Chicken » Module (chicken platform)

## Module (chicken platform)

This module provides procedures for obtaining information about the platform on which the program is currently running.

### Build information

These procedures return information about options that can be specified at build time.

#### build-platform

build-platformprocedure

  Returns a symbol specifying the toolset which has been used for building the executing system, which is one of the following:

      cygwin
      mingw32
      gnu
      intel
      clang
      sun
      unknown

#### chicken-home

chicken-homeprocedure

  Returns a string which represents the installation directory (usually `/usr/local/share/chicken` on UNIX-like systems).

#### chicken-version

chicken-version #!optional FULLprocedure

  Returns a string containing the version number of the CHICKEN runtime system. If the optional argument FULL is given and true, then a full version string is returned.

#### repository-path

repository-pathparameter

  Contains a list of strings naming the paths to the extension repository, which defaults to the value of the environment variable `CHICKEN_REPOSITORY_PATH`, split on `:` (or `;` on Windows). If the environment variable is not set, it will be a list containing the default library path (usually `/usr/local/lib/chicken` on UNIX systems).

#### installation-repository

installation-repositoryparameter

  Contains the name of the directory where extensions are installed (as opposed to the possible locations where they can be loaded or linked at runtime.)

### Machine information

These procedures return information about the type of CPU/architecture the program is running on.

#### machine-byte-order

machine-byte-orderprocedure

  Returns the symbol `little-endian` or `big-endian`, depending on the machine's byte-order.

#### machine-type

machine-typeprocedure

  Returns a symbol specifying the processor on which this process is currently running, which is one of the following:

      arm
      alpha
      mips
      hppa
      ultrasparc
      sparc
      ppc
      ppc64
      ia64
      x86
      x86-64
      unknown

### Software information

These procedures return information about the type of operating system the program is running on.

#### software-type

software-typeprocedure

  Returns a symbol specifying the operating system on which this process is currently running, which is one of the following:

      android
      windows
      unix
      ecos
      unknown

#### software-version

software-versionprocedure

  Returns a symbol specifying the operating system version on which this process is currently running, which is one of the following:

      linux
      freebsd
      netbsd
      openbsd
      macosx
      hpux
      dragonfly
      haiku
      solaris
      sunos
      aix
      hurd
      unknown

### Feature identifiers

CHICKEN maintains a global list of features naming functionality available in the current system. Additionally the `cond-expand` form accesses this feature list to infer what features are provided. Predefined features are `chicken`, and the SRFIs (Scheme Request For Implementation) provided by the base system: `srfi-23, srfi-30, srfi-39`. If the `eval` unit is used (the default), the features `srfi-0, srfi-2, srfi-6, srfi-8, srfi-9` and `srfi-10` are defined. When compiling code (during compile-time) the feature `compiling` is registered. When evaluating code in the interpreter (csi), the feature `csi` is registered.

#### features

featuresprocedure

  Returns a list of all registered features that will be accepted as valid feature-identifiers by `cond-expand`.

#### feature?

feature? ID ...procedure

  Returns `#t` if all features with the given feature-identifiers `ID ...` are registered.

#### register-feature!

register-feature! FEATURE ...procedure

  Register one or more features that will be accepted as valid feature-identifiers by `cond-expand`. `FEATURE ...` may be a keyword, string or symbol.

#### unregister-feature!

unregister-feature! FEATURE ...procedure

  Unregisters the specified feature-identifiers. `FEATURE ...` may be a keyword, string or symbol.

### Returning to the host program

### return-to-host

return-to-hostprocedure

  Exits the Scheme code and returns to the invoking context that called `CHICKEN_run` or `CHICKEN_continue`.

  After `return-to-host` has been executed and once `CHICKEN_run` returns, you can invoke callbacks which have been defined with `define-external`.

Previous: Module (chicken pathname)

Next: Module (chicken plist)