ACSL Lisp

LISP
Programming
LISP simple and powerful

mid-1950s by John McCarthy at M.I.T.
LISt Processing language
Artificial Intelligence programs
LISP presents a very different way to think about
programming from the algorithmic languages.
The basis of LISP is a list

One constructs a list by enumerating elements inside a pair
of parentheses. For example, here is a list with four
elements (the second element is also a list):
(23 (this is easy) hello 821)
The elements in the list, which are not lists, are called
atoms. For example, the atoms in the list above are: 23,
this, hello, 821, easy, and is.
Everything in LISP is either an atom or a list (but not both).
The only exception is NIL, which is both an atom and a
list. It can also be written as () a pair of parentheses
with nothing inside.
All LISP statements are

function calls
All statements in LISP are function calls with the
following syntax: (function arg1 arg2 arg3 argn).
To evaluate a LISP statement, each of the arguments
(possibly functions themselves) are evaluated, and
then the function is invoked with the arguments.
For example, (MULT (ADD 2 3) (ADD 1 4 2)) has a value
of 35, since (ADD 2 3) has a value of 5, (ADD 1 4 2) has
a value of 7, and (MULT 5 7) has a value of 35.
Some functions have an arbitrary number of
arguments; others require a fixed number.
All statements return a value, which is either an atom
or a list.
SET
We may assign values to variables using the
function SET. For example, the statement
(SET test 6) would have a value of a 6,
would also cause the atom test to be
bound to the atom 6.
The quote in front of the arguments indicates
that the arguments should not be evaluated
before the function is invoked.
The quote in front of numbers is optional.
The function SETQ is the same as SET, but it causes LISP

to act as if the first argument was quoted.
The function EVAL returns the value of its argument, after
it has been evaluated.
(SETQ z (ADD 2 3)) has a value of the list (ADD 2 3)
(EVAL z) has a value of (ADD 2 3)
(EVAL z) has a value of 5 (but the binding of the atom z
has not changed).
o z is resolved twice:
once because it is an argument to a function and LISP evaluates all
arguments to functions before the function is invoked,
once when the function EVAL is invoked to resolve arguments.
The function ATOM can be used to tell whether an item is

an atom or a list.
CAR, CDR and CONS

The function (CAR x) returns the first item of the
list x (and x must be a list or an error will occur);
(CDR x) returns the list without its first element
(again, x must be a list).
The function CONS takes two arguments, of which
the second must be a list. It returns a list which
is composed by placing the first argument as the
first element in the second arguments list.
The function REVERSE returns a list which is its
arguments in reverse order.
DEF own functions

(DEF SECOND(parms) (CAR (CDR parms)))
defines a new function called SECOND which
operates on a single parameter named parms.
SECOND will take the CDR of the parameter and
then the CAR of that result
(SECOND (a b c d e))
would first CDR the list (yielding (b c d e)) and

then CAR the result. Value would be the
character b.
Consider the following program fragment:

(SETQ X (a c s l))
(DEF WHAT(parms) (CONS parms (REVERSE (CDR
parms))))
(DEF SECOND(parms) (CONS (CAR (CDR parms))
NIL))
Example Problems
Evaluate: (CDR ((2 (3))(4 (5 6) 7)))
The CDR function takes the first element of its
parameter (which is assumed to be a list) and
returns the modified list. The first element of the
list:
((2 (3))(4 (5 6) 7))
is
(2 (3)),
and the list without this element is
((4 (5 6 ) 7)).
Consider the following program fragment:

(SETQ X (RI VA FL CA TX))
(CAR (CDR (REVERSE X)))
What is the value of the CAR expression?
The first statement binds variable X to the list
(RI VA FL CA TX).
The REVERSE of this list is the list
(TX CA FL VA RI).
whose CDR is
(CA FL VA RI)
The CAR of this list is just the atom CA (without the
quotes).
Given the function definitions for HY and FY as follows:

(DEF HY(PARMS) (REVERSE (CDR PARMS)))
(DEF FY(PARMS) (CAR (HY (CDR PARMS))))
What is the value of the following?
(FY (DO RE (MI FA) SO))
To evaluate (FY (DO RE (MI FA) SO)), we must first evaluate
(CAR (HY (CDR (DO RE (MI FA) SO))))
Thus, HY is invoked with PARMS= (RE (MI FA) SO), and we
evaluate
(REVERSE (CDR (RE (MI FA) SO) ))
This has a value of (SO (MI FA) ) which is returned to FY. FY
now takes the CAR of this.
Evaluate the following expression.

(EXP (MULT 2 (SUB 5 (DIV (ADD 5 3 4) 2)) 3) 3)
(EXP
(EXP
(EXP
(EXP
(EXP
-216
(MULT
(MULT
(MULT
(MULT
6 3)
2 (SUB 5 (DIV (ADD 5 3 4) 2)) 3) 3)

2 (SUB 5 (DIV 12 2)) 3) 3)
2 (SUB 5 6) 3) 3)
2-1 3) 3)

ACSL Lisp

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

ACSL Lisp

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

ACSL Lisp

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

LISP

LISP simple and powerful

The basis of LISP is a list

(23 (this is easy) hello 821)

All LISP statements are

The function SETQ is the same as SET, but it causes LISP

The function ATOM can be used to tell whether an item is

CAR, CDR and CONS

DEF own functions

would first CDR the list (yielding (b c d e)) and

Consider the following program fragment:

Consider the following program fragment:

Given the function definitions for HY and FY as follows:

Evaluate the following expression.

2 (SUB 5 (DIV (ADD 5 3 4) 2)) 3) 3)

You might also like