AutoCAD 2013

AutoLISP Developer's Guide

January 2012
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Contents

Chapter 1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
AutoLISP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
About Related AutoLISP Documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Chapter 2 Using the AutoLISP Language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

AutoLISP Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
AutoLISP Expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
AutoLISP Function Syntax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
AutoLISP Data Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Integers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Reals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Strings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Lists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Selection Sets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Entity Names . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
File Descriptors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Symbols and Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
AutoLISP Program Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Formatting AutoLISP Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Comments in AutoLISP Program Files . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
AutoLISP Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Displaying the Value of a Variable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

iii
 Nil Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Predefined Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Number Handling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
String Handling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Basic Output Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Displaying Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Control Characters in Strings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Wild-Card Matching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Equality and Conditional . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
List Handling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Point Lists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Dotted Pairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Symbol and Function Handling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Using defun to Define a Function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
C:XXX Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Local Variables in Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Functions with Arguments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Error Handling in AutoLISP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Using the *error* Function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Catching Errors and Continuing Program Execution . . . . 41
Using AutoLISP to Communicate with AutoCAD . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Accessing Commands and Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Command Submission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
System and Environment Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Configuration Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Display Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Control of Graphics and Text Windows . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Control of Low-Level Graphics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Getting User Input . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
The getxxx Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Control of User-Input Function Conditions . . . . . . . . . 52
Geometric Utilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Object Snap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Text Extents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Conversions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
String Conversions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Angular Conversion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
ASCII Code Conversion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Unit Conversion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Coordinate System Transformations . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
File Handling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
File Search . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Device Access and Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Accessing User Input . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Using AutoLISP to Manipulate AutoCAD Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Selection Set Handling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

iv | Contents
 Selection Set Filter Lists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Passing Selection Sets between AutoLISP and ObjectARX
Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Object Handling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Entity Name Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Entity Data Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Entity Data Functions and the Graphics Screen . . . . . . . 102
Old-Style Polylines and Lightweight Polylines . . . . . . . 103
Non-Graphic Object Handling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Extended Data - xdata . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Organization of Extended Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Registration of an Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Retrieval of Extended Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Attachment of Extended Data to an Entity . . . . . . . . . 111
Management of Extended Data Memory Use . . . . . . . . 112
Handles in Extended Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Xrecord Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Symbol Table and Dictionary Access . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Symbol Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Dictionary Entries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116

Chapter 3 Appendixes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119

AutoLISP Function Synopsis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Category Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Basic Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Application-Handling Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Arithmetic Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Equality and Conditional Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Error-Handling Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Function-Handling Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
List Manipulation Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
String-Handling Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Symbol-Handling Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Utility Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Conversion Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Device Access Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Display Control Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
File-Handling Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Geometric Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Query and Command Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
User Input Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Selection Set, Object, and Symbol Table Functions . . . . . . . . 142
Extended Data-Handling Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Object-Handling Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Selection Set Manipulation Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Symbol Table and Dictionary-Handling Functions . . . . . 146

Contents | v
 Memory Management Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
VLX Namespace Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Namespace Communication Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Property List (Plist) Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
AutoLISP Error Codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Error Codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157

vi | Contents
Introduction
1
Introduction
®
For years, AutoLISP has set the standard for customizing AutoCAD® on
Windows®. AutoCAD also supports AutoLISP, but does not support many of
®
the Visual LISP functions or the Microsoft ActiveX Automation interface.
AutoCAD does not have an integrated development environment like AutoCAD
on Windows does, so the creation and editing of LSP files must be done with
text editor such as TextEdit.

AutoLISP
AutoLISP is a programming language designed for extending and customizing
the functionality of AutoCAD. It is based on the LISP programming language,
whose origins date back to the late 1950s. LISP was originally designed for use
in Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications, and is still the basis for many AI
applications.
AutoLISP was introduced as an application programming interface (API) in
AutoCAD Release 2.1, in the mid-1980s. LISP was chosen as the initial AutoCAD
API because it was uniquely suited for the unstructured design process of
AutoCAD projects, which involved repeatedly trying different solutions to design
problems.
Developing AutoLISP programs for AutoCAD is done by writing code in a text
editor, then loading the code into AutoCAD and running it. Debugging your
program is handled by adding statements to print the contents of variables at
strategic points in your program. You must figure out where in your program
to do this, and what variables you need to look at. If you discover you do not
have enough information to determine the error, you must go back and change

1
 the code by adding more debugging points. And finally, when you get the
program to work correctly, you need to either comment out or remove the
debugging code you added.

About Related AutoLISP Documents

In addition to the AutoLISP Reference, several other AutoCAD publications may
be required by users building applications with AutoLISP:
■ AutoCADCustomization Guide contains basic information on creating
customized AutoCAD applications. For example, it includes information
on creating customized user interface elements, linetypes, and hatch
patterns. The Customization Guide is available through the AutoCAD and
Help menu on the Mac OS menu bar.
■ The DXF Reference describes drawing interchange format (DXFTM) and the
DXF group codes that identify attributes of AutoCAD objects.
The DXF Reference is not included when you install AutoCAD. To obtain
the manual, download the DXF Reference from www.autodesk.com.
®
■ The ObjectARX Reference contains information on using ObjectARX to
develop customized AutoCAD applications. AutoCAD reactor functionality
is implemented through ObjectARX. If you develop AutoLISP applications
that implement reactor functions, you may want to refer to this manual.
The ObjectARX Reference is not included when you install AutoCAD. To
obtain the manual, download the ObjectARX SDK (Software Development
Kit) from www.autodesk.com.

2 | Chapter 1 Introduction
Using the AutoLISP Lan-
guage
2
AutoLISP Basics
You can use number, string, and list-handling functions to customize AutoCAD.
®
This chapter introduces the basic concepts of the AutoLISP programming
language. It describes the core components and data types used in AutoLISP,
and presents examples of simple number-, string-, output-, and list-handling
functions.
AutoLISP code does not need to be compiled, so you can enter the code at a
Command line and immediately see the results.

AutoLISP Expressions
An AutoLISP program consists of a series of expressions. AutoLISP expressions
have the following form:
(function
arguments
)
Each expression begins with an open (left) parenthesis and consists of a function
name and optional arguments to that function. Each argument can also be an
expression. The expression ends with a right parenthesis. Every expression
returns a value that can be used by a surrounding expression. The value of the
last interpreted expression is returned to the calling expression.
For example, the following code example involves three functions:

3
 (fun1 (fun2
arguments)(fun3
arguments)
)
If you enter this code at the AutoCAD Command prompt, the AutoCAD
AutoLISP interpreter processes the code. The first function, fun1, has two
arguments, and the other functions, fun2 and fun3, each have one argument.
The functions fun2 and fun3 are surrounded by function fun1, so their return
values are passed to fun1 as arguments. Function fun1 evaluates the two
arguments and returns the value to the window from which you entered the
code.
The following example shows the use of the * (multiplication) function, which
accepts one or more numbers as arguments:

(* 2 27)

54
Because this code example has no surrounding expression, AutoLISP returns
the result to the window from which you entered the code.
Expressions nested within other expressions return their result to the
surrounding expression. The following example uses the result from the +
(addition) function as one of the arguments for the * (multiplication) function.

(* 2 (+ 5 10))

30
If you enter the incorrect number of close (right) parentheses, AutoLISP displays
the following prompt:
(_>
The number of open parentheses in this prompt indicates how many levels
of open parentheses remain unclosed. If this prompt appears, you must enter
the required number of close parentheses for the expression to be evaluated.

(* 2 (+ 5 10

((_>

))

30

4 | Chapter 2 Using the AutoLISP Language

A common mistake is to omit the closing quotation mark (") in a text string,
in which case the close parentheses are interpreted as part of the string and
have no effect in resolving the open parentheses. To correct this condition,
press Shift+Esc to cancel the function, then re-enter it correctly.

AutoLISP Function Syntax

In this guide, the following conventions describe the syntax for AutoLISP
functions:

In this example, the foo function has one required argument, string, and one
optional argument, number. Additional number arguments can be provided.
Frequently, the name of the argument indicates the expected data type. The
examples in the following table show both valid and invalid calls to the foo
function.

Valid and invalid function call examples

Valid calls Invalid calls

(foo "catch") (foo 44 13)

(foo "catch" 22) (foo "fi" "foe" 44 13)

(foo "catch" 22 31) (foo)

AutoLISP Basics | 5
 AutoLISP Data Types
AutoLISP expressions are processed according to the order and data type of
the code within the parentheses. Before you can fully utilize AutoLISP, you
must understand the differences among the data types and how to use them.

Integers
Integers are whole numbers that do not contain a decimal point. AutoLISP
integers are 32-bit signed numbers with values ranging from +2,147,483,647
to -2,147,483,648. (Note, however, that the getint function only accepts 16-bit
numbers ranging from +32767 to -32678.) When you explicitly use an integer
in an AutoLISP expression, that value is known as a constant. Numbers such
as 2, -56, and 1,200,196 are valid AutoLISP integers.
If you enter a number that is greater than the maximum integer allowed
(resulting in integer overflow), AutoLISP converts the integer to a real number.
However, if you perform an arithmetic operation on two valid integers, and
the result is greater than the maximum allowable integer, the resulting number
will be invalid. The following examples illustrate how AutoLISP handles integer
overflow.
The largest positive integer value retains its specified value:

2147483647

2147483647
If you enter an integer that is greater than the largest allowable value, AutoLISP
returns the value as a real:

2147483648

2.14748e+009
An arithmetic operation involving two valid integers, but resulting in integer
overflow, produces an invalid result:

(+ 2147483646 3)

-2147483647

6 | Chapter 2 Using the AutoLISP Language

In this example the result is clearly invalid, as the addition of two positive
numbers results in a negative number. But note how the following operation
produces a valid result:

(+ 2147483648 2)

2.14748e+009
In this instance, AutoLISP converts 2147483648 to a valid real before adding
2 to the number. The result is a valid real.
The largest negative integer value retains its specified value:

-2147483647

-2147483647
If you enter a negative integer larger than the greatest allowable negative
value, AutoLISP returns the value as a real:

-2147483648

-2.14748e+009
The following operation concludes successfully, because AutoLISP first converts
the overflow negative integer to a valid real:

(- -2147483648 1)

-2.14748e+009

Reals
A real is a number containing a decimal point. Numbers between -1 and 1
must contain a leading zero. Real numbers are stored in double-precision
floating-point format, providing at least 14 significant digits of precision.
Reals can be expressed in scientific notation, which has an optional e or E
followed by the exponent of the number (for example, 0.0000041 is the same
as 4.1e-6). Numbers such as 3.1, 0.23, -56.123, and 21,000,000.0 are valid
AutoLISP reals.

AutoLISP Basics | 7
 Strings
A string is a group of characters surrounded by quotation marks. Within quoted
strings the backslash (\) character allows control characters (or escape codes)
to be included. When you explicitly use a quoted string in an AutoLISP
expression, that value is known as a literal string or a string constant.
Examples of valid strings are “string 1” and “\nEnter first point:”.

Lists
An AutoLISP list is a group of related values separated by spaces and enclosed
in parentheses. Lists provide an efficient method of storing numerous related
values. AutoCAD expresses 3D points as a list of three real numbers.
Examples of lists are (1.0 1.0 0.0), (“this” “that” “the other”), and (1 “ONE”).

Selection Sets
Selection sets are groups of one or more objects (entities). You can interactively
add objects to, or remove objects from, selection sets with AutoLISP routines.
The following example uses the ssget function to return a selection set
containing all the objects in a drawing.

(ssget "X")

<Selection set: 1>

Entity Names
An entity name is a numeric label assigned to objects in a drawing. It is actually
a pointer into a file maintained by AutoCAD, and can be used to find the
object's database record and its vectors (if they are displayed). This label can
be referenced by AutoLISP functions to allow selection of objects for processing
in various ways. Internally, AutoCAD refers to objects as entities.
The following example uses the entlast function to get the name of the last
object entered into the drawing.

8 | Chapter 2 Using the AutoLISP Language

 (entlast)

<Entity name: 27f0540>

Entity names assigned to objects in a drawing are only in effect during the
current editing session. The next time you open the drawing, AutoCAD assigns
new entity names to the objects. You can use an object's handle to refer to it
from one editing session to another; see Entity Handles and Their Uses (page
87) for information on using handles.

File Descriptors
A file descriptor is a pointer to a file opened by the AutoLISP open function.
The open function returns this pointer as an alphanumeric label. You supply
the file descriptor as an argument to other AutoLISP functions that read or
write to the file.
The following example opens the myinfo.dat file for reading. The open function
returns the file descriptor:

(setq file1 (open "/myinfo.dat" "r") )

#<file "/myinfo.dat">
In this example, the file descriptor is stored in the file1variable.
Files remain open until you explicitly close them in your AutoLISP program.
The close function closes a file. The following code closes the file whose file
descriptor is stored in the file1 variable:

(close file1)

nil

AutoLISP Basics | 9
 Symbols and Variables
AutoLISP uses symbols to refer to data. Symbol names are not case sensitive
and may consist of any sequence of alphanumeric and notation characters,
except the following:

Characters restricted from symbol names

( (Open Parenthesis)

) (Close Parenthesis)

. (Period)

' (Apostrophe)

" (Quote Symbol)

; (Semicolon)

A symbol name cannot consist only of numeric characters.

Technically, AutoLISP applications consist of either symbols or constant values,
such as strings, reals, and integers. For the sake of clarity, this guide uses the
term symbol to refer to a symbol name that stores static data, such as built-in
and user-defined functions. The term variable is used to refer to a symbol name
that stores program data. The following example uses the setq function to
assign the string value "this is a string" to the str1 variable:

(setq str1 "this is a string")

"this is a string"
Help yourself and others who need to read your code. Choose meaningful
names for your program symbols and variables.

10 | Chapter 2 Using the AutoLISP Language

AutoLISP Program Files
Although you can enter AutoLISP code at the AutoCAD Command prompt,
testing and debugging a series of instructions are considerably easier when
you save AutoLISP code in a file rather than re-entering it each time you make
a refinement. AutoLISP source code is usually stored in ASCII text files with
an .lsp extension. However, you can load AutoLISP code from any ASCII text
file.

Formatting AutoLISP Code

The extensive use of parentheses in AutoLISP code can make it difficult to
read. The traditional technique for combatting this confusion is indentation.
The more deeply nested a line of code is, the farther to the right you position
the line.

Spaces in AutoLISP Code

In AutoLISP, multiple spaces between variable names, constants, and function
names are equivalent to a single space. The end of a line is also treated as a
single space.
The following two expressions produce the same result:
(setq test1 123 test2 456)
(setq
test1 123
test2 456
)

Comments in AutoLISP Program Files

It is good practice to include comments in AutoLISP program files. Comments
are useful to both the programmer and future users who may need to revise
a program to suit their needs. Use comments to do the following:
■ Give a title, authorship, and creation date
■ Provide instructions on using a routine
■ Make explanatory notes throughout the body of a routine

AutoLISP Basics | 11
 ■ Make notes to yourself during debugging

Comments begin with one or more semicolons (;) and continue through the
end of the line.
; This entire line is a comment
(setq area (* pi r r)) ; Compute area of circle
Any text within ;| ... |; is ignored. Therefore, comments can be included
within a line of code or extend for multiple lines. This type of comment is
known as an in-line comment.
(setq tmode ;|some note here|; (getvar "tilemode"))
The following example shows a comment that continues for multiple lines:
(setvar "orthomode" 1) ;|comment starts here
and continues to this line,
but ends way down here|; (princ "\nORTHOMODE set On.")
It is recommended that you use comments liberally when writing AutoLISP
programs.

AutoLISP Variables
An AutoLISP variable assumes the data type of the value assigned to it. Until
they are assigned new values, variables retain their original values. You use
the AutoLISP setq function to assign values to variables.

(setq
variable_name1 value1 [variable_name2 value2 ...]
)

The setq function assigns the specified value to the variable name given. It
returns the value as its function result.

(setq val 3 abc 3.875)

3.875

(setq layr "EXTERIOR-WALLS")

"EXTERIOR-WALLS"

12 | Chapter 2 Using the AutoLISP Language

Displaying the Value of a Variable
To display the value of a variable from the AutoCAD Command prompt, you
must precede the variable name with an exclamation point (!). For example:

!abc

3.875

Nil Variables
An AutoLISP variable that has not been assigned a value is said to be nil. This
is different from blank, which is considered a character string, and different
from 0, which is a number. So, in addition to checking a variable for its current
value, you can test to determine if the variable has been assigned a value.
Each variable consumes a small amount of memory, so it is good programming
practice to reuse variable names or set variables to nil when their values are
no longer needed. Setting a variable to nil releases the memory used to store
that variable's value. If you no longer need the val variable, you can release
its value from memory with the following expression:

(setq val nil)

nil
Another efficient programming practice is to use local variables whenever
possible. See Local Variables in Functions (page 34) on this topic.

Predefined Variables
The following predefined variables are commonly used in AutoLISP
applications:
PAUSE Defined as a string consisting of a double backslash (\\) character. This
variable is used with the command function to pause for user input.

PI Defined as the constant p (pi). It evaluates to approximately 3.14159.

T Defined as the constant T. This is used as a non-nil value.

AutoLISP Basics | 13
 NOTE You can change the value of these variables with the setq function. However,
other applications might rely on their values being consistent; therefore, it is
recommended that you do not modify these variables.

Number Handling
AutoLISP provides functions for working with integers and real numbers. In
addition to performing complex mathematical computations in applications,
you can use the number-handling functions to help you in your daily use of
AutoCAD. If you are drawing a steel connection detail that uses a 2.5" bolt
that is 0.5" in diameter, how many threads are there if the bolt has 13 threads
per inch?

(* 2.5 13)

32.5
The arithmetic functions that have a number argument (as opposed to num or
angle, for example) return different values if you provide integers or reals as
arguments. If all arguments are integers, the value returned is an integer.
However, if one or all the arguments are reals, the value returned is a real. To
ensure your application passes real values, be certain at least one argument is
a real.

(/ 12 5)

(/ 12.0 5)

2.4
A complete list of number-handling functions is in AutoLISP Function Synopsis,
(page 119) under the heading Arithmetic Functions. (page 122) These functions
are described in the AutoLISP Reference.

String Handling
AutoLISP provides functions for working with string values. For example, the
strcase function returns the conversion of all alphabetic characters in a string
to uppercase or lowercase. It accepts two arguments: a string and an optional

14 | Chapter 2 Using the AutoLISP Language

argument that specifies the case in which the characters are returned. If the
optional second argument is omitted, it evaluates to nil and strcase returns
the characters converted to uppercase.

(strcase "This is a TEST.")

"THIS IS A TEST."
If you provide a second argument of T, the characters are returned as lowercase.
AutoLISP provides the predefined variable T to use in similar situations where
a non-nil value is used as a type of true/false toggle.

(strcase "This is a TEST." T)

"this is a test."

The strcat function combines multiple strings into a single string value. This
is useful for placing a variable string within a constant string. The following
code sets a variable to a string value and then uses strcat to insert that string
into the middle of another string.

(setq str "BIG") (setq bigstr (strcat "This is a " str " test."))

"This is a BIG test."

If the variable bigstr is set to the preceding string value, you can use the
strlen function to find out the number of characters (including spaces) in that
string.

(strlen bigstr)

19

The substr function returns a substring of a string. It has two required

arguments and one optional argument. The first required argument is the
string. The second argument is a positive integer that specifies the first
character of the string you want to include in the substring. If the third
argument is provided, it specifies the number of characters to include in the
substring. If the third argument is not provided, substr returns all characters
including and following the specified start character.
As an example, you can use the substr function to strip off the three-letter
extension from a file name (note that you can actually use the vl-filename-base
function to do this). First, set a variable to a file name.

AutoLISP Basics | 15
 (setq filnam "bigfile.txt")

"bigfile.txt"
You need to get a string that contains all characters except the last four (the
period and the three-letter extension). Use strlen to get the length of the string
and subtract 4 from that value. Then use substr to specify the first character
of the substring and its length.

(setq newlen (- (strlen filnam) 4))

(substr filnam 1 newlen)

"bigfile"
If your application has no need for the value of newlen, you can combine
these two lines of code into one.

(substr filnam 1 (- (strlen filnam) 4))

"bigfile"
Additional string-handling functions are listed in AutoLISP Function Synopsis,
(page 119) under the heading String-Handling Functions. (page 131) These
functions are described in the AutoLISP Reference.
AutoLISP also provides a number of functions that convert string values into
numeric values and numeric values into string values. These functions are
discussed in Conversions (page 61).

Basic Output Functions

AutoLISP includes functions for controlling the AutoCAD display, including
both text and graphics windows. The major text display functions are:
■ prin1

■ princ

■ print

■ prompt

16 | Chapter 2 Using the AutoLISP Language

These functions are discussed in the following sections. The remaining display
functions are covered in Using AutoLISP to Communicate with AutoCAD
(page 42), beginning with the Display Control (page 47) topic.

Displaying Messages
The princ, prin1, and print functions all display an expression (not necessarily
a string) in the AutoCAD Command window. Optionally, these functions can
send output to a file. The differences are as follows:
■ princ displays strings without the enclosing quotation marks.

■ prin1 displays strings enclosed in quotation marks.

■ print displays strings enclosed in quotation marks but places a blank line
before the expression and a space afterward.

The following examples demonstrate the differences between the four basic
output functions and how they handle the same string of text. See Control
Characters in Strings (page 18) for an explanation of the control characters
used in the example.

(setq str "The \"allowable\" tolerance is \261 \274\"")

(prompt str)
printsThe "allowable" tolerance is 1/4"and returns nil

(princ str)
printsThe "allowable" tolerance is 1/4"and returns "The
\"allowable\" tolerance is 1/4\""

(prin1 str)
prints"The \"allowable\" tolerance is 1/4""and returns "The
\"allowable\" tolerance is 1/4\""

(print str)
prints<blank line>"The \"allowable\" tolerance is
1/4""<space>and returns "The \"allowable\" tolerance is
1/4\""

Note that the write-char and write-line functions can also display output to
a Command window. Refer to the AutoLISP Reference for information on these
functions.

AutoLISP Basics | 17
 Exiting Quietly
If you invoke the princ function without passing an expression to it, it displays
nothing and has no value to return. So if you write an AutoLISP expression
that ends with a call to princ without any arguments, the ending nil is
suppressed (because it has nothing to return). This practice is called exiting
quietly.

Control Characters in Strings

Within quoted strings, the backslash (\) character allows control characters
(or escape codes) to be included. The following table shows the currently
recognized control characters:

AutoLISP control characters

Code Description

\\ \ character

\" " character

\e Escape character

\n Newline character

\r Return character

\t Tab character

\nnn Character whose octal code is nnn

The prompt and princ functions expand the control characters in a string
and display the expanded string in the AutoCAD Command window.
If you need to use the backslash character (\) or quotation mark (") within a
quoted string, it must be preceded by the backslash character (\). For example,
if you enter

18 | Chapter 2 Using the AutoLISP Language

 (princ "The \"filename\" is: /ACAD/TEST.TXT.")

the following text is displayed in the AutoCAD Command window:

The "filename" is: /ACAD/TEST.TXT
You will also see this output in the VLISP Console window, along with the
return value from the princ function (which is your original input, with the
unexpanded control characters).
To force a line break at a specific location in a string, use the newline character
(\n).

(prompt "An example of the \nnewline character. ")

An example of the
newline character.

You can also use the terpri function to cause a line break.

The return character (\r) returns to the beginning of the current line. This is
useful for displaying incremental information (for example, a counter showing
the number of objects processed during a loop).
The Tab character (\t) can be used in strings to indent or to provide alignment
with other tabbed text strings. In this example, note the use of the princ
function to suppress the ending nil.

(prompt "\nName\tOffice\n- - - - -\t- - - - -

(_>
\nSue\t101\nJoe\t102\nSam\t103\n") (princ)

Name Office

----- -----

Sue 101

Joe 102

Sam 103

AutoLISP Basics | 19
 Wild-Card Matching
The wcmatch function enables applications to compare a string to a wild-card
pattern. You can use this facility when you build a selection set (in conjunction
with ssget) and when you retrieve extended entity data by application name
(in conjunction with entget).

The wcmatch function compares a single string to a pattern. The function

returns T if the string matches the pattern, and nil if it does not. The wild-card
patterns are similar to the regular expressions used by many system and
application programs. In the pattern, alphabetic characters and numerals are
treated literally; brackets can be used to specify optional characters or a range
of letters or digits; a question mark (?) matches a single character; an asterisk
(*) matches a sequence of characters; and, certain other special characters
have special meanings within the pattern. When you use the * character at
the beginning and end of the search pattern, you can locate the desired portion
anywhere in the string.
In the following examples, a string variable called matchme has been declared
and initialized:

(setq matchme "this is a string - test1 test2 the end")

"this is a string - test1 test2 the end"

The following code checks whether or not matchme begins with the four
characters "this":

(wcmatch matchme "this*")

T
The following code illustrates the use of brackets in the pattern. In this case,
wcmatch returns T if matchme contains "test4", "test5", "test6" (4-6), or
"test9" (note the use of the * character):

(wcmatch matchme "*test[4-69]*")

nil

In this case, wcmatch returns nil because matchme does not contain any of
the strings indicated by the pattern.
However,

20 | Chapter 2 Using the AutoLISP Language

 (wcmatch matchme "*test[4-61]*")

T
returns true because the string contains "test1".
The pattern string can specify multiple patterns, separated by commas. The
following code returns T if matchme equals "ABC", or if it begins with "XYZ",
or if it ends with "end".

(wcmatch matchme "ABC,XYZ*,*end")

Equality and Conditional

AutoLISP includes functions that provide equality verification as well as
conditional branching and looping. The equality and conditional functions
are listed in AutoLISP Function Synopsis, (page 119) under the heading Equality
and Conditional Functions. (page 125) These functions are described in the
AutoLISP Reference.
When writing code that checks string and symbol table names, keep in mind
that AutoLISP automatically converts symbol table names to upper case in
some instances. When testing symbol names for equality, you need to make
the comparison insensitive to the case of the names. Use the strcase function
to convert strings to the same case before testing them for equality.

List Handling
AutoLISP provides functions for working with lists. This section provides
examples of the append, assoc, car, cons, list, nth, and subst functions. A
summary of all list-handling functions is in AutoLISP Function Synopsis, (page
119) under the heading List Manipulation Functions. (page 128) Each
list-handling function is described in the AutoLISP Reference.
Lists provide an efficient and powerful method of storing numerous related
values. After all, LISP is so-named because it is the LISt Processing language.
Once you understand the power of lists, you'll find that you can create more
powerful and flexible applications.

AutoLISP Basics | 21
 Several AutoLISP functions provide a basis for programming two-dimensional
and three-dimensional graphics applications. These functions return point
values in the form of a list.
The list function provides a simple method of grouping related items. These
items do not need to be of similar data types. The following code groups three
related items as a list:

(setq lst1 (list 1.0 "One" 1))

(1.0 "One" 1)

You can retrieve a specific item from the list in the lst1 variable with the nth
function. This function accepts two arguments. The first argument is an integer
that specifies which item to return. A 0 specifies the first item in a list, 1
specifies the second item, and so on. The second argument is the list itself.
The following code returns the second item in lst1.

(nth 1 lst1)

"One"

The cdr function returns all elements, except the first, from a list. For example:

(cdr lst1)

("One" 1)

The car function provides another way to extract items from a list. For more
examples using car and cdr, and combinations of the two, see Point Lists
(page 23).
Three functions let you modify an existing list. The append function returns
a list with new items added to the end of it, and the cons function returns a
list with new items added to the beginning of the list. The subst function
returns a list with a new item substituted for every occurrence of an old item.
These functions do not modify the original list; they return a modified list.
To modify the original list, you must explicitly replace the old list with the
new list.
The append function takes any number of lists and runs them together as one
list. Therefore, all arguments to this function must be lists. The following code
adds another "One" to the list lst1. Note the use of the quote (or ') function
as an easy way to make the string "One" into a list.

