1 \input texinfo @c -*-texinfo-*-
2 @setfilename ../info/cl
3 @settitle Common Lisp Extensions
7 * CL: (cl). Partial Common Lisp support for Emacs Lisp.
15 This file documents the GNU Emacs Common Lisp emulation package.
17 Copyright (C) 1993 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
19 Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of this
20 manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice are
21 preserved on all copies.
24 Permission is granted to process this file through TeX and print the
25 results, provided the printed document carries copying permission notice
26 identical to this one except for the removal of this paragraph (this
27 paragraph not being relevant to the printed manual).
30 Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this
31 manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided also that the
32 section entitled ``GNU General Public License'' is included exactly as
33 in the original, and provided that the entire resulting derived work is
34 distributed under the terms of a permission notice identical to this one.
36 Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual
37 into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions,
38 except that the section entitled ``GNU General Public License'' may be
39 included in a translation approved by the author instead of in the
45 @center @titlefont{Common Lisp Extensions}
47 @center For GNU Emacs Lisp
51 @center Dave Gillespie
52 @center daveg@@synaptics.com
55 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
56 Copyright @copyright{} 1993 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
58 Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of
59 this manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice
60 are preserved on all copies.
63 Permission is granted to process this file through TeX and print the
64 results, provided the printed document carries copying permission notice
65 identical to this one except for the removal of this paragraph (this
66 paragraph not being relevant to the printed manual).
69 Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this
70 manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided also that the
71 section entitled ``GNU General Public License'' is included exactly as
72 in the original, and provided that the entire resulting derived work is
73 distributed under the terms of a permission notice identical to this one.
75 Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual
76 into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions,
77 except that the section entitled ``GNU General Public License'' may be
78 included in a translation approved by the author instead of in the
82 @node Top, Overview, (dir), (dir)
83 @chapter Common Lisp Extensions
86 This document describes a set of Emacs Lisp facilities borrowed from
87 Common Lisp. All the facilities are described here in detail. While
88 this document does not assume any prior knowledge of Common Lisp, it
89 does assume a basic familiarity with Emacs Lisp.
92 * Overview:: Installation, usage, etc.
93 * Program Structure:: Arglists, `eval-when', `defalias'
94 * Predicates:: `typep', `eql', and `equalp'
95 * Control Structure:: `setf', `do', `loop', etc.
96 * Macros:: Destructuring, `define-compiler-macro'
97 * Declarations:: `proclaim', `declare', etc.
98 * Symbols:: Property lists, `gensym'
99 * Numbers:: Predicates, functions, random numbers
100 * Sequences:: Mapping, functions, searching, sorting
101 * Lists:: `cadr', `sublis', `member*', `assoc*', etc.
102 * Structures:: `defstruct'
103 * Assertions:: `check-type', `assert', `ignore-errors'.
105 * Efficiency Concerns:: Hints and techniques
106 * Common Lisp Compatibility:: All known differences with Steele
107 * Old CL Compatibility:: All known differences with old cl.el
108 * Porting Common Lisp:: Hints for porting Common Lisp code
114 @node Overview, Program Structure, Top, Top
123 Common Lisp is a huge language, and Common Lisp systems tend to be
124 massive and extremely complex. Emacs Lisp, by contrast, is rather
125 minimalist in the choice of Lisp features it offers the programmer.
126 As Emacs Lisp programmers have grown in number, and the applications
127 they write have grown more ambitious, it has become clear that Emacs
128 Lisp could benefit from many of the conveniences of Common Lisp.
130 The @dfn{CL} package adds a number of Common Lisp functions and
131 control structures to Emacs Lisp. While not a 100% complete
132 implementation of Common Lisp, @dfn{CL} adds enough functionality
133 to make Emacs Lisp programming significantly more convenient.
135 Some Common Lisp features have been omitted from this package
140 Some features are too complex or bulky relative to their benefit
141 to Emacs Lisp programmers. CLOS and Common Lisp streams are fine
142 examples of this group.
145 Other features cannot be implemented without modification to the
146 Emacs Lisp interpreter itself, such as multiple return values,
147 lexical scoping, case-insensitive symbols, and complex numbers.
148 The @dfn{CL} package generally makes no attempt to emulate these
152 Some features conflict with existing things in Emacs Lisp. For
153 example, Emacs' @code{assoc} function is incompatible with the
154 Common Lisp @code{assoc}. In such cases, this package usually
155 adds the suffix @samp{*} to the function name of the Common
156 Lisp version of the function (e.g., @code{assoc*}).
159 The package described here was written by Dave Gillespie,
160 @file{daveg@@synaptics.com}. It is a total rewrite of the original
161 1986 @file{cl.el} package by Cesar Quiroz. Most features of the
162 the Quiroz package have been retained; any incompatibilities are
163 noted in the descriptions below. Care has been taken in this
164 version to ensure that each function is defined efficiently,
165 concisely, and with minimal impact on the rest of the Emacs
169 * Usage:: How to use the CL package
170 * Organization:: The package's five component files
171 * Installation:: Compiling and installing CL
172 * Naming Conventions:: Notes on CL function names
175 @node Usage, Organization, Overview, Overview
179 Lisp code that uses features from the @dfn{CL} package should
180 include at the beginning:
187 If you want to ensure that the new (Gillespie) version of @dfn{CL}
188 is the one that is present, add an additional @code{(require 'cl-19)}
197 The second call will fail (with ``@file{cl-19.el} not found'') if
198 the old @file{cl.el} package was in use.
200 It is safe to arrange to load @dfn{CL} at all times, e.g.,
201 in your @file{.emacs} file. But it's a good idea, for portability,
202 to @code{(require 'cl)} in your code even if you do this.
204 @node Organization, Installation, Usage, Overview
205 @section Organization
208 The Common Lisp package is organized into four files:
212 This is the ``main'' file, which contains basic functions
213 and information about the package. This file is relatively
214 compact---about 700 lines.
217 This file contains the larger, more complex or unusual functions.
218 It is kept separate so that packages which only want to use Common
219 Lisp fundamentals like the @code{cadr} function won't need to pay
220 the overhead of loading the more advanced functions.
223 This file contains most of the advanced functions for operating
224 on sequences or lists, such as @code{delete-if} and @code{assoc*}.
227 This file contains the features of the packages which are macros
228 instead of functions. Macros expand when the caller is compiled,
229 not when it is run, so the macros generally only need to be
230 present when the byte-compiler is running (or when the macros are
231 used in uncompiled code such as a @file{.emacs} file). Most of
232 the macros of this package are isolated in @file{cl-macs.el} so
233 that they won't take up memory unless you are compiling.
236 The file @file{cl.el} includes all necessary @code{autoload}
237 commands for the functions and macros in the other three files.
238 All you have to do is @code{(require 'cl)}, and @file{cl.el}
239 will take care of pulling in the other files when they are
242 There is another file, @file{cl-compat.el}, which defines some
243 routines from the older @file{cl.el} package that are no longer
244 present in the new package. This includes internal routines
245 like @code{setelt} and @code{zip-lists}, deprecated features
246 like @code{defkeyword}, and an emulation of the old-style
247 multiple-values feature. @xref{Old CL Compatibility}.
249 @node Installation, Naming Conventions, Organization, Overview
250 @section Installation
253 Installation of the @dfn{CL} package is simple: Just put the
254 byte-compiled files @file{cl.elc}, @file{cl-extra.elc},
255 @file{cl-seq.elc}, @file{cl-macs.elc}, and @file{cl-compat.elc}
256 into a directory on your @code{load-path}.
258 There are no special requirements to compile this package:
259 The files do not have to be loaded before they are compiled,
260 nor do they need to be compiled in any particular order.
262 You may choose to put the files into your main @file{lisp/}
263 directory, replacing the original @file{cl.el} file there. Or,
264 you could put them into a directory that comes before @file{lisp/}
265 on your @code{load-path} so that the old @file{cl.el} is
268 Also, format the @file{cl.texinfo} file and put the resulting
269 Info files in the @file{info/} directory or another suitable place.
271 You may instead wish to leave this package's components all in
272 their own directory, and then add this directory to your
273 @code{load-path} and @code{Info-directory-list}.
274 Add the directory to the front of the list so the old @dfn{CL}
275 package and its documentation are hidden.
277 @node Naming Conventions, , Installation, Overview
278 @section Naming Conventions
281 Except where noted, all functions defined by this package have the
282 same names and calling conventions as their Common Lisp counterparts.
284 Following is a complete list of functions whose names were changed
285 from Common Lisp, usually to avoid conflicts with Emacs. In each
286 case, a @samp{*} has been appended to the Common Lisp name to obtain
290 defun* defsubst* defmacro* function*
291 member* assoc* rassoc* get*
292 remove* delete* mapcar* sort*
293 floor* ceiling* truncate* round*
294 mod* rem* random* last*
297 Internal function and variable names in the package are prefixed
298 by @code{cl-}. Here is a complete list of functions @emph{not}
299 prefixed by @code{cl-} which were not taken from Common Lisp:
302 floatp-safe lexical-let lexical-let*
303 callf callf2 letf letf*
307 The following simple functions and macros are defined in @file{cl.el};
308 they do not cause other components like @file{cl-extra} to be loaded.
312 evenp oddp plusp minusp
313 butlast nbutlast caaar .. cddddr
314 list* ldiff rest first .. tenth
315 copy-list subst mapcar* [2]
316 adjoin [3] acons pairlis pop [4]
317 push [4] pushnew [3,4] incf [4] decf [4]
322 [2] Only for one sequence argument or two list arguments.
325 [3] Only if @code{:test} is @code{eq}, @code{equal}, or unspecified,
326 and @code{:key} is not used.
329 [4] Only when @var{place} is a plain variable name.
335 @node Program Structure, Predicates, Overview, Top
336 @chapter Program Structure
339 This section describes features of the @dfn{CL} package which have to
340 do with programs as a whole: advanced argument lists for functions,
341 and the @code{eval-when} construct.
344 * Argument Lists:: `&key', `&aux', `defun*', `defmacro*'.
345 * Time of Evaluation:: The `eval-when' construct.
352 @node Argument Lists, Time of Evaluation, Program Structure, Program Structure
353 @section Argument Lists
356 Emacs Lisp's notation for argument lists of functions is a subset of
357 the Common Lisp notation. As well as the familiar @code{&optional}
358 and @code{&rest} markers, Common Lisp allows you to specify default
359 values for optional arguments, and it provides the additional markers
360 @code{&key} and @code{&aux}.
362 Since argument parsing is built-in to Emacs, there is no way for
363 this package to implement Common Lisp argument lists seamlessly.
364 Instead, this package defines alternates for several Lisp forms
365 which you must use if you need Common Lisp argument lists.
367 @defspec defun* name arglist body...
368 This form is identical to the regular @code{defun} form, except
369 that @var{arglist} is allowed to be a full Common Lisp argument
370 list. Also, the function body is enclosed in an implicit block
371 called @var{name}; @pxref{Blocks and Exits}.
374 @defspec defsubst* name arglist body...
375 This is just like @code{defun*}, except that the function that
376 is defined is automatically proclaimed @code{inline}, i.e.,
377 calls to it may be expanded into in-line code by the byte compiler.
378 This is analogous to the @code{defsubst} form;
379 @code{defsubst*} uses a different method (compiler macros) which
380 works in all version of Emacs, and also generates somewhat more
381 efficient inline expansions. In particular, @code{defsubst*}
382 arranges for the processing of keyword arguments, default values,
383 etc., to be done at compile-time whenever possible.
386 @defspec defmacro* name arglist body...
387 This is identical to the regular @code{defmacro} form,
388 except that @var{arglist} is allowed to be a full Common Lisp
389 argument list. The @code{&environment} keyword is supported as
390 described in Steele. The @code{&whole} keyword is supported only
391 within destructured lists (see below); top-level @code{&whole}
392 cannot be implemented with the current Emacs Lisp interpreter.
393 The macro expander body is enclosed in an implicit block called
397 @defspec function* symbol-or-lambda
398 This is identical to the regular @code{function} form,
399 except that if the argument is a @code{lambda} form then that
400 form may use a full Common Lisp argument list.
403 Also, all forms (such as @code{defsetf} and @code{flet}) defined
404 in this package that include @var{arglist}s in their syntax allow
405 full Common Lisp argument lists.
407 Note that it is @emph{not} necessary to use @code{defun*} in
408 order to have access to most @dfn{CL} features in your function.
409 These features are always present; @code{defun*}'s only
410 difference from @code{defun} is its more flexible argument
411 lists and its implicit block.
413 The full form of a Common Lisp argument list is
417 &optional (@var{var} @var{initform} @var{svar})...
419 &key ((@var{keyword} @var{var}) @var{initform} @var{svar})...
420 &aux (@var{var} @var{initform})...)
423 Each of the five argument list sections is optional. The @var{svar},
424 @var{initform}, and @var{keyword} parts are optional; if they are
425 omitted, then @samp{(@var{var})} may be written simply @samp{@var{var}}.
427 The first section consists of zero or more @dfn{required} arguments.
428 These arguments must always be specified in a call to the function;
429 there is no difference between Emacs Lisp and Common Lisp as far as
430 required arguments are concerned.
432 The second section consists of @dfn{optional} arguments. These
433 arguments may be specified in the function call; if they are not,
434 @var{initform} specifies the default value used for the argument.
435 (No @var{initform} means to use @code{nil} as the default.) The
436 @var{initform} is evaluated with the bindings for the preceding
437 arguments already established; @code{(a &optional (b (1+ a)))}
438 matches one or two arguments, with the second argument defaulting
439 to one plus the first argument. If the @var{svar} is specified,
440 it is an auxiliary variable which is bound to @code{t} if the optional
441 argument was specified, or to @code{nil} if the argument was omitted.
442 If you don't use an @var{svar}, then there will be no way for your
443 function to tell whether it was called with no argument, or with
444 the default value passed explicitly as an argument.
446 The third section consists of a single @dfn{rest} argument. If
447 more arguments were passed to the function than are accounted for
448 by the required and optional arguments, those extra arguments are
449 collected into a list and bound to the ``rest'' argument variable.
450 Common Lisp's @code{&rest} is equivalent to that of Emacs Lisp.
451 Common Lisp accepts @code{&body} as a synonym for @code{&rest} in
452 macro contexts; this package accepts it all the time.
454 The fourth section consists of @dfn{keyword} arguments. These
455 are optional arguments which are specified by name rather than
456 positionally in the argument list. For example,
459 (defun* foo (a &optional b &key c d (e 17)))
463 defines a function which may be called with one, two, or more
464 arguments. The first two arguments are bound to @code{a} and
465 @code{b} in the usual way. The remaining arguments must be
466 pairs of the form @code{:c}, @code{:d}, or @code{:e} followed
467 by the value to be bound to the corresponding argument variable.
468 (Symbols whose names begin with a colon are called @dfn{keywords},
469 and they are self-quoting in the same way as @code{nil} and
472 For example, the call @code{(foo 1 2 :d 3 :c 4)} sets the five
473 arguments to 1, 2, 4, 3, and 17, respectively. If the same keyword
474 appears more than once in the function call, the first occurrence
475 takes precedence over the later ones. Note that it is not possible
476 to specify keyword arguments without specifying the optional
477 argument @code{b} as well, since @code{(foo 1 :c 2)} would bind
478 @code{b} to the keyword @code{:c}, then signal an error because
479 @code{2} is not a valid keyword.
481 If a @var{keyword} symbol is explicitly specified in the argument
482 list as shown in the above diagram, then that keyword will be
483 used instead of just the variable name prefixed with a colon.
