CAD tip # 7840:

Question CAD
% platform category

What are the differences between AutoLISP and VisualLISP?

Dialects of the LISP programming language are available in AutoCAD since its initial versions. AutoLISP in AutoCAD offers functions for interactive data entry, processing and access to the AutoCAD drawing database (DWG). VisualLISP (originally "Vital LISP") was added to AutoCAD in the versions R14 (as an add-on) and 2000 (integrated).

With VisualLISP you can do more than with the pure AutoLISP - you can edit, compile and debug your programs, use object (ActiveX) functions and reactors. VisualLISP contains the integrated editing and debugging environment (IDE).

An example of a typical program in AutoLISP:

(defun C:Circle2 ()
(setq pt (getpoint "\nCenter of the circle: "))
(setq r (getdist r "\nRadius: "))
(command "_CIRCLE" pt r)
(command "_CIRCLE" pt (/ r 2.0))
(prin1)
)

To create drawing objects you can either call AutoCAD commands - (command), or directly create entities - (entmake), or use ActiveX functions (vla-add*).

With VisualLISP, .lsp programs can be compiled to .vlx and .fas files (code protection, better performance).

Before calling COM (ActiveX) objects in VisualLISP you need to load the COM support with the function (vl-load-com).

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* CAD

7.3.2011 8153×

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See also:
Tip 12701:	What is the maximum length of a list in AutoCAD VisualLISP?
Tip 11914:	Maze generator for AutoCAD.
Tip 10955:	Evaluate VBScript functions from AutoLISP.
Tip 10647:	How to store macros inside DWG drawings?
Tip 9996:	AutoCAD 2015 reports "VVC: internal error"

Selected tip: How to automatically display viewport scale in a drawing?

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