CLforJava

What is CLforJava?

CLforJava is an implementation of CommonLisp in the Java programming language. It allows for the compilation of Lisp code into Java byte code, and also provides the ability to use Lisp types and code from within Java programs. The CLforJava project is a long-term effort to create a completely new implementation of the CommonLisp computer language. A key feature differentiating it from other Lisp/Java implementations is its ability to “intertwine” with the Java language. The goal of the project is to build an entirely new Compiler written in CLforJava itself.

Origins

Jerry Boetje came to Charleston with the idea of the CLforJava project in 2002 and it was put into motion in the summer of 2003 as a student project for the Software Engineering class at the time. The CLforJava Open-Source Project has turned into a long-running effort supported by the College of Charleston's Computer Science Department, and is the core of the Software Engineering course where students combine their skills and book-learning to join an engineering team advancing the development of a new implementation of CommonLisp. ClforJava? is obviously a descendant of CommonLisp and Java.

Why connect CommonLisp and Java?

CommonLisp is a large, powerful language including technologies just now being incorporated into modern languages. Java is a large, powerful language used to implement many complex, Net-based systems. Each brings advantages in its area of expertise. CLforJava enables practitioners to blend the techniques and systems developed for each language. Applying the interactive nature of Lisp to Java speeds the development of complex systems.

Related topics: CommonLisp, Java