22 | Chapter 2 Using the AutoLISP Language

 (setq lst2 (append lst1 '("One")))

(1.0 "One" 1 "One")

The cons function combines a single element with a list. You can add another
string "One" to the beginning of this new list, lst2, with the cons function.

(setq lst3 (cons "One" lst2 ))

("One" 1.0 "One" 1 "One")

You can substitute all occurrences of an item in a list with a new item with
the subst function. The following code replaces all strings "One" with the
string "one".

(setq lst4 (subst "one" "One" lst3))

("one" 1.0 "one" 1 "one")

Point Lists
AutoLISP observes the following conventions for handling graphics
coordinates. Points are expressed as lists of two or three numbers surrounded
by parentheses.
2D points Expressed as lists of two real numbers (X and Y, respectively), as
in
(3.4 7.52)

3D points Expressed as lists of three real numbers (X, Y, and Z, respectively),

as in
(3.4 7.52 1.0)

You can use the list function to form point lists, as shown in the following
examples:

(list 3.875 1.23)

(3.875 1.23)

(list 88.0 14.77 3.14)

(88.0 14.77 3.14)

AutoLISP Basics | 23
 To assign particular coordinates to a point variable, you can use one of the
following expressions:

(setq pt1 (list 3.875 1.23))

(3.875 1.23)

(setq pt2 (list 88.0 14.77 3.14))

(88.0 14.77 3.14)

(setq abc 3.45)

3.45

(setq pt3 (list abc 1.23))

(3.45 1.23)
The latter uses the value of variable abc as the X component of the point.

If all members of a list are constant values, you can use the quote function to
explicitly define the list, rather than the list function. The quote function
returns an expression without evaluation, as follows:

(setq pt1 (quote (4.5 7.5)))

(4.5 7.5)

The single quotation mark (') can be used as shorthand for the quote function.
The following code produces the same result as the preceding code.

(setq pt1 '(4.5 7.5))

(4.5 7.5)
You can refer to X, Y, and Z components of a point individually, using three
additional built-in functions called car, cadr, and caddr. The following
examples show how to extract the X, Y, and Z coordinates from a 3D point
list. The pt variable is set to the point (1.5 3.2 2.0):

(setq pt '(1.5 3.2 2.0))

(1.5 3.2 2.0)

24 | Chapter 2 Using the AutoLISP Language

The car function returns the first member of a list. In this example it returns
the X value of point pt to the x_val variable.

(setq x_val (car pt))

1.5

The cadr function returns the second member of a list. In this example it
returns the Y value of the pt point to the y_val variable.

(setq y_val (cadr pt))

3.2

The caddr function returns the third member of a list. In this example it
returns the Z value of point pt to the variable z_val.

(setq z_val (caddr pt))

2.0
You can use the following code to define the lower-left and upper-right (pt1
and pt2) corners of a rectangle, as follows:

(setq pt1 '(1.0 2.0) pt2 ' (3.0 4.0))

(3.0 4.0)

You can use the car and cadr functions to set the pt3 variable to the upper-left
corner of the rectangle, by extracting the X component of pt1 and the Y
component of pt2, as follows:

(setq pt3 (list (car pt1) (cadr pt2)))

(1.0 4.0)
The preceding expression sets pt3 equal to point (1.0,4.0).

AutoLISP supports concatenations of car and cdr up to four levels deep. The
following are valid functions:

caaaar cadaar cdaaar cddaar

caaadr cadadr cdaadr cddadr

AutoLISP Basics | 25
 caaar cadar cdaar cddar

caadar caddar cdadar cdddar

caaddr cadddr cdaddr cddddr

caadr caddr cdadr cdddr

caar cadr cdar cddr

These concatenations are the equivalent of nested calls to car and cdr. Each
a represents a call to car, and each d represents a call to cdr. For example:

(caar x)
is equivalent to (car (car x))

(cdar x)
is equivalent to (cdr (car x))

(cadar x)
is equivalent to (car (cdr (car x)))

(cadr x)
is equivalent to (car (cdr x))

(cddr x)
is equivalent to (cdr (cdr x))

(caddr x)
is equivalent to (car (cdr (cdr x)))

Dotted Pairs
Another way AutoLISP uses lists to organize data is with a special type of list
called a dotted pair. This list must always contain two members. When
representing a dotted pair, AutoLISP separates the members of the list with a
period (.). Most list-handling functions will not accept a dotted pair as an
argument, so you should be sure you are passing the right kind of list to a
function.

26 | Chapter 2 Using the AutoLISP Language

Dotted pairs are an example of an "improper list." An improper list is one in
which the last cdr is not nil. In addition to adding an item to the beginning
of a list, the cons function can create a dotted pair. If the second argument
to the cons function is anything other than another list or nil, it creates a
dotted pair.

(setq sublist (cons 'lyr "WALLS"))

(LYR . "WALLS")

The car, cdr, and assoc functions are useful for handling dotted pairs. The
following code creates an association list, which is a list of lists, and is the
method AutoLISP uses to maintain entity definition data. (Entity definition
data is discussed in Using AutoLISP to Manipulate AutoCAD Objects. (page
74)) The following code creates an association list of dotted pairs:

(setq wallinfo (list sublist(cons 'len 240.0) (cons 'hgt 96.0)))

( (LYR . "WALLS") (LEN . 240.0) (HGT . 96.0) )

The assoc function returns a specified list from within an association list
regardless of the specified list's location within the association list. The assoc
function searches for a specified key element in the lists, as follows:

(assoc 'len wallinfo)

(LEN . 240.0)

(cdr (assoc 'lyr wallinfo))

"WALLS"

(nth 1 wallinfo)

(LEN . 240.0)

(car (nth 1 wallinfo))

LEN

AutoLISP Basics | 27
 Symbol and Function Handling
AutoLISP provides a number of functions for handling symbols and variables.
The symbol-handling functions are listed in AutoLISP Function Synopsis,
(page 119) under the heading Symbol-Handling Functions (page 133) Each
symbol-handling function is described in the AutoLISP Reference.
AutoLISP provides functions for handling one or more groups of functions.
This section provides examples of the defun function. The remaining
function-handling functions are listed in AutoLISP Function Synopsis, (page
119) under the heading Symbol-Handling Functions (page 133) The functions
are described in the AutoLISP Reference.

Using defun to Define a Function

With AutoLISP, you can define your own functions. Once defined, these
functions can be used at the AutoCAD Command prompt, the Visual LISP
Console prompt, or within other AutoLISP expressions, just as you use the
standard functions. You can also create your own AutoCAD commands,
because commands are just a special type of function.
The defun function combines a group of expressions into a function or
command. This function requires at least three arguments, the first of which
is the name of the function (symbol name) to define. The second argument
is the argument list (a list of arguments and local variables used by the
function). The argument list can be nil or an empty list (). Argument lists
are discussed in greater detail in Functions with Arguments (page 36). If local
variables are provided, they are separated from the arguments by a slash (/).
Local variables are discussed in Local Variables in Functions (page 34).
Following these arguments are the expressions that make up the function;
there must be at least one expression in a function definition.
(defun symbol_name (args / local_variables) expressions)
The following code defines a simple function that accepts no arguments and
displays “bye” in the AutoCAD Command window. Note that the argument
list is defined as an empty list (()):

(defun DONE ( ) (prompt "\nbye! "))

DONE

28 | Chapter 2 Using the AutoLISP Language

Now that the DONE function is defined, you can use it as you would any other
function. For example, the following code prints a message, then says “bye”
in the AutoCAD Command window:

(prompt "The value is 127.") (DONE) (princ)

The value is 127 bye!

Note how the previous example invokes the princ function without any
arguments. This suppresses an ending nil and achieves a quiet exit.
Functions that accept no arguments may seem useless. However, you might
use this type of function to query the state of certain system variables or
conditions and to return a value that indicates those values.
AutoCAD can automatically load your functions each time you start a new
AutoCAD session or open a new AutoCAD drawing file.
Any code in an AutoLISP program file that is not part of a defun statement is
executed when that file is loaded. You can use this to set up certain parameters
or to perform any other initialization procedures in addition to displaying
textual information, such as how to invoke the loaded function.

Compatibility of defun with Previous Versions of

AutoCAD
The internal implementation of defun changed in AutoCAD 2000. This change
will be transparent to the great majority of AutoLISP users upgrading from
earlier versions of AutoCAD. The change only affects AutoLISP code that
manipulated defun definitions as a list structure, such as by appending one
function to another, as in the following code:
(append s::startup (cdr mystartup))

For situations like this, you can use defun-q to define your functions. An
attempt to use a defun function as a list results in an error. The following
example illustrates the error:

(defun foo (x) 4)

foo

(append foo '(3 4))

AutoLISP Basics | 29
 ; error: Invalid attempt to access a compiled function
definition.
You may want to define it using defun-q: #<SUBR @024bda3c
FOO>

The error message alerts you to the possibility of using defun-q instead of
defun.

The defun-q function is provided strictly for backward compatibility with

previous versions of AutoLISP and should not be used for other purposes. For
more information on using defun-q, and the related defun-q-list-set and
defun-q-list-ref functions, see the AutoLISP Reference.

C:XXX Functions
If an AutoLISP function is defined with a name of the form C:xxx, it can be
issued at the AutoCAD Command prompt in the same manner as a built-in
AutoCAD command. You can use this feature to add new commands to
AutoCAD or to redefine existing commands.
To use functions as AutoCAD commands, be sure they adhere to the following
rules:
■ The function name must use the form C:XXX (upper- or lowercase
characters). The C: portion of the name must always be present; the XXX
portion is a command name of your choice. C:XXX functions can be used
to override built-in AutoCAD commands. (See Redefining AutoCAD
Commands (page 32).)
■ The function must be defined with no arguments. However, local variables
are permitted and it is a good programming practice to use them.

A function defined in this manner can be issued transparently from within

any prompt of any built-in AutoCAD command, provided the function issued
transparently does not call the command function. (This is the AutoLISP
function you use to issue AutoCAD commands; see the entry on command
in the AutoLISP Reference.) When issuing a C:XXX defined command
transparently, you must precede the XXX portion with a single quotation mark
(').
You can issue a built-in command transparently while a C:XXX command is
active by preceding it with a single quotation mark ('), as you would with all

30 | Chapter 2 Using the AutoLISP Language

commands that are issued transparently. However, you cannot issue a
C:XXXcommand transparently while a C:XXX command is active.

NOTE When calling a function defined as a command from the code of another
AutoLISP function, you must use the whole name, including the parentheses; for
example, (C:HELLO). You also must use the whole name and the parentheses
when you invoke the function from the VLISP Console prompt.

Adding Commands
Using the C:XXX feature, you can define a command that displays a simple
message.

(defun C:HELLO () (princ "Hello world. \n") (princ))

C:HELLO
HELLO is now defined as a command, in addition to being an AutoLISP function.
This means you can issue the command from the AutoCAD Command prompt.
Command: hello
Hello world.
This new command can be issued transparently because it does not call the
command function itself. At the AutoCAD Command prompt, you could do
the following:
Command: line
From point: 'hello
Hello world.
From point:

If you follow your function definition with a call to the setfunhelp function,
you can associate a Help file and topic with a user-defined command. When
help is requested during execution of the user-defined command, the topic
specified by setfunhelp displays. See the AutoLISP Reference for more
information on using setfunhelp.

You cannot usually use an AutoLISP statement to respond to prompts from

an AutoLISP-implemented command. However, if your AutoLISP routine
makes use of the initget function, you can use arbitrary keyboard input with
certain functions. This allows an AutoLISP-implemented command to accept
an AutoLISP statement as a response. Also, the values returned by a DIESEL
expression can perform some evaluation of the current drawing and return

AutoLISP Basics | 31
 these values to AutoLISP. See Keyword Options (page 53) for more information
on using initget, and refer to the AutoCADCustomization Guide for information
on the DIESEL string expression language.

Redefining AutoCAD Commands

Using AutoLISP, external commands, and the alias feature, you can define
your own AutoCAD commands. You can use the UNDEFINE command to
redefine a built-in AutoCAD command with a user-defined command of the
same name. To restore the built-in definition of a command, use the REDEFINE
command. The UNDEFINE command is in effect for the current editing session
only.
You can always activate an undefined command by specifying its true name,
which is the command name prefixed by a period. For example, if you undefine
QUIT, you can still access the command by entering .quit at the AutoCAD
Command prompt. This is also the syntax that should be used within the
AutoLISP command function.

Consider the following example. Whenever you use the LINE command, you
want AutoCAD to remind you about using the PLINE command. You can
define the AutoLISP function C:LINE to substitute for the normalLINEcommand
as follows:

(defun C:LINE ( )
(_>

(princ "Shouldn't you be using PLINE?\n")

(_>

(command ".LINE") (princ))

C:LINE

In this example, the function C:LINE is designed to issue its message and then
to execute the normal LINE command (using its true name, .LINE). Before
AutoCAD will use your new definition for the LINE command, you must
undefine the built-in LINE command. Enter the following to undefine the
built-in LINE command:

(command "undefine" "line")

Now, if you enter line at the AutoCAD Command prompt, AutoCAD uses
the C:LINE AutoLISP function:

32 | Chapter 2 Using the AutoLISP Language

Command: line
Shouldn't you be using PLINE?
.LINE Specify first point: Specify first point:
The previous code example assumes the CMDECHO system variable is set to
1 (On). If CMDECHO is set to 0 (Off), AutoCAD does not echo prompts during
a command function call. The following code uses the CMDECHO system
variable to prevent the LINE command prompt from repeating:

(defun C:LINE ( / cmdsave )

(_>

(setq cmdsave (getvar "cmdecho"))

(_>

(setvar "cmdecho" 0)
(_>

(princ "Shouldn't you be using PLINE?\n")

(_>

(command ".LINE")
(_>

(setvar "cmdecho" cmdsave)

(_>

(princ))
C:LINE

Now if you enter line at the AutoCAD Command prompt, the following text
is displayed:
Shouldn't you be using PLINE?
Specify first point:
You can use this feature in a drawing management system, for example. You
can redefine the NEW, OPEN, and QUIT commands to write billing information
to a log file before you terminate the editing session.
It is recommended that you protect your menus, scripts, and AutoLISP
programs by using the period-prefixed forms of all commands. This ensures
that your applications use the built-in command definitions rather than a
redefined command.

AutoLISP Basics | 33
 See the Overview of File Organization topic in the AutoCADCustomization
Guide for a description of the steps AutoCAD takes to evaluate command
names.

Local Variables in Functions

AutoLISP provides a method for defining a list of symbols (variables) that are
available only to your function. These are known as local variables.

Local Variables versus Global Variables

The use of local variables ensures that the variables in your functions are
unaffected by the surrounding application and that your variables do not
remain available after the calling function has completed its task.
Many user-defined functions are used as utility functions within larger
applications. User-defined functions also typically contain a number of
variables whose values and use are specific to that function.
The danger in using global variables, instead of local variables, is you may
inadvertently modify them outside of the function they were declared in and
intended for. This can lead to unpredictable behavior, and it can be very
difficult to identify the source of this type of problem.
Another advantage of using local variables is that AutoCAD can recycle the
memory space used by these variables, whereas global variables keep
accumulating within AutoCAD memory space.
There are some legitimate uses for global variables, but these should be kept
to a minimum. It is also a good practice to indicate that you intend a variable
to be global. A common way of doing this is to add an opening and closing
asterisk to the variable name, for example, *default-layer*.

Example Using Local Variables

The following example shows the use of local variables in a user-defined
function (be certain there is at least one space between the slash and the local
variables).

(defun LOCAL ( / aaa bbb)

(_>

34 | Chapter 2 Using the AutoLISP Language

 (setq aaa "A" bbb "B")
(_>

(princ (strcat "\naaa has the value " aaa ))

(_>

(princ (strcat "\nbbb has the value " bbb))

(_>

(princ))
LOCAL
Before you test the new function, assign variables aaa and bbb to values other
than those used in the LOCAL function.

(setq aaa 1 bbb 2)

2
You can verify that the variables aaa and bbb are actually set to those values.

aaa

bbb

Now test the LOCAL function.

(local)

aaa has the value A

bbb has the value B
You will notice the function used the values for aaa and bbb that are local to
the function. You can verify that the current values for aaa and bbb are still
set to their nonlocal values.

aaa

AutoLISP Basics | 35
 bbb

2
In addition to ensuring that variables are local to a particular function, this
technique also ensures the memory used for those variables is available for
other functions.

Functions with Arguments

With AutoLISP, you can define functions that accept arguments. Unlike many
of the standard AutoLISP functions, user-defined functions cannot have
optional arguments. When you call a user-defined function that accepts
arguments, you must provide values for all the arguments.
The symbols to use as arguments are defined in the argument list before the
local variables. Arguments are treated as a special type of local variable;
argument variables are not available outside the function. You cannot define
a function with multiple arguments of the same name.
The following code defines a function that accepts two string arguments,
combines them with another string, and returns the resulting string.

(defun ARGTEST ( arg1 arg2 / ccc )

(_>

(setq ccc "Constant string")

(_>

(strcat ccc ", " arg1 ", " arg2))

ARGTEST

The ARGTEST function returns the desired value because AutoLISP always
returns the results of the last expression it evaluates. The last line in ARGTEST
uses strcat to concatenate the strings, and the resulting value is returned. This
is one example where you should not use the princ function to suppress the
return value from your program.
This type of function can be used a number of times within an application to
combine two variable strings with one constant string in a specific order.
Because it returns a value, you can save the value to a variable for use later in
the application.

36 | Chapter 2 Using the AutoLISP Language

 (setq newstr (ARGTEST "String 1" "String 2"))

"Constant string, String 1, String 2"

The newstr variable is now set to the value of the three strings combined.

Note that the ccc variable was defined locally within the ARGTEST function.
Once the function runs to completion, AutoLISP recycles the variable,
recapturing the memory allocated to it. To prove this, check from the VLISP
Console window to see if there is still a value assigned to ccc.

ccc

nil

Special Forms
Certain AutoLISP functions are considered special forms because they evaluate
arguments in a different manner than most AutoLISP function calls. A typical
function evaluates all arguments passed to it before acting on those arguments.
Special forms either do not evaluate all their arguments, or only evaluate some
arguments under certain conditions.
The following AutoLISP functions are considered special forms:
■ AND

■ COMMAND

■ COND

■ DEFUN

■ DEFUN-Q

■ FOREACH

■ FUNCTION

■ IF

■ LAMBDA

■ OR

■ PROGN

■ QUOTE

■ REPEAT

AutoLISP Basics | 37
 ■ SETQ

■ TRACE

■ UNTRACE

■ VLAX-FOR

■ WHILE

You can read about each of these functions in the AutoLISP Reference.

Error Handling in AutoLISP

The AutoLISP language provides several functions for error handling. You can
use these functions to do the following:
■ Provide information to users when an error occurs during the execution
of a program.
■ Restore the AutoCAD environment to a known state.
■ Intercept errors and continue program execution.

The complete list of error-handling functions is in AutoLISP Function Synopsis,

(page 119) under the heading Error-Handling Functions. (page 126) Each
error-handling function is described in the AutoLISP Reference.
If your program contains more than one error in the same expression, you
cannot depend on the order in which AutoLISP detects the errors. For example,
the inters function requires several arguments, each of which must be either
a 2D or 3D point list. A call to inters like the following:

(inters 'a)
is an error on two counts: too few arguments and invalid argument type. You
will receive either of the following error messages:
; *** ERROR: too few arguments
; *** ERROR: bad argument type: 2D/3D point
Your program should be designed to handle either error.
Note also that in AutoCAD, AutoLISP evaluates all arguments before checking
the argument types. In previous releases of AutoCAD, AutoLISP evaluated and
checked the type of each argument sequentially. To see the difference, look
at the following code examples:

38 | Chapter 2 Using the AutoLISP Language

 (defun foo ()
(print "Evaluating foo")
'(1 2))

(defun bar ()
(print "Evaluating bar")
'b)

(defun baz ()
(print "Evaluating baz")
'c)

Observe how an expression using the inters function is evaluated in AutoCAD:

Command: (inters (foo) (bar) (baz))
"Evaluating foo"
"Evaluating bar"
"Evaluating baz"
; *** ERROR: too few arguments
Each argument was evaluated successfully before AutoLISP passed the results
to inters and discovered that too few arguments were specified.

In AutoCAD R14 or earlier, the same expression evaluated as follows:

Command: (inters (foo) (bar) (baz))
"Evaluating foo"
"Evaluating bar" error: bad argument type

AutoLISP evaluated (foo), then passed the result to inters. Since the result was
a valid 2D point list, AutoLISP proceeds to evaluate (bar), where it determines
that the evaluated result is a string, an invalid argument type for inters.

Using the *error* Function

Proper use of the *error* function can ensure that AutoCAD returns to a
particular state after an error occurs. Through this user-definable function you
can assess the error condition and return an appropriate message to the user.
If AutoCAD encounters an error during evaluation, it prints a message in the
following form:
Error: text

In this message, text describes the error. However, if the *error* function is
defined (that is, if it is not nil), AutoLISP executes *error* instead of printing
the message. The *error* function receives text as its single argument.

AutoLISP Basics | 39
 If *error* is not defined or is nil, AutoLISP evaluation stops and displays a
traceback of the calling function and its callers. It is beneficial to leave this
error handler in effect while you debug your program.
A code for the last error is saved in the AutoCAD system variable ERRNO,
where you can retrieve it by using the getvar function. See Error Handling in
AutoLISP (page 38) for a list of error codes and their meaning.
Before defining your own *error* function, save the current contents of *error*
so that the previous error handler can be restored upon exit. When an error
condition exists, AutoCAD calls the currently defined *error* function and
passes it one argument, which is a text string describing the nature of the
error. Your *error* function should be designed to exit quietly after an ESC
(cancel) or an exit function call. The standard way to accomplish this is to
include the following statements in your error-handling routine.
(if
(or
(= msg "Function cancelled")
(= msg "quit / exit abort")
)
(princ)
(princ (strcat "\nError: " msg))
)
This code examines the error message passed to it and ensures that the user
is informed of the nature of the error. If the user cancels the routine while it
is running, nothing is returned from this code. Likewise, if an error condition
is programmed into your code and the exit function is called, nothing is
returned. It is presumed you have already explained the nature of the error
by using print statements. Remember to include a terminating call to princ
if you don't want a return value printed at the end of an error routine.
The main caveat about error-handling routines is they are normal AutoLISP
functions that can be canceled by the user. Keep them as short and as fast as
possible. This will increase the likelihood that an entire routine will execute
if called.
You can also warn the user about error conditions by displaying an alert box,
which is a small dialog box containing a message supplied by your program.
To display an alert box, call the alert function.

The following call to alert displays an alert box:

(alert "File not found")

40 | Chapter 2 Using the AutoLISP Language

Catching Errors and Continuing Program Execution
Your program can intercept and attempt to process errors instead of allowing
control to pass to *error*. The vl-catch-all-apply function is designed to invoke
any function, return a value from the function, and trap any error that may
occur. The function requires two arguments: a symbol identifying a function
or lambda expression, and a list of arguments to be passed to the called
function. The following example uses vl-catch-all-apply to divide two numbers:

(setq catchit (vl-catch-all-apply '/ '(50 5)))

10

The result from this example is the same as if you had used apply to perform
the division.
The value of vl-catch-all-apply is in catching errors and allowing your program
to continue execution.

To catch errors with vl-catch-all-apply

1 The following code defines a function named catch-me-if-you-can.

(defun catch-me-if-you-can (dividend divisor / errobj)

(setq errobj (vl-catch-all-apply '/ (list dividend

divisor)))
(if (vl-catch-all-error-p errobj)
(progn
(print (strcat "An error occurred: "
(vl-catch-all-error-message
errobj)
)
)
(prompt "Do you want to continue? (Y/N) -> ")
(setq ans (getstring))
(if (equal (strcase ans) "Y")
(print "Okay, I'll keep going")
)
)
(print errobj)
)
(princ)
)

AutoLISP Basics | 41
 This function accepts two number arguments and uses vl-catch-all-apply
to divide the first number by the second number. The vl-catch-all-error-p
function determines whether the return value from vl-catch-all-apply
is an error object. If the return value is an error object,
catch-me-if-you-can invokes vl-catch-all-error-message to obtain the
message from the error object.
2 Load the function.
3 Invoke the function with the following command:

(catch-me-if-you-can 50 2)

The function should return 25.

4 Intentionally cause an error condition by invoking the function with
the following command:

(catch-me-if-you-can 50 0)

The function should issue the following prompt:

"An error occurred: divide by zero" Do you want to
continue? (Y/N) ->

If you enter y, catch-me-if-you-can indicates that it will continue

processing.
Try modifying this example by changing vl-catch-all-apply to apply.
Load and run the example with a divide by zero again. When apply
results in an error, execution immediately halts and *error* is called,
resulting in an error message.

Using AutoLISP to Communicate with AutoCAD

®
AutoLISP provides various functions for examining the contents of the
currently loaded drawing. This chapter introduces these functions and describes
how to use them in conjunction with other functions.

Accessing Commands and Services

The query and command functions described in this section provide direct
®
access to AutoCAD commands and drawing services. Their behavior depends
on the current state of the AutoCAD system and environment variables, and

42 | Chapter 2 Using the AutoLISP Language

on the drawing that is currently loaded. See ##xref here - Query and Command
Functions (app A Utility functions) in AutoLISP Function Synopsis, (page 119)
for a complete list of query and command functions.

Command Submission
The command function sends an AutoCAD command directly to the AutoCAD
Command prompt. The command function has a variable-length argument
list. These arguments must correspond to the types and values expected by
that command's prompt sequence; these may be strings, real values, integers,
points, entity names, or selection set names. Data such as angles, distances,
and points can be passed either as strings or as the values themselves (as integer
or real values, or as point lists). An empty string ("") is equivalent to pressing
the Spacebar or Enter on the keyboard.
There are some restrictions on the commands that you can use with the
command function. See the AutoLISP Reference definition of this function for
information on these restrictions.
The following code fragment shows representative calls to command.

(command "circle" "0,0" "3,3")

(command "thickness" 1)
(setq p1 '(1.0 1.0 3.0))
(setq rad 4.5)
(command "circle" p1 rad)
If AutoCAD is at the Command prompt when these functions are called,
AutoCAD performs the following actions:

1 The first call to command passes points to the CIRCLE command as

strings (draws a circle centered at 0.0,0.0 and passes through 3.0,3.0).
2 The second call passes an integer to the THICKNESS system variable
(changes the current thickness to 1.0).
3 The last call uses a 3D point and a real (floating-point) value, both of
which are stored as variables and passed by reference to the CIRCLE
command. This draws an extruded circle centered at (1.0,1.0,3.0) with
a radius of 4.5.

Using AutoLISP to Communicate with AutoCAD | 43

 Foreign Language Support
If you develop AutoLISP programs that can be used with a foreign language
version of AutoCAD, the standard AutoCAD commands and keywords are
automatically translated if you precede each command or keyword with an
underscore (_).
(command "_line" pt1 pt2 pt3 "_c")
If you are using the dot prefix (to avoid using redefined commands), you can
place the dot and underscore in either order. Both "._line" and "_.line" are
valid.

Pausing for User Input

If an AutoCAD command is in progress and the predefined symbol PAUSE is
encountered as an argument to command, the command is suspended to
allow direct user input (usually point selection or dragging). This is similar to
the backslash pause mechanism provided for menus.
The PAUSE symbol is defined as a string consisting of a single backslash. When
you use a backslash (\) in a string, you must precede it by another backslash
(\\).
Menu input is not suspended by an AutoLISP pause. If a menu item is active
when the command function pauses for input, that input request can be
satisfied by the menu. If you want the menu item to be suspended as well,
you must provide a backslash in the menu item. When valid input is found,
both the command function and the menu item resume.

