## Extensions to the R5RS standard

### Identifiers

Identifiers may contain special characters if delimited with `| ... |`.

### Brackets and braces

The brackets `[ ... ]` and the braces `{ ... }` are provided as an alternative syntax for `( ... )`. A number of reader extensions is provided.

### Non-standard procedures and syntax

CHICKEN provides numerous non-standard procedures. See the manual sections on the included library modules (Included modules) for more information. Here we only document `cond-expand` because it is always present in a module, even without imports.

#### cond-expand

`(cond-expand FEATURE-CLAUSE ...)`syntax

  Expands by selecting feature clauses. This form is allowed to appear in non-toplevel expressions.

  Predefined feature-identifiers are "situation" specific:

  compile
    `chicken`, `chicken-5`, `compiling`, `library`, `eval`, `extras`, `regex`, `srfi-0`, `srfi-2`, `srfi-4`, `srfi-6`, `srfi-8`, `srfi-9`, `srfi-10`, `srfi-11`, `srfi-12`, `srfi-15`, `srfi-16`, `srfi-17`, `srfi-23`, `srfi-26`, `srfi-28`, `srfi-30`, `srfi-31`, `srfi-39`, `srfi-55`, `srfi-61`, `srfi-62`
  load
    `chicken`, `chicken-5`, `extras`, `srfi-0`, `srfi-2`, `srfi-6`, `srfi-8`, `srfi-9`, `srfi-10`, `srfi-12`, `srfi-17`, `srfi-23`, `srfi-28`, `srfi-30`, `srfi-39`, `srfi-55`, `srfi-61`, `srfi-62`. `library` is implicit.
  eval
    `csi`, `chicken`, `chicken-5`, `extras`, `srfi-0`, `srfi-2`, `srfi-6`, `srfi-8`, `srfi-9`, `srfi-10`, `srfi-11`, `srfi-12`, `srfi-15`, `srfi-16`, `srfi-17`, `srfi-23`, `srfi-26`, `srfi-28`, `srfi-30`, `srfi-31`, `srfi-39`, `srfi-55`, `srfi-61`, `srfi-62`. `library` is implicit.

  Also, features of the form `chicken-5.X`, where `X` denotes the minor version, are available.

  The symbols returned by the following procedures from (chicken platform) are also available as feature-identifiers in all situations: `(machine-byte-order)`, `(machine-type)`, `(software-type)`, `(software-version)`. For example, the `machine-type` class of feature-identifiers include `arm`, `alpha`, `mips`, etc.

  The (chicken platform) module also provides a function `(features)` that returns a list of all registered features.

  In addition the following feature-identifiers may exist: `cross-chicken`, `dload`, `manyargs`, `ptables`.

  For further information, see the documentation for SRFI-0.

### User defined character names

User defined character names are supported. See `char-name`. Characters can be given in hexadecimal notation using the #\xXX syntax where XX specifies the character code. Character codes above 255 are supported and can be read (and are written) using the #\uXXXX and #\UXXXXXXXX notations.

Non-standard characters names supported are `#\tab`, `#\linefeed`, `#\return`, `#\alarm`, `#\vtab`, `#\nul`, `#\page`, `#\esc`, `#\delete` and `#\backspace`.

### Special characters in strings

CHICKEN supports special characters preceded with a backslash \ in quoted string constants. \n denotes the newline-character, \r carriage return, \b backspace, \t TAB, \v vertical TAB, \a alarm, \f formfeed, \xXX a character with the code `XX` in hex and \uXXXX (and \UXXXXXXXX) a unicode character with the code `XXXX`. The latter is encoded in UTF-8 format.

## Non-standard read syntax

### Escapes in symbols

`| ... |` may be used to escape a sequence of characters when reading a symbol. `\X` escapes a single character in a symbols name:

     (symbol->string '|abc def|)       =>   "abc def"
     (symbol->string '|abc||def|)      =>   "abcdef"
     (symbol->string '|abc|xyz|def|)   =>   "abcxyzdef"
     (symbol->string '|abc\|def|)      =>   "abc|def"
     (symbol->string 'abc\ def)        =>   "abc def"

### Multiline Block Comment

`#|`read

      #| ... |#

  A multiline block comment. May be nested. Implements SRFI-30.

