[unix-history] / usr / man / man1 / fp.1

.ds s 1
.TH FP 1 "28 April 1983"
.UC 4
.SH NAME
fp \-  Functional Programming language compiler/interpreter
.SH SYNOPSIS
.B fp
.SH DESCRIPTION
.PP
.I Fp
is an
interpreter/compiler that implements the applicative language proposed
by John Backus.  It is written in
.SM
.BR "FRANZ LISP" .
.PP
In a  functional programming language
intent is expressed
in  a mathematical style devoid of assignment statements
and variables.
Functions compute by value only; there are no side-effects
since  the result of a computation depends solely on the inputs.
.PP
.I Fp
"programs" consist of
.I functional expressions \-
primitive and user-defined 
.I fp
functions
combined by 
.I functional forms.
These forms take functional arguments
and return functional results.
For example, the composition
operator 
.I '@'
takes two functional arguments and returns a function
which represents their composition.
.PP
There exists a single operation in 
.I fp
\&\-
.I application.
This operation causes the system to evaluate the indicated function using
the single argument 
as input
(all functions are monadic).
.SH GETTING STARTED
.PP
.I Fp
invokes the system.  
.I Fp
compiles functions into
.IR lisp (1)
source code;
.IR lisp (1)
interprets this code
(the user may compile this code using the
liszt (\*s) compiler to gain a factor of 10 in performance).
.I Control D
exits back to the shell.
.I Break
terminates any computation in progress  and resets any open file units.
.I )help
provides a short summary of all user commands.
.SH FILES
.DT
/usr/ucb/lisp	the FRANZ LISP interpreter
.br
/usr/ucb/liszt	the liszt compiler
.br
/usr/doc/fp	the User's Guide
.SH SEE ALSO
.PP
lisp(\*s), liszt(\*s).
.PP
.I The Berkeley FP user's manual,
available on-line.
The language is described  in  the August 1978 issue of  
.I CACM
(Turing award lecture by John Backus).
.SH BUGS
.PP
If a non-terminating function is applied as the result of loading a file,
then control is returned to the user immediately, everything
after that position in the file is ignored.
.PP
FP incorrectly marks the location of a syntax error on
large, multi-line function definitions or applications.
.SH AUTHOR
Scott B. Baden
Commit	Line	Data
1b43bbee C	1	.ds s 1
	2	.TH FP 1 "28 April 1983"
	3	.UC 4
	4	.SH NAME
	5	fp \- Functional Programming language compiler/interpreter
	6	.SH SYNOPSIS
	7	.B fp
	8	.SH DESCRIPTION
	9	.PP
	10	.I Fp
	11	is an
	12	interpreter/compiler that implements the applicative language proposed
	13	by John Backus. It is written in
	14	.SM
	15	.BR "FRANZ LISP" .
	16	.PP
	17	In a functional programming language
	18	intent is expressed
	19	in a mathematical style devoid of assignment statements
	20	and variables.
	21	Functions compute by value only; there are no side-effects
	22	since the result of a computation depends solely on the inputs.
	23	.PP
	24	.I Fp
	25	"programs" consist of
	26	.I functional expressions \-
	27	primitive and user-defined
	28	.I fp
	29	functions
	30	combined by
	31	.I functional forms.
	32	These forms take functional arguments
	33	and return functional results.
	34	For example, the composition
	35	operator
	36	.I '@'
	37	takes two functional arguments and returns a function
	38	which represents their composition.
	39	.PP
	40	There exists a single operation in
	41	.I fp
	42	\&\-
	43	.I application.
	44	This operation causes the system to evaluate the indicated function using
	45	the single argument
	46	as input
	47	(all functions are monadic).
	48	.SH GETTING STARTED
	49	.PP
	50	.I Fp
	51	invokes the system.
	52	.I Fp
	53	compiles functions into
	54	.IR lisp (1)
	55	source code;
	56	.IR lisp (1)
	57	interprets this code
	58	(the user may compile this code using the
	59	liszt (\*s) compiler to gain a factor of 10 in performance).
	60	.I Control D
	61	exits back to the shell.
	62	.I Break
	63	terminates any computation in progress and resets any open file units.
	64	.I )help
65	provides a short summary of all user commands.
66	.SH FILES
67	.DT
68	/usr/ucb/lisp the FRANZ LISP interpreter
69	.br
70	/usr/ucb/liszt the liszt compiler
71	.br
72	/usr/doc/fp the User's Guide
73	.SH SEE ALSO
74	.PP
75	lisp(\s), liszt(\s).
76	.PP
77	.I The Berkeley FP user's manual,
78	available on-line.
79	The language is described in the August 1978 issue of
80	.I CACM
81	(Turing award lecture by John Backus).
82	.SH BUGS
83	.PP
84	If a non-terminating function is applied as the result of loading a file,
85	then control is returned to the user immediately, everything
86	after that position in the file is ignored.
87	.PP
88	FP incorrectly marks the location of a syntax error on
89	large, multi-line function definitions or applications.
90	.SH AUTHOR
91	Scott B. Baden