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The accursed program feature. Written; not tested.

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Simon Brooke 2023-04-07 15:18:13 +01:00
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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC ""
"">
<html><head><meta charset="UTF-8" /><title>Further Reading</title><link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="css/default.css" /><link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="css/highlight.css" /><script type="text/javascript" src="js/highlight.min.js"></script><script type="text/javascript" src="js/jquery.min.js"></script><script type="text/javascript" src="js/page_effects.js"></script><script>hljs.initHighlightingOnLoad();</script></head><body><div id="header"><h2>Generated by <a href="https://github.com/weavejester/codox">Codox</a></h2><h1><a href="index.html"><span class="project-title"><span class="project-name">Beowulf</span> <span class="project-version">0.3.0-SNAPSHOT</span></span></a></h1></div><div class="sidebar primary"><h3 class="no-link"><span class="inner">Project</span></h3><ul class="index-link"><li class="depth-1 "><a href="index.html"><div class="inner">Index</div></a></li></ul><h3 class="no-link"><span class="inner">Topics</span></h3><ul><li class="depth-1 current"><a href="further_reading.html"><div class="inner"><span>Further Reading</span></div></a></li><li class="depth-1 "><a href="intro.html"><div class="inner"><span>beowulf</span></div></a></li><li class="depth-1 "><a href="mexpr.html"><div class="inner"><span>Interpreting M-Expressions</span></div></a></li><li class="depth-1 "><a href="values.html"><div class="inner"><span>The properties of the system, and their values: here be dragons</span></div></a></li></ul><h3 class="no-link"><span class="inner">Namespaces</span></h3><ul><li class="depth-1"><div class="no-link"><div class="inner"><span class="tree"><span class="top"></span><span class="bottom"></span></span><span>beowulf</span></div></div></li><li class="depth-2 branch"><a href="beowulf.bootstrap.html"><div class="inner"><span class="tree"><span class="top"></span><span class="bottom"></span></span><span>bootstrap</span></div></a></li><li class="depth-2 branch"><a href="beowulf.cons-cell.html"><div class="inner"><span class="tree"><span class="top"></span><span class="bottom"></span></span><span>cons-cell</span></div></a></li><li class="depth-2 branch"><a href="beowulf.core.html"><div class="inner"><span class="tree"><span class="top"></span><span class="bottom"></span></span><span>core</span></div></a></li><li class="depth-2 branch"><a href="beowulf.gendoc.html"><div class="inner"><span class="tree"><span class="top"></span><span class="bottom"></span></span><span>gendoc</span></div></a></li><li class="depth-2 branch"><a href="beowulf.host.html"><div class="inner"><span class="tree"><span class="top"></span><span class="bottom"></span></span><span>host</span></div></a></li><li class="depth-2 branch"><a href="beowulf.interop.html"><div class="inner"><span class="tree"><span class="top"></span><span class="bottom"></span></span><span>interop</span></div></a></li><li class="depth-2 branch"><a href="beowulf.io.html"><div class="inner"><span class="tree"><span class="top"></span><span class="bottom"></span></span><span>io</span></div></a></li><li class="depth-2 branch"><a href="beowulf.manual.html"><div class="inner"><span class="tree"><span class="top"></span><span class="bottom"></span></span><span>manual</span></div></a></li><li class="depth-2 branch"><a href="beowulf.oblist.html"><div class="inner"><span class="tree"><span class="top"></span><span class="bottom"></span></span><span>oblist</span></div></a></li><li class="depth-2 branch"><a href="beowulf.read.html"><div class="inner"><span class="tree"><span class="top"></span><span class="bottom"></span></span><span>read</span></div></a></li><li class="depth-2"><div class="no-link"><div class="inner"><span class="tree"><span class="top"></span><span class="bottom"></span></span><span>reader</span></div></div></li><li class="depth-3 branch"><a href="beowulf.reader.char-reader.html"><div