NOTE You can use a backslash instead of the PAUSE symbol. However, it is
recommended that you always use the PAUSE symbol rather than an explicit
backslash. Also, if the command function is invoked from a menu item, the
backslash suspends the reading of the menu item, which results in partial evaluation
of the AutoLISP expression.

If you issue a transparent command while a command function is suspended,

the command function remains suspended. Therefore, users can 'ZOOM and
'PAN while at a command pause. The pause remains in effect until AutoCAD
gets valid input, and no transparent command is in progress. For example,
the following code begins the CIRCLE command, sets the center point at (5,5),
and then pauses to let the user drag the circle's radius. When the user specifies

44 | Chapter 2 Using the AutoLISP Language

the desired point (or types in the desired radius), the function resumes, drawing
a line from (5,5) to (7,5), as follows:
(command "circle" "5,5" pause "line" "5,5" "7,5" "")
If PAUSE is encountered when a command is expecting input of a text string
or an attribute value, AutoCAD pauses for input only if the TEXTEVAL system
variable is nonzero. Otherwise, AutoCAD does not pause for user input but
uses the value of the PAUSE symbol (a single backslash) text.

When the command function pauses for user input, the function is considered
active, so the user cannot enter another AutoLISP expression to be evaluated.
The following is an example of using the PAUSE symbol (the layer NEW_LAY
and the block MY_BLOCK must exist in the drawing prior to testing this code):
(setq blk "MY_BLOCK")
(setq old_lay (getvar "clayer"))
(command "layer" "set" "NEW_LAY" "")
(command "insert" blk pause "" "" pause)
(command "layer" "set" old_lay "")
The preceding code fragment sets the current layer to NEW_LAY, pauses for
user selection of an insertion point for the block MY_BLOCK (which is inserted
with X and Y scale factors of 1), and pauses again for user selection of a rotation
angle. The current layer is then reset to the original layer.
If the command function specifies a PAUSE to the SELECT command and a
PICKFIRST set is active, the SELECT command obtains the PICKFIRST set
without pausing for the user.

WARNING The Radius and Diameter subcommands of the Dim prompt issue
additional prompts in some situations. This can cause a failure of AutoLISP programs
written prior to Release 11 that use these commands.

Passing Pick Points to AutoCAD Commands

Some AutoCAD commands (such as TRIM, EXTEND, and FILLET) require the
user to specify a pick point as well as the object itself. To pass such pairs of
object and point data by means of the command function without the use of
a PAUSE, you must first store them as variables. Points can be passed as strings
within the command function or can be defined outside the function and
passed as variables, as shown in the following example. This code fragment

Using AutoLISP to Communicate with AutoCAD | 45

 shows one method of passing an entity name and a pick point to the command
function.
(command "circle" "5,5" "2")
Draws circle

(command "line" "3,5" "7,5" "")

Draws line

(setq el (entlast))
Gets last entity name

(setq pt '(5 7))

Sets point pt

(command "trim" el "" pt "")

Performs trim
If AutoCAD is at the Command prompt when these functions are called,
AutoCAD performs the following actions:

1 Draws a circle centered at (5,5) with a radius of 2.

2 Draws a line from (3,5) to (7,5).
3 Creates a variable el that is the name of the last object added to the
database. (See Using AutoLISP to Manipulate AutoCAD Objects (page
74) for more discussion of objects and object-handling functions.)
4 Creates a pt variable that is a point on the circle. (This point selects the
portion of the circle to be trimmed.)
5 Performs the TRIM command by selecting the el object and by selecting
the point specified by pt.

Undoing Commands Issued with the command Func-

tion
An UNDO group is explicitly created around each command used with the
command function. If a user enters U (or UNDO) after running an AutoLISP
routine, only the last command will be undone. Additional entries of UNDO
will step backward through the commands used in that routine. If you want
a group of commands to be considered a group (or the entire routine), use the
UNDO Begin and UNDO End options.

46 | Chapter 2 Using the AutoLISP Language

System and Environment Variables
With the getvar and setvar functions, AutoLISP applications can inspect and
change the value of AutoCAD system variables. These functions use a string
to specify the variable name. The setvar function specifies a value of the type
that the system variable expects. AutoCAD system variables come in various
types: integers, real values, strings, 2D points, and 3D points. Values supplied
as arguments to setvar must be of the expected type. If an invalid type is
supplied, an AutoLISP error is generated.
The following code fragment ensures that subsequent FILLET commands use
a radius of at least 1:
(if (< (getvar "filletrad") 1)
(setvar "filletrad" 1)
)
See the Command Reference for a list of AutoCAD system variables and their
descriptions.
An additional function, getenv, provides AutoLISP routines with access to the
currently defined operating system environment variables.

Configuration Control
AutoCAD uses the acadxx.cfg file to store configuration information (the xx
in the file name refers to the AutoCAD release number). The AppData section
of this file is provided for users and developers to store configuration
information pertaining to their applications. The getcfg and setcfg functions
allow AutoLISP applications to inspect and change the value of parameters in
the AppData section.

Display Control
AutoLISP includes functions for controlling the AutoCAD display in both text
and graphics windows. Some functions prompt for, or depend on, input from
the AutoCAD user.
The prompt, princ, prin1, and print functions are the primary text output
functions. These functions were described in the AutoLISP Basics (page 3)
chapter, under the heading, Basic Output Functions. (page 16)

Using AutoLISP to Communicate with AutoCAD | 47

 See Display Control Functions (page 136) in AutoLISP Function Synopsis, (page
119) for a complete list of display control functions.

Control of Graphics and Text Windows

You can control the display of the Command Window from an AutoLISP
application. A call to textscr or textpage expands the Command Window.

The redraw function is similar to the AutoCAD REDRAW command but

provides more control over what is displayed. It not only redraws the entire
graphics area but can also specify a single object to be redrawn or undrawn
(that is, blanked out). If the object is a complex object such as an old-style
polyline or a block, redraw can draw (or undraw) either the entire object or
its header. The redraw function can also highlight and unhighlight specified
objects.
.

Control of Low-Level Graphics

AutoLISP provides functions that control the low-level graphics and allow
direct access to the AutoCAD graphics screen and input devices.
The grtext function displays text directly in the status or menu areas, with
or without highlighting. The grdraw function draws a vector in the current
viewport with control over color and highlighting. The grvecs function draws
multiple vectors.

NOTE Because these functions depend on code in AutoCAD, their operation can
be expected to change from release to release. There is no guarantee that
applications calling these functions will be upward compatible. Also, they depend
on current hardware configurations. In particular, applications that call grtext are
not likely to work the same on all configurations unless the developer is very careful
to use them as described (see the Customization Guide) and to avoid
hardware-specific features. Finally, because they are low-level functions, they do
almost no error reporting and can alter the graphics screen display unexpectedly
(see the following example for a way to fix this).

The following sequence restores the default graphics window display caused
by incorrect calls to grtext, grdraw, or grvecs:

48 | Chapter 2 Using the AutoLISP Language

 (grtext)

Restores standard text

(redraw)

Getting User Input

Several functions enable an AutoLISP application to prompt the user for input
of data. See User Input Functions (page 141) in AutoLISP Function Synopsis,
(page 119) for a complete list of user input functions.

The getxxx Functions

Each user-input getxxx function pauses for data entry of the indicated type
and returns the value entered. The application specifies an optional prompt
to display before the function pauses. The following table lists the getxxx
functions and the type of user input requested.

Allowable input to the getxxx user-input functions

Function name Type of user input

getint An integer value on the command line

getreal A real or integer value on the command line

getstring A string on the command line

getpoint A point value on the command line or selected from the screen

getcorner A point value (the opposite corner of a box) on the command line or
selected from the screen

getdist A real or integer value (of distance) on the command line or determ-
ined by selecting points on the screen

Using AutoLISP to Communicate with AutoCAD | 49

 Allowable input to the getxxx user-input functions

Function name Type of user input

getangle An angle value (in the current angle format) on the command line or
based on selected points on the screen

getorient An angle value (in the current angle format) on the command line or
based on selected points on the screen

getkword A predefined keyword or its abbreviation on the command line

NOTE Although the getvar, getcfg, and getenv functions begin with the letters
g, e, and t, they are not user-input functions. They are discussed in Accessing
Commands and Services (page 42).

The functions getint, getreal, and getstring pause for user input on the
AutoCAD command line. They return a value only of the same type as that
requested.
The getpoint, getcorner, and getdist functions pause for user input on the
command line or from points selected on the graphics screen. The getpoint
and getcorner functions return 3D point values, and getdist returns a real
value.
Both getangle and getorient pause for input of an angle value on the
command line or as defined by points selected on the graphics screen. For the
getorient function, the 0 angle is always to the right: “East” or “3 o'clock.”
For getangle, the 0 angle is the value of ANGBASE, which can be set to any
angle. Both getangle and getorient return an angle value (a real) in radians
measured counterclockwise from a base (0 angle), for getangle equal to
ANGBASE, and for getorient to the right.

For example, ANGBASE is set to 90 degrees (north), and ANGDIR is set to 1

(clockwise direction for increasing angles). The following table shows what

50 | Chapter 2 Using the AutoLISP Language

getangle and getorient return (in radians) for representative input values (in
degrees).

Possible return values from getangle and getorient

Input getangle getorient

(degrees)

0 0.0 1.5708

-90 1.5708 3.14159

180 3.14159 4.71239

90 4.71239 0.0

The getangle function honors the settings of ANGDIR and ANGBASE when
accepting input. You can use getangle to obtain a rotation amount for a block
insertion, because input of 0 degrees always returns 0 radians. The getorient
function honors only ANGDIR. You use getorient to obtain angles such as
the baseline angle for a text object. For example, given the preceding settings
of ANGBASE and ANGDIR, for a line of text created at an angle of 0, getorient
returns an angle value of 90.
The user-input functions take advantage of the error-checking capability of
AutoCAD. Trivial errors are trapped by AutoCAD and are not returned by the
user-input function. A prior call to initget provides additional filtering
capabilities, lessening the need for error-checking.

Using AutoLISP to Communicate with AutoCAD | 51

 The getkword function pauses for the input of a keyword or its abbreviation.
Keywords must be defined with the initget function before the call to
getkword. All user-input functions (except getstring) can accept keyword
values in addition to the values they normally return, provided that initget
has been called to define the keywords.
All user-input functions allow for an optional prompt argument. It is
recommended you use this argument rather than a prior call to the prompt
or princ functions. If a prompt argument is supplied with the call to the
user-input function, that prompt is reissued in the case of invalid user input.
If no prompt argument is supplied and the user enters incorrect information,
the following message appears at the AutoCAD prompt line:
Try again:
This can be confusing, because the original prompt may have scrolled out of
the Command prompt area.
The AutoCAD user cannot typically respond to a user-input function by
entering an AutoLISP expression. If your AutoLISP routine makes use of the
initget function, arbitrary keyboard input is permitted to certain functions
that can allow an AutoLISP statement as response to a command implemented
in AutoLISP. This is discussed in Arbitrary Keyboard Input (page 54).

Control of User-Input Function Conditions

The initget function provides a level of control over the next user-input
function call. The initget function establishes various options for use by the
next entsel, nentsel, nentselp, or getxxx function (except getstring, getvar,
and getenv). This function accepts two arguments, bits and string, both of
which are optional. The bits argument specifies one or more control bits that
enable or disable certain input values to the next user-input function call. The
string argument can specify keywords that the next user-input function call
will recognize.
The control bits and keywords established by initget apply only to the next
user-input function call. They are discarded after that call. The application
doesn't have to call initget a second time to clear special conditions.

52 | Chapter 2 Using the AutoLISP Language

Input Options for User-Input Functions
The value of the bits argument restricts the types of user input to the next
user-input function call. This reduces error-checking. These are some of the
available bit values: 1 disallows null input, 2 disallows input of 0 (zero), and
4 disallows negative input. If these values are used with a following call to the
getint function, the user is forced to enter an integer value greater than 0.

To set more than one condition at a time, add the values together (in any
combination) to create a bits value between 0 and 255. If bits is not included
or is set to 0, none of the control conditions applies to the next user-input
function call. (For a complete listing of initget bit settings, see initget in the
AutoLISP Reference.)
(initget (+ 1 2 4))
(getint "\nHow old are you? ")
This sequence requests the user's age. AutoCAD displays an error message and
repeats the prompt if the user attempts to enter a negative or zero value, or if
the user only presses Enter, or enters a string (the getint function rejects
attempts to enter a value that is not an integer).

Keyword Options
The optional string argument specifies a list of keywords recognized by the
next user-input function call.
The initget function allows keyword abbreviations to be recognized in addition
to the full keywords. The user-input function returns a predefined keyword
if the input from the user matches the spelling of a keyword (not case
sensitive), or if the user enters the abbreviation of a keyword. There are two
methods for abbreviating keywords; both are discussed in the initget topic in
the AutoLISP Reference.
The following user-defined function shows a call to getreal, preceded by a
call to initget, that specifies two keywords. The application checks for these
keywords and sets the input value accordingly.
(defun C:GETNUM (/ num)
(initget 1 "Pi Two-pi")
(setq num (getreal "Pi/Two-pi/<number>: "))
(cond
((eq num "Pi") pi)

Using AutoLISP to Communicate with AutoCAD | 53

 ((eq num "Two-pi") (* 2.0 pi))
(T num)
)
)

This initget call inhibits null input (bits = 1) and establishes a list of two
keywords, "Pi" and "Two-pi". The getreal function is then used to obtain a
real number, issuing the following prompt:
Pi/Two-pi/<number>:
The result is placed in local symbol num. If the user enters a number, that
number is returned by C:GETNUM. However, if the user enters the keyword
Pi (or simply P), getreal returns the keyword Pi. The cond function detects
this and returns the value of p in this case. The Two-pi keyword is handled
similarly.

NOTE You can also use initget to enable entsel, nentsel, and nentselp to accept
keyword input. For more information on these functions, see Object Handling
(page 86) and the entsel, nentsel and nentselp function definitions in the
AutoLISP Reference.

Arbitrary Keyboard Input

The initget function also allows arbitrary keyboard input to most getxxx
functions. This input is passed back to the application as a string. An
application using this facility can be written to permit the user to call an
AutoLISP function at a getxxx function prompt.

These functions show a method for allowing AutoLISP response to a getxxx

function call:
(defun C:ARBENTRY ( / pt1)
(initget 128) ; Sets arbitrary entry
bit
(setq pt1 (getpoint "\nPoint: ")) ; Gets value from user.

(if (= 'STR (type pt1)) ; If it's a string,

convert it
(setq pt1 (eval (read pt1))) ; to a symbol, try
evaluating
; it as a function;
otherwise,

54 | Chapter 2 Using the AutoLISP Language

 pt1 ; just return the value.

)
)

(defun REF ( )
(setvar "LASTPOINT" (getpoint "\nReference point: "))
(getpoint "\nNext point: " (getvar "LASTPOINT"))
)

If both the C:ARBENTRY and REF functions are loaded into the drawing, the
following command sequence is acceptable.
Command: arbentry
Point: (ref)
Reference point: Select a point
Next point: @1,1,0

Input Validation
You should protect your code from unintentional user errors. The AutoLISP
user input getxxx functions do much of this for you. However, it's dangerous
to forget to check for adherence to other program requirements that the getxxx
functions do not check for. If you neglect to check input validity, the program's
integrity can be seriously affected.

Geometric Utilities
A group of functions allows applications to obtain pure geometric information
and geometric data from the drawing. See Geometric Functions (page 139) in
AutoLISP Function Synopsis, (page 119) for a complete list of geometric utility
functions.
The angle function finds the angle in radians between a line and the X axis
(of the current UCS), distance finds the distance between two points, and
polar finds a point by means of polar coordinates (relative to an initial point).
The inters function finds the intersection of two lines. The osnap and textbox
functions are described separately.
The following code fragment shows calls to the geometric utility functions:

Using AutoLISP to Communicate with AutoCAD | 55

 (setq pt1 '(3.0 6.0 0.0))
(setq pt2 '(5.0 2.0 0.0))
(setq base '(1.0 7.0 0.0))
(setq rads (angle pt1 pt2)) ; Angle in XY plane of
current UCS
; (value is returned in
radians)
(setq len (distance pt1 pt2)) ; Distance in 3D space
(setq endpt (polar base rads len))

The call to polar sets endpt to a point that is the same distance from (1,7) as
pt1 is from pt2, and at the same angle from the X axis as the angle between
pt1 and pt2.

Object Snap
The osnap function can find a point by using one of the AutoCAD Object
Snap modes. The Snap modes are specified in a string argument.
The following call to osnap looks for the midpoint of an object near pt1:

(setq pt2 (osnap pt1 "midp"))

The following call looks for the midpoint, the endpoint, or the center of an
object nearest pt1:
(setq pt2 (osnap pt1 "midp,endp,center"))
In both examples, pt2 is set to the snap point if one is found that fulfills the
osnap requirements. If more than one snap point fulfills the requirements,
the point is selected based on the setting of the SORTENTS system variable.
Otherwise, pt2 is set to nil.

NOTE The APERTURE system variable determines the allowable proximity of a

selected point to an object when you use Object Snap.

Text Extents
The textbox function returns the diagonal coordinates of a box that encloses
a text object. It takes an entity definition list of the type returned by entget
(an association list of group codes and values) as its single argument. This list

56 | Chapter 2 Using the AutoLISP Language

can contain a complete association list description of the text object or just a
list describing the text string.
The points returned by textbox describe the bounding box (an imaginary box
that encloses the text object) of the text object, as if its insertion point were
located at (0,0,0) and its rotation angle were 0. The first list returned is the
point (0.0 0.0 0.0), unless the text object is oblique or vertical or it contains
letters with descenders (such as g and p). The value of the first point list
specifies the offset distance from the text insertion point to the lower-left
corner of the smallest rectangle enclosing the text. The second point list
specifies the upper-right corner of that box. The returned point lists always
describe the bottom-left and upper-right corners of this bounding box,
regardless of the orientation of the text being measured.
The following example shows the minimum allowable entity definition list
that textbox accepts. Because no additional information is provided, textbox
uses the current defaults for text style and height.
Command: (textbox '((1 . "Hello world")) )
((0.0 0.0 0.0) (2.80952 1.0 0.0))

The actual values returned by textbox will vary depending on the current text
style.
The following example demonstrates one method of providing the textbox
function with an entity definition list.
Command: dtext
Justify/Style/<Start point>: 1,1
Height <1.0000>: Enter
Rotation angle <0>: Enter
Text: test
Text: Enter
Command: (setq e (entget (entlast)))
((-1 . <Entity name: 1ba3568>) (0 . "TEXT") (330 . <Entity
name: 1ba34f8>) (5 .
"2D") (100 . "AcDbEntity") (67 . 0) (410 . "Model") (8 . "0")
(100 .
"AcDbText") (10 1.0 1.0 0.0) (40 . 1.0) (1 . "test") (50 .
0.0) (41 . 1.0) (51
. 0.0) (7 . "Standard") (71 . 0) (72 . 0) (11 0.0 0.0 0.0)
(210 0.0 0.0 1.0)
(100 . "AcDbText") (73 . 0))
Command: (textbox e)
((0.0 0.0 0.0) (0.8 0.2 0.0))

Using AutoLISP to Communicate with AutoCAD | 57

 The following figure shows the results of applying textbox to a text object
with a height of 1.0. The figure also shows the baseline and insertion point
of the text.

If the text is vertical or rotated, pt1 is still the bottom-left corner and pt2 is
the upper-right corner; the bottom-left point may have negative offsets if
necessary.
The following figure shows the point values (pt1 and pt2) that textbox returns
for samples of vertical and aligned text. In both samples, the height of the
letters is 1.0. (For the aligned text, the height is adjusted to fit the alignment
points.)

When using vertical text styles, the points are still returned in left-to-right,
bottom-to-top order as they are for horizontal styles, so that the first point
list will contain negative offsets from the text insertion point.

58 | Chapter 2 Using the AutoLISP Language

Regardless of the text orientation or style, the points returned by textbox are
such that the text insertion point (group code 10) directly translates to the
origin point of the object coordinate system (OCS) for the associated text
object. This point can be referenced when translating the coordinates returned
from textbox into points that define the actual extent of the text. The two
sample routines that follow use textbox to place a box around selected text
regardless of its orientation.
The first routine uses the textbox function to draw a box around a selected
text object:
(defun C:TBOX ( / textent tb ll ur ul lr)
(setq textent (car (entsel "\nSelect text: ")))
(command "ucs" "Object" textent)
(setq tb (textbox (list (cons -1 textent)))
ll (car tb)
ur (cadr tb)
ul (list (car ll) (cadr ur))
lr (list (car ur) (cadr ll))
)
(command "pline" ll lr ur ul "Close")
(command "ucs" "p")
(princ)
)
The second routine, which follows, accomplishes the same task as the first
routine by performing the geometric calculations with the sin and cos AutoLISP

Using AutoLISP to Communicate with AutoCAD | 59

 functions. The result is correct only if the current UCS is parallel to the plane
of the text object.
(defun C:TBOX2 ( / textent ang sinrot cosrot
t1 t2 p0 p1 p2 p3 p4)
(setq textent (entget (car (entsel "\nSelect text: "))))

(setq p0 (cdr (assoc 10 textent))

ang (cdr (assoc 50 textent))
sinrot (sin ang)
cosrot (cos ang)
t1 (car (textbox textent))
t2 (cadr (textbox textent))
p1 (list
(+ (car p0)
(- (* (car t1) cosrot)(* (cadr t1) sinrot))
)
(+ (cadr p0)
(+ (* (car t1) sinrot)(* (cadr t1) cosrot))
)
)
p2 (list
(+ (car p0)
(- (* (car t2) cosrot)(* (cadr t1) sinrot))
)
(+ (cadr p0)
(+ (* (car t2) sinrot)(* (cadr t1) cosrot))
)
)
p3 (list
(+ (car p0)
(- (* (car t2) cosrot)(* (cadr t2) sinrot))
)
(+ (cadr p0)
(+ (* (car t2) sinrot)(* (cadr t2) cosrot))
)
)
p4 (list
(+ (car p0)
(- (* (car t1) cosrot)(* (cadr t2) sinrot))
)
(+ (cadr p0)
(+ (* (car t1) sinrot)(* (cadr t2) cosrot))
)

60 | Chapter 2 Using the AutoLISP Language

 )
)
(command "pline" p1 p2 p3 p4 "c")
(princ)
)

Conversions
The functions described in this section are utilities for converting data types
and units. See in AutoLISP Function Synopsis, (page 119) for a complete list of
conversion functions.

String Conversions
The functions rtos (real to string) and angtos (angle to string) convert numeric
values used in AutoCAD to string values that can be used in output or as
textual data. The rtos function converts a real value, and angtos converts an
angle. The format of the result string is controlled by the value of AutoCAD
system variables: the units and precision are specified by LUNITS and LUPREC
for real (linear) values and by AUNITS and AUPREC for angular values. For
both functions, the dimensioning variable DIMZIN controls how leading and
trailing zeros are written to the result string.
The following code fragments show calls to rtos and the values returned
(assuming the DIMZIN system variable equals 0). Precision (the third argument
to rtos) is set to 4 places in the first call and 2 places in the others.

(setq x 17.5)
(setq str "\nValue formatted as ")
(setq fmtval (rtos x 1 4)) ; Mode 1 = scientific
(princ (strcat str fmtval)) ;

displays
Value formatted as 1.7500E+01

(setq fmtval (rtos x 2 2)) ; Mode 2 = decimal

(princ (strcat str fmtval)) ;

displays
Value formatted as 17.50

Using AutoLISP to Communicate with AutoCAD | 61

 (setq fmtval (rtos x 3 2)) ; Mode 3 = engineering
(princ (strcat str fmtval)) ;

displays
Value formatted as 1'-5.50"

(setq fmtval (rtos x 4 2)) ; Mode 4 = architectural

(princ (strcat str fmtval)) ;

displays
Value formatted as 1'-5 1/2"

(setq fmtval (rtos x 5 2)) ; Mode 5 = fractional

(princ (strcat str fmtval)) ;

displays
Value formatted as 17 1/2
When the UNITMODE system variable is set to 1, specifying that units are
displayed as entered, the string returned by rtos differs for engineering (mode
equals 3), architectural (mode equals 4), and fractional (mode equals 5) units.
For example, the first two lines of the preceding sample output would be the
same, but the last three lines would appear as follows:
Value formatted as 1'5.50"
Value formatted as 1'5-1/2"
Value formatted as 17-1/2''

Because the angtos function takes the ANGBASE system variable into account,
the following code always returns "0":
(angtos (getvar "angbase"))
There is no AutoLISP function that returns a string version (in the current
mode/precision) of either the amount of rotation of ANGBASE from true zero
(East) or an arbitrary angle in radians.
To find the amount of rotation of ANGBASE from AutoCAD zero (East) or the
size of an arbitrary angle, you can do one of the following:
■ Add the desired angle to the current ANGBASE, and then check to see if
the absolute value of the result is greater than 2pi; (2 * pi). If so, subtract
2pi;; if the result is negative, add 2pi;, then use the angtos function on
the result.
■ Store the value of ANGBASE in a temporary variable, set ANGBASE to 0,
evaluate the angtos function, then set ANGBASE to its original value.

62 | Chapter 2 Using the AutoLISP Language

Subtracting the result of (atof (angtos 0)) from 360 degrees (2pi; radians or
400 grads) also yields the rotation of ANGBASE from 0.
The distof (distance to floating point) function is the complement of rtos.
Therefore, the following calls, which use the strings generated in the previous
examples, all return the same value: 17.5. (Note the use of the backslash (\)
with modes 3 and 4.)
(distof "1.7500E+01" 1) ; Mode 1 = scientific
(distof "17.50" 2) ; Mode 2 = decimal
(distof "1'-5.50\"" 3) ; Mode 3 = engineering
(distof "1'-5 1/2\"" 4) ; Mode 4 = architectural
(distof "17 1/2" 5) ; Mode 5 = fractional

The following code fragments show similar calls to angtos and the values
returned (still assuming that DIMZIN equals 0). Precision (the third argument
to angtos) is set to 0 places in the first call, 4 places in the next three calls,
and 2 places in the last.
(setq ang 3.14159 str2 "\nAngle formatted as ")
(setq fmtval (angtos ang 0 0)) ; Mode 0 = degrees
(princ (strcat str2 fmtval)) ;

displays
Angle formatted as 180

(setq fmtval (angtos ang 1 4)) ; Mode 1 = deg/min/sec

(princ (strcat str2 fmtval)) ;

displays
Angle formatted as 180d0'0"

(setq fmtval (angtos ang 2 4)) ; Mode 2 = grads

(princ (strcat str2 fmtval)) ;

displays
Angle formatted as 200.0000g

(setq fmtval (angtos ang 3 4)) ; Mode 3 = radians

(princ (strcat str2 fmtval)) ;

displays
Angle formatted as 3.1416r

(setq fmtval (angtos ang 4 2)) ; Mode 4 = surveyor's

Using AutoLISP to Communicate with AutoCAD | 63

 (princ (strcat str2 fmtval)) ;

displays
Angle formatted as W

The UNITMODE system variable also affects strings returned by angtos when
it returns a string in surveyor's units (mode equals 4). If UNITMODE equals 0, the
string returned can include spaces (for example, "N 45d E"); if UNITMODE equals
1, the string contains no spaces (for example, "N45dE").

The angtof function complements angtos, so all of the following calls return
the same value: 3.14159.
(angtof "180" 0) ; Mode 0 = degrees
(angtof "180d0'0\"" 1) ; Mode 1 = deg/min/sec
(angtof "200.0000g" 2) ; Mode 2 = grads
(angtof "3.14159r" 3) ; Mode 3 = radians
(angtof "W" 4) ; Mode 4 = surveyor's
When you have a string specifying a distance in feet and inches, or an angle
in degrees, minutes, and seconds, you must precede the quotation mark with
a backslash (\") so it doesn't look like the end of the string. The preceding
examples of angtof and distof demonstrate this action.

