Ubuntu Manpage: swipl - SWI-Prolog 7.2.3

Provided by: swi-prolog-nox_7.2.3-2_amd64

NAME

       swipl - SWI-Prolog 7.2.3

SYNOPSIS

       swipl [--help|--version|--arch|--dump-runtime-variables]
       swipl [options]
       swipl [options] [-o output] -c file ...
       swipl [options] [-o output] -b initfile ...

DESCRIPTION

       SWI-Prolog  is  a  comprehensive  and  stable implementation of the Prolog language with a
       large set of libraries. Among its distinguishing features are mature  support  for  multi-
       threading,  a  mature  embedded web-server library, graphical development tools (debugger,
       profiler,  cross-referencer,  editor),  an  embedded  efficient  RDF  store,  support  for
       XML/SGML/HTML  and  Unicode.   More  widely  supported features are support for constraint
       programming, atom garbage collection, interfaces to databases  (ODBC),  C,  C++  and  Java
       (JPL).

       SWI-Prolog implements the ISO core standard. Many of its extensions are largely compatible
       to YAP and SICStus Prolog.

       This manual page only lists the commandline options.  Full documentation is available  on-
       line as well as in HTML and PDF format from the WWW home page at http://www.swi-prolog.org

LICENSE INFORMATION

       SWI-Prolog  is  distributed  under  the  LGPL  (Lesser  Gnu  Public  License)  for maximal
       compatibility with the Free Software movement, while allowing  for  use  with  proprietary
       software  components.   See  the  SWI-Prolog  home  page  at http://www.swi-prolog.org for
       details.

OPTIONS

--help Gives a summary of the most important options.

--version
Displays version and architecture information.

--arch Prints the architecture identifier.

--dump-runtime-variables[=format]
Dump information that is generally useful for installation scripts in a form
defined by format. Defines formats are sh (default, bourne shell) and cmd (Windows
CMD). This option is used by swipl-ld (1) to fetch necessary information about
Prolog. It is normally invoked as eval `swipl -dump-runtime-variables`, which
assigns the following shell variables:

CC The C- compiler used to compile SWI-Prolog.

PLBASE The home directory of SWI-Prolog. This is the same value as returned by the
current_prolog_flag home.

PLARCH The architecture identifier used. Together with PLBASE this defines the
location of various components. For example, the library for embedding is
in $PLBASE/lib/$PLARCH/libswipl.a

PLLIB CC identifier to link to SWI-Prolog. Typically -lswipl

PLLIBS Additional libraries needed for linking PLLIB

PLCFLAGS
Flags that need to be passed to the C-compiler to generate compatible code.

PLLDFLAGS
Flags that need to be passed to the C-linker for linking embedded
executables.

PLSOEXT
Extension used by the hosting operating system for shared objects. On most
Unix systems this is "so"; on MS-Windows it is "dll". AIX uses "o", HPUX
"sl".

PLSOPATH
Environment variable used by the hosting operating system to extend the
search path for shared objects. For example, on ELF systems this is
"LD_LIBRARY_PATH" and on MS-Windows it is "PATH".

PLVERSION
Numeric representation of the SWI-Prolog version.

PLSHARED
Has the value yes if Prolog supports linking shared libraries using
load_foreign_library/[1,2] and no otherwise.

PLTHREADS
Has the value yes if Prolog was compiled for multi-threading and no
otherwise.

-Gsize[kmg]
Sets the global stack size to size. The default is 128 Mbytes (64-bit machines:
256 Mbytes). The global stack is used to store compound terms, floating point
numbers, big integers and strings. See also the -L option.

-Lsize[kmg]
Sets the local stack size to size. The default unit is Kbytes. The local stack is
used to store environment frames, choicepoints and foreign-language term-
references. SWI-Prolog performs last-call optimisation to minimize the local stack
requirements. If the argument ends in m , the argument is interpreted in Mbytes. A
g suffix is interpreted in Gbytes (64-bit machines only). This flag sets the
maximum value to which the stack is allowed to grow (default 128 Mbytes for the
32-bit version and 256 Mbytes for the 64-bit version). A maximum is useful to
prevent buggy programs from claiming all the memory resources. -L0 sets the limit
to the highest possible value.

-O Optimised compilation. See set_prolog_flag/3 in the SWI-Prolog Reference Manual.

-Tsize[kmg]
Sets the trail stack size to size K bytes. The default is 128 Mbytes (64-bit
machines: 256 Mbytes). See -L for more details.

-b initfile ... -c file ...
Boot compilation. initfile ... are compiled by the C written bootstrap compiler,
file ... by the normal Prolog compiler into an intermediate code file. This option
is for system maintenance and is given for reference only.

-c file ...
Compiles file ... into an intermediate code file.

-d level
Set debug level to level. This option is for system maintenance and is given for
reference only.

-f file
Use file as initialisation file instead of `.swiplrc'. `-f none' stops SWI-Prolog
from searching for an initialisation file.

-F file
Select startup script from the SWI-Prolog home directory. file Specifies the base-
name of the script. The extension is .rc. The default script is deduced from the
basename of the executable, taking all leading alphanumerical (letters, digits and
underscore) from the program name. Thus if the program is named swi-2.0 it will
try to load the file swi.rc from the SWI-Prolog home directory. If the file does
not exist, or the user has no read-access to it, the script is silently not loaded.

