1 10/28/80  Lisp, Subsystem
 2 
 3 Syntax:  lisp {environment} {parameters}
 4 
 5 
 6 Function:  enter the interactive Lisp subsystem.  In this subsystem,
 7 Lisp forms can be typed at the user's terminal and evaluated.
 8 
 9 
10 Arguments:
11 environment
12    the pathname of a segment created by saving a Lisp environment.
13    Such segments have names ending in ".sv.lisp", which need not be
14    supplied.
15 parameters
16    character strings which can be read by Lisp functions within this
17    lisp invocation.  These may be used by the initial form of the saved
18    environment, which must be specified when parameters are given.  The
19    Multics Lisp implementation is described in the MACLISP reference
20    manual.  Chapters 1-3 of the revision 1 manual may be obtained
21    from--
22 
23       MIT Laboratory for Computer Science
24       Publications, room NE43-112
25       545 Technology Square
26       Cambridge, MA  02139
27 
28 
29    The current price of the manual is $4.00, plus postage and handling.
30 
31    This manual describes most of the functions and features available
32    (it was never completed) with the exception of I/O and compilation.
33    These facilities were described in the now out-of-print revision 0
34    (1974) of this manual.  All differences of the current
35    implementation from this manual and improvements made to this
36    implementation are described in the online documentation, listed
37    below.  This includes a number of very important facilities.
38 
39 
40 List of related info files:
41 lisp_compiler.info
42    describes the use of the Lisp compiler.
43 lisp.changes.info
44    modifications to the Lisp system that have been made.
45 lisp.manual_update.info
46    descriptions of major features in this implementation not in the the
47    Revision 0 MACLISP manual.
48 
49 
50 Notes on getting out of lisp:  Lisp sets up a QUIT handler, which
51 prompts "CTRL/" for a letter or number telling it what to do.  Possible
52 responses are described below.  Signalling QUIT again while at this
53 point will suspend lisp.  This feature is designed to imitate the
54 handling of control characters in the ITS (pdp-10) implementation of
55 MACLISP, but only printing characters should be used to respond.
56 (Normal Multics quit-handling is available via the (status mulquit)
57 feature.  See lisp.changes.info.)
58 
59 Evaluating the Lisp form "(quit)" will cause the invocation of lisp to
60 be terminated.  When in a read-eval-print loop, such as lisp "top
61 level", this form can simply be typed on the terminal to exit lisp.
62 
63 
64 List of CTRL/ responses:
65 B
66    Enters a Lisp break loop, where lisp's state can be examined,
67    modified, and restarted or aborted.
68 G
69    throws control back to lisp top level, unwinding the Lisp stack.
70 Z
71    suspends execution of lisp.  Lisp can be restarted with the "start"
72    command, or the action of CTRL/G can be caused by using
73    "program_interrupt" command.  This is similar in effect to
74    signalling QUIT twice.
75 ?
76    Asks lisp what it is doing.  Execution continues.
77 .
78    Does nothing.  Execution continues.  This is useful for making sure
79    that lisp is in control.
80 
81 
82 Notes on lisp start up:  When lisp is invoked with no arguments, the
83 segment "start_up.lisp" in the user's home directory is loaded, if it
84 is found.  This segment may contain the ASCII representations of Lisp
85 forms which will be evaluated, or it may be an object segment produced
86 by the Lisp compiler.