GLISP User's Manual. Revised

Abstract

GLISP is a LISP-based language which provides high-level language features not found in ordinary LISP. The GLISP language is implemented by means of a compiler which accepts GLISP as input and produces ordinary LISP as output. This output can be further compiled to machine code by the LISP compiler. GLISP is available for several LISP dialects, including Interlisp, Maclisp, UCI Lisp, ELISP, Franz Lisp, and Portable Standard Lisp. The goal of GLISP is to allow structured objects to be referenced in a convenient, succinct language and to allow the structures of objects to be changed without changing the code which references the objects. GLISP provides both PASCAL-like and English-like syntaxes; much of the power and brevity of GLISP derive from the compiler features necessary to support the relatively informal, English-like language constructs. Provided in this manual is the documentation necessary for using GLISP. The documentation is presented in the following sections: introduction; object descriptions; reference to objects; GLISP program syntax; messages; context rules and reference; GLISP and knowledge representation languages; obtaining and using GLISP; GLISP hacks (some ways of doing things in GLISP which might not be entirely obvious at first glance); and examples of GLISP object declarations and programs. (JN)