LISP and Symbolic Computation, 4(4)319-369

An Approach to the DIN Kernel Lisp Definition

Maria Victoria Cengarle, Bayerisches Forschungszentrum für Wissensbasierte Systeme
Luis Mandel, Bayerisches Forschungszentrum für Wissensbasierte Systeme
Martin Wirsing, Bayerisches Forschungszentrum für Wissensbasierte Systeme
Heiner Brand, Siemens-Nixdorf AG
Klaus Dässler, Siemens-Nixdorf AG
Thekla Schneider, Siemens-Nixdorf AG

Abstract: A DIN Kernel LISP Draft (DKLISP) has been developed by DIN as Reaction to Action D1 (N79), short term goal, of ISO WG16. It defines a subset language, as compatible as possible with the ANSI COMMON-LISP draft, but also with the EULISP draft. It combines the most important LISP main stream features in a single, compact, but nevertheless complete language definition, which thereby could be well suited as basis for a short term International LISP Standard. Besides the functional and knowledge processing features, the expressive power of the language is well comparable with contemporary procedural languages, as e.g. C++ (of course without libraries). Important features of DKLISP are:

* to be a "LISP-1," but allowing an easy "LISP-2" transformation;
* to be a simple, powerful and standardized educational LISP;
* to omit all features, which are unclean or in heavy discussion;
* DKLISP programs run nearly unchanged in COMMON-LISP;
* DKLISP contains a simple object and package system;
* DKLISP contains those data classes and control structures also common to most modern LISP and non-LISP languages;
* DKLISP offers a simple stream I/O;
* DKLISP contains a clean unified hierarchical class/type system;
* DKLISP contains the typical "LISP-features" in an orthogonal way;
* DKLISP allows and encourages really small but powerful implementations;
* DKLISP comes in levels, so allowing ANSI COMMON-LISP to be an extension of DKLISP level-1.

This article is not available online. 		[picture of journal cover]

May 2003 - hosc@brics.dk