### Expression Comment

`#;`read

      #;EXPRESSION

  Treats `EXPRESSION` as a comment. That is, the comment runs through the whole S-expression, regardless of newlines, which saves you from having to comment out every line, or add a newline in the middle of your parens to make the commenting of the last line work, or other things like that. Implements SRFI-62.

### External Representation

`#,`read

      #,(CONSTRUCTORNAME DATUM ...)

  Allows user-defined extension of external representations. (For more information see the documentation for SRFI-10)

### Location Expression

`#$EXPRESSION` read

  An abbreviation for `(location EXPRESSION)`.

### Blob literals

`#${`read

       #${ HEX ... }

  Syntax for literal "blobs" (byte-sequences). Expects hexadecimal digits and ignores any whitespace characters:

       #;1> ,d '#${deadbee f}
       blob of size 4:
          0: de ad be ef                                     ....

### Keyword

`#:`read

      #:SYMBOL
      SYMBOL:
      :SYMBOL

  Syntax for keywords. Keywords are symbol-like objects that evaluate to themselves, and as such don't have to be quoted. Either `SYMBOL:` or `:SYMBOL` is accepted, depending on the setting of the `keyword-style` parameter, but never both. `#:SYMBOL` is always accepted.

### Multiline String Constant

`#<<`read

      #<<TAG

  Specifies a multiline string constant. Anything up to a line equal to `TAG` (or end of file) will be returned as a single string:

      (define msg #<<END
       "Hello, world!", she said.
      END
      )

  is equivalent to

      (define msg "\"Hello, world!\", she said.")

### Multiline String Constant with Embedded Expressions

`#<#`read

      #<#TAG

  Similar to `#<<`, but allows substitution of embedded Scheme expressions prefixed with `#` and optionally enclosed in curly brackets. Two consecutive `#`s are translated to a single `#`:

      (define three 3)
      (display #<#EOF
      This is a simple string with an embedded `##' character
      and substituted expressions: (+ three 99) ==> #(+ three 99)
      (three is "#{three}")
      EOF
      )

  prints

      This is a simple string with an embedded `#' character
      and substituted expressions: (+ three 99) ==> 102
      (three is "3")

### Foreign Declare

`#>`read

      #> ... <#

  Abbreviation for `(foreign-declare " ... ")`.

### String escape sequences

String-literals may contain the following escape sequences:

Escape sequence | Character
--- | ---
`\n` | line feed / newline
`\t` | tab
`\r` | carriage return
`\b` | backspace
`\a` | bell
`\v` | vertical tab
`\f` | form feed
`\x` XX | hexadecimal 8-bit character code
`\u` XXXX | hexadecimal 16-bit Unicode character code
`\U` XXXXXXXX | hexadecimal 32-bit Unicode character code
`\`OOO | octal 8-bit character code
`\|` `\"` `\\` `\'` | the escaped character

### Bang

`#!`read

      #!...

  Interpretation depends on the directly following characters. Only the following are recognized. Any other case results in a read error.

  Line Comment
    If followed by whitespace or a slash, then everything up the end of the current line is ignored
  Eof Object
    If followed by the character sequence `eof`, then the (self-evaluating) end-of-file object is returned
  DSSSL Formal Parameter List Annotation
    If followed by any of the character sequences `optional`, `rest` or `key`, then a symbol with the same name (and prefixed with `#!`) is returned
  Read Mark Invocation
    If a read mark with the same name as the token is registered, then its procedure is called and the result of the read-mark procedure will be returned

### Case Sensitive Expression

`#cs` read

      #cs...

  Read the next expression in case-sensitive mode (regardless of the current global setting).

### Case Insensitive Expression

`#ci` read

      #ci...

  Read the next expression in case-insensitive mode (regardless of the current global setting).

### Conditional Expansion

`#+`read

      #+FEATURE EXPR

  Rewrites to

      (cond-expand (FEATURE EXPR) (else))

  and performs the feature test at macroexpansion time. Therefore, it may not work as expected when used within a macro form.

Previous: Deviations from the standard

Next: Debugging