc/CommonLISP/HyperSpec/Body/syscla_list.html

38.: ANSI

https://www.ansi.org/

39.: The American National Standards Institute

40.: ANSI

https://webstore.ansi.org

41.: SYMBOL

http://www.ai.mit.edu/projects/iiip/doc/CommonLISP/HyperSpec/Body/syscla_symbol.html

42.: UNIX

http://www.unix.org/online.html

43.: Win32

https://winehq.org/

44.: #'

[set $man.base.url.for.relative.links]/sec_2-4-8-2

45.: #P

[set $man.base.url.for.relative.links]/sec_2-4-8-14

46.: bash

https://www.gnu.org/software/bash/

47.: John Foderaro

http://www.franz.com/~jkf/

48.: DEFVAR

http://www.ai.mit.edu/projects/iiip/doc/CommonLISP/HyperSpec/Body/mac_defparametercm_defvar.html

49.: DEFUN

http://www.ai.mit.edu/projects/iiip/doc/CommonLISP/HyperSpec/Body/mac_defun.html

50.: DEFMACRO

http://www.ai.mit.edu/projects/iiip/doc/CommonLISP/HyperSpec/Body/mac_defmacro.html

51.: COMPILE-FILE

http://www.ai.mit.edu/projects/iiip/doc/CommonLISP/HyperSpec/Body/fun_compile-file.html

52.: C

http://c-faq.com/

53.: SHORT-SITE-NAME

http://www.ai.mit.edu/projects/iiip/doc/CommonLISP/HyperSpec/Body/fun_short-sit_ng-site-name.html

54.: CMU CL

https://www.cons.org/cmucl/

55.: SBCL

http://www.sbcl.org/

56.: SourceForge bug tracker

https://sourceforge.net/p/clisp/bugs/

57.: SourceForge

https://sourceforge.net

58.: OpenID

http://openid.net/

59.: English

http://www.catb.org/esr/faqs/hacker-howto.html#skills4

60.: gdb

https://www.sourceware.org/gdb/

61.: Git

https://git-scm.com/

62.: libc

https://www.gnu.org/software/libc/

63.: Linux

https://www.kernel.org/

64.: VIM

https://www.vim.org

Releases

14 releases since Debian 2.0 (Hamm); the text changed 11 times.

--help since Debian 4.0 (Etch); --license since Debian 4.0 (Etch); --quiet since Debian 4.0 (Etch); --silent since Debian 4.0 (Etch); --verbose since Debian 4.0 (Etch); --version since Debian 4.0 (Etch); -B since Debian 4.0 (Etch); -C since Debian 4.0 (Etch); -I since Debian 4.0 (Etch); -K since Debian 4.0 (Etch); -L since Debian 4.0 (Etch); -M since Debian 4.0 (Etch); -N since Debian 4.0 (Etch); -ansi since Debian 4.0 (Etch); -b since Debian 6.0 (Squeeze); -c since Debian 4.0 (Etch); -disable-readline since Debian 7 (Wheezy); -h since Debian 4.0 (Etch); -help-image since Debian 4.0 (Etch); -i since Debian 4.0 (Etch); -l since Debian 4.0 (Etch); -lp since Debian 6.0 (Squeeze); -m since Debian 4.0 (Etch); -modern since Debian 4.0 (Etch); -norc since Debian 4.0 (Etch); -o since Debian 4.0 (Etch); -on-error since Debian 4.0 (Etch); -p since Debian 4.0 (Etch); -q since Debian 4.0 (Etch); -repl since Debian 4.0 (Etch); -traditional since Debian 4.0 (Etch); -v since Debian 4.0 (Etch); -w since Debian 4.0 (Etch); -x since Debian 4.0 (Etch).

-W until Debian 2.1 (Slink); -a until Debian 2.2 (Potato).