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Armed Bear Common Lisp VS ManKai Common Lisp

Compare Armed Bear Common Lisp VS ManKai Common Lisp and see what are their differences

Armed Bear Common Lisp logo Armed Bear Common Lisp

Armed Bear Common Lisp (ABCL) is a full implementation of the Common Lisp language featuring both...

ManKai Common Lisp logo ManKai Common Lisp

ManKai Common Lisp (MKCL) aims to be a full implementation of the Common Lisp language in...
  • Armed Bear Common Lisp Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-10-15
  • ManKai Common Lisp Landing page
    Landing page //
    2019-04-20

Armed Bear Common Lisp features and specs

  • Java Platform Integration
    Armed Bear Common Lisp (ABCL) runs on the Java Virtual Machine (JVM), allowing seamless integration with Java libraries and applications. This makes it easier to reuse existing Java code and tools, and to interact with Java-based environments.
  • Cross-platform Compatibility
    Being JVM-based, ABCL can run on any platform that supports Java, providing excellent cross-platform compatibility. This eliminates the need to worry about platform-specific issues.
  • Rich Library Support
    ABCL can leverage the vast ecosystem of Java libraries, greatly expanding the range of functionality available to Lisp programmers. This makes it more versatile when developing complex applications.
  • Active Development
    ABCL is actively maintained and developed, ensuring it stays up-to-date with improvements and bug fixes. This active development provides confidence in its reliability for production use.

Possible disadvantages of Armed Bear Common Lisp

  • Performance Overheads
    Running on the JVM introduces additional layers, which may result in performance overhead compared to natively compiled Common Lisp implementations. This might be a concern for performance-critical applications.
  • Java Dependency
    ABCL's reliance on the JVM can be a downside if a project's dependencies need to be minimized or if there are licensing issues with using Java in certain environments.
  • Limited Tooling
    Compared to some other Lisp implementations, ABCL might have limited support for Common Lisp-specific development tools and extensions, potentially affecting developer productivity.
  • Complexity of Interoperability
    Although ABCL allows integration with Java, this interoperability can introduce additional complexity, especially if developers are not familiar with the Java ecosystem.

ManKai Common Lisp features and specs

  • Compatibility
    ManKai Common Lisp (MKCL) is designed to be ABI compatible with other Common Lisp implementations, which facilitates easier integration and code sharing across different environments.
  • Performance
    MKCL offers efficient performance that can be suitable for both small scripts and large systems, making it versatile for different project needs.
  • Portability
    MKCL is available on multiple platforms, supporting various operating systems which ensure that code can be easily transferred and run in different environments.
  • Open Source
    As an open-source project, MKCL allows developers to review, modify, and contribute to its source code, supporting community engagement and transparency.

Possible disadvantages of ManKai Common Lisp

  • Community Size
    The user and developer community around MKCL might be smaller compared to more popular Common Lisp implementations, potentially leading to less readily available support and resources.
  • Feature Set
    While MKCL aims for compatibility and performance, it may lack some of the advanced features found in other, more established Common Lisp environments.
  • Documentation
    The documentation for MKCL might not be as comprehensive or up-to-date as other Lisp environments, which could hinder learning and troubleshooting for new users.

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Armed Bear Common Lisp and ManKai Common Lisp)
IDE
56 56%
44% 44
Programming Language
53 53%
47% 47
OOP
47 47%
53% 53
Text Editors
56 56%
44% 44

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Armed Bear Common Lisp seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 4 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Armed Bear Common Lisp mentions (4)

  • Ask HN: Which Lisp has the best TUI libraries?
    ABCl (Armed Bear Common Lisp) is a Common Lisp that runs in the JVM. https://common-lisp.net/project/armedbear/. - Source: Hacker News / over 3 years ago
  • In your opinion, what functional programming language is most suitable for scientific / numerical computing?
    It would be good to remember that just because something runs on the jvm doesn't mean it's Java. Hell there is a common lisp that runs on the JVM (armored bear common lisp). Source: over 3 years ago
  • Machine Learning in Lisp
    In Common Lisp, - native or FFI, there are a couple of libraries: see https://github.com/CodyReichert/awesome-cl#machine-learning - besides C, there is a way to interface with Java: https://github.com/CodyReichert/awesome-cl#java ; as well as an implementation abcl that runs over JVM - there are two ways to interact with python: https://github.com/CodyReichert/awesome-cl#python - using CFFI vs streams. Source: almost 4 years ago
  • Lisp as an Alternative to Java
    Like this? https://common-lisp.net/project/armedbear/. - Source: Hacker News / about 4 years ago

ManKai Common Lisp mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of ManKai Common Lisp yet. Tracking of ManKai Common Lisp recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Armed Bear Common Lisp and ManKai Common Lisp, you can also consider the following products

Steel Bank Common Lisp - Steel Bank Common Lisp (SBCL) is a high performance Common Lisp compiler.

CLISP - CLISP is a portable ANSI Common Lisp implementation and development environment by Bruno Haible.

CMU Common Lisp - CMUCL is a high-performance, free Common Lisp implementation.

Hy - Hy is a wonderful dialect of Lisp that’s embedded in Python.

Allegro CL - Leading commercial Enterprise Development Tools and dynamic object-oriented Common Lisp development tools including Allegro CL with AllegroCache, an Object Database that provides Object Persistence in Lisp, native to the Lisp langauge.

Clozure Common Lisp - Clozure CL (often called CCL for short) is a free Common Lisp implementation with a long history.