Programming language · 1984

Common Lisp

ANSI-standardized dialect of Lisp.

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Common LispWritten in
1984First released
Scott E. Fahlman, Richard P. Gabriel, and David MoonDeveloper
dynamicTyping
Built fromInfluenced CCommon Lisp Common LispLispClojureRacket
CompilerInfluence

What is Common Lisp written in?

The Common Lisp compiler is written in Common Lisp (well-documented). Common Lisp is self-hosting.

Quick Facts

Designed by
Scott E. Fahlman, Richard P. Gabriel, and David Moon
Developer
Common Lisp committee, J13
First released
1984
Typing
dynamic
Website
common-lisp.net

About Common Lisp

Common Lisp is an ANSI-standardized dialect of Lisp. It is a dynamically typed and garbage-collected language that compiles ahead of time to native machine code. It supports functional and multi-paradigm programming.

Common Lisp first appeared in 1984 and was designed by Scott E. Fahlman, Richard P. Gabriel, and David Moon. Development is led by Common Lisp committee, J13. Common Lisp keeps a steady, moderate following today.

How Common Lisp is implemented

In the Language Lineage dataset, Common Lisp is self-hosting, so its own compiler is written in Common Lisp itself. Reaching self-hosting, where a language is mature enough to compile itself, is a milestone that proves the language can handle a large, real-world program.

Common Lisp in the language family tree

Common Lisp drew on ideas from Lisp and went on to influence Clojure and Racket.

Sources: Wikipedia · Wikidata · Official site

Frequently Asked Questions

What language is Common Lisp written in?
Common Lisp is primarily implemented in Common Lisp. See the implementation section above for details and source references.
What languages influenced Common Lisp?
Common Lisp was influenced by Lisp among others. See the influence section above for the full list.
Which languages did Common Lisp influence?
Common Lisp influenced Clojure, Racket among others.
Is Common Lisp self-hosting?
Yes, Common Lisp is self-hosting, its compiler can compile itself.
When was Common Lisp first released?
Common Lisp was first released in 1984. It was designed by Scott E. Fahlman, Richard P. Gabriel, and David Moon.

Evidence Sources

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