C is the best language out there. C has the best compilers. C is only lacking a good preprocessor.
Eclisp is a transpiler from C as s-expressions to regular C, while taking some idea from common-lisp such as the possiblity to attach documentation to symbols. The advantages of s-expressions is among others, the fact that code can be easily crafted at compile time through macros acting directly on the AST, since the code is the AST and vice-versa. On the other hand, Prefix notation allows to consider any binary operators as a n-ary operator.
The syntax is still highly experimental as I try to find what works the best while allowing a 1-1 mapping between C programs and Eclisp programs. The fact that invalid programs C can be created from Eclisp is intentional. Eclisp only translate mindlessly “C as s-exp” to traditional C.
Currently, the code is pretty much hot garbage and I know it. I’ll keep it this way until the syntax has stabilized, at this point I’ll do a complete rewrite, add macros (and gensym).
eclisp depends on sbcl and quicklisp. It should work with other Common Lisp implementation but you are on you own.
The Makefile currently makes the assumption that quicklisp has been installed and that your `.sbclrc’ contains the result of `(ql:add-to-init-file)’. More information can be found on the installation guide of quicklisp.
The project can be compiled with `make’ and the testsuite is run with `make check’. The compiled binary `eclisp’ reads its input from stdin and output its result on stdout.