Angular Conversion
If your application needs to convert angular values from radians to degrees,
you can use the angtos function, which returns a string, and then convert
that string into a floating point value with atof.

(setq pt1 '(1 1) pt2 '(1 2))

(setq rad (angle pt1 pt2))
(setq deg (atof (angtos rad 0 2)))

returns
90.0

However, a more efficient method might be to include a Radian->Degrees

function in your application. The following code shows this:
; Convert value in radians to degrees
(defun Radian->Degrees (nbrOfRadians)
(* 180.0 (/ nbrOfRadians pi))
)

64 | Chapter 2 Using the AutoLISP Language

After this function is defined, you can use the Radian->Degrees function
throughout your application, as in
(setq degrees (Radian->Degrees rad))

returns
90.0
You may also need to convert from degrees to radians. The following code
shows this:
; Convert value in degrees to radians
(defun Degrees->Radians (numberOfDegrees)
(* pi (/ numberOfDegrees 180.0))
) ;_ end of defun

ASCII Code Conversion

AutoLISP provides the ascii and chr functions that handle decimal ASCII
codes. The ascii function returns the ASCII decimal value associated with a
string, and chr returns the character associated with an ASCII decimal value.

To see your system's characters with their codes in decimal, octal, and
hexadecimal form, save the following AutoLISP code to a file named ascii.lsp.
Then load the file and enter the new ASCII command at the AutoCAD
Command prompt. This command prints the ASCII codes to the screen and
to a file called ascii.txt. The C:ASCII function makes use of the BASE function.
You may find this conversion utility useful in other applications.
; BASE converts from a decimal integer to a string in
another base.
(defun BASE ( bas int / ret yyy zot )
(defun zot ( i1 i2 / xxx )
(if (> (setq xxx (rem i2 i1)) 9)
(chr (+ 55 xxx))
(itoa xxx)
)
)
(setq ret (zot bas int) yyy (/ int bas))
(while (>= yyy bas)
(setq ret (strcat (zot bas yyy) ret))
(setq yyy (/ yyy bas))
)
(strcat (zot bas yyy) ret)

Using AutoLISP to Communicate with AutoCAD | 65

 )

(defun C:ASCII ( / chk out ct code dec oct hex )

(initget "Yes")
(setq chk (getkword "\nWriting to ASCII.TXT, continue?
<Y>: "))
(if (or (= chk "Yes")(= chk nil)) (progn
(setq out (open "ascii.txt" "w") chk 1 code 0 ct 0)
(princ "\n \n CHAR DEC OCT HEX \n")
(princ "\n \n CHAR DEC OCT HEX \n" out)
(while chk
(setq dec (strcat " " (itoa code))
oct (base 8 code) hex (base 16 code))
(setq dec (substr dec (- (strlen dec) 2) 3))
(if (< (strlen oct) 3)(setq oct (strcat "0" oct)))

(princ (strcat "\n " (chr code) " " dec " "
oct " " hex ) )
(princ (strcat "\n " (chr code) " " dec " "
oct " " hex ) out)
(cond
((= code 255)(setq chk nil))
((= ct 20)
(setq xxx (getstring
"\n \nPress 'X' to eXit or any key to
continue: "))
(if (= (strcase xxx) "X")
(setq chk nil)
(progn
(setq ct 0)
(princ "\n \n CHAR DEC OCT HEX \n")
)
)
)
)
(setq ct (1+ ct) code (1+ code))
)
(close out)
(setq out nil)
)
)
(princ)
)

66 | Chapter 2 Using the AutoLISP Language

Unit Conversion
The acad.unt file defines various conversions between real-world units such
as miles to kilometers, Fahrenheit to Celsius, and so on. The function cvunit
takes a value expressed in one system of units and returns the equivalent value
in another system. The two systems of units are specified by strings containing
expressions of units defined in acad.unt.
The cvunit function does not convert incompatible dimensions. For example,
it does not convert inches into grams.
The first time cvunit converts to or from a unit during a drawing editor session,
it must look up the string that specifies the unit in acad.unt. If your application
has many values to convert from one system of units to another, it is more
efficient to convert the value 1.0 by a single call to cvunit and then use the
returned value as a scale factor in subsequent conversions. This works for all
units defined in acad.unt, except temperature scales, which involve an offset
as well as a scale factor.

Converting from Inches to Meters

If the current drawing units are engineering or architectural (feet and inches),
the following routine converts a user-specified distance of inches into meters:
(defun C:I2M ( / eng_len metric_len eng metric)
(princ "\nConverting inches to meters. ")
(setq eng_len
(getdist "\nEnter a distance in inches: "))
(setq metric_len (cvunit eng_len "inches" "meters"))
(setq eng (rtos eng_len 2 4)
metric (rtos metric_len 2 4))
(princ
(strcat "\n\t" eng " inches = " metric " meters."))
(princ)
)

The Unit Definition File

With the AutoCAD unit definition file acad.unt, you can define factors to
convert data in one set of units to another set of units. The definitions in

Using AutoLISP to Communicate with AutoCAD | 67

 acad.unt are in ASCII format and are used by the unit-conversion function
cvunit.

You can make new units available by using a text editor to add their definitions
to acad.unt. A definition consists of two lines in the file—the unit name and
the unit definition. The first line must have an asterisk (*) in the first column,
followed by the name of the unit. A unit name can have several abbreviations
or alternate spellings, separated by commas. If a unit name has singular and
plural forms, you can specify these using the following format:
*[ [common] [ ( [singular.] plural) ] ]...
You can specify multiple expressions (singular and plural). They don't have
to be located at the end of the word, and a plural form isn't required. The
following are examples of valid unit name definitions:
*inch(es)
*milleni(um.a)
*f(oot.eet) or (foot.feet)
The line following the *unit name line defines the unit as either fundamental
or derived.

Fundamental Units

A fundamental unit is an expression in constants. If the line following the

*unit name line begins with something other than an equal sign (=), it defines
fundamental units. Fundamental units consist of five integers and two real
numbers in the following form:
c, e, h, k, m, r1, r2
The five integers correspond to the exponents of these five constants:
c Velocity of light in a vacuum
e Electron charge
h Planck's constant
k Boltzman's constant
m Electron rest mass
As a group, these exponents define the dimensionality of the unit: length,
mass, time, volume, and so on.
The first real number (r1) is a multiplier, and the second (r2) is an additive
offset (used only for temperature conversions). The fundamental unit definition
allows for different spellings of the unit (for example, meter and metre); the

68 | Chapter 2 Using the AutoLISP Language

case of the unit is ignored. An example of a fundamental unit definition is as
follows:
*meter(s),metre(s),m
-1,0,1,0,-1,4.1214856408e11,0
In this example, the constants that make one meter are as follows:

Derived Units

A derived unit is defined in terms of other units. If the line following the *unit
name line begins with an equal sign (=), it defines derived units. Valid operators
in these definitions are * (multiplication), / (division), + (addition), -
(subtraction), and ^ (exponentiation). You can specify a predefined unit by
naming it, and you can use abbreviations (if provided). The items in a formula
are multiplied together unless some other arithmetic operator is specified. For
example, the units database defines the dimensionless multiple and
submultiple names, so you can specify a unit such as micro-inches by entering
micro inch. The following are examples of derived unit definitions.

; Units of area
*township(s)
=93239571.456 meter^2
The definition of a township is given as 93,239,571.456 square meters.
; Electromagnetic units
*volt(s),v
=watt/ampere
In this example, a volt is defined as a watt divided by an ampere. In the
acad.unt, both watts and amperes are defined in terms of fundamental units.

User Comments

To include comments, begin the line with a semicolon. The comment

continues to the end of the line.
; This entire line is a comment.
List the acad.unt file itself for more information and examples.

Using AutoLISP to Communicate with AutoCAD | 69

 Coordinate System Transformations
The trans function translates a point or a displacement from one coordinate
system into another. It takes a point argument, pt, that can be interpreted as
either a 3D point or a 3D displacement vector, distinguished by a displacement
argument called disp. The disp argument must be nonzero if pt is to be treated
as a displacement vector; otherwise, pt is treated as a point. A from argument
specifies the coordinate system in which pt is expressed, and a to argument
specifies the desired coordinate system. The following is the syntax for the
trans function:

(trans pt from to [disp])

The following AutoCAD coordinate systems can be specified by the from and
to arguments:

WCS World coordinate system—the reference coordinate system. All other

coordinate systems are defined relative to the WCS, which never changes.
Values measured relative to the WCS are stable across changes to other
coordinate systems.

UCS User coordinate system—the working coordinate system. The user specifies
a UCS to make drawing tasks easier. All points passed to AutoCAD commands,
including those returned from AutoLISP routines and external functions, are
points in the current UCS (unless the user precedes them with a * at the
Command prompt). If you want your application to send coordinates in the
WCS, OCS, or DCS to AutoCAD commands, you must first convert them to
the UCS by calling the trans function.

OCS Object coordinate system—point values returned by entget are expressed

in this coordinate system, relative to the object itself. These points are usually
converted into the WCS, current UCS, or current DCS, according to the
intended use of the object. Conversely, points must be translated into an OCS
before they are written to the database by means of the entmod or entmake
functions. This is also known as the entity coordinate system.

DCS Display coordinate system—the coordinate system into which objects

are transformed before they are displayed. The origin of the DCS is the point
stored in the AutoCAD system variable TARGET, and its Z axis is the viewing
direction. In other words, a viewport is always a plan view of its DCS. These
coordinates can be used to determine where something will be displayed to
the AutoCAD user.

70 | Chapter 2 Using the AutoLISP Language

When the from and to integer codes are 2 and 3, in either order, 2 indicates
the DCS for the current model space viewport and 3 indicates the DCS for
paper space (PSDCS). When the 2 code is used with an integer code other than
3 (or another means of specifying the coordinate system), it is assumed to
indicate the DCS of the current space, whether paper space or model space.
The other argument is also assumed to indicate a coordinate system in the
current space.

PSDCS Paper space DCS—this coordinate system can be transformed only to

or from the DCS of the currently active model space viewport. This is essentially
a 2D transformation, where the X and Y coordinates are always scaled and are
offset if the disp argument is 0. The Z coordinate is scaled but is never
translated. Therefore, it can be used to find the scale factor between the two
coordinate systems. The PSDCS (integer code 2) can be transformed only into
the current model space viewport. If the from argument equals 3, the to
argument must equal 2, and vice versa.

Both the from and to arguments can specify a coordinate system in any of the
following ways:
■ As an integer code that specifies the WCS, current UCS, or current DCS
(of either the current viewport or paper space).
■ As an entity name returned by one of the entity name or selection set
functions described in Using AutoLISP to Manipulate AutoCAD Objects.
(page 74) This specifies the OCS of the named object. For planar objects,
the OCS can differ from the WCS, as described in the AutoCADUser's Guide.
If the OCS does not differ, conversion between OCS and WCS is an identity
operation.
■ As a 3D extrusion vector. Extrusion vectors are always represented in World
coordinates; an extrusion vector of (0,0,1) specifies the WCS itself.

The following table lists the valid integer codes that can be used as the to and
from arguments:

Coordinate system codes

Code Coordinate system

0 World (WCS)

1 User (current UCS)

Using AutoLISP to Communicate with AutoCAD | 71

 Coordinate system codes

Code Coordinate system

2 Display; DCS of current viewport when used with code 0 or 1, DCS

of current model space viewport when used with code 3

3 Paper space DCS, PSDCS (used only with code 2)

The following example translates a point from the WCS into the current UCS.
(setq pt '(1.0 2.0 3.0))
(setq cs_from 0) ; WCS
(setq cs_to 1) ; UCS
(trans pt cs_from cs_to 0) ;

disp = 0 indicates that pt is a point

If the current UCS is rotated 90 degrees counterclockwise around the World
Z axis, the call to trans returns a point (2.0,-1.0,3.0). However, if you swap
the to and from values, the result differs as shown in the following code:

(trans pt cs_to cs_from 0) ;

the result is (-2.0,1.0,3.0)

Point Transformations
If you are doing point transformations with the trans function and you need
to make that part of a program run faster, you can construct your own
transformation matrix on the AutoLISP side by using trans once to transform
each of the basis vectors (0 0 0), (1 0 0), (0 1 0), and (0 0 1). Writing matrix
multiplication functions in AutoLISP can be difficult, so it may not be
worthwhile unless your program is doing a lot of transformations.

File Handling
AutoLISP provides functions for handling files and data I/O. See File-Handling
Functions (page 137) in AutoLISP Function Synopsis, (page 119) for a complete
list of file-handling functions.

72 | Chapter 2 Using the AutoLISP Language

File Search
An application can use the findfile function to search for a particular file
name. The application can specify the directory to search, or it can use the
current AutoCAD library path.
In the following code fragment, findfile searches for the requested file name
according to the AutoCAD library path:
(setq refname "refc.dwg")
(setq fil (findfile refname))
(if fil
(setq refname fil)
(princ (strcat "\nCould not find file " refname ". " ))
)

If the call to findfile is successful, the variable refname is set to a fully qualified
path name string, as follows:
"/home/work/ref/refc.dwg"

The getfiled function displays a dialog box containing a list of available files
of a specified extension type in the specified directory. This gives AutoLISP
routines access to the AutoCAD Get File dialog box.
A call to getfiled takes four arguments that determine the appearance and
functionality of the dialog box. The application must specify the following
string values, each of which can be nil: a title, placed at the top of the dialog
box; a default file name, displayed in the edit box at the bottom of the dialog
box; and an extension type, which determines the initial files provided for
selection in the list box. The final argument is an integer value that specifies
how the dialog box interacts with selected files.
This simple routine uses getfiled to let you view your directory structure and
select a file:
(defun C:DDIR ( )
(setq dfil (getfiled "Directory Listing" "" "" 2))
(princ (strcat "\nVariable 'dfil' set to selected file
" dfil ))
(princ)
)
This is a useful utility command. The dfil variable is set to the file you select,
which can then be used by other AutoLISP functions or as a response to a

Using AutoLISP to Communicate with AutoCAD | 73

 command line prompt for a file name. To use this variable in response to a
command line prompt, enter !dfil.

NOTE You cannot use !dfil in a dialog box. It is valid only at the command line.

For more information, see getfiled in the AutoLISP Reference.

Device Access and Control

AutoLISP provides the grread and tablet functions for accessing data from
the various input devices.
Note that the read-char and read-line file-handling functions can also read
input from the keyboard input buffer. See the AutoLISP Reference for more
information on these functions.

Accessing User Input

The grread function returns raw user input, whether from the keyboard or
from the pointing device (mouse or digitizer). If the call to grread enables
tracking, the function returns a digitized coordinate that can be used for things
such as dragging.

NOTE There is no guarantee that applications calling grread will be upward

compatible. Because it depends on the current hardware configuration, applications
that call grread are not likely to work in the same way on all configurations.

Using AutoLISP to Manipulate AutoCAD Objects

®
Most AutoLISP functions that handle selection sets and objects identify a set
or an object by the entity name. For selection sets, which are valid only in
the current session, the volatility of names poses no problem, but it does for
objects because they are saved in the drawing database. An application that
must refer to the same objects in the same drawing (or drawings) at different
times can use the objects' handles.
AutoLISP uses symbol tables to maintain lists of graphic and non-graphic data
related to a drawing, such as the layers, linetypes, and block definitions. Each
symbol table entry has a related entity name and handle and can be

74 | Chapter 2 Using the AutoLISP Language

 ®
manipulated in a manner similar to the way other AutoCAD entities are
manipulated.

Selection Set Handling

AutoLISP provides a number of functions for handling selection sets. For a
complete list of selection set functions, see Selection Set Manipulation Func-
tions (page 145) in AutoLISP Function Synopsis, (page 119)
The ssget function provides the most general means of creating a selection
set. It can create a selection set in one of the following ways:
■ Explicitly specifying the objects to select, using the Last, Previous, Window,
Implied, WPolygon, Crossing, CPolygon, or Fence options
■ Specifying a single point
■ Selecting the entire database
■ Prompting the user to select objects

With any option, you can use filtering to specify a list of attributes and
conditions that the selected objects must match.

NOTE Selection set and entity names are volatile. That is, they apply only to the
current drawing session.

The first argument to ssget is a string that describes which selection option
to use. The next two arguments, pt1 and pt2, specify point values for the
relevant options (they should be left out if they don't apply). A point list,
pt-list, must be provided as an argument to the selection methods that allow
selection by polygons (that is, Fence, Crossing Polygon, and Window Polygon).
The last argument, filter-list, is optional. If filter-list is supplied, it specifies the
list of entity field values used in filtering. For example, you can obtain a
selection set that includes all objects of a given type, on a given layer, or of a
given color. Selection filters are described in more detail in Selection Set Filter
Lists (page 77).
See the ssget entry in the AutoLISP Reference for a list of the available selection
methods and the arguments used with each.

Using AutoLISP to Manipulate AutoCAD Objects | 75

 The following table shows examples of calls to ssget:

SSGET Examples

Function call Effect

(setq pt1 '(0.0 0.0 0.0) Sets pt1, pt2, pt3, and pt4 to point
pt2 '(5.0 5.0 0.0) values
pt3 '(4.0 1.0 0.0)
pt4 '(2.0 6.0 0.0))

(setq ss1 (ssget)) Asks the user for a general object selec-
tion and places those items in a selec-
tion set

(setq ss1 (ssget "P")) Creates a selection set from the most
recently created selection set

(setq ss1 (ssget "L")) Creates a selection set of the last object
added to the database that is visible
on the screen

(setq ss1 (ssget pt2)) Creates a selection set of an object

passing through point (5,5)

(setq ss1 (ssget "W" pt1 pt2)) Creates a selection set of the objects
inside the window from (0,0) to (5,5)

(setq ss1 (ssget "F" Creates a selection set of the objects

(list pt2 pt3 pt4))) crossing the fence and defined by the
points (5,5), (4,1), and (2,6)

(setq ss1 (ssget "WP" Creates a selection set of the objects

(list pt1 pt2 pt3))) inside the polygon defined by the
points (0,0), (5,5), and (4,1)

(setq ss1 (ssget "X")) Creates a selection set of all objects in

the database

76 | Chapter 2 Using the AutoLISP Language

When an application has finished using a selection set, it is important to
release it from memory. You can do this by setting it to nil:
(setq ss1 nil)
Attempting to manage a large number of selection sets simultaneously is not
recommended. An AutoLISP application cannot have more than 128 selection
sets open at once. (The limit may be lower on your system.) When the limit
is reached, AutoCAD will not create more selection sets. Keep a minimum
number of sets open at a time, and set unneeded selection sets to nil as soon
as possible. If the maximum number of selection sets is reached, you must
call the gc function to free unused memory before another ssget will work.

Selection Set Filter Lists

An entity filter list is an association list that uses DXF group codes in the same
format as a list returned by entget. (See the DXF Reference for a list of group
codes.) The ssget function recognizes all group codes except entity names
(group -1), handles (group 5), and xdata codes (groups greater than 1000). If
an invalid group code is used in a filter-list, it is ignored by ssget. To search for
objects with xdata, use the -3 code as described in Filtering for Extended Data
(page 80).
When a filter-list is provided as the last argument to ssget, the function scans
the selected objects and creates a selection set containing the names of all
main entities matching the specified criteria. For example, you can obtain a
selection set that includes all objects of a given type, on a given layer, or of a
given color.
The filter-list specifies which property (or properties) of the entities are to be
checked and which values constitute a match.
The following examples demonstrate methods of using a filter-list with various
object selection options.

SSGET examples using filter lists

Function call Effect

(setq ss1 (ssget '((0 . "TEXT"))) Prompts for general object selection but
) adds only text objects to the selection
set.

Using AutoLISP to Manipulate AutoCAD Objects | 77

 SSGET examples using filter lists

Function call Effect

(setq ss1 (ssget "P" Creates a selection set containing all line
'((0 . "LINE"))) objects from the last selection set cre-
) ated.

(setq ss1 (ssget "W" pt1 pt2 Creates a selection set of all objects in-
'((8 . "FLOOR9"))) side the window that are also on layer
) FLOOR9.

(setq ss1 (ssget "X" Creates a selection set of all objects in

'((0 . "CIRCLE"))) the database that are Circle objects.
)

(ssget "I" '((0 . "LINE") Creates a selection set of all blue Line
(62 . 5))) objects that are part of the Implied selec-
tion set (those objects selected while
PICKFIRST is in effect).
Note that this filter picks up lines that
have been assigned color 5 (blue), but
not blue lines that have had their color
applied by the ByLayer or ByBlock prop-
erties.

If both the code and the desired value are known, the list may be quoted as
shown previously. If either is specified by a variable, the list must be
constructed using the list and cons function. For example, the following code
creates a selection set of all objects in the database that are on layer FLOOR3:
(setq lay_name "FLOOR3")
(setq ss1
(ssget "X"
(list (cons 8 lay_name))
)
)

If the filter-list specifies more than one property, an entity is included in the
selection set only if it matches all specified conditions, as in the following
example:

78 | Chapter 2 Using the AutoLISP Language

 (ssget "X" (list (cons 0 "CIRCLE")(cons 8 lay_name)(cons
62 1)))
This code selects only Circle objects on layer FLOOR3 that are colored red.
This type of test performs a Boolean “AND” operation. Additional tests for
object properties are described in Logical Grouping of Filter Tests (page 82).
The ssget function filters a drawing by scanning the selected entities and
comparing the fields of each main entity against the specified filtering list. If
an entity's properties match all specified fields in the filtering list, it is included
in the returned selection set. Otherwise, the entity is not included in the
selection set. The ssget function returns nil if no entities from those selected
match the specified filtering criteria.

NOTE The meaning of certain group codes can differ from entity to entity, and
not all group codes are present in all entities. If a particular group code is specified
in a filter, entities not containing that group code are excluded from the selection
set that ssget returns.

When ssget filters a drawing, the selection set it retrieves might include entities
from both paper space and model space. However, when the selection set is
passed to an AutoCAD command, only entities from the space that is currently
in effect are used. (The space to which an entity belongs is specified by the
value of its 67 group. Refer to the Customization Guide for further information.)

Wild-Card Patterns in Filter Lists

Symbol names specified in filtering lists can include wild-card patterns. The
wild-card patterns recognized by ssget are the same as those recognized by
the wcmatch function, and are described in Wild-Card Matching (page 20),
and under wcmatch in the AutoLISP Reference.
When filtering for anonymous blocks, you must precede the * character with
a reverse single quotation mark (`), also known as an escape character, because
the * is read by ssget as a wild-card character. For example, you can retrieve
an anonymous block named *U2 with the following:
(ssget "X" '((2 . "`*U2")))

Using AutoLISP to Manipulate AutoCAD Objects | 79

 Filtering for Extended Data
Using the ssgetfilter-list, you can select all entities containing extended data
for a particular application. (See Extended Data—xdata (page 106).) To do this,
use the -3 group code, as shown in the following example:
(ssget "X" '((0 . "CIRCLE") (-3 ("APPNAME"))))
This code will select all circles that include extended data for the "APPNAME"
application. If more than one application name is included in the -3 group's
list, an AND operation is implied and the entity must contain extended data
for all of the specified applications. So, the following statement would select
all circles with extended data for both the "APP1" and "APP2" applications:
(ssget "X" '((0 . "CIRCLE") (-3 ("APP1")("APP2"))))
Wild-card matching is permitted, so either of the following statements will
select all circles with extended data for either or both of these applications.
(ssget "X" '((0 . "CIRCLE") (-3 ("APP[12]"))))
(ssget "X" '((0 . "CIRCLE") (-3 ("APP1,APP2"))))

Relational Tests
Unless otherwise specified, an equivalency is implied for each item in the
filter-list. For numeric groups (integers, reals, points, and vectors), you can
specify other relations by including a special -4 group code that specifies a
relational operator. The value of a -4 group is a string indicating the test
operator to be applied to the next group in the filter-list.

The following selects all circles with a radius (group code 40) greater than or
equal to 2.0:
(ssget "X" '((0 . "CIRCLE") (-4 . ">=") (40 . 2.0)))
The possible relational operators are shown in the following table:

Relational operators for selection set filter lists

Operator Description

"*" Anything goes (always true)

"=" Equals

80 | Chapter 2 Using the AutoLISP Language

Relational operators for selection set filter lists

Operator Description

"!=" Not equal to

"/=" Not equal to

"<>" Not equal to

"<" Less than

"<=" Less than or equal to

">" Greater than

">=" Greater than or equal to

"&" Bitwise AND (integer groups only)

"&=" Bitwise masked equals (integer groups only)

The use of relational operators depends on the kind of group you are testing:
■ All relational operators except for the bitwise operators ("&" and "&=") are
valid for both real- and integer-valued groups.
■ The bitwise operators "&" and "&=" are valid only for integer-valued groups.
The bitwise AND, "&", is true if ((integer_group & filter) /= 0)—that is, if any
of the bits set in the mask are also set in the integer group. The bitwise
masked equals, "&=", is true if ((integer_group & filter) = filter)—that is, if all
bits set in the mask are also set in the integer_group (other bits might be set
in the integer_group but are not checked).
■ For point groups, the X, Y, and Z tests can be combined into a single string,
with each operator separated by commas (for example, ">,>,*"). If an
operator is omitted from the string (for example, "=,<>" leaves out the Z
test), then the “anything goes” operator, "*", is assumed.
■ Direction vectors (group type 210) can be compared only with the operators
"*", "=", and "!=" (or one of the equivalent “not equal” strings).

Using AutoLISP to Manipulate AutoCAD Objects | 81

 ■ You cannot use the relational operators with string groups; use wild-card
tests instead.

Logical Grouping of Filter Tests

You can also test groups by creating nested Boolean expressions that use the
logical grouping operators shown in the following table:

Grouping operators for selection set filter lists

Starting Encloses Ending

operator operator

"<AND" One or more operands "AND>"

"<OR" One or more operands "OR>"

"<XOR" Two operands "XOR>"

"<NOT" One operand "NOT>"

The grouping operators are specified by -4 groups, like the relational operators.
They are paired and must be balanced correctly in the filter list or the ssget
call will fail. An example of grouping operators in a filter list follows:
(ssget "X"
'(
(-4 . "<OR")
(-4 . "<AND")
(0 . "CIRCLE")
(40 . 1.0)
(-4 . "AND>")
(-4 . "<AND")
(0 . "LINE")
(8 . "ABC")
(-4 . "AND>")
(-4 . "OR>")
)
)

82 | Chapter 2 Using the AutoLISP Language

This code selects all circles with a radius of 1.0 plus all lines on layer "ABC".
The grouping operators are not case-sensitive; for example, you can specify
"and>", "<or", instead of "AND>", "<OR".

Grouping operators are not allowed within the -3 group. Multiple application
names specified in a -3 group use an implied AND operator. If you want to
test for extended data using other grouping operators, specify separate -3
groups and group them as desired. To select all circles having extended data
for either application "APP1" or "APP2" but not both, enter the following:
(ssget "X"
'((0 . "CIRCLE")
(-4 . "<XOR")
(-3 ("APP1"))
(-3 ("APP2"))
(-4 . "XOR>")
)
)
You can simplify the coding of frequently used grouping operators by setting
them equal to a symbol. The previous example could be rewritten as follows
(notice that in this example you must explicitly quote each list):
(setq <xor '(-4 . "<XOR")
xor> '(-4 . "XOR>") )
(ssget "X"
(list
'(0 . "CIRCLE")
<xor
'(-3 ("APP1"))
'(-3 ("APP2"))
xor>
)
)
As you can see, this method may not be sensible for short pieces of code but
can be beneficial in larger applications.