484 You can specify a @var{keyword} symbol which does not begin with
485 a colon at all, but such symbols will not be self-quoting; you
486 will have to quote them explicitly with an apostrophe in the
489 Ordinarily it is an error to pass an unrecognized keyword to
490 a function, e.g., @code{(foo 1 2 :c 3 :goober 4)}. You can ask
491 Lisp to ignore unrecognized keywords, either by adding the
492 marker @code{&allow-other-keys} after the keyword section
493 of the argument list, or by specifying an @code{:allow-other-keys}
494 argument in the call whose value is non-@code{nil}. If the
495 function uses both @code{&rest} and @code{&key} at the same time,
496 the ``rest'' argument is bound to the keyword list as it appears
497 in the call. For example:
500 (defun* find-thing (thing &rest rest &key need &allow-other-keys)
501 (or (apply 'member* thing thing-list :allow-other-keys t rest)
502 (if need (error "Thing not found"))))
506 This function takes a @code{:need} keyword argument, but also
507 accepts other keyword arguments which are passed on to the
508 @code{member*} function. @code{allow-other-keys} is used to
509 keep both @code{find-thing} and @code{member*} from complaining
510 about each others' keywords in the arguments.
512 As a (significant) performance optimization, this package
513 implements the scan for keyword arguments by calling @code{memq}
514 to search for keywords in a ``rest'' argument. Technically
515 speaking, this is incorrect, since @code{memq} looks at the
516 odd-numbered values as well as the even-numbered keywords.
517 The net effect is that if you happen to pass a keyword symbol
518 as the @emph{value} of another keyword argument, where that
519 keyword symbol happens to equal the name of a valid keyword
520 argument of the same function, then the keyword parser will
521 become confused. This minor bug can only affect you if you
522 use keyword symbols as general-purpose data in your program;
523 this practice is strongly discouraged in Emacs Lisp.
525 The fifth section of the argument list consists of @dfn{auxiliary
526 variables}. These are not really arguments at all, but simply
527 variables which are bound to @code{nil} or to the specified
528 @var{initforms} during execution of the function. There is no
529 difference between the following two functions, except for a
530 matter of stylistic taste:
533 (defun* foo (a b &aux (c (+ a b)) d)
541 Argument lists support @dfn{destructuring}. In Common Lisp,
542 destructuring is only allowed with @code{defmacro}; this package
543 allows it with @code{defun*} and other argument lists as well.
544 In destructuring, any argument variable (@var{var} in the above
545 diagram) can be replaced by a list of variables, or more generally,
546 a recursive argument list. The corresponding argument value must
547 be a list whose elements match this recursive argument list.
551 (defmacro* dolist ((var listform &optional resultform)
556 This says that the first argument of @code{dolist} must be a list
557 of two or three items; if there are other arguments as well as this
558 list, they are stored in @code{body}. All features allowed in
559 regular argument lists are allowed in these recursive argument lists.
560 In addition, the clause @samp{&whole @var{var}} is allowed at the
561 front of a recursive argument list. It binds @var{var} to the
562 whole list being matched; thus @code{(&whole all a b)} matches
563 a list of two things, with @code{a} bound to the first thing,
564 @code{b} bound to the second thing, and @code{all} bound to the
565 list itself. (Common Lisp allows @code{&whole} in top-level
566 @code{defmacro} argument lists as well, but Emacs Lisp does not
569 One last feature of destructuring is that the argument list may be
570 dotted, so that the argument list @code{(a b . c)} is functionally
571 equivalent to @code{(a b &rest c)}.
573 If the optimization quality @code{safety} is set to 0
574 (@pxref{Declarations}), error checking for wrong number of
575 arguments and invalid keyword arguments is disabled. By default,
576 argument lists are rigorously checked.
578 @node Time of Evaluation, , Argument Lists, Program Structure
579 @section Time of Evaluation
582 Normally, the byte-compiler does not actually execute the forms in
583 a file it compiles. For example, if a file contains @code{(setq foo t)},
584 the act of compiling it will not actually set @code{foo} to @code{t}.
585 This is true even if the @code{setq} was a top-level form (i.e., not
586 enclosed in a @code{defun} or other form). Sometimes, though, you
587 would like to have certain top-level forms evaluated at compile-time.
588 For example, the compiler effectively evaluates @code{defmacro} forms
589 at compile-time so that later parts of the file can refer to the
590 macros that are defined.
592 @defspec eval-when (situations...) forms...
593 This form controls when the body @var{forms} are evaluated.
594 The @var{situations} list may contain any set of the symbols
595 @code{compile}, @code{load}, and @code{eval} (or their long-winded
596 ANSI equivalents, @code{:compile-toplevel}, @code{:load-toplevel},
597 and @code{:execute}).
599 The @code{eval-when} form is handled differently depending on
600 whether or not it is being compiled as a top-level form.
601 Specifically, it gets special treatment if it is being compiled
602 by a command such as @code{byte-compile-file} which compiles files
603 or buffers of code, and it appears either literally at the
604 top level of the file or inside a top-level @code{progn}.
606 For compiled top-level @code{eval-when}s, the body @var{forms} are
607 executed at compile-time if @code{compile} is in the @var{situations}
608 list, and the @var{forms} are written out to the file (to be executed
609 at load-time) if @code{load} is in the @var{situations} list.
611 For non-compiled-top-level forms, only the @code{eval} situation is
612 relevant. (This includes forms executed by the interpreter, forms
613 compiled with @code{byte-compile} rather than @code{byte-compile-file},
614 and non-top-level forms.) The @code{eval-when} acts like a
615 @code{progn} if @code{eval} is specified, and like @code{nil}
616 (ignoring the body @var{forms}) if not.
618 The rules become more subtle when @code{eval-when}s are nested;
619 consult Steele (second edition) for the gruesome details (and
620 some gruesome examples).
622 Some simple examples:
625 ;; Top-level forms in foo.el:
626 (eval-when (compile) (setq foo1 'bar))
627 (eval-when (load) (setq foo2 'bar))
628 (eval-when (compile load) (setq foo3 'bar))
629 (eval-when (eval) (setq foo4 'bar))
630 (eval-when (eval compile) (setq foo5 'bar))
631 (eval-when (eval load) (setq foo6 'bar))
632 (eval-when (eval compile load) (setq foo7 'bar))
635 When @file{foo.el} is compiled, these variables will be set during
636 the compilation itself:
639 foo1 foo3 foo5 foo7 ; `compile'
642 When @file{foo.elc} is loaded, these variables will be set:
645 foo2 foo3 foo6 foo7 ; `load'
648 And if @file{foo.el} is loaded uncompiled, these variables will
652 foo4 foo5 foo6 foo7 ; `eval'
655 If these seven @code{eval-when}s had been, say, inside a @code{defun},
656 then the first three would have been equivalent to @code{nil} and the
657 last four would have been equivalent to the corresponding @code{setq}s.
659 Note that @code{(eval-when (load eval) @dots{})} is equivalent
660 to @code{(progn @dots{})} in all contexts. The compiler treats
661 certain top-level forms, like @code{defmacro} (sort-of) and
662 @code{require}, as if they were wrapped in @code{(eval-when
663 (compile load eval) @dots{})}.
666 Emacs includes two special forms related to @code{eval-when}.
667 One of these, @code{eval-when-compile}, is not quite equivalent to
668 any @code{eval-when} construct and is described below.
670 The other form, @code{(eval-and-compile @dots{})}, is exactly
671 equivalent to @samp{(eval-when (compile load eval) @dots{})} and
672 so is not itself defined by this package.
674 @defspec eval-when-compile forms...
675 The @var{forms} are evaluated at compile-time; at execution time,
676 this form acts like a quoted constant of the resulting value. Used
677 at top-level, @code{eval-when-compile} is just like @samp{eval-when
678 (compile eval)}. In other contexts, @code{eval-when-compile}
679 allows code to be evaluated once at compile-time for efficiency
682 This form is similar to the @samp{#.} syntax of true Common Lisp.
685 @defspec load-time-value form
686 The @var{form} is evaluated at load-time; at execution time,
687 this form acts like a quoted constant of the resulting value.
689 Early Common Lisp had a @samp{#,} syntax that was similar to
690 this, but ANSI Common Lisp replaced it with @code{load-time-value}
691 and gave it more well-defined semantics.
693 In a compiled file, @code{load-time-value} arranges for @var{form}
694 to be evaluated when the @file{.elc} file is loaded and then used
695 as if it were a quoted constant. In code compiled by
696 @code{byte-compile} rather than @code{byte-compile-file}, the
697 effect is identical to @code{eval-when-compile}. In uncompiled
698 code, both @code{eval-when-compile} and @code{load-time-value}
699 act exactly like @code{progn}.
703 (insert "This function was executed on: "
704 (current-time-string)
706 (eval-when-compile (current-time-string))
707 ;; or '#.(current-time-string) in real Common Lisp
709 (load-time-value (current-time-string))))
713 Byte-compiled, the above defun will result in the following code
714 (or its compiled equivalent, of course) in the @file{.elc} file:
717 (setq --temp-- (current-time-string))
719 (insert "This function was executed on: "
720 (current-time-string)
722 '"Wed Jun 23 18:33:43 1993"
728 @node Predicates, Control Structure, Program Structure, Top
732 This section describes functions for testing whether various
733 facts are true or false.
736 * Type Predicates:: `typep', `deftype', and `coerce'
737 * Equality Predicates:: `eql' and `equalp'
740 @node Type Predicates, Equality Predicates, Predicates, Predicates
741 @section Type Predicates
744 The @dfn{CL} package defines a version of the Common Lisp @code{typep}
747 @defun typep object type
748 Check if @var{object} is of type @var{type}, where @var{type} is a
749 (quoted) type name of the sort used by Common Lisp. For example,
750 @code{(typep foo 'integer)} is equivalent to @code{(integerp foo)}.
753 The @var{type} argument to the above function is either a symbol
754 or a list beginning with a symbol.
758 If the type name is a symbol, Emacs appends @samp{-p} to the
759 symbol name to form the name of a predicate function for testing
760 the type. (Built-in predicates whose names end in @samp{p} rather
761 than @samp{-p} are used when appropriate.)
764 The type symbol @code{t} stands for the union of all types.
765 @code{(typep @var{object} t)} is always true. Likewise, the
766 type symbol @code{nil} stands for nothing at all, and
767 @code{(typep @var{object} nil)} is always false.
770 The type symbol @code{null} represents the symbol @code{nil}.
771 Thus @code{(typep @var{object} 'null)} is equivalent to
772 @code{(null @var{object})}.
775 The type symbol @code{real} is a synonym for @code{number}, and
776 @code{fixnum} is a synonym for @code{integer}.
779 The type symbols @code{character} and @code{string-char} match
780 integers in the range from 0 to 255.
783 The type symbol @code{float} uses the @code{floatp-safe} predicate
784 defined by this package rather than @code{floatp}, so it will work
785 correctly even in Emacs versions without floating-point support.
788 The type list @code{(integer @var{low} @var{high})} represents all
789 integers between @var{low} and @var{high}, inclusive. Either bound
790 may be a list of a single integer to specify an exclusive limit,
791 or a @code{*} to specify no limit. The type @code{(integer * *)}
792 is thus equivalent to @code{integer}.
795 Likewise, lists beginning with @code{float}, @code{real}, or
796 @code{number} represent numbers of that type falling in a particular
800 Lists beginning with @code{and}, @code{or}, and @code{not} form
801 combinations of types. For example, @code{(or integer (float 0 *))}
802 represents all objects that are integers or non-negative floats.
805 Lists beginning with @code{member} or @code{member*} represent
806 objects @code{eql} to any of the following values. For example,
807 @code{(member 1 2 3 4)} is equivalent to @code{(integer 1 4)},
808 and @code{(member nil)} is equivalent to @code{null}.
811 Lists of the form @code{(satisfies @var{predicate})} represent
812 all objects for which @var{predicate} returns true when called
813 with that object as an argument.
816 The following function and macro (not technically predicates) are
817 related to @code{typep}.
819 @defun coerce object type
820 This function attempts to convert @var{object} to the specified
821 @var{type}. If @var{object} is already of that type as determined by
822 @code{typep}, it is simply returned. Otherwise, certain types of
823 conversions will be made: If @var{type} is any sequence type
824 (@code{string}, @code{list}, etc.) then @var{object} will be
825 converted to that type if possible. If @var{type} is
826 @code{character}, then strings of length one and symbols with
827 one-character names can be coerced. If @var{type} is @code{float},
828 then integers can be coerced in versions of Emacs that support
829 floats. In all other circumstances, @code{coerce} signals an
833 @defspec deftype name arglist forms...
834 This macro defines a new type called @var{name}. It is similar
835 to @code{defmacro} in many ways; when @var{name} is encountered
836 as a type name, the body @var{forms} are evaluated and should
837 return a type specifier that is equivalent to the type. The
838 @var{arglist} is a Common Lisp argument list of the sort accepted
839 by @code{defmacro*}. The type specifier @samp{(@var{name} @var{args}...)}
840 is expanded by calling the expander with those arguments; the type
841 symbol @samp{@var{name}} is expanded by calling the expander with
842 no arguments. The @var{arglist} is processed the same as for
843 @code{defmacro*} except that optional arguments without explicit
844 defaults use @code{*} instead of @code{nil} as the ``default''
845 default. Some examples:
848 (deftype null () '(satisfies null)) ; predefined
849 (deftype list () '(or null cons)) ; predefined
850 (deftype unsigned-byte (&optional bits)
851 (list 'integer 0 (if (eq bits '*) bits (1- (lsh 1 bits)))))
852 (unsigned-byte 8) @equiv{} (integer 0 255)
853 (unsigned-byte) @equiv{} (integer 0 *)
854 unsigned-byte @equiv{} (integer 0 *)
858 The last example shows how the Common Lisp @code{unsigned-byte}
859 type specifier could be implemented if desired; this package does
860 not implement @code{unsigned-byte} by default.
863 The @code{typecase} and @code{check-type} macros also use type
864 names. @xref{Conditionals}. @xref{Assertions}. The @code{map},
865 @code{concatenate}, and @code{merge} functions take type-name
866 arguments to specify the type of sequence to return. @xref{Sequences}.
868 @node Equality Predicates, , Type Predicates, Predicates
869 @section Equality Predicates
872 This package defines two Common Lisp predicates, @code{eql} and
876 This function is almost the same as @code{eq}, except that if @var{a}
877 and @var{b} are numbers of the same type, it compares them for numeric
878 equality (as if by @code{equal} instead of @code{eq}). This makes a
879 difference only for versions of Emacs that are compiled with
880 floating-point support. Emacs floats are allocated
881 objects just like cons cells, which means that @code{(eq 3.0 3.0)}
882 will not necessarily be true---if the two @code{3.0}s were allocated
883 separately, the pointers will be different even though the numbers are
884 the same. But @code{(eql 3.0 3.0)} will always be true.
886 The types of the arguments must match, so @code{(eql 3 3.0)} is
889 Note that Emacs integers are ``direct'' rather than allocated, which
890 basically means @code{(eq 3 3)} will always be true. Thus @code{eq}
891 and @code{eql} behave differently only if floating-point numbers are
892 involved, and are indistinguishable on Emacs versions that don't
895 There is a slight inconsistency with Common Lisp in the treatment of
896 positive and negative zeros. Some machines, notably those with IEEE
897 standard arithmetic, represent @code{+0} and @code{-0} as distinct
898 values. Normally this doesn't matter because the standard specifies
899 that @code{(= 0.0 -0.0)} should always be true, and this is indeed
900 what Emacs Lisp and Common Lisp do. But the Common Lisp standard
901 states that @code{(eql 0.0 -0.0)} and @code{(equal 0.0 -0.0)} should
902 be false on IEEE-like machines; Emacs Lisp does not do this, and in
903 fact the only known way to distinguish between the two zeros in Emacs
904 Lisp is to @code{format} them and check for a minus sign.
908 This function is a more flexible version of @code{equal}. In
909 particular, it compares strings case-insensitively, and it compares
910 numbers without regard to type (so that @code{(equalp 3 3.0)} is
911 true). Vectors and conses are compared recursively. All other
912 objects are compared as if by @code{equal}.
