Language/OS - Multiplatform Resource Library/LANGUAGE OS.iso/lisp/kcl/kcl.lha/doc/update

Text File | 1986-07-11 | 15KB | 516 lines

KYOTO COMMON LISP UPDATE NOTICES

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Date: 86/5/17
By: Taiichi
Subject: Full online documentation

KCL is now equipped with online documentations for:

    all special forms
    all built-in macros
    all built-in functions
    all built-in variables and constants
    some built-in types
    some useful system internal functions

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Date: 86/5/17
By: Taiichi
Subject: HELP and HELP* are added.

These functions print online documentations onto the display.

(HELP <symbol>) prints the documentation associated with <symbol>.
(HELP) prints the greeting message to KCL beginners.

(HELP* <string> <package>) prints the documentation associated
with those symbols in the specified <package> whose print names
contain <string> as substring.  <string> may be a symbol, in which
case the print-name of that symbol is used.  <package> is optional and
defaults to the LISP package.  If <package> is NIL, then all packages
are searched.

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Date: 86/5/17
By: Taiichi
Subject: COMPILE-FILE now accepts two additional keyword parameters.

If the value of the keyword parameter :LOAD is non-NIL, then COMPILE-FILE
loads the generated fasl file after compilation.  :LOAD defaults to NIL.

If the value of the keyword parameter :MESSAGE-FILE is non-NIL, then
compiler messages are logged into the file specified by this parameter.
If the specified file already exists, then the messages are appended to the
file.  If not, a new file is created.  :MESSAGE-FILE defaults to the value
of the variable COMPILER:*DEFAULT-MESSAGE-FILE*.

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Date: 86/5/17
By: Taiichi
Subject: COMPILE now deletes GAZONK files by default.

If you want to save the intermediate GAZONK files, specify a non-NIL value
as the keyword parameter :LEAVE-GAZONK to COMPILE.  In case you do not
want to specify the optional parameter <definition> to COMPILE, specify
NIL.  COMPILE now treats the NIL value as if <definition> was not specified.
Thus, for example,

    (COMPILE 'FOO NIL :LEAVE-GAZONK T)

compiles the function definition associated with FOO and leaves the
intermediate GAZONK files.

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Date: 86/5/17
By: Taiichi
Subject: LISTEN works in some versions.

Try with your KCL.

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Date: 86/5/17
By: Taiichi
Subject: The compiler does tail-recursion optimization.

By default, the compiler replaces tail-recursive calls with iteration.
You will occasionally receive the following compiler message.

    ;; Note: Tail-recursive call of FOO was replaced by iteration.

There are two ways to prevent the compiler from doing this optimization.

1. Set COMPILER::*DO-TAIL-RECURSION* to NIL.  No tail-recursion optimization
is done while this variable has NIL value.  Note that this variable is
associated to an internal symbol in the COMPILER package.

2. Use NOT-INLINE declaration.  Tail-recursive calls of the functions declared
NOT-INLINE are not replace with iterations.

Incidentally, the TAK example in Appendix B of KCL Report will get
a better code:

    /*    local entry for function TAK    */

    static int LI1(V4,V5,V6)
    int V4,V5,V6;
    {    VMB3 VMS3 VMV3
    TTL:;
        if((V5)<(V4)){
        goto T2;}
        VMR3(V6)
    T2:;
        {int V7;
        V7= LI1((V4)-1,V5,V6);
        {int V8;
        V8= LI1((V5)-1,V6,V4);
        V6= LI1((V6)-1,V4,V5);
        V5= V8;
        V4= V7;}}
        goto TTL;
    }

which is equivalent to:

    /*    local entry for function TAK    */

    static int tak(x,y,z)
    int x,y,z;
    {
    loop:    if(y<x) goto L;
        return(z);
    L:
        {    int temp1=tak(x-1,y,z);
            int temp2=tak(y-1,z,x);
            z=tak(z-1,x,y);
            y=temp2;
            x=temp1;
        }
        goto loop;
    }

-----------------------
Date: 86/5/17
By: Taiichi
Subject: Now, the compiler always does error recovery.

