## Name

clisp — ANSI Common Lisp compiler, interpreter and debugger.

## Synopsis

`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``] [`-E`domain` `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``...]]

## Description

Invokes the Common Lisp interpreter and compiler.

### Interactive Mode

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

- `READ` from the standard input,
- `EVAL`uated by the lisp interpreter,
- and their results are `PRINT`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.

## Options

`-h`
`--help`
  Displays a help message on how to invoke CLISP.
`--version`
  Displays the CLISP version number, as given by the function `LISP-IMPLEMENTATION-VERSION`, the value of the variable `*FEATURES*`, as well some other information.
`--license`
  Displays a summary of the licensing information, the GNU GPL.
`-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` `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`.
`-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
  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 gzip.
`-m` `memory-size`

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

  `n`
  `n` B
    measured in bytes
  `n`
  `n` W
    measured in machine words (4×`n` on 32-bit platforms, 8×`n` on 64-bit platforms)
  `n` K
  `n` KB
    measured in kilobytes
  `n` KW
    measured in kilowords
  `n` M
  `n` MB
    measured in megabytes
  `n` MW
    measured in megawords

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

  This version of CLISP 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 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 `LANG`, provided the corresponding message catalog is installed. The language may be changed dynamically using the `SYMBOL-MACRO` `CUSTOM:*CURRENT-LANGUAGE*`.

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

  Specifies the encoding used for the given domain, overriding the default which depends on the environment variables `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`s that have been saved in a memory image are ignored: these `SYMBOL-MACRO`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 variables 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 displays a banner at startup and a good-bye message when quitting, and initializes `*LOAD-VERBOSE*` and `*COMPILE-VERBOSE*` to `T`, and `*LOAD-PRINT*` and `*COMPILE-PRINT*` to `NIL`, as per [ANSI CL standard]. The first `-q` removes the banner and the good-bye message, the second sets variables `*LOAD-VERBOSE*`, `*COMPILE-VERBOSE*` and `CUSTOM:*SAVEINITMEM-VERBOSE*` to `NIL`. The first `-v` sets variables `CUSTOM:*REPORT-ERROR-PRINT-BACKTRACE*`, `*LOAD-PRINT*` and `*COMPILE-PRINT*` to `T`, the second sets `CUSTOM:*LOAD-ECHO*` to `T`. These settings affect the output produced by `-i` and `-c` options. Note that these settings persist into the read-eval-print loop. 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`:

  appease
    continuable `ERROR`s are turned into `WARNING`s (with `EXT:APPEASE-CERRORS`) other `ERROR`s are handled in the default way
  debug
    `ERROR`s `INVOKE-DEBUGGER` (the normal read-eval-print loop behavior), disables batch mode imposed by `-c`, `-x`, and ``lisp-file``,
  abort
    continuable `ERROR`s are appeased, other `ERROR`s are `ABORT`ed with `EXT:ABORT-ON-ERROR`
  exit
    continuable `ERROR`s are appeased, other `ERROR`s terminate CLISP with `EXT:EXIT-ON-ERROR` (the normal batch mode behavior).

  See also `EXT:SET-GLOBAL-HANDLER`.

`-repl`

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

  Disables batch mode.

`-w`
  Wait for a keypress after program termination.
`-I`

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

  - unnecessary prompts are not suppressed.
  - The GNU readline library treats TAB (see TAB key) as a normal self-inserting character (see Q: A.4.6).
`-disable-readline`
  Do not use GNU readline even when it has been linked against. This can be used if one wants to paste non-ASCII characters, or when GNU readline misbehaves due to installation (different versions on the build and install machines) or setup (bad `TERM` environment variable value) issues.
`-ansi`
  Comply with the [ANSI CL standard] specification even where CLISP has been traditionally different by setting the `SYMBOL-MACRO` `CUSTOM:*ANSI*` to `T`.
`-traditional`
  Traditional: reverses the residual effects of `-ansi` in the saved memory image.
`-modern`
  Provides a modern view of symbols: at startup the `*PACKAGE*` variable will be set to the “CS-COMMON-LISP-USER” package, and the `*PRINT-CASE*` 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 11.5, “Package Case-Sensitivity”.
`-p` `package`
  At startup the value of the variable `*PACKAGE*` will be set to the package named `package`. The default is the value of `*PACKAGE*` when the image was saved, normally “COMMON-LISP-USER”.
`-C`
  Compile when loading: at startup the value of the variable `CUSTOM:*LOAD-COMPILING*` will be set to `T`. Code being `LOAD`ed will then be `COMPILE`d on the fly. This results in slower loading, but faster execution.
`-norc`
  Normally CLISP loads the user “run control” (RC) 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`, whichever is newer. This option, `-norc`, prevents loading of the RC file.
`-lp` `directory`
  Specifies directories to be added to `CUSTOM:*LOAD-PATHS*` at startup. This is done after loading the RC file (so that it does not override the command-line option) but before loading the init-files specified by the `-i` options (so that the init-files will be searched for in the specified directories). Several `-lp` options can be given; all the specified directories will be added.
`-i` `init-file`
  Specifies initialization files to be `LOAD`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-file`s to bytecode (`*.fas`). The compiled files can then be `LOAD`ed instead of the sources to gain efficiency.

