| 1 | == Overview |
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| 2 | |
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| 3 | '''CHICKEN is a compiler that translates Scheme source files into C''', which in |
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| 4 | turn can be fed to a C-compiler to generate a standalone executable. |
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| 5 | An interpreter is also available and can be used as |
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| 6 | a scripting environment or for testing programs before compilation. |
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| 7 | |
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| 8 | This package is distributed under the '''BSD license''' and as such is free |
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| 9 | to use and modify. |
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| 10 | |
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| 11 | The method of compilation and the design of the runtime-system follow |
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| 12 | closely Henry Baker's [[http://home.pipeline.com/~hbaker1/CheneyMTA.html|CONS Should Not CONS Its Arguments, Part II: Cheney on the M.T.A.]] paper and expose a number of interesting |
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| 13 | properties: |
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| 14 | |
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| 15 | * Consing (creation of data on the heap) is relatively inexpensive, because a generational garbage collection scheme is used, in which short-lived data structures are reclaimed extremely quickly. |
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| 16 | |
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| 17 | * Moreover, {{call-with-current-continuation}} is practically for free and CHICKEN does not suffer under any performance penalties if first-class continuations are used in complex ways. |
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| 18 | |
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| 19 | The generated C code is fully tail-recursive. |
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| 20 | |
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| 21 | === Features |
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| 22 | |
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| 23 | Some of the features supported by CHICKEN: |
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| 24 | |
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| 25 | * SRFIs 0, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8-19, 23, 25-31, 37-40, 42, 43, 45, 47, 55, 57, 60-63, 66, 69, 72, 78, 85, 95 and 98. |
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| 26 | * Lightweight threads based on first-class continuations |
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| 27 | * Pattern matching with Andrew Wright's {{match}} package |
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| 28 | * Record structures |
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| 29 | * Extended comment- and string-literal syntaxes |
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| 30 | * Libraries for regular expressions, string handling |
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| 31 | * UNIX system calls and extended data structures |
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| 32 | * Create interpreted or compiled shell scripts written in Scheme for UNIX or Windows |
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| 33 | * Compiled C files can be easily distributed |
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| 34 | * Allows the creation of fully self-contained statically linked executables |
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| 35 | * On systems that support it, compiled code can be loaded dynamically |
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| 36 | |
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| 37 | This manual is merely a reference for the CHICKEN system and assumes |
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| 38 | a working knowledge of Scheme. |
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| 39 | |
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| 40 | Next: [[Using the compiler]] |
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| 41 | |
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| 42 | Back to [[The User's Manual]] |
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