Images and Executables

ASDF program-op: with :build-operation "program-op", :build-pathname, and :entry-point in the system definition, run (asdf:make :my-app).

Other tools: Roswell (ros build), deploy (bundles foreign libraries for distribution), Buildapp, and LispWorks/Allegro delivery tools (tree shaking, smaller binaries).

Image-based development also means you can save a development image with all your libraries preloaded for instant startup (sbcl --core my.core).

;; SBCL: save the current Lisp image as a standalone executable
(defun main ()
  (let ((args (uiop:command-line-arguments)))
    (format t "Hello from a Lisp executable! Args: ~a~%" args)
    (uiop:quit 0)))

(sb-ext:save-lisp-and-die "hello"
                          :toplevel #'main
                          :executable t
                          :compression t)        ; compression requires SBCL built with zstd/zlib support

sbcl --non-interactive --load app.lisp --eval '(sb-ext:save-lisp-and-die "app" :toplevel #'"'"'main :executable t)'
./app foo bar