Introduction to Common Lisp
2 min read
6 months ago
Published on Apr 23, 2024
This response is partially generated with the help of AI. It may contain inaccuracies.
Table of Contents
How to Get Started with Common Lisp Programming
-
Install Common Lisp (SBCL):
- Visit the website sbcl.org.
- Follow the instructions to install SBCL using Homebrew by running the command
brew install sbcl
.
-
Install Emacs for Code Editing:
- Install Emacs using Homebrew by running
brew install emacs
. - Alternatively, you can download the executable from the official Emacs website.
- Install Emacs using Homebrew by running
-
Explore Common Lisp Features:
- Open a terminal and type
sbcl
to start a REPL (Read-Evaluate-Print Loop). - Familiarize yourself with the basic data types in Lisp: atoms and lists.
- Understand how to create lists and nested lists in Lisp.
- Open a terminal and type
-
Working with Functions:
- Define functions using the syntax
(defun function-name (arguments) "documentation" (body))
. - Evaluate functions by calling them with their arguments.
- Define functions using the syntax
-
Keyword Arguments and Optional Arguments:
- Learn how to define functions with keyword arguments for flexibility.
- Explore optional arguments using the
&optional
keyword in function definitions.
-
Conditional Statements:
- Use
if
statements for conditional logic in Lisp. - Structure
if
statements with the syntax(if test true-statement false-statement)
.
- Use
-
Handling Multiple Conditions:
- Utilize the
cond
special form to handle multiple conditions in Lisp. - Write a
cond
statement with multiple clauses to match different conditions.
- Utilize the
-
Understanding Recursion:
- Learn about recursion in Lisp for repetitive tasks and function calls.
By following these steps, you can start exploring Common Lisp programming and understand the key concepts and features of the language.