Selection Set Manipulation

Once a selection set has been created, you can add entities to it or remove
entities from it with the functions ssadd and ssdel. You can use the ssadd
function to create a new selection set, as shown in the following example.
The following code fragment creates a selection set that includes the first and

Using AutoLISP to Manipulate AutoCAD Objects | 83

 last entities in the current drawing (entnext and entlast are described later
in this chapter).
(setq fname (entnext)) ; Gets first entity in
the
; drawing.
(setq lname (entlast)) ; Gets last entity in the

; drawing.
(if (not fname)
(princ "\nNo entities in drawing. ")
(progn
(setq ourset (ssadd fname)) ; Creates a selection set
of the
; first entity.
(ssadd lname ourset) ; Adds the last entity to
the
; selection set.
)
)
The example runs correctly even if only one entity is in the database (in which
case both entnext and entlast set their arguments to the same entity name).
If ssadd is passed the name of an entity already in the selection set, it ignores
the request and does not report an error. The following function removes the
first entity from the selection set created in the previous example:
(ssdel fname ourset)
If there is more than one entity in the drawing (that is, if fname and lname are
not equal), then the selection set ourset contains only lname, the last entity
in the drawing.
The function sslength returns the number of entities in a selection set, and
ssmemb tests whether a particular entity is a member of a selection set. Finally,
the function ssname returns the name of a particular entity in a selection set,
using an index to the set (entities in a selection set are numbered from 0).
The following code shows calls to ssname:

(setq sset (ssget)) ; Prompts the user to create

a
; selection set.
(setq ent1 (ssname sset 0)) ; Gets the name of the first

; entity in sset.

84 | Chapter 2 Using the AutoLISP Language

 (setq ent4 (ssname sset 3)) ; Gets the name of the fourth

; entity in sset.
(if (not ent4)
(princ "\nNeed to select at least four entities. ")
)
(setq ilast (sslength sset)) ; Finds index of the last
entity
; in sset.
; Gets the name of the
; last entity in sset.
(setq lastent (ssname sset (1- ilast)))
Regardless of how entities are added to a selection set, the set never contains
duplicate entities. If the same entity is added more than once, the later
additions are ignored. Therefore, sslength accurately returns the number of
distinct entities in the specified selection set.

Passing Selection Sets between AutoLISP and Ob-

jectARX Applications
When passing selection sets between AutoLISP and ObjectARX applications,
the following should be observed:
If a selection set is created in AutoLISP and stored in an AutoLISP variable,
then overwritten by a value returned from an ObjectARX application, the
original selection set is eligible for garbage collection (it is freed at the next
automatic or explicit garbage collection).
This is true even if the value returned from the ObjectARX application was
the original selection set. In the following example, if the adsfunc ObjectARX
function returns the same selection set it was fed as an argument, then this
selection set will be eligible for garbage collection even though it is still
assigned to the same variable.
(setq var1 (ssget))
(setq var1 (adsfunc var1))
If you want the original selection set to be protected from garbage collection,
then you must not assign the return value of the ObjectARX application to
the AutoLISP variable that already references the selection set. Changing the
previous example prevents the selection set referenced by var1 from being
eligible for garbage collection.

Using AutoLISP to Manipulate AutoCAD Objects | 85

 (setq var1 (ssget))
(setq var2 (adsfunc var1))

Object Handling
AutoLISP provides functions for handling objects. The object-handling
functions are organized into two categories: functions that retrieve the entity
name of a particular object, and functions that retrieve or modify entity data.
See Object-Handling Functions (page 143) in AutoLISP Function Synopsis, (page
119) for a complete list of the object-handling functions.

Entity Name Functions

To operate on an object, an AutoLISP application must obtain its entity name
for use in subsequent calls to the entity data or selection set functions. Two
functions described in this section, entsel and nentsel, return not only the
entity's name but additional information for the application's use.
Both functions require the AutoCAD user to select an object interactively by
picking a point on the graphics screen. All the other entity name functions
can retrieve an entity even if it is not visible on the screen or if it is on a frozen
layer. The entsel function prompts the user to select an object by picking a
point on the graphics screen, and entsel returns both the entity name and
the value of the point selected. Some entity operations require knowledge of
the point by which the object was selected. Examples from the set of existing
AutoCAD commands include: BREAK, TRIM, and EXTEND. The nentsel
function is described in detail in Entity Context and Coordinate Transform
Data (page 88). These functions accept keywords if they are preceded by a call
to initget.

The entnext function retrieves entity names sequentially. If entnext is called

with no arguments, it returns the name of the first entity in the drawing
database. If its argument is the name of an entity in the current drawing,
entnext returns the name of the succeeding entity.

The following code fragment illustrates how ssadd can be used in conjunction
with entnext to create selection sets and add members to an existing set.

(setq e1 (entnext))
(if (not e1) ; Sets e1 to name of first
entity.

86 | Chapter 2 Using the AutoLISP Language

 (princ "\nNo entities in drawing. ")
(progn
(setq ss (ssadd)) ; Sets ss to a null selection
set.
(ssadd e1 ss) ; Returns selection set ss
with
; e1 added.
(setq e2 (entnext e1)) ; Gets entity following e1.
(ssadd e2 ss) ; Adds e2 to selection set
ss.
)
)

The entlast function retrieves the name of the last entity in the database. The
last entity is the most recently created main entity, so entlast can be called
to obtain the name of an entity that has just been created with a call to
command.

You can set the entity name returned by entnext to the same variable name
passed to this function. This “walks” a single entity name variable through
the database, as shown in the following example:
(setq one_ent (entnext)) ; Gets name of first
entity.
(while one_ent
.
. ; Processes new entity.

.
(setq one_ent (entnext one_ent))
) ; Value of one_ent is
now nil.

Entity Handles and Their Uses

The handent function retrieves the name of an entity with a specific handle.
As with entity names, handles are unique within a drawing. However, an
entity's handle is constant throughout its life. AutoLISP applications that
manipulate a specific database can use handent to obtain the current name
of an entity they must use. You can use the LIST command to get the handle
of a selected object.

Using AutoLISP to Manipulate AutoCAD Objects | 87

 The following code fragment uses handent to obtain and display an entity
name.
(if (not (setq e1 (handent "5a2")))
(princ "\nNo entity with that handle exists. ")
(princ e1)
)
In one particular editing session, this code fragment might display the
following:
<Entity name: 60004722>
In another editing session with the same drawing, the fragment might display
an entirely different number. But in both cases the code would be accessing
the same entity.
The handent function has an additional use. Entities can be deleted from the
database with entdel (see Entity Context and Coordinate Transform Data
(page 88)). The entities are not purged until the current drawing ends. This
means that handent can recover the names of deleted entities, which can
then be restored to the drawing by a second call to entdel.

NOTE Handles are provided for block definitions, including subentities.

Entities in drawings that are cross-referenced by way of XREF Attach are not
actually part of the current drawing; their handles are unchanged but cannot
be accessed by handent. However, when drawings are combined by means of
INSERT, INSERT *, XREF Bind (XBIND), or partial DXFIN, the handles of
entities in the incoming drawing are lost, and incoming entities are assigned
new handle values to ensure each handle in the current drawing remains
unique.

Entity Context and Coordinate Transform Data

The nentsel and nentselp functions are similar to entsel, except they return
two additional values to handle entities nested within block references.
Another difference between these functions is that when the user responds
to a nentsel call by selecting a complex entity or a complex entity is selected
by nentselp, these functions return the entity name of the selected subentity
and not the complex entity's header, as entsel does.

88 | Chapter 2 Using the AutoLISP Language

For example, when the user selects a 3D polyline, nentsel returns a vertex
subentity instead of the polyline header. To retrieve the polyline header, the
application must use entnext to step forward to the seqend subentity, and
then obtain the name of the header from the seqend subentity's -2 group. The
same applies when the user selects attributes in a nested block reference.
Selecting an attribute within a block reference returns the name of the attribute
and the pick point. When the selected object is a component of a block
reference other than an attribute, nentsel returns a list containing the following
elements:
■ The selected entity's name.
■ A list containing the coordinates of the point used to pick the object.
■ The Model to World Transformation Matrix. This is a list consisting of
four sublists, each of which contains a set of coordinates. This matrix can
be used to transform the entity definition data points from an internal
coordinate system called the model coordinate system (MCS), to the World
Coordinate System (WCS). The insertion point of the block that contains
the selected entity defines the origin of the MCS. The orientation of the
UCS when the block is created determines the direction of the MCS axes.
■ A list containing the entity name of the block that contains the selected
object. If the selected object is in a nested block (a block within a block),
the list also contains the entity names of all blocks in which the selected
object is nested, starting with the innermost block and continuing outward
until the name of the block that was inserted in the drawing is reported.

The list returned from selecting a block with nentsel is summarized as follows:

(<Entity Name: ename1> ; Name of entity.

(Px Py Pz) ; Pick point.
( (X0 Y0 Z0) ; Model to World Transformation
Matrix.
(X1 Y1 Z1)
(X2 Y2 Z2)
(X3 Y3 Z3)
)
(<Entity name: ename2> ; Name of most deeply nested
block
. ; containing selected object.
.
.
<Entity name: enamen>) ; Name of outermost block
) ; containing selected object.

Using AutoLISP to Manipulate AutoCAD Objects | 89

 In the following example, create a block to use with the nentsel function.
Command: line
Specify first point: 1,1
Specify next point or [Undo]: 3,1
Specify next point or [Undo]: 3,3
Specify next point or [Close/Undo]: 1,3
Specify next point or [Close/Undo]: c
Command: -block
Enter block name or [?]: square
Specify insertion base point: 2,2
Select objects: Select the four lines you just drew
Select objects: Enter
Then, insert the block in a UCS rotated 45 degrees about the Z axis:
Command: ucs
Current ucs name: *WORLD*
Enter
option[New/Move/orthoGraphic/Prev/Restore/Save/Del/Apply/?/World]
<World>: z
Specify rotation angle about Z axis <0>: 45
Command: -insert
Enter block name or [?]: square
Specify insertion point or
[Scale/X/Y/Z/Rotate/PScale/PX/PY/PZ/PRotate]:7,0
Enter X scale factor, specify opposite corner, or [Corner/XYZ]
<1>: Enter
Enter Y scale factor <use X scale factor>: Enter
Specify rotation angle <0>: Enter

Use nentsel to select the lower-left side of the square.

(setq ndata (nentsel))

This code sets ndata equal to a list similar to the following:

(<Entity Name: 400000a0> ; Entity name.
(6.46616 -1.0606 0.0) ; Pick point.
((0.707107 0.707107 0.0) ; Model to World
(-0.707107 0.707107 0.0) ; Transformation Matrix.
(0.0 -0.0 1.0)
(4.94975 4.94975 0.0)
)
(<Entity name:6000001c>) ; Name of block containing

90 | Chapter 2 Using the AutoLISP Language

 ; selected object.
)
Once you obtain the entity name and the Model to World Transformation
Matrix, you can transform the entity definition data points from the MCS to
the WCS. Use entget and assoc on the entity name to obtain the definition
points expressed in MCS coordinates. The Model to World Transformation
Matrix returned by nentsel is a 4×3 matrix—passed as an array of four
points—that uses the convention that a point is a row rather than a column.
The transformation is described by the following matrix multiplication:

So the equations for deriving the new coordinates are as follows:

The Mij, where 0 le; i, j le; 2, are the Model to World Transformation Matrix
coordinates; X, Y, Z is the entity definition data point expressed in MCS
coordinates, and X', Y', Z' is the resulting entity definition data point expressed
in WCS coordinates.
To transform a vector rather than a point, do not add the translation vector
(M30 M31 M32 from the fourth column of the transformation matrix).

NOTE This is the only AutoLISP function that uses a matrix of this type. The
nentselp function is preferred to nentsel because it returns a matrix similar to
those used by other AutoLISP and ObjectARX functions .

Using the entity name previously obtained with nentsel, the following example
illustrates how to obtain the MCS start point of a line (group code 10)
contained in a block definition:
Command: (setq edata (assoc 10 (entget (car ndata))))

Using AutoLISP to Manipulate AutoCAD Objects | 91

 (10 -1.0 1.0 0.0)
The following statement stores the Model to World Transformation Matrix
sublist in the symbolmatrix.
Command: (setq matrix (caddr ndata))

((0.707107 0.707107 0.0) ; X transformation

(-0.707107 0.707107 0.0) ; Y transformation
(0.0 -0.0 1.0) ; Z transformation
(4.94975 4.94975 0.0) ; Displacement from WCS origin
)
The following command applies the transformation formula forX ' to change
the X coordinate of the start point of the line from an MCS coordinate to a
WCS coordinate:
(setq answer
(+ ; add:
(* (car (nth 0 matrix))(cadr edata)) ; M00 * X
(* (car (nth 1 matrix))(caddr edata)) ; M10 * Y
(* (car (nth 2 matrix))(cadddr edata)) ; M20 * Z
(car (nth 3 matrix)) ; M30
)
)
This statement returns 3.53553, the WCSX coordinate of the start point of
the selected line.

Entity Access Functions

The entity access functions are relatively slow. It is best to get the contents of
a particular entity (or symbol table entry) once and keep that information
stored in memory, rather than repeatedly ask AutoCAD for the same data. Be
sure the data remains valid. If the user has an opportunity to alter the entity
or symbol table entry, you should reissue the entity access function to ensure
the validity of the data.

Entity Data Functions

The functions described in this section operate on entity data and can be used
to modify the current drawing database.

92 | Chapter 2 Using the AutoLISP Language

Deleting an Entity
The entdel function deletes a specified entity. The entity is not purged from
the database until the end of the current drawing session, so if the application
calls entdel a second time during that session and specifies the same entity,
the entity is undeleted.
Attributes and old-style polyline vertices cannot be deleted independently of
their parent entities. The entdel function operates only on main entities. If
you need to delete an attribute or vertex, you can use command to invoke
the AutoCAD ATTEDIT or PEDIT commands.

Obtaining Entity Information

The entget function returns the definition data of a specified entity. The data
is returned as a list. Each item in the list is specified by a DXF group code. The
first item in the list contains the entity's current name.
In this example, the following (default) conditions apply to the current
drawing:
■ Layer is 0
■ Linetype is CONTINUOUS
■ Elevation is 0

The user has drawn a line with the following sequence of commands:
Command: line
From point: 1,2
To point: 6,6
To point: Enter
An AutoLISP application can retrieve and print the definition data for the line
by using the following AutoLISP function:
(defun C:PRINTDXF ( )
(setq ent (entlast)) ; Set ent to last entity.
(setq entl (entget ent)) ; Set entl to association list
of
; last entity.
(setq ct 0) ; Set ct (a counter) to 0.
(textpage) ; Switch to the text screen.
(princ "\nentget of last entity:")

Using AutoLISP to Manipulate AutoCAD Objects | 93

 (repeat (length entl) ; Repeat for number of members
in list:
(print (nth ct entl)) ; Print a newline, then each
list
; member.
(setq ct (1+ ct)) ; Increments the counter by one.

)
(princ) ; Exit quietly.
)
This would print the following:
entget of last entity:
(-1 . <Entity name: 1bbd1c8>)
(0 . "LINE")
(330 . <Entity name: 1bbd0c8>)
(5 . "69")
(100 . "AcDbEntity")
(67 . 0)
(410 . "Model")
(8 . "0")
(100 . "AcDbLine")
(10 1.0 2.0 0.0)
(11 6.0 6.0 0.0)
(210 0.0 0.0 1.0)

The -1 item at the start of the list contains the name of the entity. The entmod
function, which is described in this section, uses the name to identify the
entity to be modified. The individual dotted pairs that represent the values
can be extracted by using assoc with the cdr function.

Sublists for points are not represented as dotted pairs like the rest of the values
returned. The convention is that the cdr of the sublist is the group's value.
Because a point is a list of two or three reals, the entire group is a three- (or
four-) element list. The cdr of the group is the list representing the point, so
the convention that cdr always returns the value is preserved.

The codes for the components of the entity are those used by DXF. As with
DXF, the entity header items (color, linetype, thickness, the attributes-follow
flag, and the entity handle) are returned only if they have values other than
the default. Unlike DXF, optional entity definition fields are returned whether
or not they equal their defaults and whether or not associated X, Y, and Z
coordinates are returned as a single point variable, rather than as separate X
(10), Y (20), and Z (30) groups.

94 | Chapter 2 Using the AutoLISP Language

All points associated with an object are expressed in terms of that object's
object coordinate system (OCS). For point, line, 3D line, 3D face, 3D polyline,
3D mesh, and dimension objects, the OCS is equivalent to the WCS (the object
points are World points). For all other objects, the OCS can be derived from
the WCS and the object's extrusion direction (its 210 group). When working
with objects that are drawn using coordinate systems other than the WCS,
you may need to convert the points to the WCS or to the current UCS by
using the trans function.

When writing functions to process entity lists, make sure the function logic
is independent of the order of the sublists; use assoc to guarantee this. The
assoc function searches a list for a group of a specified type. The following
code returns the object type "LINE" (0) from the list entl.
(cdr (assoc 0 entl))
If the DXF group code specified is not present in the list (or if it is not a valid
DXF group), assoc returns nil.

WARNING Before performing an entget on vertex entities, you should read or

write the polyline entity's header. If the most recently processed polyline entity is
different from the one to which the vertex belongs, width information (the 40
and 41 groups) can be lost.

Modifying an Entity
The entmod function modifies an entity. It passes a list that has the same
format as a list returned by entget but with some of the entity group values
(presumably) modified by the application. This function complements entget.
The primary mechanism by which an AutoLISP application updates the
database is by retrieving an entity with entget, modifying its entity list, and
then passing the list back to the database with entmod.

The following code fragment retrieves the definition data of the first entity
in the drawing and changes its layer property to MYLAYER.
(setq en (entnext)) ; Sets en to first entity name
; in the drawing.
(setq ed (entget en)) ; Sets ed to the entity data
; for entity name en.
(setq ed
(subst (cons 8 "MYLAYER")
(assoc 8 ed) ; Changes the layer group in ed.

Using AutoLISP to Manipulate AutoCAD Objects | 95

 ed ; to layer MYLAYER.
)
)
(entmod ed) ; Modifies entity en's layer in
; the drawing.

There are restrictions on the changes to the database that entmod can make;
entmodcannot change the following:
■ The entity's type or handle.
■ Internal fields. (Internal fields are the values that AutoCAD assigns to
certain group codes: -2, entity name reference; -1, entity name; 5, entity
handle.) Any attempt to change an internal field—for example, the main
entity name in a seqend subentity (group -2)—is ignored.
■ Viewport entities. An attempt to change a viewport entity causes an error.

Other restrictions apply when modifying dimensions and hatch patterns.

AutoCAD must recognize all objects (except layers) that the entity list refers
to. The name of any text style, linetype, shape, or block that appears in an
entity list must be defined in the current drawing before the entity list is passed
to entmod. There is one exception: entmod accepts new layer names.

If the entity list refers to a layer name that has not been defined in the current
drawing, entmod creates a new layer. The attributes of the new layer are the
standard default values used by the New option of the AutoCAD LAYER
command.
The entmod function can modify subentities such as polyline vertices and
block attributes.
If you use entmod to modify an entity in a block definition, this affects all
INSERT or XREF references to that block. Also, entities in block definitions
cannot be deleted by entdel.

Adding an Entity to a Drawing

An application can add an entity to the drawing database by calling the
entmake function. Like that of entmod, the argument to entmake is a list
whose format is similar to that returned by entget. The new entity that the
list describes is appended to the drawing database (it becomes the last entity
in the drawing). If the entity is a complex entity (an old-style polyline or a
block), it is not appended to the database until it is complete.

96 | Chapter 2 Using the AutoLISP Language

The following code fragment creates a circle on the MYLAYER layer:
(entmake '((0 . "CIRCLE") ; Object type
(8 . "MYLAYER") ; Layer
(10 5.0 7.0 0.0) ; Center point
(40 . 1.0) ; Radius
))

The following entmake restrictions apply to all entities:

■ The first or second member in the list must specify the entity type. The
type must be a valid DXF group code. If the first member does not specify
the type, it can specify only the name of the entity: group -1 (the name is
not saved in the database).
■ AutoCAD must recognize all objects that the entity list refers to. There is
one exception: entmake accepts new layer names.
■ Any internal fields passed to entmake are ignored.
■ entmake cannot create viewport entities.

For entity types introduced in AutoCAD Release 13 and later releases, you
must also specify subclass markers (DXF group code 100) when creating the
entity. All AutoCAD entities have the AcDbEntity subclass marker, and this
must be explicitly included in the entmake list. In addition, one or more
subclass marker entries are required to identify the specific sub-entity type.
These entries must follow group code 0 and must precede group codes that
are specifically used to define entity properties in the entmake list. For
example, the following is the minimum code required to entmake an MTEXT
entity:
(entmake '(
(0 . "MTEXT")
(100 . "AcDbEntity") ; Required for all post-R12
entities.
(8 . "ALAYER")
(100 . "AcDbMText") ; Identifies the entity as MTEXT.
(10 4.0 4.0 0.0)
(1 . "Some\\Ptext")
)
)

Using AutoLISP to Manipulate AutoCAD Objects | 97

 The following table identifies the entities that do not require subentity marker
entries in the list passed to entmake:

DXF names of entities introduced

prior to AutoCAD Release 13

3DFACE ARC

ATTDEF ATTRIB

CIRCLE DIMENSION

INSERT LINE

POINT POLYLINE (old-style)

SEQEND SHAPE

SOLID TEXT

TRACE VERTEX

VIEWPORT

The entmake function verifies that a valid layer name, linetype name, and
color are supplied. If a new layer name is introduced, entmake automatically
creates the new layer. The entmake function also checks for block names,
dimension style names, text style names, and shape names, if the entity type
requires them. The function fails if it cannot create valid entities. Objects
created on a frozen layer are not regenerated until the layer is thawed.

Creating Complex Entities

To create a complex entity (an old-style polyline or a block), you make multiple
calls to entmake, using a separate call for each subentity. When entmake first
receives an initial component for a complex entity, it creates a temporary file
in which to gather the definition data and extended data, if present. (See Ex-
tended Data—xdata (page 106) .) For each subsequent entmake call, the

98 | Chapter 2 Using the AutoLISP Language

function checks if the temporary file exists. If it does, the new subentity is
appended to the file. When the definition of the complex entity is complete
(that is, when entmake receives an appropriate seqend or endblk subentity),
the entity is checked for consistency; if valid, it is added to the drawing. The
file is deleted when the complex entity is complete or when its creation has
been canceled.
No portion of a complex entity is displayed on your drawing until its definition
is complete. The entity does not appear in the drawing database until the final
seqend or endblk subentity has been passed to entmake . The entlast function
cannot retrieve the most recently created subentity for a complex entity that
has not been completed. You can cancel the creation of a complex entity by
entering entmake with no arguments. This clears the temporary file and
returns nil.

As the previous paragraphs imply, entmake can construct only one complex
entity at a time. If a complex entity is being created and entmake receives
invalid data or an entity that is not an appropriate subentity, both the invalid
entity and the entire complex entity are rejected. You can explicitly cancel
the creation of a complex entity by calling entmake with no arguments.

The following example contains five entmake functions that create a single
complex entity, an old-style polyline. The polyline has a linetype of DASHED
and a color of BLUE. It has three vertices located at coordinates (1,1,0), (4,6,0),
and (3,2,0). All other optional definition data assume default values. (For this
example to work properly, the linetype DASHED must be loaded.)
(entmake '((0 . "POLYLINE") ; Object type
(62 . 5) ; Color
(6 . "dashed") ; Linetype
(66 . 1) ; Vertices follow
) )
(entmake '((0 . "VERTEX") ; Object type
(10 1.0 1.0 0.0) ; Start point
) )
(entmake '((0 . "VERTEX") ; Object type
(10 4.0 6.0 0.0) ; Second point
) )
(entmake '((0 . "VERTEX") ; Object type
(10 3.0 2.0 0.0) ; Third point
) )
(entmake '((0 . "SEQEND"))) ; Sequence end

Using AutoLISP to Manipulate AutoCAD Objects | 99

 When defining dotted pairs, as in the above example, there must be a space
on both sides of the dot. Otherwise, you will get an invalid dotted pair error
message.
Block definitions begin with a block entity and end with an endblk subentity.
Newly created blocks are automatically entered into the symbol table where
they can be referenced. Block definitions cannot be nested, nor can they
reference themselves. A block definition can contain references to other block
definitions.

NOTE Before you use entmake to create a block, you should use tblsearch to
ensure that the name of the new block is unique. The entmake function does not
check for name conflicts in the block definitions table, so it can redefine existing
blocks. See Symbol Table and Dictionary Access (page 114) for information on
using tblsearch.

Block references can include an attributes-follow flag (group 66). If present

and equal to 1, a series of attribute (attrib) entities is expected to follow the
insert object. The attribute sequence is terminated by a seqend subentity.
Old-style polyline entities always include a vertices-follow flag (also group
66). The value of this flag must be 1, and the flag must be followed by a
sequence of vertex entities, terminated by a seqend subentity.
Applications can represent polygons with an arbitrarily large number of sides
in polyface meshes. However, the AutoCAD entity structure imposes a limit
on the number of vertices that a given face entity can specify. You can
represent more complex polygons by dividing them into triangular wedges.
AutoCAD represents triangular wedges as four-vertex faces where two adjacent
vertices have the same value. Their edges should be made invisible to prevent
visible artifacts of this subdivision from being drawn. The PFACE command
performs this subdivision automatically, but when applications generate
polyface meshes directly, the applications must do this themselves.
The number of vertices per face is the key parameter in this subdivision process.
The PFACEVMAX system variable provides an application with the number
of vertices per face entity. This value is read-only and is set to 4.
Complex entities can exist in either model space or paper space, but not both.
If you have changed the current space by invoking either MSPACE or PSPACE
(with command ) while a complex entity is being constructed, a subsequent
call to entmake cancels the complex entity. This can also occur if the subentity
has a 67 group whose value does not match the 67 group of the entity header.

100 | Chapter 2 Using the AutoLISP Language

Working with Blocks
There is no direct method for an application to check whether a block listed
in the BLOCK table is actually referenced by an insert object in the drawing.
You can use the following code to scan the drawing for instances of a block
reference:
(ssget "x" '((2 . "BLOCKNAME")))
You must also scan each block definition for instances of nested blocks.

Anonymous Blocks
The block definitions (BLOCK) table in a drawing can contain anonymous
blocks (also known as unnamed blocks), that AutoCAD creates to support
hatch patterns and associative dimensioning. The entmake function can
create anonymous blocks other than *Dnnn (dimensions) and *Xnnn (hatch
patterns). Unreferenced anonymous blocks are purged from the BLOCK
definition table when a drawing is opened. Referenced anonymous blocks
(those that have been inserted) are not purged. You can use entmake to create
a block reference (insert object) to an anonymous block. (You cannot pass an
anonymous block to the INSERT command.) Also, you can use entmake to
redefine the block. You can modify the entities in a block (but not the block
object itself) with entmod.

The name (group 2) of an anonymous block created by AutoLISP or ObjectARX

has the form *Unnn, where nnn is a number generated by AutoCAD. Also, the
low-order bit of an anonymous block's block type flag (group 70) is set to 1.
When entmake creates a block whose name begins with * and whose
anonymous bit is set, AutoCAD treats this as an anonymous block and assigns
it a name. Any characters following the * in the name string passed to entmake
are ignored.

NOTE Anonymous block names do not remain constant. Although a referenced

anonymous block becomes permanent, the numeric portion of its name can
change between drawing sessions.

Using AutoLISP to Manipulate AutoCAD Objects | 101

 Entity Data Functions and the Graphics Screen
Changes to the drawing made by the entity data functions are reflected on
the graphics screen, provided the entity being deleted, undeleted, modified,
or made is in an area and on a layer that is currently visible. There is one
exception: When entmod modifies a subentity, it does not update the image
of the entire (complex) entity. If, for example, an application modifies 100
vertices of an old-style polyline with 100 calls to entmod, the time required
to recalculate and redisplay the entire polyline is unacceptably slow. Instead,
an application can perform a series of subentity modifications, and then
redisplay the entire entity with a single call to the entupd function.