class="inner"><span class="tree"><span class="top"></span><span class="bottom"></span></span><span>char-reader</span></div></a></li><li class="depth-3 branch"><a href="beowulf.reader.generate.html"><div class="inner"><span class="tree"><span class="top"></span><span class="bottom"></span></span><span>generate</span></div></a></li><li class="depth-3 branch"><a href="beowulf.reader.macros.html"><div class="inner"><span class="tree"><span class="top"></span><span class="bottom"></span></span><span>macros</span></div></a></li><li class="depth-3 branch"><a href="beowulf.reader.parser.html"><div class="inner"><span class="tree"><span class="top"></span><span class="bottom"></span></span><span>parser</span></div></a></li><li class="depth-3"><a href="beowulf.reader.simplify.html"><div class="inner"><span class="tree"><span class="top"></span><span class="bottom"></span></span><span>simplify</span></div></a></li></ul></div><div class="document" id="content"><div class="doc"><div class="markdown"><h1><a href="#further-reading" name="further-reading"></a>Further Reading</h1>
<ol>
<li><a href="http://bitsavers.org/pdf/mit/computer_center/Coding_for_the_MIT-IBM_704_Computer_Oct57.pdf">CODING for the MIT-IBM 704 COMPUTER, October 1957</a> This paper is not about Lisp. But it is about the particular individual computer on which Lisp was first implemented, and it is written in part by members of the Lisp team. I have found it useful in understanding the software environment in which, and the constraints under which, Lisp was written.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.softwarepreservation.org/projects/LISP/MIT/AIM-001.pdf">MIT AI Memo 1, John McCarthy, September 1958</a> This is, as far as I can find, the earliest specification document of the Lisp project.</li>
<li><a href="https://bitsavers.org/pdf/mit/rle_lisp/LISP_I_Programmers_Manual_Mar60.pdf">Lisp 1 Programmer’s Manual, Phyllis Fox, March 1960</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.softwarepreservation.org/projects/LISP/book/LISP%201.5%20Programmers%20Manual.pdf#page=81">Lisp 1.5 Programmer’s Manual, Michael I. Levin, August 1962</a> This book is essential reading: it documents in some detail the first fully realised Lisp language system.</li>
<li><a href="https://dl.acm.org/doi/pdf/10.1145/800055.802047#page=3">Early LISP History (1956 - 1959), Herbert Stoyan, August 1984</a></li>
<li>
<p><a href="http://www.paulgraham.com/rootsoflisp.html">The Roots of Lisp, Paul Graham, 2001</a></p></li>
<li>
<p><a href="http://www.paulgraham.com/icad.html">The Revenge of the Nerds, Paul Graham, 2002</a> This is mainly about why to use Lisp as a language for modern commercial software, but has useful insights into where it comes from.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>So the short explanation of why this 1950s language is not obsolete is that it was not technology but math, and math doesn’t get stale.</p>
</blockquote></li>
</ol></div></div></div></body></html>

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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC ""
"">
<html><head><meta charset="UTF-8" /><title>beowulf</title><link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="css/default.css" /><link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="css/highlight.css" /><script type="text/javascript" src="js/highlight.min.js"></script><script type="text/javascript" src="js/jquery.min.js"></script><script type="text/javascript" src="js/page_effects.js"></script><script>hljs.initHighlightingOnLoad();</script></head><body><div id="header"><h2>Generated by <a href="https://github.com/weavejester/codox">Codox</a></h2><h1><a href="index.html"><span class="project-title"><span class="project-name">Beowulf</span> <span class="project-version">0.3.0-SNAPSHOT</span></span></a></h1></div><div class="sidebar primary"><h3 class="no-link"><span class="inner">Project</span></h3><ul class="index-link"><li class="depth-1 "><a href="index.html"><div class="inner">Index</div></a></li></ul><h3 class="no-link"><span class="inner">Topics</span></h3><ul><li class="depth-1 current"><a href="intro.html"><div