Sibilisp

0.14.2 verified Fri May 01 auth: no javascript

A LISP-like language dialect based on Sibilant that transpiles to JavaScript. Current stable version is 0.14.2. Sibilisp enhances Sibilant with ES2015+ module system, promises, default arguments, generators, tail recursion via loop/recur, functional programming primitives, and sum/tagged types. It compiles .slisp, .sibilant, and .js files into readable JavaScript without prototype pollution. Differentiators include built-in prelude module (like Lodash), pattern matching macros, and a focus on functional programming while remaining multi-paradigm.

Common errors

error Error: Cannot find module 'sibilisp/prelude' ↓

cause Importing prelude from wrong path or bundler not resolving subpath exports.

fix

Use import { prelude } from 'sibilisp/prelude' and ensure your bundler supports package exports (exports field in package.json).

error SyntaxError: Unexpected identifier ↓

cause Using JavaScript keywords or invalid LISP syntax in .slisp file.

fix

Ensure all s-expressions are correctly parenthesized and no stray JavaScript code is present.

error sibilisp: command not found ↓

cause Not installed globally or not in PATH.

fix

Run npm install -g sibilisp or use npx sibilisp.

error TypeError: (intermediate value) is not a function ↓

cause Missing parentheses or incorrect macro expansion.

fix

Wrap function calls in parentheses: (myfunc arg1 arg2). Check macro definitions.

error Error: Unsupported node version. Please use Node.js 12 or newer. ↓

cause Using an outdated Node.js version.

fix

Upgrade Node.js to version 12 or later.

Warnings

breaking Version 0.12.0 changed the default output directory from 'build/' to 'dist/'. ↓

fix Use `--out-dir` flag to specify custom output directory.

deprecated The `--modules` flag is deprecated in favor of `--module-system`. ↓

fix Replace `--modules commonjs` with `--module-system commonjs`.

breaking Removed support for Node.js versions < 12. ↓

fix Upgrade Node.js to 12 or later.

gotcha Macros defined in one file are not visible in other files unless explicitly imported. ↓

fix Use `(import-macros ...)` to share macros across files.

gotcha Tail recursion optimization only works with explicit `recur` form; plain recursive calls may cause stack overflow. ↓

fix Use `(recur ...)` inside `loop` for tail-call optimization.

deprecated The `prelude` module's `map` function is being renamed to `fmap` to avoid conflict with JS Array.prototype.map. ↓

fix Use `prelude.fmap` instead of `prelude.map`.

Install

npm install sibilisp

yarn add sibilisp

pnpm add sibilisp

Imports

default
```
import sibilisp from 'sibilisp'
```
The package is primarily used as a CLI tool; importing it as a module is uncommon but supported.
compile
wrong
```
const { compile } = require('sibilisp')
```
correct
```
import { compile } from 'sibilisp'
```
ESM-only in modern versions. CommonJS require may work if package supports it, but ESM is preferred.
prelude
wrong
```
import prelude from 'sibilisp'
```
correct
```
import { prelude } from 'sibilisp/prelude'
```
The prelude is a separate module; importing from the main package will not include it.
repl
```
import { repl } from 'sibilisp/repl'
```
REPL functionality is exported from a subpath; ensure your bundler supports package exports.
SibilispError
```
import { SibilispError } from 'sibilisp'
```
Custom error class for compilation errors.

Quickstart

Install Sibilisp globally, write a simple LISP-like program greeting the user, transpile to JavaScript, and run it.

npm install -g sibilisp
echo '(defun hello (name) (print (+ "Hello, " name "!")))
(hello "World")' > hello.slisp
sibilisp hello.slisp -o hello.js
node hello.js
# Output: Hello, World!