914 This function differs from Common Lisp @code{equalp} in several
915 respects. First, Common Lisp's @code{equalp} also compares
916 @emph{characters} case-insensitively, which would be impractical
917 in this package since Emacs does not distinguish between integers
918 and characters. In keeping with the idea that strings are less
919 vector-like in Emacs Lisp, this package's @code{equalp} also will
920 not compare strings against vectors of integers.
923 Also note that the Common Lisp functions @code{member} and @code{assoc}
924 use @code{eql} to compare elements, whereas Emacs Lisp follows the
925 MacLisp tradition and uses @code{equal} for these two functions.
926 In Emacs, use @code{member*} and @code{assoc*} to get functions
927 which use @code{eql} for comparisons.
929 @node Control Structure, Macros, Predicates, Top
930 @chapter Control Structure
933 The features described in the following sections implement
934 various advanced control structures, including the powerful
935 @code{setf} facility and a number of looping and conditional
939 * Assignment:: The `psetq' form
940 * Generalized Variables:: `setf', `incf', `push', etc.
941 * Variable Bindings:: `progv', `lexical-let', `flet', `macrolet'
942 * Conditionals:: `case', `typecase'
943 * Blocks and Exits:: `block', `return', `return-from'
944 * Iteration:: `do', `dotimes', `dolist', `do-symbols'
945 * Loop Facility:: The Common Lisp `loop' macro
946 * Multiple Values:: `values', `multiple-value-bind', etc.
949 @node Assignment, Generalized Variables, Control Structure, Control Structure
953 The @code{psetq} form is just like @code{setq}, except that multiple
954 assignments are done in parallel rather than sequentially.
956 @defspec psetq [symbol form]@dots{}
957 This special form (actually a macro) is used to assign to several
958 variables simultaneously. Given only one @var{symbol} and @var{form},
959 it has the same effect as @code{setq}. Given several @var{symbol}
960 and @var{form} pairs, it evaluates all the @var{form}s in advance
961 and then stores the corresponding variables afterwards.
965 (setq x (+ x y) y (* x y))
968 y ; @r{@code{y} was computed after @code{x} was set.}
971 (psetq x (+ x y) y (* x y))
974 y ; @r{@code{y} was computed before @code{x} was set.}
978 The simplest use of @code{psetq} is @code{(psetq x y y x)}, which
979 exchanges the values of two variables. (The @code{rotatef} form
980 provides an even more convenient way to swap two variables;
981 @pxref{Modify Macros}.)
983 @code{psetq} always returns @code{nil}.
986 @node Generalized Variables, Variable Bindings, Assignment, Control Structure
987 @section Generalized Variables
990 A ``generalized variable'' or ``place form'' is one of the many places
991 in Lisp memory where values can be stored. The simplest place form is
992 a regular Lisp variable. But the cars and cdrs of lists, elements
993 of arrays, properties of symbols, and many other locations are also
994 places where Lisp values are stored.
996 The @code{setf} form is like @code{setq}, except that it accepts
997 arbitrary place forms on the left side rather than just
998 symbols. For example, @code{(setf (car a) b)} sets the car of
999 @code{a} to @code{b}, doing the same operation as @code{(setcar a b)}
1000 but without having to remember two separate functions for setting
1001 and accessing every type of place.
1003 Generalized variables are analogous to ``lvalues'' in the C
1004 language, where @samp{x = a[i]} gets an element from an array
1005 and @samp{a[i] = x} stores an element using the same notation.
1006 Just as certain forms like @code{a[i]} can be lvalues in C, there
1007 is a set of forms that can be generalized variables in Lisp.
1010 * Basic Setf:: `setf' and place forms
1011 * Modify Macros:: `incf', `push', `rotatef', `letf', `callf', etc.
1012 * Customizing Setf:: `define-modify-macro', `defsetf', `define-setf-method'
1015 @node Basic Setf, Modify Macros, Generalized Variables, Generalized Variables
1016 @subsection Basic Setf
1019 The @code{setf} macro is the most basic way to operate on generalized
1022 @defspec setf [place form]@dots{}
1023 This macro evaluates @var{form} and stores it in @var{place}, which
1024 must be a valid generalized variable form. If there are several
1025 @var{place} and @var{form} pairs, the assignments are done sequentially
1026 just as with @code{setq}. @code{setf} returns the value of the last
1029 The following Lisp forms will work as generalized variables, and
1030 so may legally appear in the @var{place} argument of @code{setf}:
1034 A symbol naming a variable. In other words, @code{(setf x y)} is
1035 exactly equivalent to @code{(setq x y)}, and @code{setq} itself is
1036 strictly speaking redundant now that @code{setf} exists. Many
1037 programmers continue to prefer @code{setq} for setting simple
1038 variables, though, purely for stylistic or historical reasons.
1039 The macro @code{(setf x y)} actually expands to @code{(setq x y)},
1040 so there is no performance penalty for using it in compiled code.
1043 A call to any of the following Lisp functions:
1046 car cdr caar .. cddddr
1047 nth rest first .. tenth
1049 symbol-function symbol-value symbol-plist
1055 Note that for @code{nthcdr} and @code{getf}, the list argument
1056 of the function must itself be a valid @var{place} form. For
1057 example, @code{(setf (nthcdr 0 foo) 7)} will set @code{foo} itself
1058 to 7. Note that @code{push} and @code{pop} on an @code{nthcdr}
1059 place can be used to insert or delete at any position in a list.
1060 The use of @code{nthcdr} as a @var{place} form is an extension
1061 to standard Common Lisp.
1064 The following Emacs-specific functions are also @code{setf}-able.
1067 buffer-file-name marker-position
1068 buffer-modified-p match-data
1069 buffer-name mouse-position
1070 buffer-string overlay-end
1071 buffer-substring overlay-get
1072 current-buffer overlay-start
1073 current-case-table point
1074 current-column point-marker
1075 current-global-map point-max
1076 current-input-mode point-min
1077 current-local-map process-buffer
1078 current-window-configuration process-filter
1079 default-file-modes process-sentinel
1080 default-value read-mouse-position
1081 documentation-property screen-height
1082 extent-data screen-menubar
1083 extent-end-position screen-width
1084 extent-start-position selected-window
1085 face-background selected-screen
1086 face-background-pixmap selected-frame
1087 face-font standard-case-table
1088 face-foreground syntax-table
1089 face-underline-p window-buffer
1090 file-modes window-dedicated-p
1091 frame-height window-display-table
1092 frame-parameters window-height
1093 frame-visible-p window-hscroll
1094 frame-width window-point
1095 get-register window-start
1097 global-key-binding x-get-cut-buffer
1098 keymap-parent x-get-cutbuffer
1099 local-key-binding x-get-secondary-selection
1100 mark x-get-selection
1104 Most of these have directly corresponding ``set'' functions, like
1105 @code{use-local-map} for @code{current-local-map}, or @code{goto-char}
1106 for @code{point}. A few, like @code{point-min}, expand to longer
1107 sequences of code when they are @code{setf}'d (@code{(narrow-to-region
1108 x (point-max))} in this case).
1111 A call of the form @code{(substring @var{subplace} @var{n} [@var{m}])},
1112 where @var{subplace} is itself a legal generalized variable whose
1113 current value is a string, and where the value stored is also a
1114 string. The new string is spliced into the specified part of the
1115 destination string. For example:
1118 (setq a (list "hello" "world"))
1119 @result{} ("hello" "world")
1122 (substring (cadr a) 2 4)
1124 (setf (substring (cadr a) 2 4) "o")
1129 @result{} ("hello" "wood")
1132 The generalized variable @code{buffer-substring}, listed above,
1133 also works in this way by replacing a portion of the current buffer.
1136 A call of the form @code{(apply '@var{func} @dots{})} or
1137 @code{(apply (function @var{func}) @dots{})}, where @var{func}
1138 is a @code{setf}-able function whose store function is ``suitable''
1139 in the sense described in Steele's book; since none of the standard
1140 Emacs place functions are suitable in this sense, this feature is
1141 only interesting when used with places you define yourself with
1142 @code{define-setf-method} or the long form of @code{defsetf}.
1145 A macro call, in which case the macro is expanded and @code{setf}
1146 is applied to the resulting form.
1149 Any form for which a @code{defsetf} or @code{define-setf-method}
1153 Using any forms other than these in the @var{place} argument to
1154 @code{setf} will signal an error.
1156 The @code{setf} macro takes care to evaluate all subforms in
1157 the proper left-to-right order; for example,
1160 (setf (aref vec (incf i)) i)
1164 looks like it will evaluate @code{(incf i)} exactly once, before the
1165 following access to @code{i}; the @code{setf} expander will insert
1166 temporary variables as necessary to ensure that it does in fact work
1167 this way no matter what setf-method is defined for @code{aref}.
1168 (In this case, @code{aset} would be used and no such steps would
1169 be necessary since @code{aset} takes its arguments in a convenient
1172 However, if the @var{place} form is a macro which explicitly
1173 evaluates its arguments in an unusual order, this unusual order
1174 will be preserved. Adapting an example from Steele, given
1177 (defmacro wrong-order (x y) (list 'aref y x))
1181 the form @code{(setf (wrong-order @var{a} @var{b}) 17)} will
1182 evaluate @var{b} first, then @var{a}, just as in an actual call
1183 to @code{wrong-order}.
1186 @node Modify Macros, Customizing Setf, Basic Setf, Generalized Variables
1187 @subsection Modify Macros
1190 This package defines a number of other macros besides @code{setf}
1191 that operate on generalized variables. Many are interesting and
1192 useful even when the @var{place} is just a variable name.
1194 @defspec psetf [place form]@dots{}
1195 This macro is to @code{setf} what @code{psetq} is to @code{setq}:
1196 When several @var{place}s and @var{form}s are involved, the
1197 assignments take place in parallel rather than sequentially.
1198 Specifically, all subforms are evaluated from left to right, then
1199 all the assignments are done (in an undefined order).
1202 @defspec incf place &optional x
1203 This macro increments the number stored in @var{place} by one, or
1204 by @var{x} if specified. The incremented value is returned. For
1205 example, @code{(incf i)} is equivalent to @code{(setq i (1+ i))}, and
1206 @code{(incf (car x) 2)} is equivalent to @code{(setcar x (+ (car x) 2))}.
1208 Once again, care is taken to preserve the ``apparent'' order of
1209 evaluation. For example,
1212 (incf (aref vec (incf i)))
1216 appears to increment @code{i} once, then increment the element of
1217 @code{vec} addressed by @code{i}; this is indeed exactly what it
1218 does, which means the above form is @emph{not} equivalent to the
1219 ``obvious'' expansion,
1222 (setf (aref vec (incf i)) (1+ (aref vec (incf i)))) ; Wrong!
1226 but rather to something more like
1229 (let ((temp (incf i)))
1230 (setf (aref vec temp) (1+ (aref vec temp))))
1234 Again, all of this is taken care of automatically by @code{incf} and
1235 the other generalized-variable macros.
1237 As a more Emacs-specific example of @code{incf}, the expression
1238 @code{(incf (point) @var{n})} is essentially equivalent to
1239 @code{(forward-char @var{n})}.
1242 @defspec decf place &optional x
1243 This macro decrements the number stored in @var{place} by one, or
1244 by @var{x} if specified.
1248 This macro removes and returns the first element of the list stored
1249 in @var{place}. It is analogous to @code{(prog1 (car @var{place})
1250 (setf @var{place} (cdr @var{place})))}, except that it takes care
1251 to evaluate all subforms only once.
1254 @defspec push x place
1255 This macro inserts @var{x} at the front of the list stored in
1256 @var{place}. It is analogous to @code{(setf @var{place} (cons
1257 @var{x} @var{place}))}, except for evaluation of the subforms.
1260 @defspec pushnew x place @t{&key :test :test-not :key}
1261 This macro inserts @var{x} at the front of the list stored in
1262 @var{place}, but only if @var{x} was not @code{eql} to any
1263 existing element of the list. The optional keyword arguments
1264 are interpreted in the same way as for @code{adjoin}.
1265 @xref{Lists as Sets}.
1268 @defspec shiftf place@dots{} newvalue
1269 This macro shifts the @var{place}s left by one, shifting in the
1270 value of @var{newvalue} (which may be any Lisp expression, not just
1271 a generalized variable), and returning the value shifted out of
1272 the first @var{place}. Thus, @code{(shiftf @var{a} @var{b} @var{c}
1273 @var{d})} is equivalent to
1278 (psetf @var{a} @var{b}
1284 except that the subforms of @var{a}, @var{b}, and @var{c} are actually
1285 evaluated only once each and in the apparent order.
1288 @defspec rotatef place@dots{}
1289 This macro rotates the @var{place}s left by one in circular fashion.
1290 Thus, @code{(rotatef @var{a} @var{b} @var{c} @var{d})} is equivalent to
1293 (psetf @var{a} @var{b}
1300 except for the evaluation of subforms. @code{rotatef} always
1301 returns @code{nil}. Note that @code{(rotatef @var{a} @var{b})}
1302 conveniently exchanges @var{a} and @var{b}.
1305 The following macros were invented for this package; they have no
1306 analogues in Common Lisp.
1308 @defspec letf (bindings@dots{}) forms@dots{}
1309 This macro is analogous to @code{let}, but for generalized variables
1310 rather than just symbols. Each @var{binding} should be of the form
1311 @code{(@var{place} @var{value})}; the original contents of the
1312 @var{place}s are saved, the @var{value}s are stored in them, and
1313 then the body @var{form}s are executed. Afterwards, the @var{places}
1314 are set back to their original saved contents. This cleanup happens
1315 even if the @var{form}s exit irregularly due to a @code{throw} or an
1321 (letf (((point) (point-min))
1327 moves ``point'' in the current buffer to the beginning of the buffer,
1328 and also binds @code{a} to 17 (as if by a normal @code{let}, since
1329 @code{a} is just a regular variable). After the body exits, @code{a}
1330 is set back to its original value and point is moved back to its
1333 Note that @code{letf} on @code{(point)} is not quite like a
1334 @code{save-excursion}, as the latter effectively saves a marker
1335 which tracks insertions and deletions in the buffer. Actually,
1336 a @code{letf} of @code{(point-marker)} is much closer to this
1337 behavior. (@code{point} and @code{point-marker} are equivalent
1338 as @code{setf} places; each will accept either an integer or a
1339 marker as the stored value.)
1341 Since generalized variables look like lists, @code{let}'s shorthand
1342 of using @samp{foo} for @samp{(foo nil)} as a @var{binding} would
1343 be ambiguous in @code{letf} and is not allowed.
1345 However, a @var{binding} specifier may be a one-element list
1346 @samp{(@var{place})}, which is similar to @samp{(@var{place}
1347 @var{place})}. In other words, the @var{place} is not disturbed
1348 on entry to the body, and the only effect of the @code{letf} is
1349 to restore the original value of @var{place} afterwards. (The
1350 redundant access-and-store suggested by the @code{(@var{place}
1351 @var{place})} example does not actually occur.)
