Prolog state
Author: Daniel Diaz
Keywords: GNU Prolog, manual, Prolog, compiler, constraints, finite domains

### 8.22 Prolog state

- set_prolog_flag/2
- current_prolog_flag/2
- set_bip_name/2
- current_bip_name/2
- write_pl_state_file/1, read_pl_state_file/1

#### 8.22.1 set_prolog_flag/2

Templates

  set_prolog_flag(+flag, +term)

Description

set_prolog_flag(Flag, Value) sets the value of the Prolog flag Flag to Value.

Prolog flags: a Prolog flag is an atom which is associated with a value that is either implementation defined or defined by the user. Each flag has a permitted range of values; any other value is a domain_error. The following two tables present available flags, the possible values, a description and if they are ISO or an extension. The first table presents unchangeable flags while the second one the changeable flags. For flags whose default values is machine independent, this value is underlined.

Unchangeable flags:

Flag | Values | Description | ISO
prolog_name | an atom | name of the Prolog system | N
prolog_version | an atom | version number of the Prolog system | N
prolog_date | an atom | date of the Prolog system | N
prolog_copyright | an atom | copyright message of the Prolog system | N
dialect | an atom | fixed to gprolog | N
version | an integer | Major * 10000 + Minor * 100 + Patch | N
version_data | a structure | gprolog(Major,Minor,Patch,Extra) | N
bounded | true / false | are integers bounded ? | Y
max_integer | an integer | greatest integer | Y
min_integer | an integer | smallest integer | Y
integer_rounding_function | toward_zero down | rnd(X) = integer part of X rnd(X) = ⌊X⌋ (section 8.6.1) | Y
max_arity | an integer | maximum arity for compound terms (255) | Y
max_atom | an integer | maximum number of atoms | N
max_unget | an integer | maximum number of successive ungets | N
home | an atom | GNU Prolog home directory | N
host_os | an atom | Operating System identifier | N
host_vendor | an atom | Operating System vendor | N
host_cpu | an atom | processor identifier | N
host | an atom | a combination of the OS-vendor-cpu | N
arch | an atom | a combination of the OS-cpu | N
address_bits | an integer | address size of the machine (32 or 64) | N
unix | on/off | is the architecture an Unix-like OS ? | N
compiled_at | an atom | compilation date using __DATE__ and __TIME__ C compiler macros | N
c_cc | an atom | C compiler used to compile GNU Prolog (gcc, cc, clang, cl,...) | N
c_cc_version_data | a structure | c_cc(Major,Minor,Patch,Extra) | N
c_cflags | an atom | CFLAGS used to compile GNU Prolog | N
c_ldflags | an atom | LDFLAGS used to compile GNU Prolog | N
argv | a list of atoms | list of command-line arguments | N

Changeable flags:

Flag | Values | Description | ISO
char_conversion | on / off | is character conversion activated ? | Y
singleton_warning | on / off | warn about named singleton variables ? | N
suspicious_warning | on / off | warn about suspicious predicate ? | N
multifile_warning | on / off | warn about unsupported multifile directive ? | N
strict_iso | on / off | strict ISO behavior ? | N
debug | on / off | is the debugger activated ? | Y
double_quotes | atom chars codes atom_no_escape chars_no_escape codes_no_escape | a double quoted constant is returned as: an atom a list of characters a list of character codes as atom but ignore escape sequences as chars but ignore escape sequences as code but ignore escape sequences | Y N
back_quotes | atom chars codes atom_no_escape chars_no_escape codes_no_escape | a back quoted constant is returned as: an atom a list of characters a list of character codes as atom but ignore escape sequences as chars but ignore escape sequences as code but ignore escape sequences | N
unknown | error warning fail | a predicate calls an unknown procedure: an existence_error is raised a message is displayed then fails quietly fails | Y
syntax_error | error warning fail | a predicate causes a syntax error: a syntax_error is raised a message is displayed then fails quietly fails | N
os_error | error warning fail | a predicate causes an O.S. error: a system_error is raised a message is displayed then fails quietly fails | N

The strict_iso flag is introduced to allow a compatibility with other Prolog systems. When turned off the following relaxations apply:

- built-in predicates are found by current_predicate/1 (section 8.8.1).
- the term parser (read/1 and friends) is more indulgent, e.g. 0’’ is accepted and returns 39, the escape sequence \s (space) and \e (escape) are accepted.
- the following arithmetic rounding functions: ceiling, floor, round, truncate also accept integers (section 8.6.1).

Errors

Flag is a variable |  | instantiation_error
Value is a variable |  | instantiation_error
Flag is neither a variable nor an atom |  | type_error(atom, Flag)
Flag is an atom but not a valid flag |  | domain_error(prolog_flag, Flag)
Value is inappropriate for Flag |  | domain_error(flag_value, Flag+Value)
Value is appropriate for Flag but flag Flag is not modifiable |  | permission_error(modify, flag, Flag)

Portability

ISO predicate. All ISO flags are implemented.

#### 8.22.2 current_prolog_flag/2

Templates

  current_prolog_flag(?flag, ?term)

Description

current_prolog_flag(Flag, Value) succeeds if there exists a Prolog flag that unifies with Flag and whose value unifies with Value. This predicate is re-executable on backtracking.

Errors

Flag is neither a variable nor an atom |  | type_error(atom, Flag)
Flag is an atom but not a valid flag |  | domain_error(prolog_flag, Flag)

Portability

ISO predicate.

#### 8.22.3 set_bip_name/2

Templates

  set_bip_name(+atom, +arity)

Description

set_bip_name(Functor, Arity) initializes the context of the error (section 6.3.1) with Functor and Arity (if Arity < 0 only Functor is significant).

Errors

Functor is a variable |  | instantiation_error
Arity is a variable |  | instantiation_error
Functor is neither a variable nor an atom |  | type_error(atom, Functor)
Arity is neither a variable nor an integer |  | type_error(integer, Arity)

Portability

GNU Prolog predicate.

#### 8.22.4 current_bip_name/2

Templates

  current_bip_name(?atom, ?arity)

Description

current_bip_name(Functor, Arity) succeeds if Functor and Arity correspond to the context of the error (section 6.3.1) (if Arity < 0 only Functor is significant).

Errors

Functor is neither a variable nor an atom |  | type_error(atom, Functor)
Arity is neither a variable nor an integer |  | type_error(integer, Arity)

Portability

GNU Prolog predicate.

#### 8.22.5 write_pl_state_file/1, read_pl_state_file/1

Templates

  write_pl_state_file(+source_sink)
  read_pl_state_file(+source_sink)

Description

write_pl_state_file(FileName) writes onto FileName all information that influences the parsing of a term (section 8.14). This allows a sub-process written in Prolog to read this file and then process any Prolog term as done by the parent process. This file can also be passed as argument of the --pl-state option when invoking gplc (section 4.4.3). More precisely the following elements are saved:

- all operator definitions (section 8.14.10).
- the character conversion table (section 8.14.12).
- the value of char_conversion, double_quotes, back_quotes, singleton_warning, suspicious_warning and multifile_warning Prolog flags (section 8.22.1).

read_pl_state_file(FileName) reads (restores) from FileName all information previously saved by write_pl_state_file/1.

Errors

FileName is a variable |  | instantiation_error
FileName is neither a variable nor an atom |  | type_error(atom, FileName)
an operating system error occurs and the value of the os_error Prolog flag is error (section 8.22.1) |  | system_error(atom explaining the error)

Portability

GNU Prolog predicate.

Copyright (C) 1999-2021 Daniel Diaz Verbatim copying and distribution of this entire article is permitted in any medium, provided this notice is preserved. More about the copyright