[Openmcl-devel] Strange LISP Clozure problems

[Lonnie Cumberland]

Thanks everyone. You have given me some really useful information
which should help me to re-organize a bit in my project.

It still seems strange since it looks like I will have to use
"copy-tree" to manage the lists, and will have to find a clean
solution for my problem.

I was using a single list approach as I described in the original
post, but am not sure how to cleanly implement that given that, if I
understand correctly that "replace-if and replace-if-not and rplacd
and others" include this same type of shared data approach.

I just wanted to have a simple list of the format ((1 (1 2 ....) (2 3
...) 2) ......) and cleanly grow "append" elements to each of the
internal lists as my code iterates.

Lisp is a great language, but I can see that I have a lot to learn still.

Thanks again for all of the help,
Lonnie

On Fri, Oct 1, 2010 at 11:49 AM, Jon S. Anthony <j-anthony at comcast.net> wrote:
>
> Hi,
>
> I would also suggest looking at copy-tree.  However, I would suggest
> even more strongly to reflect on why the general case of "make copy" is
> as vague and difficult as the general case of "is equal" and would refer
> you to:
>
> http://www.nhplace.com/kent/PS/EQUAL.html
>
> for some great elucidation.
>
>
> /Jon
>
>
> On Fri, 2010-10-01 at 09:57 -0400, Lonnie Cumberland wrote:
>> Greetings All,
>>
>> I am working on some code in lisp and basically have 2 lists now after
>> originally trying with just one where I had the same problem. (I also
>> had a plist version but still get the same problem.)
>>
>> I make a list for a format of
>>
>>
>> ((1  nil nil 1)
>> .
>> .
>> .
>> (n nil nil 1))
>>
>> call it *db*. I then add some values such that the first "nil" is made
>> into a list. [ie.. (1 (2) nil 1) ] and then do this for the whole list
>> in *db* with the function below.
>>
>> (defun add-mod-pres (b)
>>       (mapcar
>>          #'(lambda (row) (setf  (second row) (nconc (second row) (list
>> (mod (first row) b))))) *db*)
>> )
>>
>> The problem comes when I try to make a copy of the *db* and then
>> change some value in the "copied" db.
>>
>> (setf tempdb (copy-list (remove-if-not #'(lambda (row) (equal (first
>> (last row)) (list j))) *db*)))
>>
>> The result I am getting is that things as also being changed in the
>> original *db* as well and it look as though there is something going
>> on with LISP using pointers instead of actually making a copy.
>>
>> The basic code problem is to have my list like:
>>
>> ((1  nil nil 1)
>> .
>> .
>> .
>> (n nil nil 1))
>>
>> and while iterating over some other lists that I have, I grow each
>> list like the below example of a single sublist within *db*:
>>
>> Iteration 1
>> (1 (2) (1) 1)
>>
>> Iteration 2
>> (1 (2 1) (1 5) 1)
>>
>> .
>> .
>>
>> Iteration 10
>> (1 (2 1 3 4 5 4 3 2 1 0) (1 5 3 2 4 5 4 4 5 3) 1)
>>
>> etc....
>>
>> What I am currently getting is that when I modify the (1 5 .... ) list
>> then it also seems to modify the (2 1 .....) list in the *db* and this
>> also happens if I modify the (1 5 ....) list in the tempdb which also
>> modifies the *db* list.
>>
>> There seems to be some shared memory in the lists going on and I don't
>> know how to stop it.
>>
>> Could the "lambda" or "mapcar" functions be the problem?
>>
>> Kind Regards and have a great day,
>> Lonnie T. Cumberland
>>
>> "BTE, bringing people together today to meet the world's energy needs
>> of tomorrow......"
>>
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