Thanks Bob, I have never noticed that the old compiler sometimes fails
to recover from compile-time errors.

-----------------------
Date: 86/5/17
By: Taiichi
Subject: The pretty-printer became wiser.

The number N as the SI:PRETTY-PRINT-FORMAT property of a symbol <symbol>
indicates that, in the form (<symbol> <f1> ... <fN> <fN+1> ... <fM>),
the subforms <fN+1>,...,<fM> are the 'body' of the form and thus are
treated in a special way by the KCL pretty-printer.

-----------------------
Date: 86/5/17
By: Taiichi
Subject: Customizing the 'hole' size.

The size of the hole between the heap and relocatable area (see Section
4.2 of the KCL Report) highly affects the performance of memory management.
With the smaller size of hole, then garbage collection occurs more frequently,
but the total size of the (logical) memory used by KCL is kept smaller.
We added the following functions so that the user can set up the
'appropriate size' of his own.

(SI:GET-HOLE-SIZE) returns as an integer the hole size (in pages).
Note that this is NOT the size of the current hole, but IS the size
of the hole immediately after each garbage collection.

(SI:SET-HOLE-SIZE <fixnum>) sets the hole size.  <fixnum> is the
new size of the hole (in pages).  <fixnum> must be a positive fixnum.

To see how frequently the garbage collection occurs,
set the variable SI:*GBC-MESSAGE* to a non-NIL value.

-----------------------
Date: 86/5/20
By: Taiichi
Subject: Variable bindings in LET, LET*, and COMPILER-LET

According to CLtL, variable bindings in these special forms are given by
the following syntax.

    ( { var | (var init) }* )

However, UME-san hates this and requested (or forced ?) us to extend the
syntax so that <init> be optional.  Now, the syntax is:

    ( { var | (var [init]) }* )

-----------------------
Date: 86/5/20
By: Taiichi
Subject: A symbol is accepted as a defmacro-lambda-list.

Again, UME-san requested us to make KCL accept a non-NIL symbol as a
defmacro-lambda-list.  KCL now regards

    (DEFMACRO <name> <symbol> . <body> )

as equivalent to

    (DEFMACRO <name> (&REST <symbol>) . <body> )

-----------------------
Date: 86/5/30
By: Taiichi
Subject: Character I/O

Now, PRIN1 prints some characters as

    #\\<octal digits>

This indicates that PRIN1 does not know a good representation for these
characers.  For those KCL versions that use ASCII, those and only those
characters whose codes are greater than 127 will be printed in this way.

In accordance, the KCL reader accepts inputs in this format.

    >(code-char #o200)
    #\\200

    >(code-char #o100)
    #\@

    >(char-code #\\200)
    128

    >#\\100
    #\@

-----------------------
Date: 86/5/30
By: Taiichi
Subject: &BODY parameter to DEFMACRO

KCL now makes use of the pretty-printing information given by &BODY
parameter to DEFMACRO.  Accordingly, &REST and &BODY are not equivalent
any more.

For example, suppose we have defined a macro.

    (defmacro foo (x y &body z) ...)

Then, the form

    (foo aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
             bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb
             ccccccccccccccccccccc
             dddddddddddddddd
             eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee)

will be pretty-printed as:

    (foo aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb
      ccccccccccccccccccccc
      dddddddddddddddd
      eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee)

But, if the macro definition uses &REST instead of &BODY, the same form
will be prettey-printed as:

    (bar aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb
         ccccccccccccccccccccc dddddddddddddddd eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee)

-----------------------
Date: 86/6/30
By: Taiichi
Subject: COMPILE-FILE accepts yet another keyword parameter.

If the value of the keyword parameter :VERBOSE is non-NIL, then COMPILE-FILE
prints what functions, macros, etc. are being compiled.

-----------------------
Date: 86/6/30
By: Taiichi
Subject: The stepper accepts more commands.

u    Goes to the enclosing form.
r FORM    Evaluates the FORM and returns its value.
b    Backtrace

-----------------------
Date: 86/6/30
By: Taiichi
Subject: Note on SYSTEM

The function SYSTEM in KCL/Unix invokes sh rather than csh.

