What's New

What's New and What's More in BricsCAD Lisp

(compared to BricsCAD V12 LISP and AutoCAD AutoLISP)

Since BricsCAD V12.2 version, a number of major improvements and extensions have been added to the LISP engine, providing

more LISP core functions and functionality
better overall performance of LISP execution
improved compatibility with AutoCAD AutoLISP

During V12 lifetime, all these new and additional features have been stabilised, and have reached a safe and reliable stage with V13 now, and is fully covered by both regression and performance tests.

Updated OpenLisp Core version (since V12.2)

With OpenLisp v9.1, most AutoLISP syntax and semantic has been implemented as native OpenLisp core functionality, the former AutoLISP -> OpenLisp PreProcessor has been removed, which results in :

loading AutoLISP files is 30%...40% faster than before
no Lisp code growth any longer, which reduces Lisp and System memory load
performance of AutoLISP code execution is improved by approx. 5% ... 10%; less GarbageCollections

Support for ObjectDbx.AxDbDocument COM interface (since V12.1)

Requested by LISP developers, the ObjectDbx.AxDbDocument interface has been added to LISP engine :

allows Lisp applications to open, read and write dwg database files in without an associated "editor document"
compatible with existing AutoCAD-based AutoLISP code, using "ObjectDbx.AxDbDocument" COM interface

"Fast-COM" layer for Windows and Linux (since V12.2)

Originally intended to enable COM-based LISP code, (those (vla-), (vlax-) and (vlr-) functions) under Linux, the implemented "Fast-COM" emulation layer is now also available under Windows, and is active by default.

Currently, there are > 200 Properties and > 50 Methods implemented, subject for further completion.

bypasses Windows' COM execution layer (performance)
bypasses most data marshalling as required by Windows COM (memory load)
fully enables identical COM-based (vla-) client LISP code under Windows, Linux, ...
significant performance improvement for (vla-) function calls (up to factor 30 and more), at same level as ARX/BRX

VLE LISP Function Library (since V12.2)

To extended the standard AutoLISP language set, which lacks a large number of basic core functions, we have implemented our VLE LISP Function Library giving more comfort to LISP developers and more performance to LISP applications.

currently provides > 35 new and efficient LISP core functions, subject for further extensions (feedback is welcome)
same amount is on ToDo list and about to be implemented next
all functions are also provided for other CAD systems (and older BricsCAD !) by emulation "vle-extension.lsp"
by its built-in nature, VLE functions provide both performance improvements (20% ... > factor 20), and reduced memory load

LISP Optimiser (since V12.2)

The new built-in LISP Optimiser recognises inefficient, slow LISP code patterns at load-time and replaces those patterns with more efficient code. This allows to bypass several bottlenecks, caused by missing language features of AutoLISP.

works completely transparent without any specific requirements or interaction
increases LISP performance (for affected code) by 20% ... 2000% (and even more)
reduces LISP memory load and amount of GarbageCollections
number of recognised code patterns is subject for further extension

LISP Profiler (since V12.2)

Requested by LISP developers to get some tools for troubleshooting and problem + performance analysis and investigations, a LISP Profiler has been added. The Profiler can be controlled manually, but also at execution time. Results are provided on commandline and as log file.

It is currently already functional, providing a lot of information about the entire code execution - but it is still subject for completion, especially to include a GUI interface and the ability to save and load profiled data sets.

ExpressTools API Support (since V14)

Autodesk AutoCAD integrates the "ExpressTools" utility since version 14 (as "BonusTools" even before), so this is part of AutoCAD since 2 decades. The "ExpressTools" also provide many functionality via an API, the function family named as "(acet-xxx-yyy)".
Many AutoLISP based utilities and applications use this "ExpressTools" API functions now ... to improve BricsCAD's compatibility with such Lisp tools and applications, we have now started to directly integrate this "ExpressTools" API function set in compatible way into our Lisp engine.

The "ExpressTools for BricsCAD" utility is a similar add-on, provided by www.cadwiesel.de - this also provides the majority of "ExpressTools" API and end-user-functionality for BricsCAD, and is highly compatible and complete.

We are in close cooperation with the author of "ExpressTools for BricsCAD" utility, to ensure best compatibility, comfort and performance for BricsCAD users, so will will likely more more of the "ExporessTools" API (core) functionality directly into BricsCAD's Lisp engine.