class="inner"><span>beowulf</span></div></a></li><li class="depth-1 "><a href="mexpr.html"><div class="inner"><span>Interpreting M-Expressions</span></div></a></li><li class="depth-1 "><a href="values.html"><div class="inner"><span>Understanding values and properties</span></div></a></li></ul><h3 class="no-link"><span class="inner">Namespaces</span></h3><ul><li class="depth-1"><div class="no-link"><div class="inner"><span class="tree"><span class="top"></span><span class="bottom"></span></span><span>beowulf</span></div></div></li><li class="depth-2 branch"><a href="beowulf.bootstrap.html"><div class="inner"><span class="tree"><span class="top"></span><span class="bottom"></span></span><span>bootstrap</span></div></a></li><li class="depth-2 branch"><a href="beowulf.cons-cell.html"><div class="inner"><span class="tree"><span class="top"></span><span class="bottom"></span></span><span>cons-cell</span></div></a></li><li class="depth-2 branch"><a href="beowulf.core.html"><div class="inner"><span class="tree"><span class="top"></span><span class="bottom"></span></span><span>core</span></div></a></li><li class="depth-2 branch"><a href="beowulf.gendoc.html"><div class="inner"><span class="tree"><span class="top"></span><span class="bottom"></span></span><span>gendoc</span></div></a></li><li class="depth-2 branch"><a href="beowulf.host.html"><div class="inner"><span class="tree"><span class="top"></span><span class="bottom"></span></span><span>host</span></div></a></li><li class="depth-2 branch"><a href="beowulf.io.html"><div class="inner"><span class="tree"><span class="top"></span><span class="bottom"></span></span><span>io</span></div></a></li><li class="depth-2 branch"><a href="beowulf.manual.html"><div class="inner"><span class="tree"><span class="top"></span><span class="bottom"></span></span><span>manual</span></div></a></li><li class="depth-2 branch"><a href="beowulf.oblist.html"><div class="inner"><span class="tree"><span class="top"></span><span class="bottom"></span></span><span>oblist</span></div></a></li><li class="depth-2 branch"><a href="beowulf.read.html"><div class="inner"><span class="tree"><span class="top"></span><span class="bottom"></span></span><span>read</span></div></a></li><li class="depth-2"><div class="no-link"><div class="inner"><span class="tree"><span class="top"></span><span class="bottom"></span></span><span>reader</span></div></div></li><li class="depth-3 branch"><a href="beowulf.reader.char-reader.html"><div class="inner"><span class="tree"><span class="top"></span><span class="bottom"></span></span><span>char-reader</span></div></a></li><li class="depth-3 branch"><a href="beowulf.reader.generate.html"><div class="inner"><span class="tree"><span class="top"></span><span class="bottom"></span></span><span>generate</span></div></a></li><li class="depth-3 branch"><a href="beowulf.reader.macros.html"><div class="inner"><span class="tree"><span class="top"></span><span class="bottom"></span></span><span>macros</span></div></a></li><li class="depth-3 branch"><a href="beowulf.reader.parser.html"><div class="inner"><span class="tree"><span class="top"></span><span class="bottom"></span></span><span>parser</span></div></a></li><li class="depth-3"><a href="beowulf.reader.simplify.html"><div class="inner"><span class="tree"><span class="top"></span><span class="bottom"></span></span><span>simplify</span></div></a></li></ul></div><div class="document" id="content"><div class="doc"><div class="markdown"><h1><a href="#beowulf" name="beowulf"></a>beowulf</h1>
<html><head><meta charset="UTF-8" /><title>beowulf</title><link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="css/default.css" /><link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="css/highlight.css" /><script type="text/javascript" src="js/highlight.min.js"></script><script type="text/javascript" src="js/jquery.min.js"></script><script type="text/javascript" src="js/page_effects.js"></script><script>hljs.initHighlightingOnLoad();</script></head><body><div id="header"><h2>Generated by <a href="https://github.com/weavejester/codox">Codox</a></h2><h1><a href="index.html"><span class="project-title"><span class="project-name">Beowulf</span> <span