WHOLEY@CMU-CS-C.ARPA (07/02/84)
[Forwarded from the CMU bboard by Laws@SRI-AI.]
First of all, there's a CLISP BBoard (C for Common) that things like this
should probably be discussed on. Since a number of questions were asked in
this forum [CMU bboard], I'll answer them in this forum.
1. DEC is supposedly either doing or planning to do ("real soon now") a port of
DEC Common Lisp to Unix.
2. I'd be wary of any "compatibility" package for Common Lisp in Franz. There
are a number of complicated Common Lisp features that are somewhat difficult to
implement from the ground up, and I doubt that a "compatability" package can
accurately capture enough to make large Common Lisp programs run. Such
features include (but are not limited to):
The package system, which provides one with separate namespaces,
Lexical scoping of variables (upward and downward "funargs"),
Multiple value returns from functions,
Arrays with fill pointers, adjustable arrays, and displaced arrays.
3. Golden Common Lisp from Gold Hill Computers is a subset of Common Lisp for
the IBM PC. It is intended more as a teaching tool than a full Common Lisp
programming environment, although one could certainly write useful programs in
it (much as one can write useful programs in BASIC). It is certainly the
finest microcomputer Lisp around.weeks%ucbpopuli.CC%Berkeley@sri-unix.UUCP (08/03/84)
From: weeks%ucbpopuli.CC@Berkeley (Harry Weeks)
Is there a commercially available implementation (by which I mean either
sold by a for-profit company or available from educational and research
institutions for use by for-profit companies) of Common Lisp for either
4.2 bsd Unix on a VAX, or for Version 7 Unix on a 68000? If anyone out
there has any leads, I would most appreciate hearing of them.
Harry Weeks
(g.weeks@Berkeley)nowicki@uiucdcsb.UUCP (08/13/84)
#R:sri-arpa:-72400:uiucdcsb:5500009:000:179
uiucdcsb!nowicki Aug 13 10:21:00 1984
[---]
I am also interested in such info. We have Sun-2's running 4.2 and I am
interested in obtaining Common Lisp for them.
-Tony Nowicki
{decvax|inuxc}!pur-ee!uiucdcs!nowickiweeks%ucbpopuli.CC%Berkeley@sri-unix.UUCP (08/18/84)
From: weeks%ucbpopuli.CC@Berkeley (Harry Weeks)
I submitted earlier a query about Common Lisp. Here's the rundown
on what I've come upon so far.
... Common Lisp is to be released by DEC for VAX/VMS
``in this quarter''.
... DEC developed Common Lisp at CMU using its money and
apparently many of its own personnel, so they own
the code developed.
... DEC developed a version to run under 4.n bsd VAX/Unix
along with the VAX/VMS version, but the VMS version
had priority, so the VAX/Unix version is lagging behind
a bit. They are supposed to release one soon, however.
... There is no version running on 68000's at present,
through apparently some companies are working on it.
... There may be a Common Lisp mailing list (Common-Lisp@SU-AI),
but I haven't determined this for certain. I asked to be
put on the list but haven't heard anything back.
Harry Weeks
(Weeks@UCBpopuli)Wholey@CMU-CS-C.ARPA (08/20/84)
From: Skef Wholey <Wholey@CMU-CS-C.ARPA>
From: weeks%ucbpopuli.CC@Berkeley (Harry Weeks)
Subject: Common Lisp.
... DEC developed Common Lisp at CMU using its money and
apparently many of its own personnel, so they own
the code developed.
DEC's Common Lisp was based on Spice Lisp -- a portable Common Lisp
implementation (written almost entirely in Common Lisp) for personal
workstations. The Spice Lisp code is in the public domain, but the
VAX-specific compiler and runtime code is owned by DEC. They have certainly
made big changes even in the Lisp-level code so that our sources may be very
different today, but most of the work done at CMU was on a portable,
public-domain implementation.
Perq Systems is (or will be) selling Common Lisp for the Perq -- their
implementation IS Spice Lisp, with little or no change. Right now it is
jointly maintained by Perq and CMU. Data General has also announced a Common
Lisp (based on Spice Lisp as well). Symbolics is currently working on a Common
Lisp Compatability Package (CLCP) that is NOT based on Spice Lisp. Because of
the strong similarity of Common Lisp and Zetalisp, such a compatability package
is feasible. I've "ported" two large (source code at least 100K characters)
Common Lisp programs from the Perq (in Spice Lisp) to the 3600 (with CLCP) with
almost no modification.
... There may be a Common Lisp mailing list (Common-Lisp@SU-AI),
but I haven't determined this for certain. I asked to be
put on the list but haven't heard anything back.
That mailing list was used during the design of Common Lisp and has been pretty
quiet lately except for nit-picking issues implementors worry about. There is
currently no "Common-Lisp-Users" mailing list, but one could be created if
Common Lisp was deemed inappropriate material for AIList.
--Skef