Consider the following: If the first entity in the current drawing is an old-style
polyline with several vertices, the following code modifies the second vertex
of the polyline and regenerates its screen image.
(setq e1 (entnext)) ; Sets e1 to the polyline's entity
name.
(setq v1 (entnext e1)) ; Sets v1 to its first vertex.
(setq v2 (entnext v1)) ; Sets v2 to its second vertex.
(setq v2d (entget v2)) ; Sets v2d to the vertex data.
(setq v2d
(subst
'(10 1.0 2.0 0.0)
(assoc 10 v2d) ; Changes the vertex's location
in v2d
v2d ; to point (1,2,0).
)
)
(entmod v2d) ; Moves the vertex in the drawing.
(entupd e1) ; Regenerates the polyline entity
e1.

The argument to entupd can specify either a main entity or a subentity. In

either case, entupd regenerates the entire entity. Although its primary use is
for complex entities, entupd can regenerate any entity in the current drawing.

NOTE To ensure that all instances of the block references are updated, you must
regenerate the drawing by invoking the AutoCAD REGEN command (with
command). The entupd function is not sufficient if the modified entity is in a
block definition.

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Old-Style Polylines and Lightweight Polylines
A lightweight polyline (lwpolyline) is defined in the drawing database as a
single graphic entity. The lwpolyline differs from the old-style polyline, which
is defined as a group of subentities. Lwpolylines display faster and consume
less disk space and RAM.
As of Release 14 of AutoCAD, 3D polylines are always created as old-style
polyline entities, and 2D polylines are created as lwpolyline entities, unless
they are curved or fitted with the PEDIT command. When a drawing from an
earlier release is opened in Release 14 or a later release, all 2D polylines convert
to lwpolylines automatically, unless they have been curved or fitted or contain
xdata.

Processing Curve-Fit and Spline-Fit Polylines

When an AutoLISP application uses entnext to step through the vertices of
an old-style polyline, it might encounter vertices that were not created
explicitly. Auxiliary vertices are inserted automatically by the PEDIT command's
Fit and Spline options. You can safely ignore them, because changes to these
vertices will be discarded the next time the user applies PEDIT to fit or to
spline the polyline.
The old-style polyline entity's group 70 flags indicate whether the polyline
has been curve-fit (bit value 2) or spline-fit (bit value 4). If neither bit is set,
all the polyline's vertices are regular user-defined vertices. However, if the
curve-fit bit (2) is set, alternating vertices of the polyline have the bit value 1
set in their 70 group to indicate that they were inserted by the curve-fitting
process. If you use entmod to move the vertices of such a polyline with the
intent of refitting the curve by means of PEDIT, ignore these vertices.
Likewise, if the old-style polyline entity's spline-fit flag bit (bit 4) is set, an
assortment of vertices will be found—some with flag bit 1 (inserted by curve
fitting if system variable SPLINESEGS was negative), some with bit value 8
(inserted by spline fitting), and all others with bit value 16 (spline frame-control
point). Here again, if you use entmod to move the vertices and you intend to
refit the spline afterward, move only the control-point vertices.

Using AutoLISP to Manipulate AutoCAD Objects | 103

 Non-Graphic Object Handling
AutoCAD uses two types of non-graphical objects: dictionary objects and
symbol table objects. Although there are similarities between these object
types, they are handled differently.
All object types are supported by the entget, entmod, entdel, and entmake
functions, although object types individually dictate their participation in
these functions and may refuse any or all processing. With respect to AutoCAD
built-in objects, the rules apply for symbol tables and for dictionary objects.
For more information, see Symbol Table Objects (page 104) and Dictionary
Objects (page 106).
All rules and restrictions that apply to graphic objects apply to non-graphic
objects as well. Non-graphic objects cannot be passed to the entupd function.

When using entmake, the object type determines where the object will reside.
For example, if a layer object is passed to entmake, it automatically goes to
the layer symbol table. If a graphic object is passed to entmake, it will reside
in the current space (model or paper).

Symbol Table Objects

The following rules apply to symbol tables:
■ Symbol table entries can be created through entmake with few restrictions,
other than being valid record representations, and name conflicts can only
occur in the VPORT table. *ACTIVE entries cannot be created.
■ Symbol table entries cannot be deleted with entdel.
■ The object states of symbol tables and symbol table entries may be accessed
with entget by passing the entity name. The tblobjname function can be
used to retrieve the entity name of a symbol table entry.
■ Symbol tables themselves cannot be created with entmake; however,
symbol table entries can be created with entmake.
■ Handle groups (5, 105) cannot be changed in entmod, nor specified in
entmake.

■ Symbol table entries that are not in the APPID table can have many of
their fields modified with entmod. To be passed to entmod, a symbol table
record list must include its entity name, which can be obtained from entget

104 | Chapter 2 Using the AutoLISP Language

 but not from the tblsearch and tblnext functions. The 70 group of symbol
table entries is ignored in entmod and entmake operations.

Renaming symbol table entries to duplicate names is not acceptable, except

for the VPORT symbol table. The following entries cannot be modified or
renamed, except that most LAYER entries can be renamed and xdata can be
modified on all symbol table entries.

Symbol table entries that cannot be modified or renamed

Table Entry name

VPORT *ACTIVE

LINETYPE CONTINUOUS

LAYER Entries cannot be modified, except for xdata, but

renaming is allowed

The following entries cannot be renamed, but are otherwise modifiable:

Symbol table entries that cannot be renamed

Table Entry name

STYLE STANDARD

DIMSTYLE STANDARD

BLOCKS *MODEL_SPACE

BLOCKS *PAPER_SPACE

APPID No entries can be renamed

Using AutoLISP to Manipulate AutoCAD Objects | 105

 Dictionary Objects
The following rules apply to dictionary objects:
■ Dictionary objects can be examined with entget and their xdata modified
with entmod. Their entries cannot be altered with entmod. All access to
their entries are made through the dictsearch and dictnext functions.
■ Dictionary entry contents cannot be modified through entmod, although
xdata can be modified.
■ Dictionary entries that begin with ACAD* cannot be renamed.

Extended Data - xdata

Several AutoLISP functions are provided to handle extended data (xdata),
which is created by applications written with ObjectARX or AutoLISP. If an
entity contains xdata, it follows the entity's regular definition data.
You can retrieve an entity's extended data by calling entget. The entget
function retrieves an entity's regular definition data and the xdata for those
applications specified in the entget call.

When xdata is retrieved with entget, the beginning of extended data is

indicated by a -3 code. The -3 code is in a list that precedes the first 1001
group. The 1001 group contains the application name of the first application
retrieved, as shown in the table and as described in the topics in this section.

Group codes for regular and extended data

Group code Field Type of data

(-1, -2 Entity name) Normal entity

(0-239 Regular definition data fields) definition data
) .
.
.

(-3 Extended data sentinel Extended data

(1001 Registered application name 1)
(1000, XDATA fields)
1002-1071 .

106 | Chapter 2 Using the AutoLISP Language

 Group codes for regular and extended data

Group code Field Type of data

(1001 .
(1000, .
1002-1071 Registered application name 2)
(1001 XDATA fields)
.
.
.
Registered application name 3)
.
.

Organization of Extended Data

Extended data consists of one or more 1001 groups, each of which begins with
a unique application name. The xdata groups returned by entget follow the
definition data in the order in which they are saved in the database.
Within each application's group, the contents, meaning, and organization of
the data are defined by the application. AutoCAD maintains the information
but does not use it. The table also shows that the group codes for xdata are in
the range 1000-1071. Many of these group codes are for familiar data types,
as follows:
String 1000. Strings in extended data can be up to 255 bytes long (with the
256th byte reserved for the null character).

Application Name 1001 (also a string value). Application names can be up

to 31 bytes long (the 32nd byte is reserved for the null character) and must
adhere to the rules for symbol table names (such as layer names). An
application name can contain letters, digits, and the special characters $ (dollar
sign), - (hyphen), and _ (underscore). It cannot contain spaces.

Layer Name 1003. Name of a layer associated with the xdata.

Database -Handle 1005. Handle of an entity in the drawing database.

3D Point 1010. Three real values, contained in a point.

Real 1040. A real value.

Using AutoLISP to Manipulate AutoCAD Objects | 107

 Integer 1070. A 16-bit integer (signed or unsigned).

Long 1071. A 32-bit signed (long) integer. If the value that appears in a 1071
group is a short integer or real value, it is converted to a long integer; if it is
invalid (for example, a string), it is converted to a long zero (0L).
NOTE AutoLISP manages 1071 groups as real values. If you use entget to retrieve
an entity's definition list that contains a 1071 group, the value is returned as a
real, as shown in the following example:

(1071 . 12.0)
If you want to create a 1071 group in an entity with entmake or entmod, you
can use either a real or an integer value, as shown in the following example:
(entmake '((..... (1071 . 12) .... )))
(entmake '((..... (1071 . 12.0) .... )))
(entmake '((..... (1071 . 65537.0) .... )))
(entmake '((..... (1071 . 65537) .... )))
But AutoLISP still returns the group value as a real:
(entmake '((..... (1071 . 65537) .... )))
The preceding statement returns the following:
(1071 . 65537.0)
ObjectARX always manages 1071 groups as long integers.

Several other extended data groups have special meanings in this context (if
the application chooses to use them):
Control String 1002. An xdata control string can be either "{" or "}". These
braces enable the application to organize its data by subdividing it into lists.
The left brace begins a list, and the right brace terminates the most recent list.
Lists can be nested.
NOTE
If a 1001 group appears within a list, it is treated as a string and does not begin
a new application group.

Binary Data 1004. Binary data that is organized into variable-length chunks,
which can be handled in ObjectARX with the ads_binary structure. The
maximum length of each chunk is 127 bytes.
NOTE AutoLISP cannot directly handle binary chunks, so the same precautions
that apply to long (1071) groups apply to binary groups as well.

World Space Position 1011. Unlike a simple 3D point, the WCS coordinates
are moved, scaled, rotated, and mirrored along with the parent entity to which

108 | Chapter 2 Using the AutoLISP Language

the extended data belongs. The WCS position is also stretched when the
STRETCH command is applied to the parent entity and when this point lies
within the select window.

World Space -Displacement 1012. A 3D point that is scaled, rotated, or

mirrored along with the parent, but not stretched or moved.

World -Direction 1013. A 3D point that is rotated or mirrored along with the
parent, but not scaled, stretched, or moved. The WCS direction is a normalized
displacement that always has a unit length.

Distance 1041. A real value that is scaled along with the parent entity.

Scale Factor 1042. Also a real value that is scaled along with the parent.

The DXF group codes for xdata are also described in the DXF Reference.

Registration of an Application
To be recognized by AutoCAD, an application must register the name or names
that it uses. Application names are saved with the extended data of each entity
that uses them, and also in the APPID table. Registration is done with the
regapp function, which specifies a string to use as an application name. If it
successfully adds the name to APPID, it returns the name of the application;
otherwise it returns nil. A result of nil indicates that the name is already
present in the symbol table. This is not an actual error condition but an
expected return value, because the application name needs to be registered
only once per drawing.
To register itself, an application should first check that its name is not already
in the APPID table. If the name is not there, the application must register it.
Otherwise, it can simply go ahead and use the data, as described later in this
section.
The following fragment shows the typical use of regapp. (The tblsearch
function is described in Symbol Table and Dictionary Access (page 114).)
(setq appname "MYAPP_2356") ; Unique application
name.
(if (tblsearch "appid" appname) ; Checks if already
registered.
(princ (strcat
"\n" appname " already registered. "))
(if (= (regapp appname) nil) ; Some other problem.
(princ (strcat

Using AutoLISP to Manipulate AutoCAD Objects | 109

 "\nCan't register XDATA for " appname ". "))
)
)

The regapp function provides a measure of security, but it cannot guarantee

that two separate applications have not chosen the same name. One way of
ensuring this is to adopt a naming scheme that uses the company or product
name and a unique number (like your telephone number or the current date
and time).

Retrieval of Extended Data

An application can call entget to obtain the xdata that it has registered. The
entget function can return both the definition data and the xdata for the
applications it requests. It requires an additional argument, application, that
specifies the application names. The names passed to entget must correspond
to applications registered by a previous call to regapp; they can also contain
wild-card characters.
By default, associative hatch patterns contain extended data. The following
code shows the association list of this xdata.
Command: (entget (car (entsel)) '("ACAD"))
Select object: Select an associative hatch

Entering the preceding code at the command line returns a list that looks
something like this:
((-1 . <Entity name: 600000c0>) (0 . "INSERT") (8 . "0") (2
. "*X0")
(10 0.0 0.0 0.0) (41 . 1.0) (42 . 1.0) (50 . 0.0) (43 . 1.0)
(70 . 0) (71 . 0)
(44 . 0.0) (45 . 0.0) (210 0.0 0.0 1.0) (-3 ("ACAD" (1000 .
"HATCH")
(1002 . "{") (1070 . 16) (1000 . "LINE") (1040 . 1.0) (1040
. 0.0)
(1002 . "}"))))
This fragment shows a typical sequence for retrieving xdata for two specified
applications. Note that the application argument passes application names in
list form:
(setq working_elist
(entget ent_name
'("MY_APP_1" "SOME_OTHER") ; Only xdata from "MY_APP_1"

110 | Chapter 2 Using the AutoLISP Language

 ) ; and "SOME_OTHER" is
retrieved.
)

(if working_elist
(progn
... ; Updates working entity
groups.
(entmod working_elist) ; Only xdata from registered

) ; applications still in
the
) ; working_elist list are
modified.

As the sample code shows, you can modify xdata retrieved by entget by using
a subsequent call to entmod, just as you can use entmod to modify normal
definition data. You can also create xdata by defining it in the entity list passed
to entmake.

Returning the extended data of only those applications specifically requested

protects one application from corrupting another application's data. It also
controls the amount of memory that an application needs to use and simplifies
the xdata processing that an application needs to perform.

NOTE Because the strings passed by application can include wild-card characters,
an application name of "*" will cause entget to return all extended data attached
to an entity.

Attachment of Extended Data to an Entity

You can use xdata to store any type of information you want. For example,
draw an entity (such as a line or a circle), then enter the following code to
attach xdata to the entity:
(setq lastent (entget (entlast))) ; Gets the association
; list of definition data

; for the last entity.

(regapp "NEWDATA") ; Registers the
; application name.

Using AutoLISP to Manipulate AutoCAD Objects | 111

 (setq exdata ; Sets the variable
'((-3 ("NEWDATA" ; exdata equal to the
(1000 . "This is a new thing!") ; new extended data—
))) ; in this case, a text
) ; string.
(setq newent
(append lastent exdata)) ; Appends new data list to
; entity's list.
(entmod newent) ; Modifies the entity with the
new
; definition data.
To verify that your new xdata has been attached to the entity, enter the
following code and select the object:
(entget (car (entsel)) '("NEWDATA"))
This example shows the basic method for attaching extended data to an entity.

Management of Extended Data Memory Use

Extended data is currently limited to 16K per entity. Because the xdata of an
entity can be created and maintained by multiple applications, problems can
result when the size of the xdata approaches its limit. AutoLISP provides two
functions, xdsize and xdroom, to assist in managing the memory that xdata
occupies. When xdsize is passed a list of xdata, it returns the amount of
memory (in bytes) that the data will occupy. When xdroom is passed the
name of an entity, it returns the remaining number of free bytes that can still
be appended to the entity.
The xdsize function reads an extended data list, which can be large. This
function can be slow, so it is not recommended that you call it frequently. A
better approach is to use it (in conjunction with xdroom) in an error handler.
If a call to entmod fails, you can use xdsize and xdroom to find out whether
the call failed because the entity didn't have enough room for the xdata.

Handles in Extended Data

Extended data can contain handles (group 1005) to save relational structures
within a drawing. One entity can reference another by saving the other's
handle in its xdata. The handle can be retrieved later from xdata and then

112 | Chapter 2 Using the AutoLISP Language

passed to handent to obtain the other entity. Because more than one entity
can reference another, xdata handles are not necessarily unique. The AUDIT
command does require that handles in extended data either be NULL or valid
entity handles (within the current drawing). The best way to ensure that xdata
entity handles are valid is to obtain a referenced entity's handle directly from
its definition data by means of entget. The handle value is in group 5.

When you reference entities in other drawings (for example, entities that are
attached with XREF), you can avoid protests from AUDIT by using extended
entity strings (group 1000) rather than handles (group 1005). The handles of
cross-referenced entities are either not valid in the current drawing, or they
conflict with valid handles. However, if an XREF Attach changes to an XREF
Bind or is combined with the current drawing in some other way, it is up to
the application to revise the entity references accordingly.
When drawings are combined by means of INSERT, INSERT*, XREF Bind
(XBIND), or partial DXFIN, handles are translated so they become valid in the
current drawing. (If the incoming drawing did not employ handles, new ones
are assigned.) Extended entity handles that refer to incoming entities are also
translated when these commands are invoked.
When an entity is placed in a block definition (with the BLOCK command),
the entity within the block is assigned new handles. (If the original entity is
restored by means of OOPS, it retains its original handles.) The value of any
xdata handles remains unchanged. When a block is exploded (with the
EXPLODE command), xdata handles are translated in a manner similar to the
way they are translated when drawings are combined. If the xdata handle
refers to an entity that is not within the block, it is unchanged. However, if
the xdata handle refers to an entity that is within the block, the data handle
is assigned the value of the new (exploded) entity's handle.

Xrecord Objects
Xrecord objects are used to store and manage arbitrary data. They are composed
of DXF group codes with normal object groups (that is, non-xdata group
codes), ranging from 1 through 369 for supported ranges. These objects are
similar in concept to xdata but is not limited by size or order.
The following examples provide methods for creating and listing xrecord data.
(defun C:MAKEXRECORD( / xrec xname )
; create the xrecord's data list.
(setq xrec '((0 . "XRECORD")(100 . "AcDbXrecord")
(1 . "This is a test xrecord list")

Using AutoLISP to Manipulate AutoCAD Objects | 113

 (10 1.0 2.0 0.0) (40 . 3.14159) (50 . 3.14159)
(62 . 1) (70 . 180))
)
; use entmakex to create the xrecord with no owner.
(setq xname (entmakex xrec))
; add the new xrecord to the named object dictionary.
(dictadd (namedobjdict) "XRECLIST" xname)
(princ)
)

(defun C:LISTXRECORD ( / xlist )

; find the xrecord in the named object dictionary.
(setq xlist (dictsearch (namedobjdict) "XRECLIST"))
; print out the xrecord's data list.
(princ xlist)
(princ)
)

Symbol Table and Dictionary Access

AutoLISP provides functions for accessing symbol table and dictionary entries.
Examples of the tblnext and tblsearch functions are provided in the following
sections. For a complete list of the symbol table and dictionary access functions,
see Symbol Table and Dictionary-Handling Functions (page 146) in AutoLISP
Function Synopsis, (page 119) Refer to the AutoLISP Reference for more detailed
information on the functions listed in the Synopsis.
For additional information on non-graphic objects see, Non-Graphic Object
Handling (page 104).

Symbol Tables
Symbol table entries can also be manipulated by the following functions:
■ entdel

■ entget

■ entmake

■ entmod

■ handent

114 | Chapter 2 Using the AutoLISP Language

The tblnext function sequentially scans symbol table entries, and the tblsearch
function retrieves specific entries. Table names are specified by strings. The
valid names are LAYER, LTYPE, VIEW, STYLE, BLOCK, UCS, VPORT, DIMSTYLE, and
APPID. Both functions return lists with DXF group codes that are similar to
the entity data returned by entget.

The first call to tblnext returns the first entry in the specified table. Subsequent
calls that specify the same table return successive entries, unless the second
argument to tblnext (rewind) is nonzero, in which case tblnext returns the
first entry again.
In the following example, the function GETBLOCK retrieves the symbol table
entry for the first block (if any) in the current drawing, and then displays it
in a list format.
(defun C:GETBLOCK (/ blk ct)
(setq blk (tblnext "BLOCK" 1)) ; Gets the first BLOCK
entry.
(setq ct 0) ; Sets ct (a counter) to
0.
(textpage) ; Switches to the text
screen.
(princ "\nResults from GETBLOCK: ")
(repeat (length blk) ; Repeats for the number
of
; members in the list.
(print (nth ct blk)) ; Prints a new line, then

; each list member.

(setq ct (1+ ct)) ; Increments the counter
by 1.
)
(princ) ; Exits quietly.
)
Entries retrieved from the BLOCK table contain a -2 group that contains the
name of the first entity in the block definition. If the block is empty, this is
the name of the block's ENDBLK entity, which is never seen on occupied
blocks. In a drawing with a single block named BOX, a call to GETBLOCK
displays the following. (The name value varies from session to session.)
Results from GETBLOCK:
(0 . "BLOCK")
(2 . "BOX")
(70 . 0)

Using AutoLISP to Manipulate AutoCAD Objects | 115

 (10 9.0 2.0 0.0)
(-2 . <Entity name: 40000126>)

As with tblnext, the first argument to tblsearch is a string that names a table,
but the second argument is a string that names a particular symbol in the
table. If the symbol is found, tblsearch returns its data. This function has a
third argument, setnext, that you can use to coordinate operations with tblnext.
If setnext is nil, the tblsearch call has no effect on tblnext, but if setnext is
non-nil, the next call to tblnext returns the table entry following the entry
found by tblsearch.

The setnext option is useful when you are handling the VPORT symbol table,
because all viewports in a particular viewport configuration have the same
name (such as *ACTIVE).
If the VPORT symbol table is accessed when TILEMODE is turned off, any
changes have no visible effect until TILEMODE is turned on. Do not confuse
VPORTS,which is described by the VPORT symbol table with paper space viewport
entities.
The following processes all viewports in the 4VIEW configuration:
(setq v (tblsearch "VPORT" "4VIEW" T)) ; Finds first VPORT
entry.
(while (and v (= (cdr (assoc 2 v)) "4VIEW"))
.
. ; ... Processes
entry ...
.
(setq v (tblnext "VPORT")) ; Gets next VPORT
entry.
)

Dictionary Entries
A dictionary is a container object, similar to the symbol tables in functions.
Dictionary entries can be queried with the dictsearch and dictnext functions.
Each dictionary entry consists of a text name key plus a hard ownership handle
reference to the entry object. Dictionary entries may be removed by directly
passing entry object names to the entdel function. The text name key uses
the same syntax and valid characters as symbol table names.

116 | Chapter 2 Using the AutoLISP Language

Accessing AutoCAD Groups
The following is an example of one method for accessing the entities contained
in a group. This example assumes a group named G1 exists in the current
drawing.
(setq objdict (namedobjdict))
(setq grpdict (dictsearch objdict "ACAD_GROUP"))
This sets the grpdict variable to the entity definition list of the ACAD_GROUP
dictionary and returns the following:
((-1 . <Entity name: 8dc10468>) (0 . "DICTIONARY") (5 . "D")
(102 . "{ACAD_REACTORS") (330 . <Entity name: 8dc10460>)
(102 . "}") (100 . "AcDbDictionary") (3 . "G1")
(350 . <Entity name: 8dc41240>))
The following code sets the variable group1 to the entity definition list of the
G1 group:
(setq group1 (dictsearch (cdar grpdict) "G1"))
It returns the following:
((-1 . <Entity name: 8dc10518>) (0 . "GROUP") (5 . "23")
(102 . "{ACAD_REACTORS") (330 . <Entity name: 8dc10468>)
(102 . "}") (100 . "AcDbGroup") (300 . "line and circle")
(70 . 0) (71 . 1)
(340 . <Entity name: 8dc10510>)(340 . <Entity name: 8dc10550>)
)
The 340 group codes are the entities that belong to the group.

Using AutoLISP to Manipulate AutoCAD Objects | 117

118
Appendixes
3
AutoLISP Function Synopsis
To find a function without knowing its name, use the listings in this appendix.
®
The AutoLISP functions in this synopsis are organized into functional groups,
and listed alphabetically within each function group. Each function is briefly
described by its signature and a single sentence indicating the function's purpose.

Category Summary
Functions in this synopsis are organized into the following categories:
■ Basic: Application-handling, arithmetic, equality and conditional,
error-handling, function-handling, list manipulation, string-handling, and
symbol-handling functions
■ Utility: Conversion, device access, display control, file-handling, geometric,
query and command, and user input functions
■ Selection Set, Object, and Symbol Table: Extended data-handling,
object-handling, selection set manipulation, and symbol table-handling
functions
■ Memory Management
■ VLX Namespace: Function exposure, document namespace variable access,
and error-handling functions
■ Namespace Communication: Blackboard-addressing and multi-document
loading functions
■ Property List (PIist) Handling

119
 Functions are grouped by data type and by the action they perform. Detailed
information on each function is provided in the alphabetical listings in the
AutoLISP Reference.
Note that any functions not described here or in other parts of the
documentation are not officially supported and are subject to change in future
releases.

Basic Functions

Application-Handling Functions (page 121)

Arithmetic Functions (page 122)
Equality and Conditional Functions (page 125)
Error-Handling Functions (page 126)
Function-Handling Functions (page 127)
List Manipulation Functions (page 128)
String-Handling Functions (page 131)
Symbol-Handling Functions (page 133)

Utility Functions

Conversion Functions (page 134)

Device Access Functions (page 135)
Display Control Functions (page 136)
File-Handling Functions (page 137)
Geometric Functions (page 139)
Query and Command Functions (page 139)
User Input Functions (page 141)

Selection Set, Object, and Symbol Table Functions

Extended Data-Handling Functions (page 143)

Object-Handling Functions (page 143)
Selection Set Manipulation Functions (page 145)
Symbol Table and Dictionary-Handling Functions (page 146)

120 | Chapter 3 Appendixes

Memory Management Functions (page 147)

Visual LISP AutoLISP Extensions

ActiveX Collection Manipulation Functions

ActiveX Data Conversion Functions
ActiveX Method Invocation Functions
ActiveX Object-Handling Functions
ActiveX Property-Handling Functions
Curve Measurement Functions
Dictionary Functions
Functions for Handling Drawing Objects
Reactor Functions
VLX Namespace Functions (page 147)
Namespace Communication Functions (page 148)
Property List (Plist) Functions (page 149)

Basic Functions
The basic functions consist of the arithmetic, string-handling, equality and
conditional, list manipulation, symbol-handling, function-handling,
error-handling, and application-handling functions.

Application-Handling Functions
The following table provides summary descriptions of the AutoLISP
application-handling functions.

Application-handling functions

Function Description

(arx) Returns a list of the currently loaded ObjectARX

applications

AutoLISP Function Synopsis | 121

 Application-handling functions

Function Description

(arxload application [onfailure]) Loads an ObjectARX application

(arxunload application [onfailure]) Unloads an ObjectARX application

(autoarxload filename cmdlist) Predefines command names to load an associated

ObjectARX file

(autoload filename cmdlist) Predefines command names to load an associated

AutoLISP file

(initdia [dialogflag]) Forces the display of the next command's dialog

box

(load filename [onfailure]) Evaluates the AutoLISP expressions in a file

(startapp appcmd file) Starts an application

(vl-load-all filename) Loads a file into all open AutoCAD documents

Arithmetic Functions
The following table provides summary descriptions of the AutoLISP arithmetic
functions.

