clisp [[-h] | [--help]] [--version] [--license] [-help-image] [-B lisp-lib-dir] [-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] [[-ansi] | [-traditional]] [-modern] [-p package] [-C] [-norc] [-i init-file...] [-c [-l] lisp-file [-o output-file]...] [-x expressions...] [lisp-file [argument...]]

Invokes the Common Lisp[1] interpreter and compiler. When called without 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. Invoked with -c, compiles the specified lisp files to a platform-independent bytecode which can be executed more efficiently.

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] *LIB-DIRECTORY*.

-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 31.2, lqExternal Modulesrq.

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

nnnnnnn

measured in bytes

nnnnK nnnnKB

measured in kilobytes

nM nMB

measured in megabytes

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

This version of CLISP[6] is not likely to actually use the entire memory-size since garbage-collection will periodically reduce the amount of used memory. It is therefore common to specify 10 MB even if only 2 MB are going to be used.

-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 30.1, lqCustomizing CLISP Process Initialization and Terminationrq.

-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]. The first -q removes the banner and the good-bye message, the second sets variables *LOAD-VERBOSE*[13] and *COMPILE-VERBOSE*[14] 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

Override (or force) the batch mode imposed by -c, -x, and lisp-file, depending on action:

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)

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

See also EXT:SET-GLOBAL-HANDLER.

-repl

Start an interactive read-eval-print loop[2] after processing the -c, -x, and lisp-file options and on any ERROR[18] SIGNAL[22]ed during that processing.

-w

Wait for a keypress after program termination.

-I

Interact better with Emacs[23] (useful when running CLISP[6] under Emacs[23] using SLIME[24], ILISP[25] et al). With this option, CLISP[6] interacts in a way that Emacs[23] can deal with:

*

unnecessary prompts are not suppressed.

*

The GNU[8] readline[26] library treats TAB (see TAB key) as a normal self-inserting character (see Q: A.4.5).

-ansi

Comply with the [ANSI CL] specification even where CLISP[6] has been traditionally different. It sets the SYMBOL-MACRO[10] CUSTOM:*ANSI* to T[15].

-traditional

Traditional: reverses the residual effects of -ansi in the saved memory image.

-modern

Provides a modern view of symbols: at startup the *PACKAGE*[27] variable will be set to the lqCS-COMMON-LISP-USERrq package, and the *PRINT-BASE*[28] will be set to :DOWNCASE. This has the effect that symbol lookup is case-sensitive (except for keywords and old-style packages) and that keywords and uninterned symbols are printed with lower-case preferrence. See Section 11.4, lqPackage Case-Sensitivityrq.

-p package

At startup the value of the variable *PACKAGE*[27] will be set to the package named package. The default is the value of *PACKAGE*[27] when the image was saved, normally lqCOMMON-LISP-USERrq[29].

-C

Compile when loading: at startup the value of the variable CUSTOM:*LOAD-COMPILING* will be set to T[15]. Code being LOAD[30]ed will then be COMPILE[31]d on the fly. This results in slower loading, but faster execution.

-norc

Normally CLISP[6] loads the user lqrun controlrq (RC)[32] file on startup (this happens after the -C option is processed). The file loaded is .clisprc.lisp or .clisprc.fas in the home directory USER-HOMEDIR-PATHNAME[33], whichever is newer. This option, -norc, prevents loading of the RC file.

-i init-file

Specifies initialization files to be LOAD[30]ed at startup. These should be lisp files (source or compiled). Several -i options can be given; all the specified files will be loaded in order.

-c lisp-file

Compiles the specified lisp-files to bytecode (*.fas). The compiled files can then be LOAD[30]ed instead of the sources to gain efficiency.

-o outputfile

Specifies the output file or directory for the compilation of the last specified lisp-file.

-l

Produce a bytecode DISASSEMBLE[34] listing (*.lis) of the files being compiled. Useful only for debugging. See Section 24.1.1, lqFunction COMPILE-FILErq for details.

-x expressions

Executes a series of arbitrary expressions instead of a read-eval-print loop[2]. The values of the expressions will be output to *STANDARD-OUTPUT*[35]. Due to the argument processing done by the shell, the expressions must be enclosed in double quotes, and double quotes and backslashes must be escaped with backslashes.

lisp-file [ argument ... ]

Loads and executes a lisp-file, as described in Script execution. There will be no read-eval-print loop[2]. Before lisp-file is loaded, the variable EXT:*ARGS* will be bound to a list of strings, representing the arguments. The first line of lisp-file may start with #!, thus permitting CLISP[6] to be used as a script interpreter. If lisp-file is -, the *STANDARD-INPUT*[35] is used instead of a file.