class="project-version">0.3.0-SNAPSHOT</span></span></a></h1></div><div class="sidebar primary"><h3 class="no-link"><span class="inner">Project</span></h3><ul class="index-link"><li class="depth-1 "><a href="index.html"><div class="inner">Index</div></a></li></ul><h3 class="no-link"><span class="inner">Topics</span></h3><ul><li class="depth-1 "><a href="further_reading.html"><div class="inner"><span>Further Reading</span></div></a></li><li class="depth-1 current"><a href="intro.html"><div class="inner"><span>beowulf</span></div></a></li><li class="depth-1 "><a href="mexpr.html"><div class="inner"><span>Interpreting M-Expressions</span></div></a></li><li class="depth-1 "><a href="values.html"><div class="inner"><span>The properties of the system, and their values: here be dragons</span></div></a></li></ul><h3 class="no-link"><span class="inner">Namespaces</span></h3><ul><li class="depth-1"><div class="no-link"><div class="inner"><span class="tree"><span class="top"></span><span class="bottom"></span></span><span>beowulf</span></div></div></li><li class="depth-2 branch"><a href="beowulf.bootstrap.html"><div class="inner"><span class="tree"><span class="top"></span><span class="bottom"></span></span><span>bootstrap</span></div></a></li><li class="depth-2 branch"><a href="beowulf.cons-cell.html"><div class="inner"><span class="tree"><span class="top"></span><span class="bottom"></span></span><span>cons-cell</span></div></a></li><li class="depth-2 branch"><a href="beowulf.core.html"><div class="inner"><span class="tree"><span class="top"></span><span class="bottom"></span></span><span>core</span></div></a></li><li class="depth-2 branch"><a href="beowulf.gendoc.html"><div class="inner"><span class="tree"><span class="top"></span><span class="bottom"></span></span><span>gendoc</span></div></a></li><li class="depth-2 branch"><a href="beowulf.host.html"><div class="inner"><span class="tree"><span class="top"></span><span class="bottom"></span></span><span>host</span></div></a></li><li class="depth-2 branch"><a href="beowulf.interop.html"><div class="inner"><span class="tree"><span class="top"></span><span class="bottom"></span></span><span>interop</span></div></a></li><li class="depth-2 branch"><a href="beowulf.io.html"><div class="inner"><span class="tree"><span class="top"></span><span class="bottom"></span></span><span>io</span></div></a></li><li class="depth-2 branch"><a href="beowulf.manual.html"><div class="inner"><span class="tree"><span class="top"></span><span class="bottom"></span></span><span>manual</span></div></a></li><li class="depth-2 branch"><a href="beowulf.oblist.html"><div class="inner"><span class="tree"><span class="top"></span><span class="bottom"></span></span><span>oblist</span></div></a></li><li class="depth-2 branch"><a href="beowulf.read.html"><div class="inner"><span class="tree"><span class="top"></span><span class="bottom"></span></span><span>read</span></div></a></li><li class="depth-2"><div class="no-link"><div class="inner"><span class="tree"><span class="top"></span><span class="bottom"></span></span><span>reader</span></div></div></li><li class="depth-3 branch"><a href="beowulf.reader.char-reader.html"><div class="inner"><span class="tree"><span class="top"></span><span class="bottom"></span></span><span>char-reader</span></div></a></li><li class="depth-3 branch"><a href="beowulf.reader.generate.html"><div class="inner"><span class="tree"><span class="top"></span><span class="bottom"></span></span><span>generate</span></div></a></li><li class="depth-3 branch"><a href="beowulf.reader.macros.html"><div class="inner"><span class="tree"><span class="top"></span><span class="bottom"></span></span><span>macros</span></div></a></li><li class="depth-3 branch"><a href="beowulf.reader.parser.html"><div class="inner"><span class="tree"><span class="top"></span><span class="bottom"></span></span><span>parser</span></div></a></li><li class="depth-3"><a href="beowulf.reader.simplify.html"><div class="inner"><span class="tree"><span class="top"></span><span class="bottom"></span></span><span>simplify</span></div></a></li></ul></div><div class="document" id="content"><div class="doc"><div class="markdown"><h1><a href="#beowulf" name="beowulf"></a>beowulf</h1>