Arithmetic functions

Function Description

(+ (add) [ number number] ...) Returns the sum of all numbers

(- (subtract) [number number] ...) Subtracts the second and following numbers from
the first and returns the difference

122 | Chapter 3 Appendixes

Arithmetic functions

Function Description

(* (multiply) [number number] ...) Returns the product of all numbers

(/ (divide) [number number] ...) Divides the first number by the product of the
remaining numbers and returns the quotient

(~ (bitwise NOT) int) Returns the bitwise NOT (1's complement) of the
argument

(1+ (increment) number) Returns the argument increased by 1 (incremen-

ted)

(1- (decrement) number) Returns the argument reduced by 1 (decremen-

ted)

(abs number) Returns the absolute value of the argument

(atan num1 [num2]) Returns the arctangent of a number in radians

(cos ang) Returns the cosine of an angle expressed in radi-

ans

(exp number) Returns the constant e (a real) raised to a spe-

cified power (the natural antilog)

(expt base power) Returns a number raised to a specified power

(fix number) Returns the conversion of a real into the nearest

smaller integer

(float number) Returns the conversion of a number into a real

(gcd int1 int2) Returns the greatest common denominator of

two integers

AutoLISP Function Synopsis | 123

 Arithmetic functions

Function Description

(log number) Returns the natural log of a number as a real

(logand [ int int ...]) Returns the result of the logical bitwise AND of
a list of integers

(logior [ int int ...]) Returns the result of the logical bitwise inclusive
OR of a list of integers

(lsh [ int numbits]) Returns the logical bitwise shift of an integer by

a specified number of bits

(max [ number number ...]) Returns the largest of the numbers given

(min [ number number ...]) Returns the smallest of the numbers given

(minusp number) Verifies that a number is negative

(rem [ num1 num2 ...]) Divides the first number by the second, and re-
turns the remainder

(sin ang) Returns the sine of an angle as a real expressed

in radians

(sqrt number) Returns the square root of a number as a real

(zerop number) Verifies that a number evaluates to zero

124 | Chapter 3 Appendixes

Equality and Conditional Functions
The following table provides summary descriptions of the AutoLISP equality
and conditional functions.

Equality and conditional functions

Function Description

(= (equal to) numstr [numstr] ...) Returns T if all arguments are numerically equal,
and returns nil otherwise

(/= (not equal to) numstr [numstr] ...) Returns T if the arguments are not numerically
equal, and nil if the arguments are numerically
equal

(< (less than) numstr [numstr] ...) Returns T if each argument is numerically less
than the argument to its right, and returns nil
otherwise

(<= (less than or equal to) numstr Returns T if each argument is numerically less
[numstr] ...) than or equal to the argument to its right, and
returns nil otherwise

(> (greater than) numstr [numstr] ...) Returns T if each argument is numerically
greater than the argument to its right, and re-
turns nil otherwise

(>= (greater than or equal to) numstr Returns T if each argument is numerically
[numstr] ...) greater than or equal to the argument to its
right, and returns nil otherwise

(and [ expr ...]) Returns the logical AND of a list of expressions

(Boole func int1 [ int2 ...]) Serves as a general bitwise Boolean function

(cond [( test result ...) ...]) Serves as the primary conditional function for
AutoLISP

AutoLISP Function Synopsis | 125

 Equality and conditional functions

Function Description

(eq expr1 expr2) Determines whether two expressions are

identical

(equal expr1 expr2 [fuzz]) Determines whether two expressions are equal

(if testexpr thenexpr [elseexpr]) Conditionally evaluates expressions

(or [ expr ...]) Returns the logical OR of a list of expressions

(repeat int [ expr ...]) Evaluates each expression a specified number

of times, and returns the value of the last expres-
sion

(while testexpr [ expr ...]) Evaluates a test expression, and if it is not nil,
evaluates other expressions; repeats this process
until the test expression evaluates to nil

Error-Handling Functions
The following table provides summary descriptions of the AutoLISP
error-handling functions.

Error-handling functions

Function Description

(alert string) Displays an alert dialog box with the error or

warning message passed as a string

(*error* string) A user-definable error-handling function

(exit) Forces the current application to quit

(quit) Forces the current application to quit

126 | Chapter 3 Appendixes

Error-handling functions

Function Description

(vl-catch-all-apply ' function list) Passes a list of arguments to a specified function

and traps any exceptions

(vl-catch-all-error-message Returns a string from an error object

error-obj)

(vl-catch-all-error-p arg) Determines whether an argument is an error ob-

ject returned from vl-catch-all-apply

Function-Handling Functions
The following table provides summary descriptions of the AutoLISP
function-handling functions.

Function-handling functions

Function Description

(apply function lst) Passes a list of arguments to a specified function

(defun sym ([ arguments] Defines a function

[/ variables...]) expr ...)

(defun-q sym ([ arguments] Defines a function as a list (intended for backward-

[/ variables...]) expr ...) compatibility only)

(defun-q-list-ref ' function) Displays the list structure of a function defined with
defun-q

(defun-q-list-set 'sym list) Defines a function as a list (intended for backward-

compatibility only)

(eval expr) Returns the result of evaluating an AutoLISP expression

AutoLISP Function Synopsis | 127

 Function-handling functions

Function Description

(lambda arguments expr ...) Defines an anonymous function

(progn [expr] ...) Evaluates each expression sequentially, and returns the
value of the last expression

(trace function ...) Aids in AutoLISP debugging

(untrace function ...) Clears the trace flag for the specified functions

List Manipulation Functions

The following table provides summary descriptions of the AutoLISP list
manipulation functions.

List manipulation functions

Function Description

(acad_strlsort lst) Sorts a list of strings by alphabetical order

(append lst ...) Takes any number of lists and runs them
together as one list

(assoc item alist) Searches an association list for an element

and returns that association list entry

(car lst) Returns the first element of a list

(cdr lst) Returns the specified list, except for the

first element of the list

(cons new-first-element lst) The basic list constructor

128 | Chapter 3 Appendixes

List manipulation functions

Function Description

(foreach name lst [ expr ...]) Evaluates expressions for all members of
a list

(last lst) Returns the last element in a list

(length lst) Returns an integer indicating the number

of elements in a list

(list [ expr ...]) Takes any number of expressions and

combines them into one list

(listp item) Verifies that an item is a list

(mapcar function list1 ... listn) Returns a list of the result of executing a
function with the individual elements of
a list or lists supplied as arguments to the
function

(member expr lst) Searches a list for an occurrence of an

expression and returns the remainder of
the list, starting with the first occurrence
of the expression

(nth n lst) Returns the nth element of a list

(reverse lst) Returns a list with its elements reversed

(subst newitem olditem lst) Searches a list for an old item and returns
a copy of the list with a new item substi-
tuted in place of every occurrence of the
old item

(vl-consp list-variable) Determines whether or not a list is nil

AutoLISP Function Synopsis | 129

 List manipulation functions

Function Description

(vl-every predicate-function list [ more-lists]...) Checks whether the predicate is true for
every element combination

(vl-list* object [ more-objects]...) Constructs and returns a list

(vl-list->string char-codes-list) Combines the characters associated with

a list of integers into a string

(vl-list-length list-or-cons-object) Calculates list length of a true list

(vl-member-if predicate-function list) Determines whether the predicate is true

for one of the list members

(vl-member-if-not predicate-function list) Determines whether the predicate is nil

for one of the list members

(vl-position symbol list) Returns the index of the specified list item

(vl-remove element-to-remove list) Removes elements from a list

(vl-remove-if predicate-function list) Returns all elements of the supplied list

that fail the test function

(vl-remove-if-not predicate-function list) Returns all elements of the supplied list

that pass the test function

(vl-some predicate-function list [ more-lists]...) Checks whether the predicate is not nil
for one element combination

(vl-sort list less?-function) Sorts the elements in a list according to

a given compare function

130 | Chapter 3 Appendixes

List manipulation functions

Function Description

(vl-sort-i list less?-function) Sorts the elements in a list according to

a given compare function, and returns
the element index numbers

(vl-string->list string) Converts a string into a list of character

codes

String-Handling Functions
The following table provides summary descriptions of the AutoLISP
string-handling functions.

String-handling functions

Function Description

(read [string]) Returns the first list or atom obtained from

a string

(strcase string [ which]) Returns a string where all alphabetic charac-

ters have been converted to uppercase or
lowercase

(strcat [string1 [string2] ...) Returns a string that is the concatenation

of multiple strings

(strlen [string] ...) Returns an integer that is the number of

characters in a string

(substr string start [length]) Returns a substring of a string

(vl-prin1-to-string object) Returns the string representation of any LISP

object as if it were output by the prin1
function

AutoLISP Function Synopsis | 131

 String-handling functions

Function Description

(vl-princ-to-string object) Returns the string representation of any LISP

object as if it were output by the princ
function

(vl-string->list string) Converts a string into a list of character

codes

(vl-string-elt string position) Returns the ASCII representation of the

character at a specified position in a string

(vl-string-left-trim character-set string) Removes the specified characters from the

beginning of a string

(vl-string-mismatch str1 str2 Returns the length of the longest common

[ pos1 pos2 ignore-case-p]) prefix for two strings, starting at specified
positions

(vl-string-position char-code str Looks for a character with the specified AS-
[ start-pos [ from-end-p]]) CII code in a string

(vl-string-right-trim Removes the specified characters from the

character-set string) end of a string

(vl-string-search pattern string [ start-pos]) Searches for the specified pattern in a string

(vl-string-subst new-str pattern string Substitutes one string for another, within a
[ start-pos]) string

(vl-string-translate Replaces characters in a string with a spe-

source-set dest-set str) cified set of characters

(vl-string-trim char-set str) Removes the specified characters from the

beginning and end of a string

132 | Chapter 3 Appendixes

String-handling functions

Function Description

(wcmatch string pattern) Performs a wild-card pattern match on a

string

Symbol-Handling Functions
The following table provides summary descriptions of the AutoLISP
symbol-handling functions.

Symbol-handling functions

Function Description

(atomitem) Verifies that an item is an atom

(atoms-family format [symlist]) Returns a list of the currently defined symbols

(boundp sym) Verifies whether a value is bound to a symbol

(not item) Verifies that an item evaluates to nil

(null item) Verifies that an item is bound to nil

(numberp item) Verifies that an item is a real or an integer

(quote expr) Returns an expression without evaluating it

(set sym expr) Sets the value of a quoted symbol name to an

expression

(setq sym1 expr1 Sets the value of a symbol or symbols to associ-

[sym2 expr2] ...) ated expressions

(type item) Returns the type of a specified item

AutoLISP Function Synopsis | 133

 Symbol-handling functions

Function Description

(vl-symbol-name symbol) Returns a string containing the name of a symbol

(vl-symbol-value symbol) Returns the current value bound to a symbol

(vl-symbolp object) Identifies whether or not a specified object is a

symbol

Utility Functions
The utility functions consist of query and command, display control, user
input, geometric, conversion, file-handling, and device access functions.

Conversion Functions
The following table provides summary descriptions of the AutoLISP conversion
functions.

Conversion functions

Function Description

(angtof string [mode]) Converts a string representing an angle into a

real (floating-point) value in radians

(angtos angle [mode [precision]]) Converts an angular value in radians into a string

(ascii string) Returns the conversion of the first character of a

string into its ASCII character code (an integer)

(atof string) Returns the conversion of a string into a real

(atoi string) Returns the conversion of a string into an integer

134 | Chapter 3 Appendixes

Conversion functions

Function Description

(chr integer) Returns the conversion of an integer representing

an ASCII character code into a single-character
string

(cvunit value from to) Converts a value from one unit of measurement
to another

(distof string [mode]) Converts a string that represents a real (floating-

point) value into a real value

(itoa int) Returns the conversion of an integer into a string

(rtos number [mode [precision]]) Converts a number into a string

(trans pt from to [disp]) Translates a point (or a displacement) from one

coordinate system to another

Device Access Functions

The following table provides summary descriptions of the AutoLISP device
access functions.

Device access functions

Function Description

(grread [track] [allkeys [curtype]]) Reads values from any of the AutoCAD input
devices

AutoLISP Function Synopsis | 135

 Display Control Functions
The following table provides summary descriptions of the AutoLISP display
control functions.

Display control functions

Function Description

(graphscr) Displays the AutoCAD graphics screen

(grdraw from to color [highlight]) Draws a vector between two points, in the current
viewport

(grtext [box text [highlight]]) Writes text to the status line or to screen menu
areas

(grvecs vlist [trans]) Draws multiple vectors on the graphics screen

(prin1 [expr [file-desc]]) Prints an expression to the command line or writes

an expression to an open file

(princ [expr [file-desc]]) Prints an expression to the command line, or

writes an expression to an open file

(print [expr [file-desc]]) Prints an expression to the command line, or

writes an expression to an open file

(prompt msg) Displays a string on your screen's prompt area

(redraw [ename [mode]]) Redraws the current viewport or a specified object

(entity) in the current viewport

(terpri) Prints a newline to the Command line

(textpage) Switches from the graphics screen to the text

screen

136 | Chapter 3 Appendixes

Display control functions

Function Description

(textscr) Switches from the graphics screen to the text

screen

(vports) Returns a list of viewport descriptors for the cur-

rent viewport configuration

File-Handling Functions
The following table provides summary descriptions of the AutoLISP
file-handling functions.

File-handling functions

Function Description

(close file-desc) Closes an open file

(findfile filename) Searches the AutoCAD library path for the

specified file

(open filename mode) Opens a file for access by the AutoLISP I/O
functions

(read-char [file-desc]) Returns the decimal ASCII code representing

the character read from the keyboard input
buffer or from an open file

(read-line [file-desc]) Reads a string from the keyboard or from an

open file

(vl-directory-files [ directory Lists all files in a given directory

pattern directories])

AutoLISP Function Synopsis | 137

 File-handling functions

Function Description

(vl-file-copy "source-filename" Copies or appends the contents of one file to

"destination-filename" [ append?]) another file

(vl-file-delete "filename") Deletes a file

(vl-file-directory-p "filename") Determines if a file name refers to a directory

(vl-file-rename "old-filename" Renames a file

"new-filename")

(vl-file-size "filename") Determines the size of a file, in bytes

(vl-file-systime "filename") Returns last modification time of the specified

file

(vl-filename-base "filename") Returns the name of a file, after stripping out

the directory path and extension

(vl-filename-directory Returns the directory path of a file, after strip-

"filename") ping out the name and extension

(vl-filename-extension Returns the extension from a file name, after

"filename") stripping out the rest of the name

(vl-filename-mktemp Calculates a unique file name to be used for a

["pattern" "directory" "extension"]) temporary file

(write-char num [file-desc]) Writes one character to the screen or to an

open file

(write-line string [file-desc]) Writes a string to the screen or to an open file

138 | Chapter 3 Appendixes

Geometric Functions
The following table provides summary descriptions of the AutoLISP geometric
functions.

Geometric functions

Function Description

(angle pt1 pt2) Returns an angle in radians of a line defined by

two endpoints

(distance pt1 pt2) Returns the 3D distance between two points

(inters pt1 pt2 pt3 pt4 [onseg]) Finds the intersection of two lines

(osnap pt mode) Returns a 3D point that is the result of applying

an Object Snap mode to a specified point

(polar pt ang dist) Returns the UCS 3D point at a specified angle and
distance from a point

(textbox elist) Measures a specified text object, and returns the

diagonal coordinates of a box that encloses the
text

Query and Command Functions

The following table provides summary descriptions of the AutoLISP query and
command functions.

Query and command functions

Function Description

(command [arguments] ...) Executes an AutoCAD command

AutoLISP Function Synopsis | 139

 Query and command functions

Function Description

(command-s [arguments] ...) Executes an AutoCAD command and the sup-

plied input

(getcfg cfgname) Retrieves application data from the AppData

section of the acad.cfg file

(getcname cname) Retrieves the localized or English name of an

AutoCAD command

(getenv "variable-name") Returns the string value assigned to an environ-

ment variable

(getvar varname) Retrieves the value of an AutoCAD system vari-

able

(help [helpfile [topic Invokes the Help facility

[command]]])

(setcfg cfgname cfgval) Writes application data to the AppData section

of the acad.cfg file

(setenv "varname" "value") Sets an environment variable to a specified value

(setfunhelp "c:fname" Registers a user-defined command with the Help

["helpfile" ["topic" ["command" ]]]) facility so the appropriate help file and topic are
called when the user requests help on that com-
mand

(setvar varname value) Sets an AutoCAD system variable to a specified

value

(ver) Returns a string that contains the current AutoL-

ISP version number

140 | Chapter 3 Appendixes

Query and command functions

Function Description

(vl-cmdf [arguments] ...) Executes an AutoCAD command after evaluating

arguments

User Input Functions

The following table provides summary descriptions of the AutoLISP user input
functions.

User input functions

Function Description

(entsel [msg]) Prompts the user to select a single object (entity)

by specifying a point

(getangle [pt] [msg]) Pauses for user input of an angle, and returns that
angle in radians

(getcorner pt [msg]) Pauses for user input of a rectangle's second corner

(getdist [pt] [msg]) Pauses for user input of a distance

(getfiled title default ext flags) Prompts the user for a file name with the standard
AutoCAD file dialog box, and returns that file name

(getint [msg]) Pauses for user input of an integer, and returns that
integer

(getkword [msg]) Pauses for user input of a keyword, and returns that
keyword

(getorient [pt] [msg]) Pauses for user input of an angle, and returns that
angle in radians

AutoLISP Function Synopsis | 141

 User input functions

Function Description

(getpoint [pt] [msg]) Pauses for user input of a point, and returns that
point

(getreal [msg]) Pauses for user input of a real number, and returns
that real number

(getstring [cr] [msg]) Pauses for user input of a string, and returns that
string

(initget [bits] [string]) Establishes keywords for use by the next user input
function call

(nentsel [msg]) Prompts the user to select an object (entity) by

specifying a point, and provides access to the
definition data contained within a complex object

(nentselp [msg] [pt]) Provides similar functionality to that of the nentsel

function without the need for user input

Selection Set, Object, and Symbol Table Func-

tions
The selection set, object, and symbol table functions consist of selection set
manipulation, object-handling, extended data-handling, and symbol
table-handling functions.

142 | Chapter 3 Appendixes

Extended Data-Handling Functions
The following table provides summary descriptions of the AutoLISP extended
data-handling functions.

Extended data-handling functions

Function Description

(regapp application) Registers an application name with the current Auto-

CAD drawing in preparation for using extended object
data

(xdroom ename) Returns the amount of extended data (xdata) space

that is available for an object (entity)

(xdsize lst) Returns the size (in bytes) that a list occupies when it
is linked to an object (entity) as extended data

Object-Handling Functions
The following table provides summary descriptions of the AutoLISP
object-handling functions.

Object-handling functions

Function Description

(dumpallpropertiesename [context] Retrieves an entity’s supported properties

)

(entdel ename) Deletes objects (entities) or restores previously de-

leted objects

(entget ename [applist]) Retrieves an object's definition data

(entlast) Returns the name of the last nondeleted main ob-

ject in the drawing

AutoLISP Function Synopsis | 143

 Object-handling functions

Function Description

(entmake [elist]) Creates a new entity (graphical object) in the

drawing

(entmakex [elist]) Makes a new object, gives it a handle and entity

name (but does not assign an owner), and then
returns the new entity name

(entmod elist) Modifies the definition data of an object

(entnext [ename]) Returns the name of the next object in the drawing

(entupd ename) Updates the screen image of an object

(getpropertyvalueename property- Returns the current value of an entity’s property

name [or collectionName index
name] )

(handent handle) Returns an object name based on its handle

(ispropertyreadonlyename property- Returns the read-only state of an entity’s property

name [or collectionName index
name] )

(setpropertyvalueename property- Sets the property value for an entity

name value [or collectionname index
name val] )

144 | Chapter 3 Appendixes

Selection Set Manipulation Functions
The following table provides summary descriptions of the AutoLISP selection
set manipulation functions.

Selection set manipulation functions

Function Description

(ssadd [ename [ss]]) Adds an object (entity) to a selection set, or cre-

ates a new selection set

(ssdel ename ss) Deletes an object (entity) from a selection set

(ssget [mode] [pt1 [pt2]] [pt-list] Prompts the user to select objects (entities), and
[filter-list]) returns a selection set

(ssgetfirst) Determines which objects are selected and

gripped

(sslength ss) Returns an integer containing the number of ob-

jects (entities) in a selection set

(ssmemb ename ss) Tests whether an object (entity) is a member of a

selection set

(ssname ss index) Returns the object (entity) name of the indexed

element of a selection set

(ssnamex ss index) Retrieves information about how a selection set

was created

(sssetfirst gripset [pickset]) Sets which objects are selected and gripped

AutoLISP Function Synopsis | 145

 Symbol Table and Dictionary-Handling Functions
The following table provides summary descriptions of the AutoLISP symbol
table and dictionary-handling functions.

Symbol table and dictionary-handling functions

Function Description

(dictadd ename symbol newobj) Adds a non-graphical object to the specified

dictionary

(dictnext ename symbol [rewind]) Finds the next item in a dictionary

(dictremove ename symbol) Removes an entry from the specified diction-

ary

(dictrename ename oldsym newsym) Renames a dictionary entry

(dictsearch ename symbol [setnext]) Searches a dictionary for an item

(layoutlist) Returns a list of all paper space layouts in

the current drawing

(namedobjdict) Returns the entity name of the current

drawing's named object dictionary, which
is the root of all non-graphical objects in
the drawing

(setview view_description [vport_id]) Establishes a view for a specified viewport

(snvalid sym_name) Checks the symbol table name for valid

characters

(tblnext table-name [rewind]) Finds the next item in a symbol table

(tblobjname table-name symbol) Returns the entity name of a specified

symbol table entry

146 | Chapter 3 Appendixes

Symbol table and dictionary-handling functions

Function Description

(tblsearch table-name symbol [setnext]) Searches a symbol table for a symbol name

Memory Management Functions

The following table provides summary descriptions of the AutoLISP memory
management functions.

Memory management functions

Function Description

(alloc int) Sets the segment size to a given number of nodes

(expand number) Allocates node space by requesting a specified number

of segments

(gc) Forces a garbage collection, which frees up unused

memory

(mem) Displays the current state of memory in AutoLISP

VLX Namespace Functions

The VLX namespace functions listed below apply to separate-namespace VLX
applications. These functions allow separate-namespace VLX functions to be
accessible from a document namespace, enable the retrieval and updating of

AutoLISP Function Synopsis | 147

 variables in the associated document namespace, and provide error-handling
routines for separate-namespace VLX functions.

VLX namespace functions

Function Description

(vl-doc-ref symbol) Retrieves the value of a variable from the namespace

of the associated document

(vl-doc-set symbol value) Sets the value of a variable in the associated document's
namespace

(vl-exit-with-error “msg”) Passes control from a VLX error handler to the *error*
function of the associated document namespace

(vl-exit-with-value value) Returns a value to the document namespace from

which the VLX was invoked

Namespace Communication Functions

The namespace communication functions consist of blackboard addressing
and multi-document-loading functions.

Namespace communication functions

Function Description

(vl-bb-ref ' variable) Returns the value of a variable from the blackboard
namespace

(vl-bb-set ' variable value) Sets the value of a variable in the blackboard
namespace

(vl-load-all “filename”) Loads a file into all open AutoCAD documents, and
into any document subsequently opened during the
current AutoCAD session

148 | Chapter 3 Appendixes

 Namespace communication functions

Function Description

(vl-propagate ' variable) Copies the value of a variable into all open AutoCAD
documents, and into any document subsequently
opened during the current AutoCAD session

Property List (Plist) Functions

Property List functions query and update the Property List for AutoCAD.

Property List functions

Function Description

(vl-registry-delete reg-key Deletes the specified key or value from the

[ val-name]) Property List

(vl-registry-descendents reg-key Returns a list of subkeys or value names for the

[ val-names]) specified Property key

(vl-registry-read reg-key Returns data stored in the Property List for the
[ val-name]) specified key/value pair

(vl-registry-write reg-key Creates a key in the Property List

[ val-name val-data])

AutoLISP Error Codes

®
This appendix lists the AutoLISP error codes.

Error Codes
The following table shows the values of error codes generated by AutoLISP.
The ERRNO system variable is set to one of these values when an AutoLISP

AutoLISP Error Codes | 149

 function call causes an error that AutoCAD detects. AutoLISP applications can
inspect the current value of ERRNO with (getvar "errno").

The ERRNO system variable is not always cleared to zero. Unless it is inspected
immediately after an AutoLISP function has reported an error, the error that
its value indicates may be misleading. This variable is always cleared when
starting or opening a drawing.

NOTE The possible values ofERRNO, and their meanings, are subject to change.