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Date: 86/6/30
By: Taiichi
Subject: COMPILE-FILE and COMPILE in KCL/VAX produces one more temporary file.

In KCL/VAX, COMPILE-FILE and COMPILE produces a temporary assembler file
with the filetype ".s".  This file is automatically deleted after the
compilation.  Unlike the other temporary files, the user cannot specify
the assembler file by keyword parameters to COMPILE-FILE and COMPILE.

-----------------------
Date: 86/6/30
By: Taiichi
Subject: Notifying GBC

There are C variables GBC_enter_hook and GBC_exit_hook, which hold
the pointers to the functions to invoke respectively at the entry and
at the exit of GBC.  By defining his own functions, and by setting
these variables, the user can do whatever he wants.

Here is an example for you.

    % cat a.lsp

    (clines
    "    /* Declare the global variables by yourself. */        "
    "    int (* GBC_enter_hook) ();                "
    "    int (* GBC_exit_hook) ();                "
    "                                "
    "    /* The C function to call on entry of GBC */    "
    "    my_gbc_entry ()                        "
    "    {                            "
    "        printf(\"Sorry, I'm collecting garbages.\\n\");    "
    "        fflush(stdout);                    "
    "    }                            "
    "                                "
    "    /* The C function to call on exit from GBC */    "
    "    my_gbc_exit ()                        "
    "    {                            "
    "        printf(\"Now, I continue your computation.\\n\");"
    "        fflush(stdout);                    "
    "    }                            "
    "                                "
    "    /* The C function to set the global variables */    "
    "    initialize_my_gbc_message ()                "
    "    {                            "
    "        GBC_enter_hook = my_gbc_entry;            "
    "        GBC_exit_hook = my_gbc_exit;            "
    "    }                            ")

    (defentry initialize-my-gbc-message ()
      "Sets the two C global variables."
      (void "initialize_my_gbc_message"))

    % kcl
    KCL (Kyoto Common Lisp)

    >(compile-file "a" :load t)
    ...

    >(initialize-my-gbc-message)
    nil

    >(dotimes (i 100) (make-list 1000))
    Sorry, I'm collecting garbages.
    Now, I continue your computation.
    Sorry, I'm collecting garbages.
    Now, I continue your computation.
    Sorry, I'm collecting garbages.
    Now, I continue your computation.
    Sorry, I'm collecting garbages.
    Now, I continue your computation.
    nil

    >

-----------------------
Date: 86/6/30
By: Taiichi
Subject: Yet another break-level command.

We added a break-level command :M (or :MESSAGE) which displays the
error message.

-----------------------
Date: 86/6/30
By: Taiichi
Subject:

Now, there is no limit of the number of characters for strings being read.

-----------------------
Date: 86/7/11
By: Taiichi
Subject: The break-level now rebinds *READTABLE*.

Now, the break-level rebinds *READTABLE* on its entry.  This is required
when an KCL application clobbers the current readtable so much as to
disable ordinary interaction within the break-level loop.  A variable
SI:*BREAK-READTABLE* was added to control the binding.  If the value of
this variable is NIL, then the break-level simply rebinds *READTABLE* to
the current value of *READTABLE*.  Otherwise, *READTABLE* will be bound to
the value of this variable.  Normally, the user, who wishes to use the
standard readtable within the break-level loop, sets up this variable as:

    (SETQ SI:*BREAK-READTABLE* (COPY-READTABLE NIL))

before, of course, entering the break-level loop.  The initial value of
SI:*BREAK-READTABLE* is NIL.

-----------------------
Date: 86/7/11
By: Taiichi
Subject: Break-level Commands

The break-level has been revised for improvements.  Type :H at the
break-level loop and see the facilities available now.

