backcomp.pl -- Backward compatibility

This library defines predicates that used to exist in older version of SWI-Prolog, but are considered obsolete as there functionality is neatly covered by new features. Most often, these constructs are superceeded by ISO-standard compliant predicates.

Please also note the existence of quintus.pl and edinburgh.pl for more compatibility predicates.

See also: - gxref/0 can be used to find files that import from library(backcomp) and thus reply on deprecated features.

$arch(-Architecture, -Version) is det

deprecated: - use current_prolog_flag(arch, Architecture)

$version(Version:integer) is det

deprecated: - use current_prolog_flag(version, Version)

$home(-SWIPrologDir) is det

See also: - file_search_path/2, absolute_file_name/3, The Prolog home directory is available through the alias swi.
deprecated: - use current_prolog_flag(home, SWIPrologDir)

$argv(-Argv:list) is det

deprecated: - use current_prolog_flag(os_argv, Argv) or current_prolog_flag(argv, Argv)

$set_prompt(+Prompt) is det

Set the prompt for the toplevel

deprecated: - use set_prolog_flag(toplevel_prompt, Prompt).

displayq(@Term) is det

displayq(+Stream, @Term) is det

Write term ignoring operators and quote atoms.

deprecated: - Use write_term/3 or write_canonical/2.

sformat(-String, +Format, +Args) is det

sformat(-String, +Format) is det

deprecated: - Use format/3 as format(string(String), ...)

concat(+Atom1, +Atom2, -Atom) is det

deprecated: - Use ISO atom_concat/3

concat_atom(+List, -Atom) is det

Concatenate a list of atomic values to an atom.

deprecated: - Use atomic_list_concat/2 as proposed by the prolog commons initiative.

concat_atom(+List, +Seperator, -Atom) is det

Concatenate a list of atomic values to an atom, inserting Seperator between each consecutive elements.

deprecated: - Use atomic_list_concat/3 as proposed by the prolog commons initiative.

$apropos_match(+Needle, +Haystack) is semidet

True if Needle is a sub atom of Haystack. Ignores the case of Haystack.

read_clause(-Term) is det

deprecated: - Use read_clause/3 or read_term/3.

read_clause(+Stream, -Term) is det

deprecated: - Use read_clause/3 or read_term/3.

read_variables(-Term, -Bindings) is det

read_variables(+In:stream, -Term, -Bindings) is det

deprecated: - Use ISO read_term/2 or read_term/3.

read_pending_input(+Stream, -Codes, ?Tail) is det

deprecated: - Use read_pending_codes/3.

feature(?Key, ?Value) is nondet

set_feature(+Key, @Term) is det

Control Prolog flags.

deprecated: - Use ISO current_prolog_flag/2 and set_prolog_flag/2.

substring(+String, +Offset, +Length, -Sub)

Predecessor of sub_string using 1-based Offset.

deprecated: - Use sub_string/5.

string_to_list(?String, ?Codes) is det

Bi-directional conversion between a string and a list of character codes.

deprecated: - Use string_codes/2.

string_to_atom(?String, ?Atom) is det

Bi-directional conversion between string and atom.

deprecated: - Use atom_string/2. Note that the order of the arguments is reversed.

flush is det

deprecated: - use ISO flush_output/0.

write_ln(X) is det

deprecated: - Use writeln(X).

proper_list(+List)

Old SWI-Prolog predicate to check for a list that really ends in a []. There is not much use for the quick is_list, as in most cases you want to process the list element-by-element anyway.

deprecated: - Use ISO is_list/1.

free_variables(+Term, -Variables)

Return a list of unbound variables in Term. The name term_variables/2 is more widely used.

deprecated: - Use term_variables/2.

subsumes_chk(@Generic, @Specific)

True if Generic can be made equivalent to Specific without changing Specific.

deprecated: - Replace by subsumes_term/2.

subsumes(+Generic, @Specific)

True if Generic is unified to Specific without changing Specific.

deprecated: - It turns out that calls to this predicate almost always should have used subsumes_term/2. Also the name is misleading. In case this is really needed, one is adviced to follow subsumes_term/2 with an explicit unification.

hash_term(+Term, -Hash) is det

If Term is ground, Hash is unified to an integer representing a hash for Term. Otherwise Hash is left unbound.

deprecated: - Use term_hash/2.

checklist(:Goal, +List)

deprecated: - Use maplist/2

sublist(:Goal, +List1, ?List2)

Succeeds if List2 unifies with a list holding those terms for wich call(Goal, Elem) succeeds.

deprecated: - Use include/3 from library(apply)
Compatibility: - DEC10 library

sumlist(+List, -Sum) is det

True when Sum is the list of all numbers in List.

deprecated: - Use sum_list/2

$strip_module(+Term, -Module, -Plain)

This used to be an internal predicate. It was added to the XPCE compatibility library without $ and since then used at many places. From 5.4.1 onwards strip_module/3 is built-in and the $ variation is added here for compatibility.

deprecated: - Use strip_module/3.

$module(-OldTypeIn, +NewTypeIn)

$declare_module(Module, File, Line)

Used in triple20 particle library. Should use a public interface

at_initialization(:Goal) is det

deprecated: - Use initialization(Goal, restore)

convert_time(+Stamp, -String)

Convert a time-stamp as obtained though get_time/1 into a textual representation using the C-library function ctime(). The value is returned as a SWI-Prolog string object (see section 4.23). See also convert_time/8.

deprecated: - Use format_time/3.

convert_time(+Stamp, -Y, -Mon, -Day, -Hour, -Min, -Sec, -MilliSec)

Convert a time stamp, provided by get_time/1, time_file/2, etc. Year is unified with the year, Month with the month number (January is 1), Day with the day of the month (starting with 1), Hour with the hour of the day (0--23), Minute with the minute (0--59). Second with the second (0--59) and MilliSecond with the milliseconds (0--999). Note that the latter might not be accurate or might always be 0, depending on the timing capabilities of the system. See also convert_time/2.