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Metaspec: The DpANS3R Common Lisp Spec in S-Expr and HTML Format

Metaspec: The DpANS3R Common Lisp Spec in S-Expr and HTML Format

by dlowe-net·Jun 24, 2026·4 points·0 comments

AI Analysis

●●SolidNiche GemCozy

Parseable Common Lisp spec with 145+ corrections where Hyperspec falls short.

Strengths
  • s-doc intermediate format enables programmatic spec access that Hyperspec HTML cannot provide
  • 145+ content patches fix actual errors in the original ANSI specification draft
  • MathML rendering and progressive enhancement show thoughtful technical execution
Weaknesses
  • Extremely narrow audience—Common Lisp developers are a small, shrinking community
  • Documentation infrastructure rather than a standalone tool limits broader appeal
Target Audience

Common Lisp developers and tool builders

Similar To

Common Lisp Hyperspec

Post Description

I started this project back in 2015, to translate the TeX original specification into an easily parsed format (s-doc), and to create an HTML rendering of that format as a proof of concept.

The project is homed here: https://codeberg.org/dlowe/metaspectre/

Differences from the Hyperspec (from the README):

- Most importantly, it is free to modify and distribute. - The original TeX is very hard to parse and use for things other than generating a printed copy. The Hyperspec is an HTML rendering which can be parsed as HTML, but loses a lot of information. The Metaspec has an easily parsed intermediate form that can be used for all kinds of purposes, like converting into lookups. - Math equations are rendered using MathML. - Includes the acknowledgements and appendix sections. - Uses progressively enhanced Javascript to provide search and light/dark theme switching. - Incorporates over 145 patches for content, using corrections accumulated over the years, and documented in the errata page. - Includes TeX comments, which can contain interesting historical data. - Includes links and identifiers to bibliographical references.

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