Online program error codes

Value Meaning

0 No error

1 Invalid symbol table name

2 Invalid entity or selection set name

3 Exceeded maximum number of selection sets

4 Invalid selection set

5 Improper use of block definition

6 Improper use of xref

7 Object selection: pick failed

8 End of entity file

9 End of block definition file

10 Failed to find last entity

11 Illegal attempt to delete viewport object

12 Operation not allowed during PLINE

150 | Chapter 3 Appendixes

Online program error codes

Value Meaning

13 Invalid handle

14 Handles not enabled

15 Invalid arguments in coordinate transform request

16 Invalid space in coordinate transform request

17 Invalid use of deleted entity

18 Invalid table name

19 Invalid table function argument

20 Attempt to set a read-only variable

21 Zero value not allowed

22 Value out of range

23 Complex REGEN in progress

24 Attempt to change entity type

25 Bad layer name

26 Bad linetype name

27 Bad color name

28 Bad text style name

29 Bad shape name

AutoLISP Error Codes | 151

 Online program error codes

Value Meaning

30 Bad field for entity type

31 Attempt to modify deleted entity

32 Attempt to modify seqend subentity

33 Attempt to change handle

34 Attempt to modify viewport visibility

35 Entity on locked layer

36 Bad entity type

37 Bad polyline entity

38 Incomplete complex entity in block

39 Invalid block name field

40 Duplicate block flag fields

41 Duplicate block name fields

42 Bad normal vector

43 Missing block name

44 Missing block flags

45 Invalid anonymous block

46 Invalid block definition

152 | Chapter 3 Appendixes

Online program error codes

Value Meaning

47 Mandatory field missing

48 Unrecognized extended data (XDATA) type

49 Improper nesting of list in XDATA

50 Improper location of APPID field

51 Exceeded maximum XDATA size

52 Entity selection: null response

53 Duplicate APPID

54 Attempt to make or modify viewport entity

55 Attempt to make or modify an xref, xdef, or xdep

56 ssget filter: unexpected end of list

57 ssget filter: missing test operand

58 ssget filter: invalid opcode (-4) string

59 ssget filter: improper nesting or empty conditional clause

60 ssget filter: mismatched begin and end of conditional clause

61 ssget filter: wrong number of arguments in conditional clause (for NOT

or XOR)

62 ssget filter: exceeded maximum nesting limit

63 ssget filter: invalid group code

AutoLISP Error Codes | 153

 Online program error codes

Value Meaning

64 ssget filter: invalid string test

65 ssget filter: invalid vector test

66 ssget filter: invalid real test

67 ssget filter: invalid integer test

68 Digitizer is not a tablet

69 Tablet is not calibrated

70 Invalid tablet arguments

71 ADS error: Unable to allocate new result buffer

72 ADS error: Null pointer detected

73 Cannot open executable file

74 Application is already loaded

75 Maximum number of applications already loaded

76 Unable to execute application

77 Incompatible version number

78 Unable to unload nested application

79 Application refused to unload

80 Application is not currently loaded

154 | Chapter 3 Appendixes

Online program error codes

Value Meaning

81 Not enough memory to load application

82 ADS error: Invalid transformation matrix

83 ADS error: Invalid symbol name

84 ADS error: Invalid symbol value

85 AutoLISP/ADS operation prohibited while a dialog box was displayed

AutoLISP Error Codes | 155

156
Index
_ (underscore) commands
for foreign-language support 44 issuing with AutoLISP 43
" (quotation marks) redefining 32, 34
and parentheses in expressions 5 configuration control 47
using within quoted strings 18, 19 coordinate systems 70, 71
*error* function device access and control
overview 38, 41 functions 74
display control 47, 49
graphics and text windows 48
A low-level graphics 48, 49
accessing overview 47, 48
AutoCAD groups 117 foreign-language support 44
dictionary entries 116, 117 geometric utilities 55, 60
entities 92 finding angle between line and X
symbol table entries 114, 116 axis 55
user input 74 finding distance between two
summarized 136 points 55
adsfunc function 85, 86 finding intersection of two
alert function 40 lines 55
angles finding polar coordinates of
converting radians and degrees 64, points 55
65 overview 55, 56
converting to strings 62, 63 getting user input from 74
finding angle between line and X handling user input 49, 55
axis 55 pausing for input 44, 45
angtof function 64 inspecting and changing system and
angtos function 62, 63, 64 environment variables 47
angular values, converting radians or object snap 56
degrees 64, 65 objects, manipulating 74, 117
anonymous blocks 101 extended data 106, 113
append function 22 object-handling 86, 106
application-handling functions 122 selection set handling 75, 86
arbitrary data management 113 symbol table and dictionary
arithmetic functions 124, 125 access 114, 117
ASCII code conversions 65 xrecord objects 113
assoc function 27 passing pick points to
association lists 27 commands 45, 46
attaching data pausing for user input 44, 45
extended data to entities 111, 112 query and command functions 42,
AutoCAD 47
accessing AutoCAD groups 117 receiving user input from 74

157 | Index
 redefining AutoCAD commands 32, converting data types and units 61,
34 72
related publications 2 angular values from radians or
sending commands to AutoCAD degrees 64, 65
prompt 43 ASCII code conversions 65
text extents 56, 60 coordinate system
undoing commands issued with transformations 70, 72
command function 46 measurement unit
user input functions 49, 55 conversions 67, 69
accessing user input from point transformations 72
devices 74 string conversions 61, 64
allowable input 50 synopsis of functions 135
arbitrary keyboard input 54, 55 data types 6
controlling user-input function entity names 8, 9
conditions 52, 55 file descriptors 9
getting user input 49, 52 integers 6, 7
getxxx functions 49, 52 lists 8
input options 53 reals 7
keyword options 53, 54 selection sets 8
pausing for user input 44, 45 strings 8
validating input 55 symbols and variables 10
AutoCAD groups, accessing 117 device access and control
Autodesk World Wide Web site 2 functions 74
AutoLISP synopsis of 136
accessing AutoCAD groups 117 dictionary functions 116, 117
accessing user input with 74 display-control functions 137
application-handling functions 122 displaying messages with 17, 18
AutoCAD display control 47, 49 dotted pairs 26, 27
graphics and text windows 48 equality and conditional
low-level graphics 48, 49 functions 126
overview 47, 48 equality verification 21
closing files in programs 9 error codes 149
comments in program files 11 error-handling 38, 41, 126, 127
communicating with AutoCAD 42 exiting quietly 18
converting data types and expressions 3, 5
units 61, 72 extended data functions
device access and control 74 attaching extended data to
display control 47, 49 entities 111, 112
file-handling functions 72 filtering selection sets for
geometric utilities 55, 60 extended data 80
getting user input 49, 55 group codes for extended
query and command data 106
functions 42, 47 handles in extended data 112,
conditional branching and 113
looping 21 managing memory use 112
control characters in strings 18, 19

158 | Index
 organization of extended finding intersection of two
data 107, 109 lines 55
registration of finding polar coordinates of
applications 109, 110 points 55
retrieving extended data 106, object snap 56
110, 111 overview 55, 56
synopsis of 143 synopsis of 139
file-handling functions text extents 56, 60
file search 73, 74 integer overflow handling 6, 7
synopsis of 138, 139 interacting with users 74
foreign-language support 44 list processing functions 26, 27
formatting code 11 adding items to list
function synopsis (summary) 119 beginning 22, 23
basic functions 121, 134 combining lists 22
category summary 119, 120 dotted pairs 26, 27
memory management grouping related items 22
functions 147 point lists 23, 26
namespace communication retrieving items from lists 21,
functions 149 22
Property List functions 149 returning all but first
selection set, object, and symbol element 22
table functions 147 substituting items 22, 23
utility functions 134, 142 synopsis of 131
VLX namespace functions 147 manipulating AutoCAD objects 74,
function syntax 5 117
function-handling 28, 38 extended data 106, 113
adding commands 31 object-handling 86, 106
c\ selection set handling 75, 86
xxx functions 30, 34 symbol table and dictionary
defining functions 28, 29 access 114, 117
defining functions with xrecord objects 113
arguments 36, 38 matching parentheses 4
defun function 28, 37 memory management
defun-q function 29 functions 147
local variables in functions 34, namespace communication
36 functions 149
redefining AutoCAD number handling 14
commands 32, 34 object-handling functions 86, 106
special forms 37, 38 blocks and 89, 92
synopsis of functions 127, 128 entity access functions 92
functions, as lists 29 entity data functions 92, 102
geometric utilities 55, 60 entity name functions 86, 92
finding angle between line and X extended data 106, 113
axis 55 non-graphic
finding distance between two object-handling 104,
points 55 106

Index | 159
 polylines (old-style and synopsis of 145, 146
lightweight) 103 testing whether an entity is a
selection sets 75, 86 member 84
symbol table and dictionary selection set, object
entries 114, 117 and symbol table
synopsis of 145 functions 142, 147
xrecord objects 113 spaces in code 11
output functions 16, 21 special forms 37, 38
control characters in quoted string-handling 14, 16, 133
strings 18, 19 symbol and function-handling 28,
displaying messages 17, 18 38
wild-card matching 20, 21 symbol table access functions 114,
predefined variables 13, 14 116
program files 11 symbol-handling 28, 134
comments 11 undoing commands issued with
formatting code 11 command function 46
Property List functions 149 user input functions
query and command functions 42, accessing user input from
47 devices 74
configuration control 47 allowable input 50
foreign-language support 44 arbitrary keyboard input 54, 55
inspecting and changing system controlling user-input function
and environment conditions 52, 55
variables 47 getting user input 49, 52
passing pick points to AutoCAD getxxx functions 49, 52
commands 45, 46 input options 53
pausing for user input 44, 45 keyword options 53, 54
sending commands to AutoCAD pausing for user input 44, 45
prompt 43 synopsis of 142
synopsis of 141 validating input 55
undoing commands issued with utility functions 134, 142
command function 46 conversion functions 135
referring to entities for multiple device access functions 136
sessions 9 display-control functions 137
selection set handling functions 75, file-handling functions 138,
86 139
adding entities 83, 84 geometric functions 139
creating selection sets 75, 77 query and command
deleting entities 83, 84 functions 141
finding number of entities 84, user input functions 142
85 variables
passing selection sets between assigning values to 10, 12
AutoLISP and ObjectARX data type 10, 12
applications 85, 86 displaying value of 13
returning entity names 84 nil variables 13
selection set filter lists 77, 85 predefined 13, 14

160 | Index
 Visual LISP extended functions close function 9
VLX namespace functions 147 closing
xrecord objects 113 files in AutoLISP programs 9
combining lists 22
combining strings in AutoLISP 15
B command function
backslash foreign-language support 44
for control characters in quoted passing pick points to AutoCAD
strings 18, 19 commands 45, 46
using within quoted strings 18, 19 pausing for user input 44, 45
backslash (\\) sending commands to AutoCAD
for control characters in quoted prompt 43
strings 18, 19 undoing commands 46
using within quoted strings 18, 19 comments
balance of parentheses, checking in in AutoLISP program files 11
VLISP 4 in unit definition file 69
blocks concatenating strings in AutoLISP 15
working with 101 conditional branching and looping in
AutoLISP 21
configuration control 47
C cons function
adding items to list beginning 22
c\ creating dotted pairs 26, 27
xxx functions 30, 34 control characters
caddr function 25 in quoted strings 18, 19
cadr function 24, 25, 26 controlling AutoCAD display 47, 49
car function graphics and text windows 48
for point lists 24, 25, 26 low-level graphics 48, 49
handling dotted pairs 27 menus 48
retrieving items from lists 22 overview 47, 48
case (of text and symbols) conversion functions 61, 72
automatic changing of by angular values from radians or
AutoLISP 14 degrees 64, 65
converting with strcase ASCII code conversions 65
function 14, 15 coordinate system
equality checking and 21 transformations 70, 72
symbols, automatic case changing AutoCAD coordinate
of 14 systems 70, 71
case sensitivity overview 70
comparison functions and 21 point transformations 72
of equality functions 21 specifying coordinate
of grouping operators 83 systems 71
of input functions 53 valid integer codes 72
of symbol names 10 measurement unit conversions 67,
cdr function 69
handling dotted pairs 27 point transformations 72
returning all but first list element 22

Index | 161
 string conversions 61, 64 redefining AutoCAD commands 32,
synopsis of 135 34
converting string case 14, 15 defun-q function 64, 65
coordinate system transformations degrees, converting to radians 65
AutoCAD coordinate systems 70, deleting
71 entities 93
entity context and coordinate selection set entities 83, 84
transform data 88, 92 stripping file extensions 15, 16
overview 70 derived units 69
point transformations 72 device access and control functions 74
specifying coordinate systems 71 accessing user input 74
valid integer codes 72 synopsis of 136
creating dictionary and symbol table handling
complex entities 98, 100 functions 147
selection sets 75, 77 dictionary functions 116, 117
curve-fit polylines, processing 103 dictionary objects 106
Customization Guide 2 dictnext function 116
cvunit function 67 dictsearch function 116, 117
display control functions 137
Display Coordinate System 70, 71
D displaying
data types controlling AutoCAD display 47, 49
AutoLISP graphics and text windows 48
entity names 8, 9 low-level graphics 48, 49
file descriptors 9 menus 48
integers 6, 7 overview 47, 48
lists 8 display control functions 136, 137
overview 6 messages in AutoLISP 17, 18
reals 7 variable values 13
selection sets 8 distof function 63
strings 8 dotted pairs 26, 27
symbols 10 drawing area and entity data
variables 10, 12 functions 102
extended data organization 107, drawings
109 adding entities to 96, 98
defining new units 68 DXF Reference 2
defun function 28, 37
adding commands 31 E
c\
xxx functions 30, 34 entdel function 93
compatibility with AutoCAD entget function 93, 95, 106, 110, 111
versions 29 entities
defining functions 28, 29 adding to drawings 96, 98
with arguments 36, 38 blocks 101
local variables in functions 34, 36 changing 95, 96
complex 93, 98

162 | Index
 handles and use of 87, 88 polylines and 103
modifying 95, 96 symbol table objects and 104
names, obtaining 86, 87 entnext function 87, 103
obtaining information on 93, 95 entsel function 86
referring to across multiple entupd function 102
sessions 9 environment variables, inspecting and
entity access functions 92 changing 47
entity data functions 92, 102 equality and conditional functions 126
adding entities to drawings 96, 98 equality verification in AutoLISP 21
anonymous blocks 101 ERRNO system variable 149
creating complex entities 98, 100 error codes
deleting entities 93 AutoLISP 149
drawing area and 102 errors
modifying entities 95, 96 *error* function 39
obtaining entity information 93, 95 AutoLISP error handling 38, 41
working with blocks 101 catching and continuing
entity filter lists for selection sets 77, 85 execution 41
examples 77, 78 continuing after 41
filtering for extended data 80 error-handling functions 38, 40, 127
logical grouping of filter tests 82, intercepting with
83 vl-catch-all-apply 41
overview 77, 79 vl-catch-all-apply, using 41
relational tests 80, 82 escape codes in strings 18, 19
selection set manipulation 83, 85 exiting
wild-card patterns in 79 quietly in AutoLISP 18
entity name data type expressions
defined 8 AutoLISP 3, 5
overview 8, 9 form for 3, 4
referring to entities across multiple function syntax 5
sessions 9 matching parentheses 4
entity name functions 86, 92 quotation marks and parentheses 5
entity access functions 92 extended data 106, 113
entity context and coordinate attaching to entities 111, 112
transform data 88, 92 filtering selection sets for 80
entity handles and their uses 87, 88 group codes for 106
overview 86, 87 handles in 112, 113
retrieving entity names 86, 87 managing memory use 112
setting entity name to variable organization of 107, 109
name 87 registration of applications 109, 110
entlast function 87 retrieving 106, 110, 111
entmake function 96, 101, 104 synopsis of 143
entmod function
dictionary objects and 106
drawing area and 102
F
modifying entities 95, 96 file descriptor data type
non-graphic object handling 104 defined 9

Index | 163
 overview 9 functions
file extensions application-handling 121, 122
stripping 15 arithmetic 122, 124
file-handling functions 72, 138, 139 as AutoCAD commands 30, 34
file search 73, 74 as lists 30, 34
synopsis of 138, 139 c\
files xxx functions 30, 34
AutoLISP program files 11 controlling AutoCAD display 47, 49
comments 11 graphics and text windows 48
formatting code 11 low-level graphics 48, 49
closing in AutoLISP programs 9 menus 48
file-handling functions 72, 138, 139 overview 47, 48
file search 73, 74 conversion functions
synopsis of 138, 139 angular values from radians or
stripping file extensions 15 degrees 64, 65
unit definition file 67, 69 ASCII code conversions 65
filter lists for selection sets 77, 85 coordinate system
examples 77, 78 transformations 70, 72
filtering for extended data 80 measurement unit
logical grouping of filter tests 82, conversions 67, 69
83 point transformations 72
overview 77, 79 string conversions 61, 64
relational tests 80, 82 synopsis of 134, 135
selection set manipulation 83, 85 device access and control
wild-card patterns in 79 synopsis of 135
findfile function 73 device access and control
floating point numbers, distance to functions 74
floating point function 63 accessing user input 74
forcing line breaks in strings 19 dictionary functions 116, 117
foreign-language support 44 display control functions 137
formatting code 11 entity access functions 92
function-handling functions 28, 38 entity data functions 92, 102
adding commands 31 adding entities to drawings 96,
c\ 98
xxx functions 30, 34 anonymous blocks 101
defining functions 28, 29 creating complex entities 98,
defining functions with 100
arguments 36, 38 deleting entities 93
defun function 28, 37 drawing area and 102
defun-q function 34, 36 modifying entities 95, 96
local variables in functions 34, 36 obtaining entity
redefining AutoCAD commands 32, information 93, 95
34 working with blocks 101
special forms 37, 38 entity name functions 86, 92
synopsis of 128 entity access functions 92

164 | Index
 entity context and coordinate geometric utilities 55, 60
transform data 88, 92 finding angle between line and X
entity handles and their axis 55
uses 87, 88 finding distance between two
overview 86, 87 points 55
retrieving entity names 86, 87 finding intersection of two
setting entity name to variable lines 55
name 87 finding polar coordinates of
equality and conditional 125, 126 points 55
error-handling 126 object snap 56
extended data functions 106, 113 overview 55, 56
attaching extended data to synopsis of 139
entities 111, 112 text extents 56, 60
filtering selection sets for list handling
extended data 80 synopsis of 131
group codes for extended list handling functions 26, 27
data 106 adding items to list
handles in extended data 112, beginning 22, 23
113 combining lists 22
managing memory use 112 dotted pairs 26, 27
organization of extended grouping related items 22
data 107, 109 point lists 23, 26
registration of retrieving items from lists 21,
applications 109, 110 22
retrieving extended data 106, returning all but first
110, 111 element 22
synopsis of 143 substituting items 22, 23
file-handling functions 72 local variables in 34, 36
file search 73, 74 making available
synopsis of 137, 138 as AutoCAD commands 30, 34
function-handling memory management
synopsis of 128 functions 147
function-handling functions 28, 38 namespace communication
adding commands 31 functions 149
c\ number handling in AutoLISP 14
xxx functions 30, 34 object-handling functions
defining functions 28, 29 entity access functions 92
defining functions with entity data functions 92, 102
arguments 36, 38 entity name functions 86, 92
local variables in functions 34, non-graphic
36 object-handling 104,
redefining AutoCAD 106
commands 32, 34 polylines, old-style and
special forms 37, 38 lightweight 103
synopsis of 145

Index | 165
 output functions 16, 21 selection set, object, and symbol
control characters in quoted table functions 142,
strings 18, 19 147
displaying messages 17, 18 symbol-handling functions 134
wild-card matching 20, 21 utility functions 134, 142
Property List functions 149 VLX namespace functions 147
query and command functions symbol table access functions 114,
configuration control 47 116
foreign-language support 44 syntax conventions in AutoLISP 5
inspecting and changing system user input functions
and environment accessing user input from
variables 47 devices 74
passing pick points to AutoCAD allowable input 50
commands 45, 46 arbitrary keyboard input 54, 55
pausing for user input 44, 45 controlling user-input
sending commands to AutoCAD conditions 52, 55
prompt 43 getting user input 49, 52
synopsis of 141 getxxx functions 49, 52
undoing commands issued with input options 53
command function 46 keyword options 53, 54
selection set handling functions pausing for user input 44, 45
adding entities 83, 84 synopsis of 142
creating selection sets 75, 77 validating input 55
deleting entities 83, 84 user-defined
finding number of entities 84, defining with defun 28, 37
85 Visual LISP extensions
passing selection sets between VLX namespace functions 147
AutoLISP and ObjectARX VLX namespace functions 147
applications 85, 86 fundamental units 68
returning entity names 84
selection set filter lists 77, 85
synopsis of 145, 146
G
testing whether an entity is a garbage collection 85, 147
member 84 geometric utilities 55, 60, 139
special forms 37, 38 finding
string-handling 133 angle between line and X
summary of axis 55
basic functions 121, 134 distance between two points 55
category summary 119 intersection of two lines 55
memory management polar coordinates of points 55
functions 147 object snap 56
namespace communication overview 55, 56
functions 149 synopsis of 139
Property List functions 149 text extents 56, 60
getangle function 50, 51
getcorner function 49, 50

166 | Index
getdist function 49, 50 overflow handling by AutoLISP 6,
getenv function 47 7
getfiled function 73, 74 overview 6, 7
getint function 49, 50 intercepting program errors 41
getkword function 50, 52 international language considerations 44
getorient function 50, 51
getpoint function 49, 50
getreal function 49, 50
L
getstring function 49, 50 languages, supporting foreign 44
getting user input 49, 55 lines (graphic)
accessing user input from devices 74 finding angle between line and X
allowable input 50 axis 55
arbitrary keyboard input 54, 55 finding intersection of two lines 55
controlling user-input function old-style and lightweight
conditions 52, 55 polylines 103
getxxx functions 49, 52 processing curve-fit and spline-fit
input options 53 polylines 103
keyword options 53, 54 lines (text)
pausing for user input 44, 45 forcing line breaks in strings 19
validating input 55 list data type
getvar function 47 defined 8
getxxx functions 49, 55 overview 8
graphscr function 48 list function
grdraw function 48, 49 forming point lists 23
group codes for regular and extended grouping related items 22
data 106, 107 list handling
grread function 74 adding items to list beginning 22,
grtext function 48, 49 23
grvecs function 48, 49 association lists 27
combining lists 22
H creating lists 22, 27
dotted pairs 26, 27
handent function 87, 88, 112 grouping related items 22
handles improper lists 26
entity handles and their uses 87, 88 point lists 23, 26
in extended data 112, 113 proper lists 26
retrieving items from lists 21, 22
returning all but first element 22
I substituting items 22, 23
improper lists 26 synopsis of 128, 131
inches, converting to meters 67 local variables 34, 36
initget function 51, 52, 55
integer data type M
defined 6
number handling in AutoLISP 14 manipulating AutoCAD objects 74, 117
extended data 106, 113

Index | 167
 object-handling 86, 106 O
selection set handling 75, 86
symbol table and dictionary Object Coordinate System 70
access 114, 117 Object Snap modes 56
xrecord objects 113 ObjectARX applications
matching parentheses passing selection sets between
in AutoLISP code 4 AutoLISP and 85, 86
matching wild-cards in strings 20, 21 ObjectARX Reference 2
measurement unit conversions 67, 69 objects
memory dictionary objects 106
freeing 85, 147 entity access functions 92
garbage collection 85, 147 entity data functions 92, 102
managing extended data memory adding entities to drawings 96,
use 112 98
memory management anonymous blocks 101
functions 147 creating complex entities 98,
menucmd function 48 100
menus (AutoCAD) deleting entities 93
controlling 48 drawing area and 102
meters, converting inches to 67 modifying entities 95, 96
obtaining entity
information 93, 95
N working with blocks 101
names/naming entity name functions 86, 92
entity name functions 86, 92 entity access functions 92
setting entity name to variable entity context and coordinate
name 87 transform data 88, 92
stripping file extensions 15, 16 entity handles and their
symbol naming restrictions 10 uses 87, 88
symbol table entries that cannot be overview 86, 87
renamed 105 retrieving entity names 86, 87
variables 10 setting entity name to variable
namespaces name 87
namespace communication manipulating AutoCAD objects 74,
functions 148, 149 117
VLX namespace functions 147 extended data 106, 113
nentsel function 86, 88, 92 object-handling 86, 106
nentselp function 88, 91 selection set handling 75, 86
newline character 19 symbol table and dictionary
nil variables access 114, 117
exiting quietly 18 xrecord objects 113
overview 13 modifying
nth function 21, 22 with entmod 95, 96
ntmod function, anonymous blocks object-handling functions 86, 106
and 101 entity access functions 92
number handling in AutoLISP 14 entity data functions 92, 102

168 | Index
 entity name functions 86, 92 pick points, passing to AutoCAD
non-graphic commands 45, 46
object-handling 104, point lists 23, 26
106 points
polylines, old-style and coordinate system
lightweight 103 transformations 70, 72
synopsis of 143 finding distance between 55
selection set handling functions finding polar coordinates of 55
adding entities 83, 84 transformations 72
creating selection sets 75, 77 polylines
deleting entities 83, 84 old-style and lightweight 103
finding number of entities 84, processing curve-fit and spline-fit
85 polylines 103
passing selection sets between predefined variables, AutoLISP 13, 14
AutoLISP and ObjectARX prin1 function 17
applications 85, 86 princ function
returning entity names 84 exiting quietly 18
selection set filter lists 77, 85 output display from 17
synopsis of 145, 146 print function 17
testing whether an entity is a printing
member 84 messages in AutoLISP 17, 18
symbol table objects 104, 105 prompt function 17
xrecord objects 113 proper lists 26
obtaining entity information 93, 95 Property List functions 149
operators, relational, for selection set filter Property List functions for Mac 149
lists 80, 82
osnap function 56
output functions 16, 21
Q
control characters in quoted query and command functions
strings 18, 19 configuration control 47
displaying messages 17, 18 foreign-language support 44
wild-card matching 20, 21 inspecting and changing system and
environment variables 47
P passing pick points to AutoCAD
commands 45, 46
Paper Space DCS 71 pausing for user input 44, 45
parentheses sending commands to AutoCAD
matching in AutoLISP code 4 prompt 43
passing pick points to AutoCAD synopsis of 139
commands 45, 46 undoing commands issued with
passing selection sets between AutoLISP command function 46
and ObjectARX quotation marks
applications 85, 86 and parentheses in expressions 5
PAUSE symbol 13, 44, 45 using within quoted strings 18, 19
pausing for user input 44, 45 quote function, forming point lists 24
PI variable 13

Index | 169
quoted strings selection set handling functions 75, 86,
control characters in 18, 19 145, 146
selection sets
adding entities to 83, 84
R creating 75, 77
radians deleting entities from 83, 84
converting degrees to 64, 65 filter lists 77, 85
converting to degrees 64, 65 examples 77, 78
read-char function 74 filtering for extended data 80
read-line function 74 logical grouping of filter
real data type tests 82, 83
converting to string 61, 62 overview 77, 79
defined 7 relational tests 80, 82
number handling in AutoLISP 14 selection set manipulation 83,
overview 7 85
scientific notation for 7 wild-card patterns in 79
redefining AutoCAD commands 32, 34 finding number of entities 84, 85
redraw function 48 passing between AutoLISP and
regapp function 109, 111 ObjectARX
registration of applications 109, 110 applications 85, 86
relational operators for selection set filter returning entity names 84
lists synopsis of functions for
logical grouping of 82, 83 handling 145
overview 80, 82 testing whether an entity is a
replacing member 84
list items 22, 23 sending commands to AutoCAD
restrictions prompt 43
restricted characters 10 setq function 12
symbol naming restrictions 10 setvar function 47
retrieving single quotation mark, forming point
entity names 86, 87 lists 24
extended data 106, 110, 111 Snap modes 56
items from lists 21, 22 spaces
return character in quoted strings 19 in AutoLISP code 11
rtos function 61, 62 special characters
control characters in quoted
strings 18, 19
S relational operators for selection set
filter lists 80, 82
scientific notation for reals 7 special forms 37, 38
searching spline-fit polylines, processing 103
for file names 73, 74 ssadd function 83, 84
selecting ssdel function 83, 85
entities 86, 88, 92 ssget function
objects 86, 88, 92 creating selection sets 75, 77
selection set data type selection set filter lists 77, 85
defined 8

170 | Index
sslength function 84, 85 and dictionary handling
ssmemb function 84 functions 146
ssname function 84 entries that cannot be
storing arbitrary data 113 modified 105
strcase function 14, 15 entries that cannot be
strcat function 15 renamed 105
string data type objects 104, 105
defined 8 symbol-handling functions 133, 134
overview 8 system variables
strings ERRNO 149
ASCII code conversions 65 specifying values 47
AutoLISP output functions 16, 21
AutoLISP string-handling 14, 16
concatenating 15
T
control characters in quoted T symbol 13
strings 18, 19 TAB character in quoted strings 19
converting angles to 62, 63 tblnext function 115, 116
converting case 14, 15 tblsearch function 115, 116
converting reals to 61, 62 terpri function 19
DIESEL string expressions 48 text extents 56, 60
displaying messages 17, 18 textbox function 56, 60
finding number of characters 15 textpage function 48
forcing line breaks in 19 textscr function 48
returning substrings 15, 16 trans function 70, 72
string conversions 61, 64
string-handling functions 131, 133
stripping file extensions 15, 16 U
wild-card matching 20, 21
stripping file extensions 15, 16 unbalanced parentheses, checking in
strlen function 15, 16 AutoLISP 4
subst function 22, 23 underscore (_)
substituting list items 22, 23 for foreign-language support 44
substr function 15, 16 undoing
symbol table commands issued with command
names 21 function 46
objects 104, 105 unit conversions 67, 69
symbols inches to meters 67
AutoLISP data type 10 overview 67
AutoLISP symbol-handling 28 unit definition file 67, 69
case setting of 10, 21 unit definition file 67, 69
defined 10 defining new units 68
naming restrictions 10 derived units 69
PAUSE symbol 44, 45 fundamental units 68
restricted characters 10 user comments 69
symbol table valid name definitions 68
access functions 114, 116 updating
entities 95, 96

Index | 171
user comments 69 case sensitivity of 10
User Coordinate System 70 defined 10
user input functions displaying values 13
accessing user input from devices 74 environment variables, inspecting and
allowable input 50 changing 47
arbitrary keyboard input 54, 55 local variables in functions 34, 36
controlling user-input names, case and 10
conditions 52, 55 naming 10
getting user input 49, 52 nil variables 13
getxxx functions 49, 52 predefined 13, 14
input options 53 system variables
keyword options 53, 54 specifying values 47
pausing for user input 44, 45 Visual LISP extended functions
synopsis of 141, 142 VLX namespace functions 147
validating input 55 vl-catch-all-apply 41
user-defined functions VLX namespace functions 147
defining with defun function 28,
37
adding commands 31
W
c\ wcmatch function 20, 21
xxx functions 30, 34 Web site for Autodesk 2
compatibility with AutoCAD wild-card characters
versions 29 in filter lists for selection sets 79
local variables in functions 34, matching in strings 20, 21
36 windows
redefining AutoCAD controlling AutoCAD graphics and
commands 32, 34 text windows 48
with arguments 36, 38 World Coordinate System 70
World Wide Web site for Autodesk 2
V
valid name definitions 68
X
variables xdroom function 112
assigning values 10, 12 xdsize function 112
AutoLISP 12, 14 xrecord objects 113
AutoLISP data type 10

172 | Index