1353 In most cases, the @var{place} must have a well-defined value on
1354 entry to the @code{letf} form. The only exceptions are plain
1355 variables and calls to @code{symbol-value} and @code{symbol-function}.
1356 If the symbol is not bound on entry, it is simply made unbound by
1357 @code{makunbound} or @code{fmakunbound} on exit.
1360 @defspec letf* (bindings@dots{}) forms@dots{}
1361 This macro is to @code{letf} what @code{let*} is to @code{let}:
1362 It does the bindings in sequential rather than parallel order.
1365 @defspec callf @var{function} @var{place} @var{args}@dots{}
1366 This is the ``generic'' modify macro. It calls @var{function},
1367 which should be an unquoted function name, macro name, or lambda.
1368 It passes @var{place} and @var{args} as arguments, and assigns the
1369 result back to @var{place}. For example, @code{(incf @var{place}
1370 @var{n})} is the same as @code{(callf + @var{place} @var{n})}.
1374 (callf abs my-number)
1375 (callf concat (buffer-name) "<" (int-to-string n) ">")
1376 (callf union happy-people (list joe bob) :test 'same-person)
1379 @xref{Customizing Setf}, for @code{define-modify-macro}, a way
1380 to create even more concise notations for modify macros. Note
1381 again that @code{callf} is an extension to standard Common Lisp.
1384 @defspec callf2 @var{function} @var{arg1} @var{place} @var{args}@dots{}
1385 This macro is like @code{callf}, except that @var{place} is
1386 the @emph{second} argument of @var{function} rather than the
1387 first. For example, @code{(push @var{x} @var{place})} is
1388 equivalent to @code{(callf2 cons @var{x} @var{place})}.
1391 The @code{callf} and @code{callf2} macros serve as building
1392 blocks for other macros like @code{incf}, @code{pushnew}, and
1393 @code{define-modify-macro}. The @code{letf} and @code{letf*}
1394 macros are used in the processing of symbol macros;
1395 @pxref{Macro Bindings}.
1397 @node Customizing Setf, , Modify Macros, Generalized Variables
1398 @subsection Customizing Setf
1401 Common Lisp defines three macros, @code{define-modify-macro},
1402 @code{defsetf}, and @code{define-setf-method}, that allow the
1403 user to extend generalized variables in various ways.
1405 @defspec define-modify-macro name arglist function [doc-string]
1406 This macro defines a ``read-modify-write'' macro similar to
1407 @code{incf} and @code{decf}. The macro @var{name} is defined
1408 to take a @var{place} argument followed by additional arguments
1409 described by @var{arglist}. The call
1412 (@var{name} @var{place} @var{args}...)
1419 (callf @var{func} @var{place} @var{args}...)
1423 which in turn is roughly equivalent to
1426 (setf @var{place} (@var{func} @var{place} @var{args}...))
1432 (define-modify-macro incf (&optional (n 1)) +)
1433 (define-modify-macro concatf (&rest args) concat)
1436 Note that @code{&key} is not allowed in @var{arglist}, but
1437 @code{&rest} is sufficient to pass keywords on to the function.
1439 Most of the modify macros defined by Common Lisp do not exactly
1440 follow the pattern of @code{define-modify-macro}. For example,
1441 @code{push} takes its arguments in the wrong order, and @code{pop}
1442 is completely irregular. You can define these macros ``by hand''
1443 using @code{get-setf-method}, or consult the source file
1444 @file{cl-macs.el} to see how to use the internal @code{setf}
1448 @defspec defsetf access-fn update-fn
1449 This is the simpler of two @code{defsetf} forms. Where
1450 @var{access-fn} is the name of a function which accesses a place,
1451 this declares @var{update-fn} to be the corresponding store
1452 function. From now on,
1455 (setf (@var{access-fn} @var{arg1} @var{arg2} @var{arg3}) @var{value})
1462 (@var{update-fn} @var{arg1} @var{arg2} @var{arg3} @var{value})
1466 The @var{update-fn} is required to be either a true function, or
1467 a macro which evaluates its arguments in a function-like way. Also,
1468 the @var{update-fn} is expected to return @var{value} as its result.
1469 Otherwise, the above expansion would not obey the rules for the way
1470 @code{setf} is supposed to behave.
1472 As a special (non-Common-Lisp) extension, a third argument of @code{t}
1473 to @code{defsetf} says that the @code{update-fn}'s return value is
1474 not suitable, so that the above @code{setf} should be expanded to
1478 (let ((temp @var{value}))
1479 (@var{update-fn} @var{arg1} @var{arg2} @var{arg3} temp)
1483 Some examples of the use of @code{defsetf}, drawn from the standard
1484 suite of setf methods, are:
1487 (defsetf car setcar)
1488 (defsetf symbol-value set)
1489 (defsetf buffer-name rename-buffer t)
1493 @defspec defsetf access-fn arglist (store-var) forms@dots{}
1494 This is the second, more complex, form of @code{defsetf}. It is
1495 rather like @code{defmacro} except for the additional @var{store-var}
1496 argument. The @var{forms} should return a Lisp form which stores
1497 the value of @var{store-var} into the generalized variable formed
1498 by a call to @var{access-fn} with arguments described by @var{arglist}.
1499 The @var{forms} may begin with a string which documents the @code{setf}
1500 method (analogous to the doc string that appears at the front of a
1503 For example, the simple form of @code{defsetf} is shorthand for
1506 (defsetf @var{access-fn} (&rest args) (store)
1507 (append '(@var{update-fn}) args (list store)))
1510 The Lisp form that is returned can access the arguments from
1511 @var{arglist} and @var{store-var} in an unrestricted fashion;
1512 macros like @code{setf} and @code{incf} which invoke this
1513 setf-method will insert temporary variables as needed to make
1514 sure the apparent order of evaluation is preserved.
1516 Another example drawn from the standard package:
1519 (defsetf nth (n x) (store)
1520 (list 'setcar (list 'nthcdr n x) store))
1524 @defspec define-setf-method access-fn arglist forms@dots{}
1525 This is the most general way to create new place forms. When
1526 a @code{setf} to @var{access-fn} with arguments described by
1527 @var{arglist} is expanded, the @var{forms} are evaluated and
1528 must return a list of five items:
1532 A list of @dfn{temporary variables}.
1535 A list of @dfn{value forms} corresponding to the temporary variables
1536 above. The temporary variables will be bound to these value forms
1537 as the first step of any operation on the generalized variable.
1540 A list of exactly one @dfn{store variable} (generally obtained
1541 from a call to @code{gensym}).
1544 A Lisp form which stores the contents of the store variable into
1545 the generalized variable, assuming the temporaries have been
1546 bound as described above.
1549 A Lisp form which accesses the contents of the generalized variable,
1550 assuming the temporaries have been bound.
1553 This is exactly like the Common Lisp macro of the same name,
1554 except that the method returns a list of five values rather
1555 than the five values themselves, since Emacs Lisp does not
1556 support Common Lisp's notion of multiple return values.
1558 Once again, the @var{forms} may begin with a documentation string.
1560 A setf-method should be maximally conservative with regard to
1561 temporary variables. In the setf-methods generated by
1562 @code{defsetf}, the second return value is simply the list of
1563 arguments in the place form, and the first return value is a
1564 list of a corresponding number of temporary variables generated
1565 by @code{gensym}. Macros like @code{setf} and @code{incf} which
1566 use this setf-method will optimize away most temporaries that
1567 turn out to be unnecessary, so there is little reason for the
1568 setf-method itself to optimize.
1571 @defun get-setf-method place &optional env
1572 This function returns the setf-method for @var{place}, by
1573 invoking the definition previously recorded by @code{defsetf}
1574 or @code{define-setf-method}. The result is a list of five
1575 values as described above. You can use this function to build
1576 your own @code{incf}-like modify macros. (Actually, it is
1577 better to use the internal functions @code{cl-setf-do-modify}
1578 and @code{cl-setf-do-store}, which are a bit easier to use and
1579 which also do a number of optimizations; consult the source
1580 code for the @code{incf} function for a simple example.)
1582 The argument @var{env} specifies the ``environment'' to be
1583 passed on to @code{macroexpand} if @code{get-setf-method} should
1584 need to expand a macro in @var{place}. It should come from
1585 an @code{&environment} argument to the macro or setf-method
1586 that called @code{get-setf-method}.
1588 See also the source code for the setf-methods for @code{apply}
1589 and @code{substring}, each of which works by calling
1590 @code{get-setf-method} on a simpler case, then massaging
1591 the result in various ways.
1594 Modern Common Lisp defines a second, independent way to specify
1595 the @code{setf} behavior of a function, namely ``@code{setf}
1596 functions'' whose names are lists @code{(setf @var{name})}
1597 rather than symbols. For example, @code{(defun (setf foo) @dots{})}
1598 defines the function that is used when @code{setf} is applied to
1599 @code{foo}. This package does not currently support @code{setf}
1600 functions. In particular, it is a compile-time error to use
1601 @code{setf} on a form which has not already been @code{defsetf}'d
1602 or otherwise declared; in newer Common Lisps, this would not be
1603 an error since the function @code{(setf @var{func})} might be
1610 @node Variable Bindings, Conditionals, Generalized Variables, Control Structure
1611 @section Variable Bindings
1614 These Lisp forms make bindings to variables and function names,
1615 analogous to Lisp's built-in @code{let} form.
1617 @xref{Modify Macros}, for the @code{letf} and @code{letf*} forms which
1618 are also related to variable bindings.
1621 * Dynamic Bindings:: The `progv' form
1622 * Lexical Bindings:: `lexical-let' and lexical closures
1623 * Function Bindings:: `flet' and `labels'
1624 * Macro Bindings:: `macrolet' and `symbol-macrolet'
1627 @node Dynamic Bindings, Lexical Bindings, Variable Bindings, Variable Bindings
1628 @subsection Dynamic Bindings
1631 The standard @code{let} form binds variables whose names are known
1632 at compile-time. The @code{progv} form provides an easy way to
1633 bind variables whose names are computed at run-time.
1635 @defspec progv symbols values forms@dots{}
1636 This form establishes @code{let}-style variable bindings on a
1637 set of variables computed at run-time. The expressions
1638 @var{symbols} and @var{values} are evaluated, and must return lists
1639 of symbols and values, respectively. The symbols are bound to the
1640 corresponding values for the duration of the body @var{form}s.
1641 If @var{values} is shorter than @var{symbols}, the last few symbols
1642 are made unbound (as if by @code{makunbound}) inside the body.
1643 If @var{symbols} is shorter than @var{values}, the excess values
1647 @node Lexical Bindings, Function Bindings, Dynamic Bindings, Variable Bindings
1648 @subsection Lexical Bindings
1651 The @dfn{CL} package defines the following macro which
1652 more closely follows the Common Lisp @code{let} form:
1654 @defspec lexical-let (bindings@dots{}) forms@dots{}
1655 This form is exactly like @code{let} except that the bindings it
1656 establishes are purely lexical. Lexical bindings are similar to
1657 local variables in a language like C: Only the code physically
1658 within the body of the @code{lexical-let} (after macro expansion)
1659 may refer to the bound variables.
1663 (defun foo (b) (+ a b))
1664 (let ((a 2)) (foo a))
1666 (lexical-let ((a 2)) (foo a))
1671 In this example, a regular @code{let} binding of @code{a} actually
1672 makes a temporary change to the global variable @code{a}, so @code{foo}
1673 is able to see the binding of @code{a} to 2. But @code{lexical-let}
1674 actually creates a distinct local variable @code{a} for use within its
1675 body, without any effect on the global variable of the same name.
1677 The most important use of lexical bindings is to create @dfn{closures}.
1678 A closure is a function object that refers to an outside lexical
1679 variable. For example:
1682 (defun make-adder (n)
1683 (lexical-let ((n n))
1684 (function (lambda (m) (+ n m)))))
1685 (setq add17 (make-adder 17))
1691 The call @code{(make-adder 17)} returns a function object which adds
1692 17 to its argument. If @code{let} had been used instead of
1693 @code{lexical-let}, the function object would have referred to the
1694 global @code{n}, which would have been bound to 17 only during the
1695 call to @code{make-adder} itself.
1698 (defun make-counter ()
1699 (lexical-let ((n 0))
1700 (function* (lambda (&optional (m 1)) (incf n m)))))
1701 (setq count-1 (make-counter))
1704 (funcall count-1 14)
1706 (setq count-2 (make-counter))
1716 Here we see that each call to @code{make-counter} creates a distinct
1717 local variable @code{n}, which serves as a private counter for the
1718 function object that is returned.
1720 Closed-over lexical variables persist until the last reference to
1721 them goes away, just like all other Lisp objects. For example,
1722 @code{count-2} refers to a function object which refers to an
1723 instance of the variable @code{n}; this is the only reference
1724 to that variable, so after @code{(setq count-2 nil)} the garbage
1725 collector would be able to delete this instance of @code{n}.
1726 Of course, if a @code{lexical-let} does not actually create any
1727 closures, then the lexical variables are free as soon as the
1728 @code{lexical-let} returns.
1730 Many closures are used only during the extent of the bindings they
1731 refer to; these are known as ``downward funargs'' in Lisp parlance.
1732 When a closure is used in this way, regular Emacs Lisp dynamic
1733 bindings suffice and will be more efficient than @code{lexical-let}
1737 (defun add-to-list (x list)
1738 (mapcar (lambda (y) (+ x y))) list)
1739 (add-to-list 7 '(1 2 5))
1744 Since this lambda is only used while @code{x} is still bound,
1745 it is not necessary to make a true closure out of it.
1747 You can use @code{defun} or @code{flet} inside a @code{lexical-let}
1748 to create a named closure. If several closures are created in the
1749 body of a single @code{lexical-let}, they all close over the same
1750 instance of the lexical variable.
1752 The @code{lexical-let} form is an extension to Common Lisp. In
1753 true Common Lisp, all bindings are lexical unless declared otherwise.
1756 @defspec lexical-let* (bindings@dots{}) forms@dots{}
1757 This form is just like @code{lexical-let}, except that the bindings
1758 are made sequentially in the manner of @code{let*}.
1761 @node Function Bindings, Macro Bindings, Lexical Bindings, Variable Bindings
1762 @subsection Function Bindings
1765 These forms make @code{let}-like bindings to functions instead
1768 @defspec flet (bindings@dots{}) forms@dots{}
1769 This form establishes @code{let}-style bindings on the function
1770 cells of symbols rather than on the value cells. Each @var{binding}
1771 must be a list of the form @samp{(@var{name} @var{arglist}
1772 @var{forms}@dots{})}, which defines a function exactly as if
1773 it were a @code{defun*} form. The function @var{name} is defined
1774 accordingly for the duration of the body of the @code{flet}; then
1775 the old function definition, or lack thereof, is restored.
1777 While @code{flet} in Common Lisp establishes a lexical binding of
1778 @var{name}, Emacs Lisp @code{flet} makes a dynamic binding. The
1779 result is that @code{flet} affects indirect calls to a function as
1780 well as calls directly inside the @code{flet} form itself.
1782 You can use @code{flet} to disable or modify the behavior of a
1783 function in a temporary fashion. This will even work on Emacs
1784 primitives, although note that some calls to primitive functions
1785 internal to Emacs are made without going through the symbol's
1786 function cell, and so will not be affected by @code{flet}. For
1790 (flet ((message (&rest args) (push args saved-msgs)))
1794 This code attempts to replace the built-in function @code{message}
1795 with a function that simply saves the messages in a list rather
1796 than displaying them. The original definition of @code{message}
1797 will be restored after @code{do-something} exits. This code will
1798 work fine on messages generated by other Lisp code, but messages
1799 generated directly inside Emacs will not be caught since they make
1800 direct C-language calls to the message routines rather than going
1801 through the Lisp @code{message} function.
