ecl

Start ECL REPL

$ ecl

$ ecl -load [file.lisp]

$ ecl -eval "[(print \"Hello\")]"

$ ecl -compile [file.lisp]

$ ecl -shell [script.lisp]

$ ecl -norc

ecl [options] [args]

ECL (Embeddable Common Lisp) is an implementation of Common Lisp designed to be embedded in other applications. It compiles Lisp to C, enabling integration with C libraries and native code generation.
ECL supports the full ANSI Common Lisp standard with extensions for threading, FFI (Foreign Function Interface), and embedding. It can produce standalone executables and shared libraries.

-load file

Load Lisp file.

Evaluate expression.

Compile file.

Run as script, then exit.

Don't load init file.

Add directory to load path.

Suppress startup messages.

Display help.

Compiling to C adds complexity. Some libraries may need adaptation for ECL. Debugging compiled code is harder than interpreted. Threading behavior may differ from other implementations.

ECL was originally developed at IRCAM (Paris) in the 1980s as KCL (Kyoto Common Lisp). It was forked and developed as ECL by Giuseppe Attardi and later maintained by the community. The focus on embeddability distinguishes it from other Common Lisp implementations.

sbcl(1), clisp(1), ccl(1), lisp(1)