-----------------------
Date: 86/7/11
By: Taiichi
Subject: (OPTIMIZE (SAFETY 3))

The declaration (OPTIMIZE (SAFETY 3)) now directs the compiler to generate
code so that each function call from the compiled code opens a CATCH frame
with the name of the called function as the catch tag.  Thus, at the
break-level, the user can return any value(s) from any functions by

    (THROW <function-name> <value1> ... <valuen>)

-----------------------
Date: 86/7/11
By: Taiichi
Subject: Compiler Macros


SI:DEFINE-COMPILER-MACRO                    [MACRO]
    <name> <lambda-list> {<decl> | <doc>}* <form>*

Similar to DEFMACRO.  However, SI:DEFINE-COMPILER-MACRO does not install the
macro-expander function as the global macro definition of <name>.  Rather,
it only directs the KCL compiler to expand a form (<name> ... ) only at
compile time.  It never affects the function/macro cell of the symbol <name>,
and ordinary function/macro definition (by DEFUN, DEFMACRO, etc.) does not
affect the effect of SI:DEFINE-COMPILER-MACRO.  Further more, the doc-string
<doc>, even if supplied, is just ignored, and &BODY in the <lambda-list> does
not affect the pretty printer.
     This macro is highly useful when porting Lisp applications written
in Lisp dialects other than Common Lisp.  See the description of
SI:DEFINE-INLINE-FUNCTION below.


SI:UNDEF-COMPILER-MACRO <name>                    [FUNCTION]

Makes void the effect of (SI:DEFINE-COMPILER-MACRO <name> ... ).
Note that this is a function but not a macro;  Its argument is evaluated.


SI:DEFINE-INLINE-FUNCTION                    [MACRO]
    <name> <lambda-list> {<decl> | <doc>}* <form>*

This macro roughly corresponds to the DEFSUBST macro in ZetaLisp.

    (SI:DEFINE-INLINE-FUNCTION <name> (<var-1> ... <var-l>)
        <decl/doc-1> ... <decl/doc-m>
      <form-1> ... <form-n> )

will be expanded into

    (PROGN
      (DEFUN <name> (<var-1> ... <var-l>)
          <decl/doc-1> ... <decl/doc-m>
        <form-1> ... <form-n> )
      (SI:DEFINE-COMPILER-MACRO <name> (<temp-1> ... <temp-l>)
        `(LET ((<var-1> ,<temp-1>) ... (<var-n> ,<temp-n>))
             <decl/doc-1> ... <decl/doc-m>
           <form-1> ... <form-m> )))

Accordingly, there are some syntactic differences between
SI:DEFINE-INLINE-FUNCTION forms and DEFUN forms.  Some of the differences
are:

    1. The "lambda-list" should consist only of required variables.
    2. The doc-string, if given, will be regarded as an ordinary string
       by the compiler (because LET does not accept doc-strings).
       As a result, declarations after the doc-string will cause a
       compile-time error.
    3. The compiled code does not establish a block named <name> around
       the body.  Thus, the behaviour of (RETURN-FROM <name>) in the
       compiled code might cause unexpected effects.

     As an example of the use of SI:DEFINE-INLINE-MACRO, let us define the
function MEMQ.

    (SI:DEFINE-INLINE-FUNCTION MEMQ (X Y)
      (MEMBER X Y :TEST #'EQ))

This form acutally defines MEMQ as a function.  Thus, for example,

    (FUNCALL #'MEMQ 'A '(A B C)) ==> (B C)

    (FBOUNDP 'MEMQ) ==> (LAMBDA-BLOCK MEMQ (X Y) (MEMBER X Y :TEST #'EQ))

On the other hand, the compiler expands the form

    (MEMQ (GIVE-ITEM) (GIVE-LIST))

into

    (LET ((X (GIVE-ITEM)) (Y (GIVE-LIST)))
       (MEMBER X Y :TEST #'EQ))

which the optimizer may then replace effectively with

    (MEMBER (GIVE-ITEM) (GIVE-LIST) :TEST #'EQ)

or

    (DO ((X (GIVE-ITEM))
         (Y (GIVE-LIST) (CDR Y)))
        ((ENDP Y) NIL)
      (WHEN (EQ X (CAR Y)) (RETURN Y)))

depending on the compilation mode.

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