AutoLISP 1.

02 - Definitions and Getting Started

AutoLISP is a programming language embedded inside AutoCAD. AutoLISP code does not need to be compiled, so you can enter the code at a Command line and immediately see the results.

Definitions
y Function- pre-defined set of instructions that can perform a specific task in AutoCAD Example:  * = multiple  += add Arguments - the values passed to a function for manipulation Example:  (*2 4) = multiply the arguments 2 and 4 to return the answer 8  (* 2 4 6) = multiply the arguments 2, 4 & 6 to return 48  (* 2 4 6.0) = multiply the arguments 2, 4 & 6.0 to return 48.0  In the first two cases the arguments are integers, therefore the answers are integers  In the third case, one of the arguments is a real number, therefore the answer is a real number Expressions - AutoLISP code to be evaluated Local Variables - Variables that are only valid a specific function and while the function is running Global Variables - Variables that are available to all functions during a session of AutoCAD

y y

AutoLISP Function Syntax

(MyFunctionArgument1 [Argument2 ....]) ( left "open" parentheses MyFunction name of the function Argument1 required argument [Argument2 optional arguments in brackets .... possible additional arguments denoted by ellipsis ) right "close" parentheses

AutoLISP Function Example

(foreachname list [expr...]) The foreach function steps through a list assigns each element in the list to the variable name evaluates each expression for every element in the list foreach returns the last expression evaluated in the list,

or if no expression is specified, foreach returns nil. Example Command: (foreach NUMBER (list 1 2 3) (princ NUMBER)) returns to the command prompt 1 2 33 (note the function prints the 3 and returns 3 to the command prompt when finished)

Data types in AutoLISP

Integer = whole numbers between -2,147,483,648 and 2,147, 483,647 Notes The getint function only allows whole numbers between -32,767 and 32678 If an integer is entered that is greater than the largest number allowed, AutoLISP converts the number to a real If use perform an arithmetic operation on 2 valid integers , and the result is greater than the largest integer, AutoLISP returns nil Examples - 0, 1, -1, 12345789 Real = a number containing a decimal point Notes Numbers between -1 and 1 must contain a leading zero Numbers are stored to 14 significant digits of precision For information about significant digits of precision see http://mathforum.org/library/drmath/view/58335.html Examples - 0.0, -0.01, 1.1234, 123456789.12345, 4.1e-6 (Scientific notation for 0.0000041) String = a group of characters surrounded by quotation marks Notes Strings are typically numbers and letters, but may contain any ASCII character Examples = "This is a String", "1234", "String1234" Lists = a group of related values separated by spaces and enclosed in parentheses Notes Lists are an efficient method of storing multiple related values like point coordinates Examples - (1.0 2.0 0.0), ("String1" "String2" "String4"), (1 "A" "1A") Selection Sets = a group of one or more objects (entities)

Notes You can interactively add objects to or remove objects from the selection set Entity Names = a numeric label assigned to every object (entity) in the drawing Notes This is an efficient method of obtaining the information about an object in the drawing File Descriptors = a pointer to a file opened in AutoLISP by the open function Notes File Descriptors are used to read or write to ASCII based files

Symbols and Variables

Symbols and Variables are a named symbol that stores program data Notes Symbols are typically static data (example - user defined function, *, T) Variable names are not case-sensitive Variable names can be any combination of alphanumeric and notation characters except ( = open parentheses ) = close parentheses . = period ' = apostrophe " = quote mark ; = semicolon Variable symbol names cannot consist of only numeric characters Please use meaningful names for your variable names to make the program easier to read!

Predefined Variables
T nil pi this variable is the constant TRUE, used as a non-nil value this variable is the constant NIL, used as a non-T value this variable is the constant for the ratio of the circumference to the diameter of a circle

pause this variable is used with the command function to pause for user input Note - these variables can be changed by the setq function, but it is highly recommended that you don't!

