Visual LISP, AutoLISP and General Customization

[#1]

I have loaded a simple lisp in my startup suite which refuses to load.

I have to reload each time.

Other lisp files in my startup suite work fine and I do not have to reload each time.

[#2]

leothebuilder,

perhaps there is another lisp with a command (defun) with the same name, and the first to be load stops working when the second is loaded.

Try to change the lisp command that is not loading to another command name.

Henrique

[#3]

Thanks for the suggestion, but that's not the problem. They all have distinct command names.

Weird thing is, if I append the lisp to another lisp file that has a series of routines, they work fine being in the Startup Suite.

[#4]

I recommend skipping the startup suite.  Use your acaddoc.lsp and just add a line for each routine that you want loaded.  Where Lisp Name is use the name of your lisp.  The startup suite gave us headaches in the past, and once I replaced it with lines in acaddoc.lsp the issues went away.

(load "Lisp Name")

[#5]

I did add that line to my acad2012doc.lsp and that works great (have to add the folder where lisp is located to the search path)

[#6]

Modifiying the acad2012doc.lsp isn't recommended.  That file will go away when you upgrade, and it's full of stuff that AutoCAD needs.

A better way is to make a separate file just called acaddoc.lsp that contains customization items.  System variable settings, load lisp routines, etc.  Keep that file in a place where you and your other users can access it.  Make sure that location is at or near the top of your support file search paths.  I keep out company acaddoc.lsp read only to other users, and if they find something that they would like added or changed (and nobody objects) I take care of it and that way everyone is working from the same basic settings.

[#7]

leothebuilder:

if you start to use acaddoc.lisp to load the lisp files, think of using the (autoload) function.

Only loads the lisp file if necessary, only if you enter de command in the command line, the lisp file will be loaded, not using memory unnecessarily.

(autoload "yourdrive:/yourpath/yourlisp.lsp" '("yourcommand"))

or if tour lisp file is on a support file search path just:

(autoload "yourlispfile" '("yourcommand" "yourcommand1"))

notice that the commands are in a list if the file has more than one command defined.

hope that helps

Henrique

[#8 · Accepted solution]

Separate acaddoc.lsp sounds like a good strategy.

I'll do that. Easy for other users as well.

Thx

[#9 · Accepted solution]

Using autoload is also a good suggestion.

Thanks