  Imposes batch mode.

`-o` `outputfile`
  Specifies the output file or directory for the compilation of the last specified `lisp-file`.
`-l`
  Produce a bytecode `DISASSEMBLE` listing (`*.lis`) of the files being compiled. Useful only for debugging. See Section 24.1, “Function `COMPILE-FILE`” for details.
`-x` `expressions`

  Executes a series of arbitrary expressions instead of a read-eval-print loop. The values of the expressions will be output to `*STANDARD-OUTPUT*`. 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.

  Imposes batch mode.

`lisp-file` [ `argument` ... ]

  Loads and executes a `lisp-file`, as described in Section 32.6.2, “Scripting with CLISP”. There will be no read-eval-print loop. Before `lisp-file` is loaded, the variable `EXT:*ARGS*` will be bound to a list of strings, representing the `argument`s. The first line of `lisp-file` may start with #!, thus permitting CLISP to be used as a script interpreter. If `lisp-file` is -, the `*STANDARD-INPUT*` is used instead of a file.

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

  This option must be the last one.

  No RC file will be executed.

  Imposes batch mode.

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

## Language Reference

The language implemented is ANSI Common Lisp. The implementation mostly conforms to the ANSI Common Lisp standard, see Section 31.10, “Maximum ANSI CL compliance”.

[ANSI CL] ANSI CL standard1994. ANSI 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 .
(`APROPOS` `name`)
  list the `SYMBOL`s matching `name`.
(`DESCRIBE` `symbol`)
  describe the `symbol`.
(exit)
(quit)
(bye)
  quit CLISP.
EOF (Control+D on UNIX)
  leave the current level of the read-eval-print loop (see also Section 1.1, “Special Symbols ”).
arrow keys
  for editing and viewing the input history, using the GNU readline 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 `#'`), the completion is limited to the symbols that name functions.
  - If you are in the "filename position" (inside a string after `#P`), the completion is done across file names, GNU bash-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`d.
  - Otherwise, the symbol you are currently typing is completed.

## Using and Extending CLISP

Common Lisp is a programmable programming language.

—John Foderaro

When CLISP is invoked, the runtime loads the initial memory image and outputs the prompt; at which one can start typing `DEFVAR`s, `DEFUN`s and `DEFMACRO`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`; and `LOAD` it either by hand or from the RC file; or save a memory image to avoid the `LOAD` overhead.

However, sometimes one needs to use some functionality implemented in another language, e.g., call a C 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 implemented in C.
`lispinit.mem`
  initial memory image (the part of CLISP implemented in lisp)
`config.lisp`
  site-dependent configuration (should have been customized before CLISP was built); see Section 31.12, “Customizing CLISP behavior”
`*.lisp`
  lisp source
`*.fas`
  lisp code, compiled by CLISP
`*.lib`
  lisp source library information, generated by `COMPILE-FILE`, see Section 24.3, “Function `REQUIRE`”.
`*.c`
  C code, compiled from lisp source by CLISP (see Section 32.3, “The Foreign Function Call Facility”)

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

## Environment

All environment variables that CLISP uses are read at most once.

`CLISP_LANGUAGE`
  specifies the language CLISP 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.
`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 can be overridden with the ``-E`domain` `encoding``` option.
`LANG`
  specifies the language CLISP uses to communicate with the user, unless it is already specified through the environment variable `CLISP_LANGUAGE` or the `-L` option. It also specifies the locale determining the character set in use, unless already specified through the environment variable `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`.
`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` and `LONG-SITE-NAME` 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”.

## See also

CLISP impnotes
clisp-link(1)
CMU CL - cmucl(1)
Emacs - emacs(1)
XEmacs - xemacs(1)

## Bugs

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

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 with ./configure --cbc build or at least do a make distclean before make).
2. If you are reporting a “hard crash” (segmentation fault, bus error, core dump etc), please do ./configure `--with-debug` --cbc build-g ; cd build-g; gdb lisp.run, then load the appropriate linking set by either base or full gdb command, and report the backtrace (see also Q: A.1.1.10).
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 system)? Compiler version? GNU libc version (on GNU/Linux)?
2. Where did you get the sources or binaries? When? (Absolute dates, e.g., “2006-01-17”, are preferred over the relative ones, e.g., “2 days ago”).
3. How did you build CLISP? (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.

## Projects

- Enhance the compiler so that it can inline local functions.
- Embed CLISP in VIM.

| CLISP version 2.49 | Platform: x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu | Last modified: 2010-07-07

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