1803 Functions defined by @code{flet} may use the full Common Lisp
1804 argument notation supported by @code{defun*}; also, the function
1805 body is enclosed in an implicit block as if by @code{defun*}.
1806 @xref{Program Structure}.
1809 @defspec labels (bindings@dots{}) forms@dots{}
1810 The @code{labels} form is like @code{flet}, except that it
1811 makes lexical bindings of the function names rather than
1812 dynamic bindings. (In true Common Lisp, both @code{flet} and
1813 @code{labels} make lexical bindings of slightly different sorts;
1814 since Emacs Lisp is dynamically bound by default, it seemed
1815 more appropriate for @code{flet} also to use dynamic binding.
1816 The @code{labels} form, with its lexical binding, is fully
1817 compatible with Common Lisp.)
1819 Lexical scoping means that all references to the named
1820 functions must appear physically within the body of the
1821 @code{labels} form. References may appear both in the body
1822 @var{forms} of @code{labels} itself, and in the bodies of
1823 the functions themselves. Thus, @code{labels} can define
1824 local recursive functions, or mutually-recursive sets of
1827 A ``reference'' to a function name is either a call to that
1828 function, or a use of its name quoted by @code{quote} or
1829 @code{function} to be passed on to, say, @code{mapcar}.
1832 @node Macro Bindings, , Function Bindings, Variable Bindings
1833 @subsection Macro Bindings
1836 These forms create local macros and ``symbol macros.''
1838 @defspec macrolet (bindings@dots{}) forms@dots{}
1839 This form is analogous to @code{flet}, but for macros instead of
1840 functions. Each @var{binding} is a list of the same form as the
1841 arguments to @code{defmacro*} (i.e., a macro name, argument list,
1842 and macro-expander forms). The macro is defined accordingly for
1843 use within the body of the @code{macrolet}.
1845 Because of the nature of macros, @code{macrolet} is lexically
1846 scoped even in Emacs Lisp: The @code{macrolet} binding will
1847 affect only calls that appear physically within the body
1848 @var{forms}, possibly after expansion of other macros in the
1852 @defspec symbol-macrolet (bindings@dots{}) forms@dots{}
1853 This form creates @dfn{symbol macros}, which are macros that look
1854 like variable references rather than function calls. Each
1855 @var{binding} is a list @samp{(@var{var} @var{expansion})};
1856 any reference to @var{var} within the body @var{forms} is
1857 replaced by @var{expansion}.
1861 (symbol-macrolet ((foo (car bar)))
1867 A @code{setq} of a symbol macro is treated the same as a @code{setf}.
1868 I.e., @code{(setq foo 4)} in the above would be equivalent to
1869 @code{(setf foo 4)}, which in turn expands to @code{(setf (car bar) 4)}.
1871 Likewise, a @code{let} or @code{let*} binding a symbol macro is
1872 treated like a @code{letf} or @code{letf*}. This differs from true
1873 Common Lisp, where the rules of lexical scoping cause a @code{let}
1874 binding to shadow a @code{symbol-macrolet} binding. In this package,
1875 only @code{lexical-let} and @code{lexical-let*} will shadow a symbol
1878 There is no analogue of @code{defmacro} for symbol macros; all symbol
1879 macros are local. A typical use of @code{symbol-macrolet} is in the
1880 expansion of another macro:
1883 (defmacro* my-dolist ((x list) &rest body)
1884 (let ((var (gensym)))
1885 (list 'loop 'for var 'on list 'do
1886 (list* 'symbol-macrolet (list (list x (list 'car var)))
1889 (setq mylist '(1 2 3 4))
1890 (my-dolist (x mylist) (incf x))
1896 In this example, the @code{my-dolist} macro is similar to @code{dolist}
1897 (@pxref{Iteration}) except that the variable @code{x} becomes a true
1898 reference onto the elements of the list. The @code{my-dolist} call
1899 shown here expands to
1902 (loop for G1234 on mylist do
1903 (symbol-macrolet ((x (car G1234)))
1908 which in turn expands to
1911 (loop for G1234 on mylist do (incf (car G1234)))
1914 @xref{Loop Facility}, for a description of the @code{loop} macro.
1915 This package defines a nonstandard @code{in-ref} loop clause that
1916 works much like @code{my-dolist}.
1919 @node Conditionals, Blocks and Exits, Variable Bindings, Control Structure
1920 @section Conditionals
1923 These conditional forms augment Emacs Lisp's simple @code{if},
1924 @code{and}, @code{or}, and @code{cond} forms.
1926 @defspec case keyform clause@dots{}
1927 This macro evaluates @var{keyform}, then compares it with the key
1928 values listed in the various @var{clause}s. Whichever clause matches
1929 the key is executed; comparison is done by @code{eql}. If no clause
1930 matches, the @code{case} form returns @code{nil}. The clauses are
1934 (@var{keylist} @var{body-forms}@dots{})
1938 where @var{keylist} is a list of key values. If there is exactly
1939 one value, and it is not a cons cell or the symbol @code{nil} or
1940 @code{t}, then it can be used by itself as a @var{keylist} without
1941 being enclosed in a list. All key values in the @code{case} form
1942 must be distinct. The final clauses may use @code{t} in place of
1943 a @var{keylist} to indicate a default clause that should be taken
1944 if none of the other clauses match. (The symbol @code{otherwise}
1945 is also recognized in place of @code{t}. To make a clause that
1946 matches the actual symbol @code{t}, @code{nil}, or @code{otherwise},
1947 enclose the symbol in a list.)
1949 For example, this expression reads a keystroke, then does one of
1950 four things depending on whether it is an @samp{a}, a @samp{b},
1951 a @key{RET} or @kbd{C-j}, or anything else.
1957 ((?\r ?\n) (do-ret-thing))
1958 (t (do-other-thing)))
1962 @defspec ecase keyform clause@dots{}
1963 This macro is just like @code{case}, except that if the key does
1964 not match any of the clauses, an error is signaled rather than
1965 simply returning @code{nil}.
1968 @defspec typecase keyform clause@dots{}
1969 This macro is a version of @code{case} that checks for types
1970 rather than values. Each @var{clause} is of the form
1971 @samp{(@var{type} @var{body}...)}. @xref{Type Predicates},
1972 for a description of type specifiers. For example,
1976 (integer (munch-integer x))
1977 (float (munch-float x))
1978 (string (munch-integer (string-to-int x)))
1979 (t (munch-anything x)))
1982 The type specifier @code{t} matches any type of object; the word
1983 @code{otherwise} is also allowed. To make one clause match any of
1984 several types, use an @code{(or ...)} type specifier.
1987 @defspec etypecase keyform clause@dots{}
1988 This macro is just like @code{typecase}, except that if the key does
1989 not match any of the clauses, an error is signaled rather than
1990 simply returning @code{nil}.
1993 @node Blocks and Exits, Iteration, Conditionals, Control Structure
1994 @section Blocks and Exits
1997 Common Lisp @dfn{blocks} provide a non-local exit mechanism very
1998 similar to @code{catch} and @code{throw}, but lexically rather than
1999 dynamically scoped. This package actually implements @code{block}
2000 in terms of @code{catch}; however, the lexical scoping allows the
2001 optimizing byte-compiler to omit the costly @code{catch} step if the
2002 body of the block does not actually @code{return-from} the block.
2004 @defspec block name forms@dots{}
2005 The @var{forms} are evaluated as if by a @code{progn}. However,
2006 if any of the @var{forms} execute @code{(return-from @var{name})},
2007 they will jump out and return directly from the @code{block} form.
2008 The @code{block} returns the result of the last @var{form} unless
2009 a @code{return-from} occurs.
2011 The @code{block}/@code{return-from} mechanism is quite similar to
2012 the @code{catch}/@code{throw} mechanism. The main differences are
2013 that block @var{name}s are unevaluated symbols, rather than forms
2014 (such as quoted symbols) which evaluate to a tag at run-time; and
2015 also that blocks are lexically scoped whereas @code{catch}/@code{throw}
2016 are dynamically scoped. This means that functions called from the
2017 body of a @code{catch} can also @code{throw} to the @code{catch},
2018 but the @code{return-from} referring to a block name must appear
2019 physically within the @var{forms} that make up the body of the block.
2020 They may not appear within other called functions, although they may
2021 appear within macro expansions or @code{lambda}s in the body. Block
2022 names and @code{catch} names form independent name-spaces.
2024 In true Common Lisp, @code{defun} and @code{defmacro} surround
2025 the function or expander bodies with implicit blocks with the
2026 same name as the function or macro. This does not occur in Emacs
2027 Lisp, but this package provides @code{defun*} and @code{defmacro*}
2028 forms which do create the implicit block.
2030 The Common Lisp looping constructs defined by this package,
2031 such as @code{loop} and @code{dolist}, also create implicit blocks
2032 just as in Common Lisp.
2034 Because they are implemented in terms of Emacs Lisp @code{catch}
2035 and @code{throw}, blocks have the same overhead as actual
2036 @code{catch} constructs (roughly two function calls). However,
2037 the optimizing byte compiler will optimize away the @code{catch}
2039 not in fact contain any @code{return} or @code{return-from} calls
2040 that jump to it. This means that @code{do} loops and @code{defun*}
2041 functions which don't use @code{return} don't pay the overhead to
2045 @defspec return-from name [result]
2046 This macro returns from the block named @var{name}, which must be
2047 an (unevaluated) symbol. If a @var{result} form is specified, it
2048 is evaluated to produce the result returned from the @code{block}.
2049 Otherwise, @code{nil} is returned.
2052 @defspec return [result]
2053 This macro is exactly like @code{(return-from nil @var{result})}.
2054 Common Lisp loops like @code{do} and @code{dolist} implicitly enclose
2055 themselves in @code{nil} blocks.
2058 @node Iteration, Loop Facility, Blocks and Exits, Control Structure
2062 The macros described here provide more sophisticated, high-level
2063 looping constructs to complement Emacs Lisp's basic @code{while}
2066 @defspec loop forms@dots{}
2067 The @dfn{CL} package supports both the simple, old-style meaning of
2068 @code{loop} and the extremely powerful and flexible feature known as
2069 the @dfn{Loop Facility} or @dfn{Loop Macro}. This more advanced
2070 facility is discussed in the following section; @pxref{Loop Facility}.
2071 The simple form of @code{loop} is described here.
2073 If @code{loop} is followed by zero or more Lisp expressions,
2074 then @code{(loop @var{exprs}@dots{})} simply creates an infinite
2075 loop executing the expressions over and over. The loop is
2076 enclosed in an implicit @code{nil} block. Thus,
2079 (loop (foo) (if (no-more) (return 72)) (bar))
2083 is exactly equivalent to
2086 (block nil (while t (foo) (if (no-more) (return 72)) (bar)))
2089 If any of the expressions are plain symbols, the loop is instead
2090 interpreted as a Loop Macro specification as described later.
2091 (This is not a restriction in practice, since a plain symbol
2092 in the above notation would simply access and throw away the
2093 value of a variable.)
2096 @defspec do (spec@dots{}) (end-test [result@dots{}]) forms@dots{}
2097 This macro creates a general iterative loop. Each @var{spec} is
2101 (@var{var} [@var{init} [@var{step}]])
2104 The loop works as follows: First, each @var{var} is bound to the
2105 associated @var{init} value as if by a @code{let} form. Then, in
2106 each iteration of the loop, the @var{end-test} is evaluated; if
2107 true, the loop is finished. Otherwise, the body @var{forms} are
2108 evaluated, then each @var{var} is set to the associated @var{step}
2109 expression (as if by a @code{psetq} form) and the next iteration
2110 begins. Once the @var{end-test} becomes true, the @var{result}
2111 forms are evaluated (with the @var{var}s still bound to their
2112 values) to produce the result returned by @code{do}.
2114 The entire @code{do} loop is enclosed in an implicit @code{nil}
2115 block, so that you can use @code{(return)} to break out of the
2118 If there are no @var{result} forms, the loop returns @code{nil}.
2119 If a given @var{var} has no @var{step} form, it is bound to its
2120 @var{init} value but not otherwise modified during the @code{do}
2121 loop (unless the code explicitly modifies it); this case is just
2122 a shorthand for putting a @code{(let ((@var{var} @var{init})) @dots{})}
2123 around the loop. If @var{init} is also omitted it defaults to
2124 @code{nil}, and in this case a plain @samp{@var{var}} can be used
2125 in place of @samp{(@var{var})}, again following the analogy with
2128 This example (from Steele) illustrates a loop which applies the
2129 function @code{f} to successive pairs of values from the lists
2130 @code{foo} and @code{bar}; it is equivalent to the call
2131 @code{(mapcar* 'f foo bar)}. Note that this loop has no body
2132 @var{forms} at all, performing all its work as side effects of
2133 the rest of the loop.
2136 (do ((x foo (cdr x))
2138 (z nil (cons (f (car x) (car y)) z)))
2139 ((or (null x) (null y))
2144 @defspec do* (spec@dots{}) (end-test [result@dots{}]) forms@dots{}
2145 This is to @code{do} what @code{let*} is to @code{let}. In
2146 particular, the initial values are bound as if by @code{let*}
2147 rather than @code{let}, and the steps are assigned as if by
2148 @code{setq} rather than @code{psetq}.
2150 Here is another way to write the above loop:
2153 (do* ((xp foo (cdr xp))
2155 (x (car xp) (car xp))
2156 (y (car yp) (car yp))
2158 ((or (null xp) (null yp))
2164 @defspec dolist (var list [result]) forms@dots{}
2165 This is a more specialized loop which iterates across the elements
2166 of a list. @var{list} should evaluate to a list; the body @var{forms}
2167 are executed with @var{var} bound to each element of the list in
2168 turn. Finally, the @var{result} form (or @code{nil}) is evaluated
2169 with @var{var} bound to @code{nil} to produce the result returned by
2170 the loop. Unlike with Emacs's built in @code{dolist}, the loop is
2171 surrounded by an implicit @code{nil} block.
2174 @defspec dotimes (var count [result]) forms@dots{}
2175 This is a more specialized loop which iterates a specified number
2176 of times. The body is executed with @var{var} bound to the integers
2177 from zero (inclusive) to @var{count} (exclusive), in turn. Then
2178 the @code{result} form is evaluated with @var{var} bound to the total
2179 number of iterations that were done (i.e., @code{(max 0 @var{count})})
2180 to get the return value for the loop form. Unlike with Emacs's built in
2181 @code{dolist}, the loop is surrounded by an implicit @code{nil} block.
2184 @defspec do-symbols (var [obarray [result]]) forms@dots{}
2185 This loop iterates over all interned symbols. If @var{obarray}
2186 is specified and is not @code{nil}, it loops over all symbols in
2187 that obarray. For each symbol, the body @var{forms} are evaluated
2188 with @var{var} bound to that symbol. The symbols are visited in
2189 an unspecified order. Afterward the @var{result} form, if any,
2190 is evaluated (with @var{var} bound to @code{nil}) to get the return
2191 value. The loop is surrounded by an implicit @code{nil} block.
2194 @defspec do-all-symbols (var [result]) forms@dots{}
2195 This is identical to @code{do-symbols} except that the @var{obarray}
2196 argument is omitted; it always iterates over the default obarray.
2199 @xref{Mapping over Sequences}, for some more functions for
2200 iterating over vectors or lists.
2202 @node Loop Facility, Multiple Values, Iteration, Control Structure
2203 @section Loop Facility
2206 A common complaint with Lisp's traditional looping constructs is
2207 that they are either too simple and limited, such as Common Lisp's
2208 @code{dotimes} or Emacs Lisp's @code{while}, or too unreadable and
2209 obscure, like Common Lisp's @code{do} loop.
