cl-annot

cl-annot is an general annotation library for Common Lisp.

cl-annot is tested under the following implementations:

• Allegro CL v8.2
• SBCL v1.0.45
• CMU CL v20b
• Clozure CL v1.6
• ECL v11.1.1
• GNU CLISP v2.48

Overview

Annotations is a special syntax for annotating and transforming forms. Annotations look like Python's decorator:

@annot
(defun foobar ()
  ...)

Any functions and macros can be annotations which takes one argument by default. For example, if you define the following function,

(defun trace (object)
  (print object)
  object)

you can use the function as an annotation like:

@trace (+ 1 2)

This expression prints 3 and returns 3. Internally, this expression will be regarded as (trace (+ 1 2)).

Standard annotation export exports the symbol of the given definition. For example,

@export
(defun foobar ()
  ...)

defines a function foobar and exports the symbol foobar. This equivalents to:

(progn
  (export 'foobar)
  (defun foobar ()
    ...))

Annotations help you to write the simple and declarative codes.

Usage

Just write the following code at the header of each files:

(annot:enable-annot-syntax)

After this code, @... syntax can be used.

Emacs Configuration

If you use Emacs, it is recommended to install misc/slime-annot.el which contains some features of annotations. After locating misc/slime-annot.el into your loadpath, write the following code into your .emacs.

(require 'slime-annot)

Standard Annotations

Package: annot.std

This package contains very basic and useful annotations. You don't need to use-package this package.

Annotation: export

@export DEFINITION-FORM

export is a macro which adds an export form of the definition form. For example,

@export (defun f () ...)

is equivalent to

(progn
  (export 'f)
  (defun f () ...))

Annotation: ignore

@ignore VARIABLES

ignore is a macro which is equivalent to (declare (ignore ...)) form. For example,

@ignore v

is equivalent to

(declare (ignore v))

ignore can take a list of variables like:

@ignore (a b c)

Annotation: ignorable

@ignorable VARIABLES

Same as ignore annotation except that this is equivalent to

(declare (ignorable v))

Annotation: type

@type TYPESPEC NAME

type is a macro which is equivalent to (declare (type ...)) form. For example,

@type integer v

is equivalent to

(declare (type integer v))

Annotation: optimize

@optimize QUALITY

optimize is a macro which is equivalent to (declare (optimize ...)) form. For example,

@optimize (speed 3)

is equivalent to

(declare (optimize (speed 3)))

Annotation: inline

@inline NAME

inline is a macro which is equivalent to (proclaim (inline ...)) or (declare (inline ...)) form. If NAME is just a symbol, declaration will be used. If NAME is a definition form, proclamation will be used. For example,

@inline f

is equivalent to

(declare (inline f))

And

@inline
(defun f () ...)

is equivalent to

(proclam (inline f))
(defun f () ...)

Package: annot.eval-when

This package contains annotations eval-when special form.

Annotation: eval-when-compile

@eval-when-compile FORM

eval-when-compile is a macro which is equivalent to (eval-when (:compile-toplevel) ...). For example,

@eval-when-compile
(defun macro-util () ...)

is equivalent to

(eval-when-compile (:compile-toplevel)
  (defun macro-util () ...))

Annotation: eval-when-load

@eval-when-load FORM

Same as eval-when-compile except that this is equivalent to (eval-when (:load-toplevel) ...).

Annotation: eval-when-execute

@eval-when-execute FORM

Same as eval-when-compile except that this is equivalent to (eval-when (:execute) ...).

Annotation: eval-always

@eval-always FORM

eval-always is a macro which is equivalent to (eval-when (:compile-toplevel :load-toplevel :execute) ...).

Package: annot.doc

This package contains documentation annotations.

Annotation: doc

@doc DOCSTRING DEFINITION-FORM

doc is a macro which inserts documentation string into the definition form. For example,

@doc "docstring"
(defun f () ...)

is equivalent to

(defun f ()
  "docstring"
  ...)

Mixture of export annotation and doc annotation is allowed, means

@export
@doc "docstring"
(defun f () ...)

works as you expected.

Package: annot.class

This package contains annotations about classes.

