Definition: LISP

(1) (Locator/ID Separation Protocol) A Cisco network architecture that splits a device's identity and location into separate address spaces. Using LISP, a machine can more easily be moved to a new location.

(2) (LISt Processing) A high-level programming language used for developing AI applications. Developed in the late 1950s by John McCarthy, its syntax and structure is very different from traditional programming languages. For example, there is no difference between data and instructions, which allows the language to be extended in unusual ways.

LISP is available in both interpreter and compiler versions and can be modified and expanded by the programmer. Many varieties have been developed, including versions that perform calculations more efficiently. The following example from the popular Common LISP dialect converts Fahrenheit to Celsius. See LISP machine.

   (defun convert ()
     (format t "Enter Fahrenheit ")
     (let ((fahr (read)))
      (format t "Celsius is <126>D"
        (truncate (*(-fahr 32)
            (/ 5 9))))))