2211 To remedy this, recent versions of Common Lisp have added a new
2212 construct called the ``Loop Facility'' or ``@code{loop} macro,''
2213 with an easy-to-use but very powerful and expressive syntax.
2216 * Loop Basics:: `loop' macro, basic clause structure
2217 * Loop Examples:: Working examples of `loop' macro
2218 * For Clauses:: Clauses introduced by `for' or `as'
2219 * Iteration Clauses:: `repeat', `while', `thereis', etc.
2220 * Accumulation Clauses:: `collect', `sum', `maximize', etc.
2221 * Other Clauses:: `with', `if', `initially', `finally'
2224 @node Loop Basics, Loop Examples, Loop Facility, Loop Facility
2225 @subsection Loop Basics
2228 The @code{loop} macro essentially creates a mini-language within
2229 Lisp that is specially tailored for describing loops. While this
2230 language is a little strange-looking by the standards of regular Lisp,
2231 it turns out to be very easy to learn and well-suited to its purpose.
2233 Since @code{loop} is a macro, all parsing of the loop language
2234 takes place at byte-compile time; compiled @code{loop}s are just
2235 as efficient as the equivalent @code{while} loops written longhand.
2237 @defspec loop clauses@dots{}
2238 A loop construct consists of a series of @var{clause}s, each
2239 introduced by a symbol like @code{for} or @code{do}. Clauses
2240 are simply strung together in the argument list of @code{loop},
2241 with minimal extra parentheses. The various types of clauses
2242 specify initializations, such as the binding of temporary
2243 variables, actions to be taken in the loop, stepping actions,
2246 Common Lisp specifies a certain general order of clauses in a
2250 (loop @var{name-clause}
2251 @var{var-clauses}@dots{}
2252 @var{action-clauses}@dots{})
2255 The @var{name-clause} optionally gives a name to the implicit
2256 block that surrounds the loop. By default, the implicit block
2257 is named @code{nil}. The @var{var-clauses} specify what
2258 variables should be bound during the loop, and how they should
2259 be modified or iterated throughout the course of the loop. The
2260 @var{action-clauses} are things to be done during the loop, such
2261 as computing, collecting, and returning values.
2263 The Emacs version of the @code{loop} macro is less restrictive about
2264 the order of clauses, but things will behave most predictably if
2265 you put the variable-binding clauses @code{with}, @code{for}, and
2266 @code{repeat} before the action clauses. As in Common Lisp,
2267 @code{initially} and @code{finally} clauses can go anywhere.
2269 Loops generally return @code{nil} by default, but you can cause
2270 them to return a value by using an accumulation clause like
2271 @code{collect}, an end-test clause like @code{always}, or an
2272 explicit @code{return} clause to jump out of the implicit block.
2273 (Because the loop body is enclosed in an implicit block, you can
2274 also use regular Lisp @code{return} or @code{return-from} to
2275 break out of the loop.)
2278 The following sections give some examples of the Loop Macro in
2279 action, and describe the particular loop clauses in great detail.
2280 Consult the second edition of Steele's @dfn{Common Lisp, the Language},
2281 for additional discussion and examples of the @code{loop} macro.
2283 @node Loop Examples, For Clauses, Loop Basics, Loop Facility
2284 @subsection Loop Examples
2287 Before listing the full set of clauses that are allowed, let's
2288 look at a few example loops just to get a feel for the @code{loop}
2292 (loop for buf in (buffer-list)
2293 collect (buffer-file-name buf))
2297 This loop iterates over all Emacs buffers, using the list
2298 returned by @code{buffer-list}. For each buffer @code{buf},
2299 it calls @code{buffer-file-name} and collects the results into
2300 a list, which is then returned from the @code{loop} construct.
2301 The result is a list of the file names of all the buffers in
2302 Emacs' memory. The words @code{for}, @code{in}, and @code{collect}
2303 are reserved words in the @code{loop} language.
2306 (loop repeat 20 do (insert "Yowsa\n"))
2310 This loop inserts the phrase ``Yowsa'' twenty times in the
2314 (loop until (eobp) do (munch-line) (forward-line 1))
2318 This loop calls @code{munch-line} on every line until the end
2319 of the buffer. If point is already at the end of the buffer,
2320 the loop exits immediately.
2323 (loop do (munch-line) until (eobp) do (forward-line 1))
2327 This loop is similar to the above one, except that @code{munch-line}
2328 is always called at least once.
2331 (loop for x from 1 to 100
2334 finally return (list x (= y 729)))
2338 This more complicated loop searches for a number @code{x} whose
2339 square is 729. For safety's sake it only examines @code{x}
2340 values up to 100; dropping the phrase @samp{to 100} would
2341 cause the loop to count upwards with no limit. The second
2342 @code{for} clause defines @code{y} to be the square of @code{x}
2343 within the loop; the expression after the @code{=} sign is
2344 reevaluated each time through the loop. The @code{until}
2345 clause gives a condition for terminating the loop, and the
2346 @code{finally} clause says what to do when the loop finishes.
2347 (This particular example was written less concisely than it
2348 could have been, just for the sake of illustration.)
2350 Note that even though this loop contains three clauses (two
2351 @code{for}s and an @code{until}) that would have been enough to
2352 define loops all by themselves, it still creates a single loop
2353 rather than some sort of triple-nested loop. You must explicitly
2354 nest your @code{loop} constructs if you want nested loops.
2356 @node For Clauses, Iteration Clauses, Loop Examples, Loop Facility
2357 @subsection For Clauses
2360 Most loops are governed by one or more @code{for} clauses.
2361 A @code{for} clause simultaneously describes variables to be
2362 bound, how those variables are to be stepped during the loop,
2363 and usually an end condition based on those variables.
2365 The word @code{as} is a synonym for the word @code{for}. This
2366 word is followed by a variable name, then a word like @code{from}
2367 or @code{across} that describes the kind of iteration desired.
2368 In Common Lisp, the phrase @code{being the} sometimes precedes
2369 the type of iteration; in this package both @code{being} and
2370 @code{the} are optional. The word @code{each} is a synonym
2371 for @code{the}, and the word that follows it may be singular
2372 or plural: @samp{for x being the elements of y} or
2373 @samp{for x being each element of y}. Which form you use
2374 is purely a matter of style.
2376 The variable is bound around the loop as if by @code{let}:
2380 (loop for i from 1 to 10 do (do-something-with i))
2386 @item for @var{var} from @var{expr1} to @var{expr2} by @var{expr3}
2387 This type of @code{for} clause creates a counting loop. Each of
2388 the three sub-terms is optional, though there must be at least one
2389 term so that the clause is marked as a counting clause.
2391 The three expressions are the starting value, the ending value, and
2392 the step value, respectively, of the variable. The loop counts
2393 upwards by default (@var{expr3} must be positive), from @var{expr1}
2394 to @var{expr2} inclusively. If you omit the @code{from} term, the
2395 loop counts from zero; if you omit the @code{to} term, the loop
2396 counts forever without stopping (unless stopped by some other
2397 loop clause, of course); if you omit the @code{by} term, the loop
2398 counts in steps of one.
2400 You can replace the word @code{from} with @code{upfrom} or
2401 @code{downfrom} to indicate the direction of the loop. Likewise,
2402 you can replace @code{to} with @code{upto} or @code{downto}.
2403 For example, @samp{for x from 5 downto 1} executes five times
2404 with @code{x} taking on the integers from 5 down to 1 in turn.
2405 Also, you can replace @code{to} with @code{below} or @code{above},
2406 which are like @code{upto} and @code{downto} respectively except
2407 that they are exclusive rather than inclusive limits:
2410 (loop for x to 10 collect x)
2411 @result{} (0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10)
2412 (loop for x below 10 collect x)
2413 @result{} (0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9)
2416 The @code{by} value is always positive, even for downward-counting
2417 loops. Some sort of @code{from} value is required for downward
2418 loops; @samp{for x downto 5} is not a legal loop clause all by
2421 @item for @var{var} in @var{list} by @var{function}
2422 This clause iterates @var{var} over all the elements of @var{list},
2423 in turn. If you specify the @code{by} term, then @var{function}
2424 is used to traverse the list instead of @code{cdr}; it must be a
2425 function taking one argument. For example:
2428 (loop for x in '(1 2 3 4 5 6) collect (* x x))
2429 @result{} (1 4 9 16 25 36)
2430 (loop for x in '(1 2 3 4 5 6) by 'cddr collect (* x x))
2434 @item for @var{var} on @var{list} by @var{function}
2435 This clause iterates @var{var} over all the cons cells of @var{list}.
2438 (loop for x on '(1 2 3 4) collect x)
2439 @result{} ((1 2 3 4) (2 3 4) (3 4) (4))
2442 With @code{by}, there is no real reason that the @code{on} expression
2443 must be a list. For example:
2446 (loop for x on first-animal by 'next-animal collect x)
2450 where @code{(next-animal x)} takes an ``animal'' @var{x} and returns
2451 the next in the (assumed) sequence of animals, or @code{nil} if
2452 @var{x} was the last animal in the sequence.
2454 @item for @var{var} in-ref @var{list} by @var{function}
2455 This is like a regular @code{in} clause, but @var{var} becomes
2456 a @code{setf}-able ``reference'' onto the elements of the list
2457 rather than just a temporary variable. For example,
2460 (loop for x in-ref my-list do (incf x))
2464 increments every element of @code{my-list} in place. This clause
2465 is an extension to standard Common Lisp.
2467 @item for @var{var} across @var{array}
2468 This clause iterates @var{var} over all the elements of @var{array},
2469 which may be a vector or a string.
2472 (loop for x across "aeiou"
2473 do (use-vowel (char-to-string x)))
2476 @item for @var{var} across-ref @var{array}
2477 This clause iterates over an array, with @var{var} a @code{setf}-able
2478 reference onto the elements; see @code{in-ref} above.
2480 @item for @var{var} being the elements of @var{sequence}
2481 This clause iterates over the elements of @var{sequence}, which may
2482 be a list, vector, or string. Since the type must be determined
2483 at run-time, this is somewhat less efficient than @code{in} or
2484 @code{across}. The clause may be followed by the additional term
2485 @samp{using (index @var{var2})} to cause @var{var2} to be bound to
2486 the successive indices (starting at 0) of the elements.
2488 This clause type is taken from older versions of the @code{loop} macro,
2489 and is not present in modern Common Lisp. The @samp{using (sequence ...)}
2490 term of the older macros is not supported.
2492 @item for @var{var} being the elements of-ref @var{sequence}
2493 This clause iterates over a sequence, with @var{var} a @code{setf}-able
2494 reference onto the elements; see @code{in-ref} above.
2496 @item for @var{var} being the symbols [of @var{obarray}]
2497 This clause iterates over symbols, either over all interned symbols
2498 or over all symbols in @var{obarray}. The loop is executed with
2499 @var{var} bound to each symbol in turn. The symbols are visited in
2500 an unspecified order.
2505 (loop for sym being the symbols
2507 when (string-match "^map" (symbol-name sym))
2512 returns a list of all the functions whose names begin with @samp{map}.
2514 The Common Lisp words @code{external-symbols} and @code{present-symbols}
2515 are also recognized but are equivalent to @code{symbols} in Emacs Lisp.
2517 Due to a minor implementation restriction, it will not work to have
2518 more than one @code{for} clause iterating over symbols, hash tables,
2519 keymaps, overlays, or intervals in a given @code{loop}. Fortunately,
2520 it would rarely if ever be useful to do so. It @emph{is} legal to mix
2521 one of these types of clauses with other clauses like @code{for ... to}
2524 @item for @var{var} being the hash-keys of @var{hash-table}
2525 This clause iterates over the entries in @var{hash-table}. For each
2526 hash table entry, @var{var} is bound to the entry's key. If you write
2527 @samp{the hash-values} instead, @var{var} is bound to the values
2528 of the entries. The clause may be followed by the additional
2529 term @samp{using (hash-values @var{var2})} (where @code{hash-values}
2530 is the opposite word of the word following @code{the}) to cause
2531 @var{var} and @var{var2} to be bound to the two parts of each
2534 @item for @var{var} being the key-codes of @var{keymap}
2535 This clause iterates over the entries in @var{keymap}.
2536 The iteration does not enter nested keymaps or inherited (parent) keymaps.
2537 You can use @samp{the key-bindings} to access the commands bound to
2538 the keys rather than the key codes, and you can add a @code{using}
2539 clause to access both the codes and the bindings together.
2541 @item for @var{var} being the key-seqs of @var{keymap}
2542 This clause iterates over all key sequences defined by @var{keymap}
2543 and its nested keymaps, where @var{var} takes on values which are
2544 vectors. The strings or vectors
2545 are reused for each iteration, so you must copy them if you wish to keep
2546 them permanently. You can add a @samp{using (key-bindings ...)}
2547 clause to get the command bindings as well.
2549 @item for @var{var} being the overlays [of @var{buffer}] @dots{}
2550 This clause iterates over the ``overlays'' of a buffer
2551 (the clause @code{extents} is synonymous
2552 with @code{overlays}). If the @code{of} term is omitted, the current
2554 This clause also accepts optional @samp{from @var{pos}} and
2555 @samp{to @var{pos}} terms, limiting the clause to overlays which
2556 overlap the specified region.
2558 @item for @var{var} being the intervals [of @var{buffer}] @dots{}
2559 This clause iterates over all intervals of a buffer with constant
2560 text properties. The variable @var{var} will be bound to conses
2561 of start and end positions, where one start position is always equal
2562 to the previous end position. The clause allows @code{of},
2563 @code{from}, @code{to}, and @code{property} terms, where the latter
2564 term restricts the search to just the specified property. The
2565 @code{of} term may specify either a buffer or a string.
2567 @item for @var{var} being the frames
2568 This clause iterates over all frames, i.e., X window system windows
2569 open on Emacs files. The
2570 clause @code{screens} is a synonym for @code{frames}. The frames
2571 are visited in @code{next-frame} order starting from
2572 @code{selected-frame}.
2574 @item for @var{var} being the windows [of @var{frame}]
2575 This clause iterates over the windows (in the Emacs sense) of
2576 the current frame, or of the specified @var{frame}.
2578 @item for @var{var} being the buffers
2579 This clause iterates over all buffers in Emacs. It is equivalent
2580 to @samp{for @var{var} in (buffer-list)}.
2582 @item for @var{var} = @var{expr1} then @var{expr2}
2583 This clause does a general iteration. The first time through
2584 the loop, @var{var} will be bound to @var{expr1}. On the second
2585 and successive iterations it will be set by evaluating @var{expr2}
2586 (which may refer to the old value of @var{var}). For example,
2587 these two loops are effectively the same:
2590 (loop for x on my-list by 'cddr do ...)
2591 (loop for x = my-list then (cddr x) while x do ...)
2594 Note that this type of @code{for} clause does not imply any sort
2595 of terminating condition; the above example combines it with a
2596 @code{while} clause to tell when to end the loop.
2598 If you omit the @code{then} term, @var{expr1} is used both for
2599 the initial setting and for successive settings:
2602 (loop for x = (random) when (> x 0) return x)
2606 This loop keeps taking random numbers from the @code{(random)}
2607 function until it gets a positive one, which it then returns.
2610 If you include several @code{for} clauses in a row, they are
2611 treated sequentially (as if by @code{let*} and @code{setq}).
