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Reference.org
Read–eval–print loop
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<p>A read–eval–print loop (REPL), also termed an interactive toplevel or language shell, is a simple interactive <a href="/facts/Computer_programming/QmSsFnu0">computer programming</a> environment that takes single user inputs, executes them, and returns the result to the user; a program written in a REPL environment is executed piecewise. The term usually refers to programming interfaces similar to the classic <a href="/facts/Lisp_machine/8ULEHdF0">Lisp machine</a> interactive environment. Common examples include <a href="/facts/Command-line_interface/R9JpGmXQ">command-line</a> <a href="/facts/Shell_(computing)/Sa67elS7">shells</a> and similar environments for <a href="/facts/Programming_language/cWTYbgWa">programming languages</a>, and the technique is very characteristic of <a href="/facts/Scripting_language/8pF4ajBL">scripting languages</a>. </p>