16.2 Features
This book offers a broad description of the CommonLisp language. There is some
overlap with (but newer than) the author’s earlier and more advanced book,
OnLisp. It is unusually well-written and enjoyable.
- An up-to-date reference manual for ANSI Common Lisp.
- An in-depth look at object-oriented programming. Explains the Common Lisp
Object System (CLOS), and also shows how to write your own object-oriented
language.
- Over 20 substantial examples, including programs for ray-tracing, text
generation, pattern-matching, logical inference, generating HTML, sorting and
searching, file I/O, compression, and date arithmetic.
- Special attention to critical concepts, including prefix syntax, code vs.
data, recursion, functional programming, types, implicit pointers, dynamic
allocation, closures, macros, class precedence, and generic functions vs.
message-passing.
- A complete guide to optimization.
- The clearest and most thorough explanation of macros in any introductory
book.
- Examples that illustrate Lisp programming styles, including rapid
prototyping, bottom-up programming, object-oriented programming, and embedded
languages.
- An appendix on debugging, with examples of common errors.