This option is disabled if the memory image was created by EXT:SAVEINITMEM with NIL[16] :SCRIPT argument. In that case the LIST[36] EXT:*ARGS* starts with lisp-file.

This option must be the last one.

No RC file will be executed.

As usual, -- stops option processing and places all remaining command line arguments into EXT:*ARGS*.

The language implemented is [ANSI CL]. The implementation mostly conforms to the ANSI Common Lisp standard, see Section 30.10, lqMaximum ANSI CL compliancerq. [ANSI CL] ANSI CL standard1994. ANSI Common Lisp standard X3.226-1994 - Information Technology - Programming Language - Common Lisp[37]. .SH "USAGE"

help

get context-sensitive on-line help, see Chapter 25, Environment [CLHS-25].

(APROPOS[38] name)

list the symbols matching to name.

(exit) (quit) (bye)

quit CLISP[6].

EOF (Control-D on UNIX[39])

leave the current level of the read-eval-print loop[2] (see also Section 1.1, lqSpecial Symbols [CLHS-1.4.1.3]rq).

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 lqfunction positionrq (in the first symbol after an opening paren or in the first symbol after a #'[41]), the completion is limited to the symbols that name functions.

*

If you are in the "filename position" (inside a string after #P[42]), the completion is done across file names, bash[43]-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 DESCRIBE[44]d.

*

Otherwise, the symbol you are currently typing is completed.

clisp

startup driver (a script or an executable)

lisp.run lisp.exe

main executable (runtime)

lispinit.mem

initial memory image

config.lisp

site-dependent configuration (should have been customized before CLISP[6] was built); see Section 30.12, lqCustomizing CLISP behaviorrq

*.lisp

lisp source

*.fas

lisp code, compiled by CLISP[6]

*.lib

lisp source library information, generated by COMPILE-FILE, see Section 24.1.3, lqFunction REQUIRErq.

*.c

C code, compiled from lisp source by CLISP[6] (see Section 31.3, lqThe Foreign Function Call Facilityrq)

For the CLISP[6] source files, see Chapter 33, The source files of CLISP.

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

are used for determining the value of the function USER-HOMEDIR-PATHNAME[33].

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[45] and LONG-SITE-NAME[45] 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*

CLISP impnotes, CMU CL[46] - cmucl(1), Emacs[23] - emacs(1), XEmacs[47] - xemacs(1).

When you encounter a bug in CLISP[6] or in its documentation (this manual page or CLISP impnotes), please report it to the CLISP[6] SourceForge bug tracker[48].

Before submitting a bug report, please take the following basic steps to make the report more useful:

1.

Please do a clean build (remove your build directory and build CLISP[6] with ./configure --build build or at least do a make distclean before make).

2.

If you are reporting a lqhard crashrq (segmentation fault, bus error, core dump etc), please do ./configure --with-debug --build build-g ; cd build-g; gdb lisp.run, then load the appropriate linking set by either base or full gdb[49] command, and report the backtrace (see also Q: A.1.1.9).

3.

If you are using pre-built binaries and experience a hard crash, the problem is likely to be in the incompatibilities between the platform on which the binary was built and yours; please try compiling the sources and report the problem if it persists.

When submitting a bug report, please specify the following information:

1.

What is your platform (uname -a on a UNIX[39] system)? Compiler version? GNU[8] libc[50] version (on GNU[8]/Linux[51])?

2.

Where did you get the sources or binaries? When? (Absolute dates - like lq2006-01-17rq - are preferred over the relative ones - like lq2 days agorq).

3.

How did you build CLISP[6]? (What command, options &c.)

4.

What is the output of clisp --version?

5.

Please supply the full output (copy and paste) of all the error messages, as well as detailed instructions on how to reproduce them.

Known bugs, some of which may be platform-dependent, include:

*

The memory management scheme is not very flexible.

*

EXT:*KEYBOARD-INPUT* does not recognize Control-S and Control-Q.

*

No on-line documentation beyond APROPOS[38] and DESCRIBE[44] is available.

*

Write on-line documentation.

*

Enhance the compiler so that it can inline local functions.

*

Specify a portable set of window and graphics operations.

*

Add Multi-Threading capabilities, via OS threads.

The CLISP[6] project was started in late 1980-ies by Bruno Haible and Michael Stoll, both in Germany.

See COPYRIGHT (file in the CLISP sources) for the list of other contributors and the license.

Bruno Haible <>

Author.