Annotation: metaclass

@metaclass METACLASS CLASS-DEFINITION-FORM

metaclass embeds (:metaclsas METACLASS) into class-options of CLASS-DEFINITION-FORM. For example,

@metaclass persistent-class
(defclass foo ()
     ())

is equivalent to

(defclass foo ()
     ()
  (:metaclass persistent-class))

Annotation: export-slots

@export-slots CLASS-DEFINITION-FORM

export-slots adds (export ...) form for slots of CLASS-DEFINITION-FORM. For example,

@export-slots
(defclass foo ()
     (bar baz))

is equivalent to

(progn
  (export '(bar baz))
  (defclass foo ()
     (bar baz)))

It can also be used with defstruct as of the commit 9043a74815a028a7db664f2fd77a8b009c736df9 (8/31,2013).

Annotation: export-accessors

@export-accessors CLASS-DEFINITION-FORM

export-accessors adds (export ...) form for accessors (i.e. readers, writers and accessors) of CLASS-DEFINITION-FORM. For example,

@export-accessors
(defclass foo ()
     ((bar :reader bar-of)
      (bax :writer bax-of)
      (baz :accessor baz-of)))

is equivalent to

(progn
  (export '(bar-of bax-of baz-of))
  (defclass foo ()
     ((bar :reader bar-of)
      (bax :writer bax-of)
      (baz :accessor baz-of))))

It can also be used with defstruct as of the commit 9043a74815a028a7db664f2fd77a8b009c736df9 (8/31,2013).

Annotation: export-constructors

It can be used as of the commit 9043a74815a028a7db664f2fd77a8b009c736df9 (8/31,2013).

According to the {CLHS: Macro DEFSTRUCT}[http://www.lispworks.com/documentation/HyperSpec/Body/m_defstr.htm], defstruct can define more than one constructor, for example:

@export-constructors
(defstruct (s (:constructor abya a c)
              (:constructor abya2 a b c))
  a b c)

is equivalent to

(progn
  (export '(abya abya2))
  (defstruct (s (:constructor abya a c)
                (:constructor abya2 a b c)) a b c))

and it might have no constructor like this.

(defstruct (s (:constructor nil)) a b c)

Annotation: export-class and export-structure

export-class combines export, export-slots and export-accessors. export-structure also combines export-constructors in addition.

Package: annot.slot

This package contains annotations about slots.

Annotation: optional

@optional INITFORM SLOT-SPECIFIER

optional embeds :initarg SLOT-NAME and :initform INITFORM into SLOT-SPECIFIER. For example,

(defclass c ()
     (@optional nil
      foo))

is equivalent to

(defclass c ()
     ((foo :initarg :foo
           :initform nil)))

Annotation: required

@required SLOT-SPECIFIER

required embeds :initarg SLOT-NAME and :initform (annot.slot:required-argument SLOT-NAME) into SLOT-SPECIFIER so that MAKE-INSTANCE will raise errors when no argument for the slot given. For example,

(defclass c ()
     (@required
      foo))

is equivalent to

(defclass c ()
     ((foo :initarg :foo
           :initform (annot.slot:required-argument :foo))))

Writing Annotations

As I mentioned, any functions and macros can be annotations. Basically, if you have a function or a macro named annot, the following code

@annot (+ 1 2)

will be expanded like

(annot (+ 1 2))

Aliasing

You may use an alias for specifying annotations. This is useful when you want to use more general names as annotation names. Actually, annot.std uses this technique to overriding the meanings of symbols in common-lisp package. Here is how to alias:

(setf (annotation-real 'do) 'long-long-name)

Now you can use do as meaning long-long-name at annotations like:

@do ...

Multiple Arguments

By default, annotations can take only one argument. If you want to write an annotation taking two or more arguments, you need to specify a number of arguments into the annotation symbol like:

(use-package :annot.core)

(defun my-annot (x y) (+ x y))
(setf (annotation-arity 'my-annot) 2)

Now you can use this annotation like:

@my-annot 2 3
;; => 5

Inlining

In some cases, you want annotations to be expanded at read-time. You can do it by:

(setf (annotation-inline-p 'annot) t)

Be caseful to use feature.

Macro: defannotation

defannotation NAME LAMBDA-LIST (:alias ALIAS :arity ARITY :inline INLINE) &body BODY

defannotation is an utility macro for creating annotations. Here is an example:

(defannotation my-annot (x y)
    (:arity 2 :inline t)
  `(+ ,x ,y))

Annotation: annotation

annotation (:alias ALIAS :arity ARITY :inline INLINE) FUNCTION-DEFINITION-FORM

annotation is an annotation for creating annotations in a way of defannotation. Here is an example:

@annotation (:arity 2 :inline t)
(defmacro my-annot (x y)
  `(+ ,x ,y))

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Copyright (C) 2011 Tomohiro Matsuyama <tomo@cx4a.org>