<p>LISP 1.5 is to all Lisp dialects as Beowulf is to English literature.</p>
<h2><a href="#what-this-is" name="what-this-is"></a>What this is</h2>
<p>A work-in-progress towards an implementation of Lisp 1.5 in Clojure. The objective is to build a complete and accurate implementation of Lisp 1.5 as described in the manual, with, in so far as is possible, exactly the same bahaviour - except as documented below.</p>
<h3><a href="#status" name="status"></a>Status</h3>
<p>Boots to REPL, but few functions yet available.</p>
<p>Working Lisp interpreter, but some key features not yet implemented.</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://simon-brooke.github.io/beowulf/">Project website</a>.</li>
<li><a href="https://simon-brooke.github.io/beowulf/docs/codox/index.html">Source code documentation</a>.</li>
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<pre><code>lein uberjar
</code></pre>
<p>Invoke with</p>
<pre><code>java -jar target/uberjar/beowulf-0.2.1-SNAPSHOT-standalone.jar --help
<pre><code>java -jar target/uberjar/beowulf-0.3.0-SNAPSHOT-standalone.jar --help
</code></pre>
<p>(Obviously, check your version number)</p>
<p>Command line arguments as follows:</p>

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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC ""
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<html><head><meta charset="UTF-8" /><title>Interpreting M-Expressions</title><link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="css/default.css" /><link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="css/highlight.css" /><script type="text/javascript" src="js/highlight.min.js"></script><script type="text/javascript" src="js/jquery.min.js"></script><script type="text/javascript" src="js/page_effects.js"></script><script>hljs.initHighlightingOnLoad();</script></head><body><div id="header"><h2>Generated by <a href="https://github.com/weavejester/codox">Codox</a></h2><h1><a href="index.html"><span class="project-title"><span class="project-name">Beowulf</span> <span class="project-version">0.3.0-SNAPSHOT</span></span></a></h1></div><div class="sidebar primary"><h3 class="no-link"><span class="inner">Project</span></h3><ul class="index-link"><li class="depth-1 "><a href="index.html"><div class="inner">Index</div></a></li></ul><h3 class="no-link"><span class="inner">Topics</span></h3><ul><li class="depth-1 "><a href="intro.html"><div class="inner"><span>beowulf</span></div></a></li><li class="depth-1 current"><a href="mexpr.html"><div class="inner"><span>Interpreting M-Expressions</span></div></a></li><li class="depth-1 "><a href="values.html"><div class="inner"><span>Understanding values and properties</span></div></a></li></ul><h3 class="no-link"><span class="inner">Namespaces</span></h3><ul><li class="depth-1"><div class="no-link"><div class="inner"><span class="tree"><span class="top"></span><span class="bottom"></span></span><span>beowulf</span></div></div></li><li class="depth-2 branch"><a href="beowulf.bootstrap.html"><div class="inner"><span class="tree"><span class="top"></span><span class="bottom"></span></span><span>bootstrap</span></div></a></li><li class="depth-2 branch"><a href="beowulf.cons-cell.html"><div class="inner"><span class="tree"><span class="top"></span><span class="bottom"></span></span><span>cons-cell</span></div></a></li><li class="depth-2 branch"><a href="beowulf.core.html"><div class="inner"><span class="tree"><span class="top"></span><span class="bottom"></span></span><span>core</span></div></a></li><li class="depth-2 branch"><a href="beowulf.gendoc.html"><div class="inner"><span class="tree"><span class="top"></span><span class="bottom"></span></span><span>gendoc</span></div></a></li><li class="depth-2 branch"><a href="beowulf.host.html"><div class="inner"><span class="tree"><span class="top"></span><span class="bottom"></span></span><span>host</span></div></a></li><li class="depth-2 branch"><a href="beowulf.io.html"><div class="inner"><span class="tree"><span class="top"></span><span class="bottom"></span></span><span>io</span></div></a></li><li class="depth-2 