Ubuntu Manpage: ecl -- Embeddable Common Lisp

Provided by: ecl_24.5.10.20250914.git294da20+dfsg-1_amd64

NAME

       ecl -- Embeddable Common Lisp

SYNOPSIS

       ecl [-? | --help]  [-v | --version] [--debug | --nodebug]
       [--dir dir] [--load file] [--shell file] [--eval expr] [--rc | --norc]
       [--c-stack size] [--lisp-stack size] [--heap-size size]
       [--frame-stack size]
       [[-o ofile] [-c [cfile]] [-h [hfile]] [--data [datafile]] [-s] [-q]
        --compile file]
       [[-o ofile] --link file+]
       [--input-encoding external-format] [--output-encoding external-format]
       [--error-encoding external-format] [--encoding external-format]
       [--trap-fpe | --no-trap-fpe]

DESCRIPTION

       ECL (Embeddable Common-Lisp) is an interpreter of the Common-Lisp language as described in the X3J13 ANSI
       specification,  featuring  CLOS (Common-Lisp Object System), conditions, loops, etc. plus a translator to
       C, which can produce standalone executables.

       ECL supports the operating systems Linux, FreeBSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD, OS X, Solaris and Windows, running on
       top of the Intel, Sparc, Alpha, PowerPC and ARM processors.

       The current ECL implementation features:

       •      A bytecode compiler and interpreter.

       •      Compiles Lisp also with any C/C++ compiler

       •      Can build standalone executables and libraries

       •      ASDF, Sockets, Gray streams, MOP, and other useful components

       •      Extremely portable

       •      A reasonable license

       ecl without any argument starts the interactive lisp session.

OPTIONS

-?, --help
Shows the help prompt without running the ECL.

-v, --version,
Prints the current version of ECL, without running the ECL.

--debug
Turned on by default, this enables the debugging in the setup phase, so that you can debug your files.

--nodebug
Run without debugging setup phase, meaning that errors prevent ECL from starting up.

--dir directory
Use directory as a system directory.

--load file
Load source file before loading the .rc file and starting the toplevel.

--shell file
Executes the given file and exits, without providing a read-eval-print loop. If you want to use lisp
as a scripting language, you can write #!${exec_prefix}/bin/ecl --shell on the first line of the file
to be executed, and then ECL will be automatically invoked.

--eval file
Evaluate the file before loading the .rc file and starting the Top Level.

--rc
Load configuration files at startup (default).

--norc
Do not load configuration files at startup.

--c-stack size
Set C stack size in bytes for C compiler.

--lisp-stack size
Set stack size in bytes for bytecodes interpreter.

--heap-stack size
Set heap size in bytes.

--frame-stack size
Set frame stack size in bytes for runtime control structures.

-o file
Provide the output target file for compilation.

-c cfile
When compiling name the intermediary *.c file cfile and do not delete it afterwards.

-h hfile
When compiling name the intermediary *.h file hfile and do not delete it afterwards.

--data [datafile]
Dumps compiler data into datafile or, if not supplied, into a file named after the source file, but
with .data as extension.

-s Produce a linkable object file. It cannot be loaded with (load), but it can be used to build libraries
or standalone executable programs.

-q Short for quiet -- produce less notes.

--compile file
Translates file to C and invokes the local C compiler to produce a native code program.

--link file+
Create standalone executable from Lisp files file+.

--input-encoding encoding
Specify the external encoding for standard input.

--output-encoding encoding
Specify the external encoding for standard output.

--error-encoding encoding
Specify the external encoding for standard error.

--encoding encoding
Specify the external encoding for standard input, output, trace and error.

--trap-fpe
Make ECL debugger catch floating point exception.

--no-trap-fpe
Disable ECL debugger floating point exception catching.

AUTHORS

       The original version was developed by Giuseppe Attardi starting from the Kyoto Common Lisp implementation
       by  Taiichi  Yuasa,  Masami Hagiya. Further development was lead by Juan Jose Garcia Ripoll.  The current
       maintainers of ECL are Daniel Kochmański and Marius Gerbershagen, who can be reached at the  ECL  mailing
       list.

FILES

       ~/.ecl, ~/.eclrc
              Default  initialization  files  loaded  at  startup  unless the option --norc is provided (if they
              exist).

BUGS

       Unfortunately it is possible that there are some bugs in the program.  In case you find any  bug,  please
       report  it  as  an  issue  (after  making  sure that it hasn't been reported or fixed) to official gitlab
       repository: https://gitlab.com/embeddable-common-lisp/ecl/issues

LICENSE

       This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser
       General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2.1 of  the  License,
       or (at your option) any later version.

       This  library  is  distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even
       the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU Lesser  General
       Public License for more details.

       You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public License along with this library; if not,
       write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA

       Please  report  bugs,  comments,  suggestions  to the ecl mailing list: ecl-devel@common-lisp.net (or use
       gitlab).

                                                   2021-02-01                                             ecl(1)