Function Entry: SSGET

ssget

Host Function

(ssget [sel-method] [pt1 [pt2]] [pt-list] [filter-list])

• optional selection method
• optional points
• optional point list
• optional filter list

Constructs a selection set by interactive or programmatic selection.

Selection set (PICKSET) or nil.

• may prompt the user
• may consume interactive input
• depends on drawing state and selection semantics

• selection mode
• filter list syntax
• current host selection settings
• vendor-specific extensions

Autodesk documents many ERRNO cases related to invalid filter lists and selection usage.

This is one of the most host-specific functions in the core language.

BricsCAD has historically documented additional ssget modes and differences.

Autodesk explicitly documents selection methods including at least:

• A
• C
• CP
• F
• I
• L
• P
• W
• WP
• X

The selection-method sublanguage should later be given its own dedicated specification subsection.

• AutoCAD 2026: documented (per Autodesk reference page).
• BricsCAD V26: presumed compatible (no contradicting page found).
• Status: AutoCAD documented; BricsCAD presumed-both pending Phase 4 verification.

• BricsCAD V9 documented ssget as compatible-with-enhancements. The current BricsCAD V26 surface is presumed compatible with AutoCAD; specific BricsCAD enhancements should be verified in Phase 5 against a live product.

• [About Selection Set Filter Lists (AutoLISP)](https://help.autodesk.com/cloudhelp/2024/PLK/AutoCAD-AutoLISP/files/GUID-7BE77062-C359-4D01-915B-69CF672C653B.htm)
• [ssget (AutoLISP)](https://help.autodesk.com/cloudhelp/2026/HUN/AutoCAD-AutoLISP-Reference/files/GUID-0F37CC5E-1559-4011-B8CF-A3BA0973B2C3.htm)
• [LISP Compatibility, BricsCAD V9](https://developer.bricsys.com/bricscad/help/en_US/V9/DevRef/source/IDR_LISP_B100.htm)
• [Error Codes Reference (AutoLISP)](https://help.autodesk.com/cloudhelp/2022/HUN/AutoCAD-AutoLISP/files/GUID-97327347-2A13-4CBC-BDBF-979C7F1CABD5.htm)
• Status: documented in role and partially in detail; exhaustive selection-mode semantics still to be expanded.

clautolisp is a headless (model-only) engine. It implements the non-interactive whole-database scan fully, and treats every interactive/graphical selection method as out of scope:

• Supported: (ssget "X" [filter]) and (ssget "_X" [filter]) — the scan over the active in-memory drawing. Only graphical entities are returned; dictionaries, xrecords and other non-graphical objects are never selected (matching the vendor).
• Full filter grammar: attribute tests on any group code; string values match by the WCMATCH wildcard grammar and comma-alternation (so a comma-joined layer list in group 8 matches any listed layer); the -3 XData application filter (with wildcard application names and optional inner pair constraints); and the -4 relational (= /= != < > <= >= & &= *) and logical (<AND>/<OR>/<NOT>/<XOR>) operators. Top-level tests combine with AND. A malformed operator tail degrades to a partial match rather than signalling.
• Out of scope (fail cleanly, never crash): the interactive/graphical methods — no method ((ssget) point pick), _C _I _W _CP _WP _F L P A and the grip/highlight paths (ssgetfirst~/~sssetfirst). A call that needs one signals a catchable AutoLISP error (:host-not-supported / :unsupported-ssget-mode), so guarded code (vl-catch-all-apply, *error*) recovers exactly as on a headless engine.
• Enumeration order across engines is not contractual — assert semantic set membership and data, never raw order.