2612 You can instead use the word @code{and} to link the clauses,
2613 in which case they are processed in parallel (as if by @code{let}
2617 (loop for x below 5 for y = nil then x collect (list x y))
2618 @result{} ((0 nil) (1 1) (2 2) (3 3) (4 4))
2619 (loop for x below 5 and y = nil then x collect (list x y))
2620 @result{} ((0 nil) (1 0) (2 1) (3 2) (4 3))
2624 In the first loop, @code{y} is set based on the value of @code{x}
2625 that was just set by the previous clause; in the second loop,
2626 @code{x} and @code{y} are set simultaneously so @code{y} is set
2627 based on the value of @code{x} left over from the previous time
2630 Another feature of the @code{loop} macro is @dfn{destructuring},
2631 similar in concept to the destructuring provided by @code{defmacro}.
2632 The @var{var} part of any @code{for} clause can be given as a list
2633 of variables instead of a single variable. The values produced
2634 during loop execution must be lists; the values in the lists are
2635 stored in the corresponding variables.
2638 (loop for (x y) in '((2 3) (4 5) (6 7)) collect (+ x y))
2642 In loop destructuring, if there are more values than variables
2643 the trailing values are ignored, and if there are more variables
2644 than values the trailing variables get the value @code{nil}.
2645 If @code{nil} is used as a variable name, the corresponding
2646 values are ignored. Destructuring may be nested, and dotted
2647 lists of variables like @code{(x . y)} are allowed.
2649 @node Iteration Clauses, Accumulation Clauses, For Clauses, Loop Facility
2650 @subsection Iteration Clauses
2653 Aside from @code{for} clauses, there are several other loop clauses
2654 that control the way the loop operates. They might be used by
2655 themselves, or in conjunction with one or more @code{for} clauses.
2658 @item repeat @var{integer}
2659 This clause simply counts up to the specified number using an
2660 internal temporary variable. The loops
2663 (loop repeat n do ...)
2664 (loop for temp to n do ...)
2668 are identical except that the second one forces you to choose
2669 a name for a variable you aren't actually going to use.
2671 @item while @var{condition}
2672 This clause stops the loop when the specified condition (any Lisp
2673 expression) becomes @code{nil}. For example, the following two
2674 loops are equivalent, except for the implicit @code{nil} block
2675 that surrounds the second one:
2678 (while @var{cond} @var{forms}@dots{})
2679 (loop while @var{cond} do @var{forms}@dots{})
2682 @item until @var{condition}
2683 This clause stops the loop when the specified condition is true,
2684 i.e., non-@code{nil}.
2686 @item always @var{condition}
2687 This clause stops the loop when the specified condition is @code{nil}.
2688 Unlike @code{while}, it stops the loop using @code{return nil} so that
2689 the @code{finally} clauses are not executed. If all the conditions
2690 were non-@code{nil}, the loop returns @code{t}:
2693 (if (loop for size in size-list always (> size 10))
2698 @item never @var{condition}
2699 This clause is like @code{always}, except that the loop returns
2700 @code{t} if any conditions were false, or @code{nil} otherwise.
2702 @item thereis @var{condition}
2703 This clause stops the loop when the specified form is non-@code{nil};
2704 in this case, it returns that non-@code{nil} value. If all the
2705 values were @code{nil}, the loop returns @code{nil}.
2708 @node Accumulation Clauses, Other Clauses, Iteration Clauses, Loop Facility
2709 @subsection Accumulation Clauses
2712 These clauses cause the loop to accumulate information about the
2713 specified Lisp @var{form}. The accumulated result is returned
2714 from the loop unless overridden, say, by a @code{return} clause.
2717 @item collect @var{form}
2718 This clause collects the values of @var{form} into a list. Several
2719 examples of @code{collect} appear elsewhere in this manual.
2721 The word @code{collecting} is a synonym for @code{collect}, and
2722 likewise for the other accumulation clauses.
2724 @item append @var{form}
2725 This clause collects lists of values into a result list using
2728 @item nconc @var{form}
2729 This clause collects lists of values into a result list by
2730 destructively modifying the lists rather than copying them.
2732 @item concat @var{form}
2733 This clause concatenates the values of the specified @var{form}
2734 into a string. (It and the following clause are extensions to
2735 standard Common Lisp.)
2737 @item vconcat @var{form}
2738 This clause concatenates the values of the specified @var{form}
2741 @item count @var{form}
2742 This clause counts the number of times the specified @var{form}
2743 evaluates to a non-@code{nil} value.
2745 @item sum @var{form}
2746 This clause accumulates the sum of the values of the specified
2747 @var{form}, which must evaluate to a number.
2749 @item maximize @var{form}
2750 This clause accumulates the maximum value of the specified @var{form},
2751 which must evaluate to a number. The return value is undefined if
2752 @code{maximize} is executed zero times.
2754 @item minimize @var{form}
2755 This clause accumulates the minimum value of the specified @var{form}.
2758 Accumulation clauses can be followed by @samp{into @var{var}} to
2759 cause the data to be collected into variable @var{var} (which is
2760 automatically @code{let}-bound during the loop) rather than an
2761 unnamed temporary variable. Also, @code{into} accumulations do
2762 not automatically imply a return value. The loop must use some
2763 explicit mechanism, such as @code{finally return}, to return
2764 the accumulated result.
2766 It is legal for several accumulation clauses of the same type to
2767 accumulate into the same place. From Steele:
2770 (loop for name in '(fred sue alice joe june)
2771 for kids in '((bob ken) () () (kris sunshine) ())
2774 @result{} (fred bob ken sue alice joe kris sunshine june)
2777 @node Other Clauses, , Accumulation Clauses, Loop Facility
2778 @subsection Other Clauses
2781 This section describes the remaining loop clauses.
2784 @item with @var{var} = @var{value}
2785 This clause binds a variable to a value around the loop, but
2786 otherwise leaves the variable alone during the loop. The following
2787 loops are basically equivalent:
2790 (loop with x = 17 do ...)
2791 (let ((x 17)) (loop do ...))
2792 (loop for x = 17 then x do ...)
2795 Naturally, the variable @var{var} might be used for some purpose
2796 in the rest of the loop. For example:
2799 (loop for x in my-list with res = nil do (push x res)
2803 This loop inserts the elements of @code{my-list} at the front of
2804 a new list being accumulated in @code{res}, then returns the
2805 list @code{res} at the end of the loop. The effect is similar
2806 to that of a @code{collect} clause, but the list gets reversed
2807 by virtue of the fact that elements are being pushed onto the
2808 front of @code{res} rather than the end.
2810 If you omit the @code{=} term, the variable is initialized to
2811 @code{nil}. (Thus the @samp{= nil} in the above example is
2814 Bindings made by @code{with} are sequential by default, as if
2815 by @code{let*}. Just like @code{for} clauses, @code{with} clauses
2816 can be linked with @code{and} to cause the bindings to be made by
2819 @item if @var{condition} @var{clause}
2820 This clause executes the following loop clause only if the specified
2821 condition is true. The following @var{clause} should be an accumulation,
2822 @code{do}, @code{return}, @code{if}, or @code{unless} clause.
2823 Several clauses may be linked by separating them with @code{and}.
2824 These clauses may be followed by @code{else} and a clause or clauses
2825 to execute if the condition was false. The whole construct may
2826 optionally be followed by the word @code{end} (which may be used to
2827 disambiguate an @code{else} or @code{and} in a nested @code{if}).
2829 The actual non-@code{nil} value of the condition form is available
2830 by the name @code{it} in the ``then'' part. For example:
2833 (setq funny-numbers '(6 13 -1))
2835 (loop for x below 10
2838 and if (memq x funny-numbers) return (cdr it) end
2840 collect x into evens
2841 finally return (vector odds evens))
2842 @result{} [(1 3 5 7 9) (0 2 4 6 8)]
2843 (setq funny-numbers '(6 7 13 -1))
2844 @result{} (6 7 13 -1)
2845 (loop <@r{same thing again}>)
2849 Note the use of @code{and} to put two clauses into the ``then''
2850 part, one of which is itself an @code{if} clause. Note also that
2851 @code{end}, while normally optional, was necessary here to make
2852 it clear that the @code{else} refers to the outermost @code{if}
2853 clause. In the first case, the loop returns a vector of lists
2854 of the odd and even values of @var{x}. In the second case, the
2855 odd number 7 is one of the @code{funny-numbers} so the loop
2856 returns early; the actual returned value is based on the result
2857 of the @code{memq} call.
2859 @item when @var{condition} @var{clause}
2860 This clause is just a synonym for @code{if}.
2862 @item unless @var{condition} @var{clause}
2863 The @code{unless} clause is just like @code{if} except that the
2864 sense of the condition is reversed.
2866 @item named @var{name}
2867 This clause gives a name other than @code{nil} to the implicit
2868 block surrounding the loop. The @var{name} is the symbol to be
2869 used as the block name.
2871 @item initially [do] @var{forms}...
2872 This keyword introduces one or more Lisp forms which will be
2873 executed before the loop itself begins (but after any variables
2874 requested by @code{for} or @code{with} have been bound to their
2875 initial values). @code{initially} clauses can appear anywhere;
2876 if there are several, they are executed in the order they appear
2877 in the loop. The keyword @code{do} is optional.
2879 @item finally [do] @var{forms}...
2880 This introduces Lisp forms which will be executed after the loop
2881 finishes (say, on request of a @code{for} or @code{while}).
2882 @code{initially} and @code{finally} clauses may appear anywhere
2883 in the loop construct, but they are executed (in the specified
2884 order) at the beginning or end, respectively, of the loop.
2886 @item finally return @var{form}
2887 This says that @var{form} should be executed after the loop
2888 is done to obtain a return value. (Without this, or some other
2889 clause like @code{collect} or @code{return}, the loop will simply
2890 return @code{nil}.) Variables bound by @code{for}, @code{with},
2891 or @code{into} will still contain their final values when @var{form}
2894 @item do @var{forms}...
2895 The word @code{do} may be followed by any number of Lisp expressions
2896 which are executed as an implicit @code{progn} in the body of the
2897 loop. Many of the examples in this section illustrate the use of
2900 @item return @var{form}
2901 This clause causes the loop to return immediately. The following
2902 Lisp form is evaluated to give the return value of the @code{loop}
2903 form. The @code{finally} clauses, if any, are not executed.
2904 Of course, @code{return} is generally used inside an @code{if} or
2905 @code{unless}, as its use in a top-level loop clause would mean
2906 the loop would never get to ``loop'' more than once.
2908 The clause @samp{return @var{form}} is equivalent to
2909 @samp{do (return @var{form})} (or @code{return-from} if the loop
2910 was named). The @code{return} clause is implemented a bit more
2911 efficiently, though.
2914 While there is no high-level way to add user extensions to @code{loop}
2915 (comparable to @code{defsetf} for @code{setf}, say), this package
2916 does offer two properties called @code{cl-loop-handler} and
2917 @code{cl-loop-for-handler} which are functions to be called when
2918 a given symbol is encountered as a top-level loop clause or
2919 @code{for} clause, respectively. Consult the source code in
2920 file @file{cl-macs.el} for details.
2922 This package's @code{loop} macro is compatible with that of Common
2923 Lisp, except that a few features are not implemented: @code{loop-finish}
2924 and data-type specifiers. Naturally, the @code{for} clauses which
2925 iterate over keymaps, overlays, intervals, frames, windows, and
2926 buffers are Emacs-specific extensions.
2928 @node Multiple Values, , Loop Facility, Control Structure
2929 @section Multiple Values
2932 Common Lisp functions can return zero or more results. Emacs Lisp
2933 functions, by contrast, always return exactly one result. This
2934 package makes no attempt to emulate Common Lisp multiple return
2935 values; Emacs versions of Common Lisp functions that return more
2936 than one value either return just the first value (as in
2937 @code{compiler-macroexpand}) or return a list of values (as in
2938 @code{get-setf-method}). This package @emph{does} define placeholders
2939 for the Common Lisp functions that work with multiple values, but
2940 in Emacs Lisp these functions simply operate on lists instead.
2941 The @code{values} form, for example, is a synonym for @code{list}
2944 @defspec multiple-value-bind (var@dots{}) values-form forms@dots{}
2945 This form evaluates @var{values-form}, which must return a list of
2946 values. It then binds the @var{var}s to these respective values,
2947 as if by @code{let}, and then executes the body @var{forms}.
2948 If there are more @var{var}s than values, the extra @var{var}s
2949 are bound to @code{nil}. If there are fewer @var{var}s than
2950 values, the excess values are ignored.
2953 @defspec multiple-value-setq (var@dots{}) form
2954 This form evaluates @var{form}, which must return a list of values.
2955 It then sets the @var{var}s to these respective values, as if by
2956 @code{setq}. Extra @var{var}s or values are treated the same as
2957 in @code{multiple-value-bind}.
2960 The older Quiroz package attempted a more faithful (but still
2961 imperfect) emulation of Common Lisp multiple values. The old
2962 method ``usually'' simulated true multiple values quite well,
2963 but under certain circumstances would leave spurious return
2964 values in memory where a later, unrelated @code{multiple-value-bind}
2965 form would see them.
2967 Since a perfect emulation is not feasible in Emacs Lisp, this
2968 package opts to keep it as simple and predictable as possible.
2970 @node Macros, Declarations, Control Structure, Top
2974 This package implements the various Common Lisp features of
2975 @code{defmacro}, such as destructuring, @code{&environment},
2976 and @code{&body}. Top-level @code{&whole} is not implemented
2977 for @code{defmacro} due to technical difficulties.
2978 @xref{Argument Lists}.
2980 Destructuring is made available to the user by way of the
2983 @defspec destructuring-bind arglist expr forms@dots{}
2984 This macro expands to code which executes @var{forms}, with
2985 the variables in @var{arglist} bound to the list of values
2986 returned by @var{expr}. The @var{arglist} can include all
2987 the features allowed for @code{defmacro} argument lists,
2988 including destructuring. (The @code{&environment} keyword
2989 is not allowed.) The macro expansion will signal an error
2990 if @var{expr} returns a list of the wrong number of arguments
2991 or with incorrect keyword arguments.
2994 This package also includes the Common Lisp @code{define-compiler-macro}
2995 facility, which allows you to define compile-time expansions and
2996 optimizations for your functions.
2998 @defspec define-compiler-macro name arglist forms@dots{}
2999 This form is similar to @code{defmacro}, except that it only expands
3000 calls to @var{name} at compile-time; calls processed by the Lisp
3001 interpreter are not expanded, nor are they expanded by the
3002 @code{macroexpand} function.
3004 The argument list may begin with a @code{&whole} keyword and a
3005 variable. This variable is bound to the macro-call form itself,
3006 i.e., to a list of the form @samp{(@var{name} @var{args}@dots{})}.
3007 If the macro expander returns this form unchanged, then the
3008 compiler treats it as a normal function call. This allows
3009 compiler macros to work as optimizers for special cases of a
3010 function, leaving complicated cases alone.
3012 For example, here is a simplified version of a definition that
3013 appears as a standard part of this package:
3016 (define-compiler-macro member* (&whole form a list &rest keys)
3017 (if (and (null keys)
3018 (eq (car-safe a) 'quote)
3019 (not (floatp-safe (cadr a))))
3025 This definition causes @code{(member* @var{a} @var{list})} to change
3026 to a call to the faster @code{memq} in the common case where @var{a}
3027 is a non-floating-point constant; if @var{a} is anything else, or
3028 if there are any keyword arguments in the call, then the original
3029 @code{member*} call is left intact. (The actual compiler macro
3030 for @code{member*} optimizes a number of other cases, including
3031 common @code{:test} predicates.)