-s file
Load file as a script. This option may be used from the shell to make Prolog load
a file before entering the toplevel. It is also used to turn a file into an
executable Prolog script on Unix systems using the following first line

#!/usr/bin/swipl option ... -s

-l file
Load file as a script. This is a synonym for -s that is compatible with several
other Prolog implementations. If multiple -s or -l arguments are provided, all
specified files are loaded in the order in which they appear on the argument list.

--quiet -q
Operate silently. This option suppresses all informational messages.

-g goal
Goal is executed just before entering the top level. The default is a predicate
which prints the welcome message. The welcome message can thus be suppressed by
giving -g true. goal can be a complex term. In this case, quotes are normally
needed to protect it from being expanded by the Unix shell.

-o output
Used in combination with -b or -c to determine the output file for compilation.

-p alias=pathlist
Define a path alias for file_search_path/2. pathlist is a ":" separated list of
values for the alias. See file_search_path/2 in the SWI-Prolog Reference Manual.

-t goal
Use goal as an interactive top level instead of the default goal prolog/0. goal
can be a complex term. If the top level goal succeeds, SWI-Prolog exits with status
0. If it fails, the exit status is 1. This flag also determines the goal started by
break/0 and abort/0. If you want to stop the user from entering interactive mode,
start the application with `-g goal' and give `halt' as the top level.

-x bootfile
Start from an intermediate code file resulting from a Prolog compilation using the
-b or -c option, or created using qsave_program/[1,2].

[+|-]tty
Switches tty control (using ioctl(2)) on (+tty) or off (-tty). Normally tty
control is switched on. This default depends on the installation. You may wish to
switch tty control off if SWI-Prolog is used from an editor such as GNU Emacs. If
switched off, get_single_char/1 and the tracer will wait for a carriage return.

--nosignals
Disable handling of signals. Often used if SWI-Prolog is embedded in another
application on Unix systems.

-- Stops scanning for more arguments.

ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES

       SWI_HOME_DIR
              Location  for  finding  the  startup  file  boot64.prc and the libraries.  Normally
              discovered from the executable or configured default location.  Providing the value
              through  the  environment  may  be  needed  if  SWI-Prolog is embedded into another
              executable.

ON-LINE HELP

       SWI-Prolog has on-line help. This provides a fast lookup and browsing facility to the SWI-
       Prolog  Reference  manual.  The  on-line  manual can show predicate definitions as well as
       entire sections of the manual.

       help   Equivalent to help(help/1).

       help(+What)
              Show a specified part of the manual.  What is one of:

              Name/Arity
                     give help on the specified predicate

              Name   give help on the named predicate with any arity or a  C  interface  function
                     with that name.

              Section
                     display  the  specified section of the SWI-Prolog Reference Manual.  Section
                     numbers are dash separated numbers: e.g.  2-3 refers to section 2.3  of  the
                     manual.

              If  Prolog  is  used  together  with  the  GUI  tool XPCE, these predicates start a
              graphical interface, providing  a  coherent  interface  to  help/1,  apropos/1  and
              explain/1.

FILES

This installation of SWI-Prolog has been configured using the configure option
--prefix=/usr. If the files listed below are not at the indicated place, the installation
has probably been moved. Use

?- current_prolog_flag(home, Home).

to find the local installation directory of SWI-Prolog.

~/.swiplrc
Personal initialisation files consulted by SWI-Prolog on startup. If both exist
.swiplrc is used.

/usr/lib/swipl-7.2.3/bin/amd64/
Location for the executables.

/usr/lib/swipl-7.2.3/include/
Location for the include files. If writable, SWI-Prolog.h is also copied to
/usr/include/SWI-Prolog.h.

/usr/lib/swipl-7.2.3/library/
SWI-Prolog user libraries.

/usr/lib/swipl-7.2.3/boot/
SWI-Prolog kernel parts written in Prolog. The startup file
/usr/lib/swipl-7.2.3/boot64.prc may be recreated using the command from the
directory /usr/lib/swipl-7.2.3:

bin/amd64/swipl -O -o boot64.prc -b boot/init.pl

/usr/lib/swipl-7.2.3/doc/packages
HTML and/or PDF documentation on the installed add-ons.

/usr/lib/swipl-7.2.3/boot64.prc
Default startup file. This is a `intermediate code' file containing precompiled
code from the boot directory. The -xbootfile option may be used to select a
different file.

/usr/lib/swipl-7.2.3/runtime/amd64/libpl.a
SWI-Prolog library for embedding. See also plld(1).

WARRANTY

       The software is provided as  is,  without  warranty  of  any  kind,  express  or  implied,
       including  but  not limited to the warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular
       purpose and non infringement. In no event shall the author or his employer be  liable  for
       any  claim,  damages  or  other  liability,  whether  in  an  action  of contract, tort or
       otherwise, arising from, out of or in connection with the software or  the  use  or  other
       dealings in the software.

COPYING

       SWI-Prolog  is  distributed under the LGPL (Lesser GNU Public Licence).  The license terms
       are in the file COPYING or on the GNU website at http://www.gnu.org.

COPYRIGHT

       Copyright (c) 1986-2015 University of Amsterdam, VU University Amsterdam

AUTHOR

       Jan Wielemaker