Comments
; (semicolon) is used to denote comments in a program Example ; this is a commented line, explaining the program

Visual LISP color coding

Blue Magenta Green Teal Magenta, on Gray background Red Black Built-in functions and protected symbols Strings Integers Real Numbers Comments Parentheses User Variables and Unrecognized items

Operators
Process + add * / subtract multiply divide (+ [number number] ...) (- [number number] ...) (* [number number] ...) (/ [number number] ...) Examples (+ 1 2) returns 3; (+ 1 2.0) returns 3.0; (+ 1 2 3 4) returns 10 (- 2 1) returns 1; (- 2 1.0) returns 1.0; (- 10 4 2) returns 4; (- 5) returns -5 (* 1 2) returns 2; (* 1 2.0) returns 2.0; (* 1 2 3 4) returns 24; (* 3) returns 3 (/ 4 2) returns 2; (/ 4 3) returns 1; (/ 4 3.0) returns 1.33333; (/ 10 2 2.0) returns 2.5; (/ 3) returns 3 (= 4 4) returns T; (= 4 4.0) returns T; (= 4 4.0 4) returns T; (= 4 4 3) returns nil; (= "me" "me") returns T; (= "me" "Me") returns nil; (= 1 "1") returns nil (/= 1 2) returns T; (/= 1 1) returns nil; (/= 1 1 1.0) returns nil; (/= "me" "Me") returns T (< 1 2) returns T; (< 1 2 3) returns T; (< 2.0 3) returns T; (< "a" "b") returns T; (< "a" "B") returns nil

= equal to

(= number [number] ...)

/= not equal to < less than

(/= number [number] ...) (<number [number] ...)

(<= 1 2) returns T; (<= 1 2 3) returns T; (<= <= less than or equal to (<= number [number] ...) 2.0 3) returns T; (<= "a" "a") returns T; (< "a" "A") returns nil > greater than >= (>number [number] ...) (> 1 2) returns nil; (> 1 2 3) returns nil; (> 2.0 3) returns nil; (> "a" "b") returns nil; (> "a" "B") returns T

greater than or equal (>= 1 2) returns nil; (>= 1 2 3) returns nil; (>= number [number] ...) to (>= 2.0 3) returns nil; (>= "a" "a") returns T

1+ increment by 1 1- decrement by 1

(1+ number) (1- number)

(1+ 1) returns 2; (1+ 1.0) returns 2.0; (1+ -1) returns 0 (1- 2) returns 1; (1- 2.0) returns 1.0; (1- -2) returns -3

Notes A Variable can be supplied instead of a [number] Only numeric number values are valid with +,-,*,/ If only 1 number is supplied to comparison, the result is always T When comparing String values, the strings are compared character by character /= compares successive arguments only, not the complete list of numbers

Getting Started
setq function to store a value to a variable (setqVariableName Expression [VariableName Expression] ...) Notes setq can assign multiple Variables in one call to the function (setq Var1 1.0 Var2 2.0) setq returns the last evaluated expression (previous example returns 2.0) Examples - (setq Var1 1.0), (setq Var1 "Text"), (setq Var1 (list 1 2 3)), (setq Var1 T) defun function defines a user function (defunSymbolName ([Arguments ] [/ LocalVariables ...] ) Expressions ...) Notes If you do not supply any Arguments or Local Variables you must supply an empty set of parentheses after the SymbolName Warning! Never use the SymbolName of a built-in function or symbol This will overwrite the original definition and make the built-in function inaccessible Examples Function without Arguments and Local Variables (defunMyFunc () ...) (defunMyFunc (Arg1 Arg2) ...) (defunMyFunc (/ LVar1 LVar2) ...) (defunMyFunc (Arg1 Arg2 / Var1 LVar2) ...) (defun C:MyFunc () ...) (defun C:MyFunc (/ LVar1 LVar2) ...) Function with 2 Arguments Function with 2 Local Variables Function with 2 Arguments and 2 Local Variables Function that can be called like any AutoCAD command Function that can be called like any AutoCAD command with 2 Local Variables

First programs
; TEST1 program, sets 2 variables, then adds the 2 variables and saves to the 3rd variable; program returns the 3rd variable (4.0) (defun C:TEST1 () (setq Var1 1.0) (setq Var2 3.0) (setq Var3 (+ Var1 Var2)) ) ; TEST2 program, sets 2 variables, then adds the 2 variables, saves the sum to the 3rd variable; multiples the 2 variables, saves the sum to the 4th variable, program returns whether the 3rd and 4th variables are the same (nil) (defun C:TEST2 () (setq Var1 1.0) (setq Var2 3.0) (setq Var3 (+ Var1 Var2)) (setq Var4 (* Var1 Var2)) (= Var3 Var4) )