branch"><a href="beowulf.manual.html"><div class="inner"><span class="tree"><span class="top"></span><span class="bottom"></span></span><span>manual</span></div></a></li><li class="depth-2 branch"><a href="beowulf.oblist.html"><div class="inner"><span class="tree"><span class="top"></span><span class="bottom"></span></span><span>oblist</span></div></a></li><li class="depth-2 branch"><a href="beowulf.read.html"><div class="inner"><span class="tree"><span class="top"></span><span class="bottom"></span></span><span>read</span></div></a></li><li class="depth-2"><div class="no-link"><div class="inner"><span class="tree"><span class="top"></span><span class="bottom"></span></span><span>reader</span></div></div></li><li class="depth-3 branch"><a href="beowulf.reader.char-reader.html"><div class="inner"><span class="tree"><span class="top"></span><span class="bottom"></span></span><span>char-reader</span></div></a></li><li class="depth-3 branch"><a href="beowulf.reader.generate.html"><div class="inner"><span class="tree"><span class="top"></span><span class="bottom"></span></span><span>generate</span></div></a></li><li class="depth-3 branch"><a href="beowulf.reader.macros.html"><div class="inner"><span class="tree"><span class="top"></span><span class="bottom"></span></span><span>macros</span></div></a></li><li class="depth-3 branch"><a href="beowulf.reader.parser.html"><div class="inner"><span class="tree"><span class="top"></span><span class="bottom"></span></span><span>parser</span></div></a></li><li class="depth-3"><a href="beowulf.reader.simplify.html"><div class="inner"><span class="tree"><span class="top"></span><span class="bottom"></span></span><span>simplify</span></div></a></li></ul></div><div class="document" id="content"><div class="doc"><div class="markdown"><h1><a href="#interpreting-m-expressions" name="interpreting-m-expressions"></a>Interpreting M-Expressions</h1>
<html><head><meta charset="UTF-8" /><title>Interpreting M-Expressions</title><link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="css/default.css" /><link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="css/highlight.css" /><script type="text/javascript" src="js/highlight.min.js"></script><script type="text/javascript" src="js/jquery.min.js"></script><script type="text/javascript" src="js/page_effects.js"></script><script>hljs.initHighlightingOnLoad();</script></head><body><div id="header"><h2>Generated by <a href="https://github.com/weavejester/codox">Codox</a></h2><h1><a href="index.html"><span class="project-title"><span class="project-name">Beowulf</span> <span class="project-version">0.3.0-SNAPSHOT</span></span></a></h1></div><div class="sidebar primary"><h3 class="no-link"><span class="inner">Project</span></h3><ul class="index-link"><li class="depth-1 "><a href="index.html"><div class="inner">Index</div></a></li></ul><h3 class="no-link"><span class="inner">Topics</span></h3><ul><li class="depth-1 "><a href="further_reading.html"><div class="inner"><span>Further Reading</span></div></a></li><li class="depth-1 "><a href="intro.html"><div class="inner"><span>beowulf</span></div></a></li><li class="depth-1 current"><a href="mexpr.html"><div class="inner"><span>Interpreting M-Expressions</span></div></a></li><li class="depth-1 "><a href="values.html"><div class="inner"><span>The properties of the system, and their values: here be dragons</span></div></a></li></ul><h3 class="no-link"><span class="inner">Namespaces</span></h3><ul><li class="depth-1"><div class="no-link"><div class="inner"><span class="tree"><span class="top"></span><span class="bottom"></span></span><span>beowulf</span></div></div></li><li class="depth-2 branch"><a href="beowulf.bootstrap.html"><div class="inner"><span class="tree"><span class="top"></span><span class="bottom"></span></span><span>bootstrap</span></div></a></li><li class="depth-2 branch"><a href="beowulf.cons-cell.html"><div class="inner"><span class="tree"><span class="top"></span><span class="bottom"></span></span><span>cons-cell</span></div></a></li><li class="depth-2 branch"><a href="beowulf.core.html"><div class="inner"><span class="tree"><span class="top"></span><span class="bottom"></span></span><span>core</span></div></a></li><li class="depth-2 branch"><a href="beowulf.gendoc.html"><div class="inner"><span class="tree"><span class="top"></span><span class="bottom"></span></span><span>gendoc</span></div></a></li><li class="depth-2 branch"><a href="beowulf.host.html"><div class="inner"><span class="tree"><span class="top"></span><span class="bottom"></span></span><span>host</span></div></a></li><li class="depth-2 branch"><a href="beowulf.interop.html"><div class="inner"><span class="tree"><span class="top"></span><span class="bottom"></span></span><span>interop</span></div></a></li><li class="depth-2 branch"><a href="beowulf.io.html"><div class="inner"><span class="tree"><span class="top"></span><span class="bottom"></span></span><span>io</span></div></a></li><li class="depth-2 branch"><a href="beowulf.manual.html"><div class="inner"><span class="tree"><span class="top"></span><span class="bottom"></span></span><span>manual</span></div></a></li><li class="depth-2 branch"><a href="beowulf.oblist.html"><div class="inner"><span class="tree"><span class="top"></span><span class="bottom"></span></span><span>oblist</span></div></a></li><li class="depth-2 branch"><a href="beowulf.read.html"><div class="inner"><span class="tree"><span class="top"></span><span class="bottom"></span></span><span>read</span></div></a></li><li class="depth-2"><div class="no-link"><div class="inner"><span class="tree"><span class="top"></span><span class="bottom"></span></span><span>reader</span></div></div></li><li class="depth-3 branch"><a href="beowulf.reader.char-reader.html"><div class="inner"><span class="tree"><span class="top"></span><span class="bottom"></span></span><span>char-reader</span></div></a></li><li class="depth-3 branch"><a href="beowulf.reader.generate.html"><div class="inner"><span class="tree"><span class="top"></span><span class="bottom"></span></span><span>generate</span></div></a></li><li class="depth-3 branch"><a href="beowulf.reader.macros.html"><div class="inner"><span class="tree"><span class="top"></span><span class="bottom"></span></span><span>macros</span></div></a></li><li class="depth-3 branch"><a href="beowulf.reader.parser.html"><div class="inner"><span class="tree"><span class="top"></span><span class="bottom"></span></span><span>parser</span></div></a></li><li class="depth-3"><a href="beowulf.reader.simplify.html"><div class="inner"><span class="tree"><span class="top"></span><span class="bottom"></span></span><span>simplify</span></div></a></li></ul></div><div class="document" id="content"><div class="doc"><div class="markdown"><h1><a href="#interpreting-m-expressions" name="interpreting-m-expressions"></a>Interpreting M-Expressions</h1>
<p>M-Expressions (‘mexprs’) are the grammar which John McCarthy origininally used to write Lisp, and the grammar in which many of the function definitions in the <a href="https://www.softwarepreservation.org/projects/LISP/book/LISP%201.5%20Programmers%20Manual.pdf">Lisp 1.5 Programmer’s Manual</a> are stated. However, I have not seen anywhere a claim that Lisp 1.5 could <em>read</em> M-Expressions, and it is not clear to me whether it was even planned that it should do so, although the discussion on <a href="https://www.softwarepreservation.org/projects/LISP/book/LISP%201.5%20Programmers%20Manual.pdf#page=18">page 10</a> suggests that it was.</p>
<p>Rather, it seems to me possible that M-Expressions were only ever a grammar intended to be written on paper, like <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backus%E2%80%93Naur_form">Backus Naur Form</a>, to describe and to reason about algorithms. I think at the point at which the M-Expression grammar was written, the idea of the <a href="https://www.softwarepreservation.org/projects/LISP/book/LISP%201.5%20Programmers%20Manual.pdf#page=18">universal Lisp function</a></p>
<p>I set out to make Beowulf read M-Expressions essentially out of curiousity, to see whether it could be done. I had this idea that if it could be done, I could implement most of Lisp 1.5 simply by copying in the M-Expression definitions out of the manual.</p>

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