3034 @defun compiler-macroexpand form
3035 This function is analogous to @code{macroexpand}, except that it
3036 expands compiler macros rather than regular macros. It returns
3037 @var{form} unchanged if it is not a call to a function for which
3038 a compiler macro has been defined, or if that compiler macro
3039 decided to punt by returning its @code{&whole} argument. Like
3040 @code{macroexpand}, it expands repeatedly until it reaches a form
3041 for which no further expansion is possible.
3044 @xref{Macro Bindings}, for descriptions of the @code{macrolet}
3045 and @code{symbol-macrolet} forms for making ``local'' macro
3048 @node Declarations, Symbols, Macros, Top
3049 @chapter Declarations
3052 Common Lisp includes a complex and powerful ``declaration''
3053 mechanism that allows you to give the compiler special hints
3054 about the types of data that will be stored in particular variables,
3055 and about the ways those variables and functions will be used. This
3056 package defines versions of all the Common Lisp declaration forms:
3057 @code{declare}, @code{locally}, @code{proclaim}, @code{declaim},
3060 Most of the Common Lisp declarations are not currently useful in
3061 Emacs Lisp, as the byte-code system provides little opportunity
3062 to benefit from type information, and @code{special} declarations
3063 are redundant in a fully dynamically-scoped Lisp. A few
3064 declarations are meaningful when the optimizing byte
3065 compiler is being used, however. Under the earlier non-optimizing
3066 compiler, these declarations will effectively be ignored.
3068 @defun proclaim decl-spec
3069 This function records a ``global'' declaration specified by
3070 @var{decl-spec}. Since @code{proclaim} is a function, @var{decl-spec}
3071 is evaluated and thus should normally be quoted.
3074 @defspec declaim decl-specs@dots{}
3075 This macro is like @code{proclaim}, except that it takes any number
3076 of @var{decl-spec} arguments, and the arguments are unevaluated and
3077 unquoted. The @code{declaim} macro also puts an @code{(eval-when
3078 (compile load eval) ...)} around the declarations so that they will
3079 be registered at compile-time as well as at run-time. (This is vital,
3080 since normally the declarations are meant to influence the way the
3081 compiler treats the rest of the file that contains the @code{declaim}
3085 @defspec declare decl-specs@dots{}
3086 This macro is used to make declarations within functions and other
3087 code. Common Lisp allows declarations in various locations, generally
3088 at the beginning of any of the many ``implicit @code{progn}s''
3089 throughout Lisp syntax, such as function bodies, @code{let} bodies,
3090 etc. Currently the only declaration understood by @code{declare}
3094 @defspec locally declarations@dots{} forms@dots{}
3095 In this package, @code{locally} is no different from @code{progn}.
3098 @defspec the type form
3099 Type information provided by @code{the} is ignored in this package;
3100 in other words, @code{(the @var{type} @var{form})} is equivalent
3101 to @var{form}. Future versions of the optimizing byte-compiler may
3102 make use of this information.
3104 For example, @code{mapcar} can map over both lists and arrays. It is
3105 hard for the compiler to expand @code{mapcar} into an in-line loop
3106 unless it knows whether the sequence will be a list or an array ahead
3107 of time. With @code{(mapcar 'car (the vector foo))}, a future
3108 compiler would have enough information to expand the loop in-line.
3109 For now, Emacs Lisp will treat the above code as exactly equivalent
3110 to @code{(mapcar 'car foo)}.
3113 Each @var{decl-spec} in a @code{proclaim}, @code{declaim}, or
3114 @code{declare} should be a list beginning with a symbol that says
3115 what kind of declaration it is. This package currently understands
3116 @code{special}, @code{inline}, @code{notinline}, @code{optimize},
3117 and @code{warn} declarations. (The @code{warn} declaration is an
3118 extension of standard Common Lisp.) Other Common Lisp declarations,
3119 such as @code{type} and @code{ftype}, are silently ignored.
3123 Since all variables in Emacs Lisp are ``special'' (in the Common
3124 Lisp sense), @code{special} declarations are only advisory. They
3125 simply tell the optimizing byte compiler that the specified
3126 variables are intentionally being referred to without being
3127 bound in the body of the function. The compiler normally emits
3128 warnings for such references, since they could be typographical
3129 errors for references to local variables.
3131 The declaration @code{(declare (special @var{var1} @var{var2}))} is
3132 equivalent to @code{(defvar @var{var1}) (defvar @var{var2})} in the
3133 optimizing compiler, or to nothing at all in older compilers (which
3134 do not warn for non-local references).
3136 In top-level contexts, it is generally better to write
3137 @code{(defvar @var{var})} than @code{(declaim (special @var{var}))},
3138 since @code{defvar} makes your intentions clearer. But the older
3139 byte compilers can not handle @code{defvar}s appearing inside of
3140 functions, while @code{(declare (special @var{var}))} takes care
3141 to work correctly with all compilers.
3144 The @code{inline} @var{decl-spec} lists one or more functions
3145 whose bodies should be expanded ``in-line'' into calling functions
3146 whenever the compiler is able to arrange for it. For example,
3147 the Common Lisp function @code{cadr} is declared @code{inline}
3148 by this package so that the form @code{(cadr @var{x})} will
3149 expand directly into @code{(car (cdr @var{x}))} when it is called
3150 in user functions, for a savings of one (relatively expensive)
3153 The following declarations are all equivalent. Note that the
3154 @code{defsubst} form is a convenient way to define a function
3155 and declare it inline all at once.
3158 (declaim (inline foo bar))
3159 (eval-when (compile load eval) (proclaim '(inline foo bar)))
3160 (defsubst foo (...) ...) ; instead of defun
3163 @strong{Note:} This declaration remains in effect after the
3164 containing source file is done. It is correct to use it to
3165 request that a function you have defined should be inlined,
3166 but it is impolite to use it to request inlining of an external
3169 In Common Lisp, it is possible to use @code{(declare (inline @dots{}))}
3170 before a particular call to a function to cause just that call to
3171 be inlined; the current byte compilers provide no way to implement
3172 this, so @code{(declare (inline @dots{}))} is currently ignored by
3176 The @code{notinline} declaration lists functions which should
3177 not be inlined after all; it cancels a previous @code{inline}
3181 This declaration controls how much optimization is performed by
3182 the compiler. Naturally, it is ignored by the earlier non-optimizing
3185 The word @code{optimize} is followed by any number of lists like
3186 @code{(speed 3)} or @code{(safety 2)}. Common Lisp defines several
3187 optimization ``qualities''; this package ignores all but @code{speed}
3188 and @code{safety}. The value of a quality should be an integer from
3189 0 to 3, with 0 meaning ``unimportant'' and 3 meaning ``very important.''
3190 The default level for both qualities is 1.
3192 In this package, with the optimizing compiler, the
3193 @code{speed} quality is tied to the @code{byte-compile-optimize}
3194 flag, which is set to @code{nil} for @code{(speed 0)} and to
3195 @code{t} for higher settings; and the @code{safety} quality is
3196 tied to the @code{byte-compile-delete-errors} flag, which is
3197 set to @code{t} for @code{(safety 3)} and to @code{nil} for all
3198 lower settings. (The latter flag controls whether the compiler
3199 is allowed to optimize out code whose only side-effect could
3200 be to signal an error, e.g., rewriting @code{(progn foo bar)} to
3201 @code{bar} when it is not known whether @code{foo} will be bound
3204 Note that even compiling with @code{(safety 0)}, the Emacs
3205 byte-code system provides sufficient checking to prevent real
3206 harm from being done. For example, barring serious bugs in
3207 Emacs itself, Emacs will not crash with a segmentation fault
3208 just because of an error in a fully-optimized Lisp program.
3210 The @code{optimize} declaration is normally used in a top-level
3211 @code{proclaim} or @code{declaim} in a file; Common Lisp allows
3212 it to be used with @code{declare} to set the level of optimization
3213 locally for a given form, but this will not work correctly with the
3214 current version of the optimizing compiler. (The @code{declare}
3215 will set the new optimization level, but that level will not
3216 automatically be unset after the enclosing form is done.)
3219 This declaration controls what sorts of warnings are generated
3220 by the byte compiler. Again, only the optimizing compiler
3221 generates warnings. The word @code{warn} is followed by any
3222 number of ``warning qualities,'' similar in form to optimization
3223 qualities. The currently supported warning types are
3224 @code{redefine}, @code{callargs}, @code{unresolved}, and
3225 @code{free-vars}; in the current system, a value of 0 will
3226 disable these warnings and any higher value will enable them.
3227 See the documentation for the optimizing byte compiler for details.
3230 @node Symbols, Numbers, Declarations, Top
3234 This package defines several symbol-related features that were
3235 missing from Emacs Lisp.
3238 * Property Lists:: `get*', `remprop', `getf', `remf'
3239 * Creating Symbols:: `gensym', `gentemp'
3242 @node Property Lists, Creating Symbols, Symbols, Symbols
3243 @section Property Lists
3246 These functions augment the standard Emacs Lisp functions @code{get}
3247 and @code{put} for operating on properties attached to symbols.
3248 There are also functions for working with property lists as
3249 first-class data structures not attached to particular symbols.
3251 @defun get* symbol property &optional default
3252 This function is like @code{get}, except that if the property is
3253 not found, the @var{default} argument provides the return value.
3254 (The Emacs Lisp @code{get} function always uses @code{nil} as
3255 the default; this package's @code{get*} is equivalent to Common
3258 The @code{get*} function is @code{setf}-able; when used in this
3259 fashion, the @var{default} argument is allowed but ignored.
3262 @defun remprop symbol property
3263 This function removes the entry for @var{property} from the property
3264 list of @var{symbol}. It returns a true value if the property was
3265 indeed found and removed, or @code{nil} if there was no such property.
3266 (This function was probably omitted from Emacs originally because,
3267 since @code{get} did not allow a @var{default}, it was very difficult
3268 to distinguish between a missing property and a property whose value
3269 was @code{nil}; thus, setting a property to @code{nil} was close
3270 enough to @code{remprop} for most purposes.)
3273 @defun getf place property &optional default
3274 This function scans the list @var{place} as if it were a property
3275 list, i.e., a list of alternating property names and values. If
3276 an even-numbered element of @var{place} is found which is @code{eq}
3277 to @var{property}, the following odd-numbered element is returned.
3278 Otherwise, @var{default} is returned (or @code{nil} if no default
3284 (get sym prop) @equiv{} (getf (symbol-plist sym) prop)
3287 It is legal to use @code{getf} as a @code{setf} place, in which case
3288 its @var{place} argument must itself be a legal @code{setf} place.
3289 The @var{default} argument, if any, is ignored in this context.
3290 The effect is to change (via @code{setcar}) the value cell in the
3291 list that corresponds to @var{property}, or to cons a new property-value
3292 pair onto the list if the property is not yet present.
3295 (put sym prop val) @equiv{} (setf (getf (symbol-plist sym) prop) val)
3298 The @code{get} and @code{get*} functions are also @code{setf}-able.
3299 The fact that @code{default} is ignored can sometimes be useful:
3302 (incf (get* 'foo 'usage-count 0))
3305 Here, symbol @code{foo}'s @code{usage-count} property is incremented
3306 if it exists, or set to 1 (an incremented 0) otherwise.
3308 When not used as a @code{setf} form, @code{getf} is just a regular
3309 function and its @var{place} argument can actually be any Lisp
3313 @defspec remf place property
3314 This macro removes the property-value pair for @var{property} from
3315 the property list stored at @var{place}, which is any @code{setf}-able
3316 place expression. It returns true if the property was found. Note
3317 that if @var{property} happens to be first on the list, this will
3318 effectively do a @code{(setf @var{place} (cddr @var{place}))},
3319 whereas if it occurs later, this simply uses @code{setcdr} to splice
3320 out the property and value cells.
3327 @node Creating Symbols, , Property Lists, Symbols
3328 @section Creating Symbols
3331 These functions create unique symbols, typically for use as
3332 temporary variables.
3334 @defun gensym &optional x
3335 This function creates a new, uninterned symbol (using @code{make-symbol})
3336 with a unique name. (The name of an uninterned symbol is relevant
3337 only if the symbol is printed.) By default, the name is generated
3338 from an increasing sequence of numbers, @samp{G1000}, @samp{G1001},
3339 @samp{G1002}, etc. If the optional argument @var{x} is a string, that
3340 string is used as a prefix instead of @samp{G}. Uninterned symbols
3341 are used in macro expansions for temporary variables, to ensure that
3342 their names will not conflict with ``real'' variables in the user's
3346 @defvar *gensym-counter*
3347 This variable holds the counter used to generate @code{gensym} names.
3348 It is incremented after each use by @code{gensym}. In Common Lisp
3349 this is initialized with 0, but this package initializes it with a
3350 random (time-dependent) value to avoid trouble when two files that
3351 each used @code{gensym} in their compilation are loaded together.
3352 (Uninterned symbols become interned when the compiler writes them
3353 out to a file and the Emacs loader loads them, so their names have to
3354 be treated a bit more carefully than in Common Lisp where uninterned
3355 symbols remain uninterned after loading.)
3358 @defun gentemp &optional x
3359 This function is like @code{gensym}, except that it produces a new
3360 @emph{interned} symbol. If the symbol that is generated already
3361 exists, the function keeps incrementing the counter and trying
3362 again until a new symbol is generated.
3365 The Quiroz @file{cl.el} package also defined a @code{defkeyword}
3366 form for creating self-quoting keyword symbols. This package
3367 automatically creates all keywords that are called for by
3368 @code{&key} argument specifiers, and discourages the use of
3369 keywords as data unrelated to keyword arguments, so the
3370 @code{defkeyword} form has been discontinued.
3376 @node Numbers, Sequences, Symbols, Top
3380 This section defines a few simple Common Lisp operations on numbers
3381 which were left out of Emacs Lisp.
3384 * Predicates on Numbers:: `plusp', `oddp', `floatp-safe', etc.
3385 * Numerical Functions:: `abs', `floor*', etc.
3386 * Random Numbers:: `random*', `make-random-state'
3387 * Implementation Parameters:: `most-positive-fixnum', `most-positive-float'
3394 @node Predicates on Numbers, Numerical Functions, Numbers, Numbers
3395 @section Predicates on Numbers
3398 These functions return @code{t} if the specified condition is
3399 true of the numerical argument, or @code{nil} otherwise.
3402 This predicate tests whether @var{number} is positive. It is an
3403 error if the argument is not a number.
3406 @defun minusp number
3407 This predicate tests whether @var{number} is negative. It is an
3408 error if the argument is not a number.
3412 This predicate tests whether @var{integer} is odd. It is an
3413 error if the argument is not an integer.
3416 @defun evenp integer
3417 This predicate tests whether @var{integer} is even. It is an
3418 error if the argument is not an integer.
3421 @defun floatp-safe object
3422 This predicate tests whether @var{object} is a floating-point
3423 number. On systems that support floating-point, this is equivalent
3424 to @code{floatp}. On other systems, this always returns @code{nil}.
3431 @node Numerical Functions, Random Numbers, Predicates on Numbers, Numbers
3432 @section Numerical Functions
3435 These functions perform various arithmetic operations on numbers.
3437 @defun gcd &rest integers
3438 This function returns the Greatest Common Divisor of the arguments.
3439 For one argument, it returns the absolute value of that argument.
3440 For zero arguments, it returns zero.
3443 @defun lcm &rest integers
3444 This function returns the Least Common Multiple of the arguments.
3445 For one argument, it returns the absolute value of that argument.
3446 For zero arguments, it returns one.
3449 @defun isqrt integer
3450 This function computes the ``integer square root'' of its integer
3451 argument, i.e., the greatest integer less than or equal to the true
3452 square root of the argument.
3455 @defun floor* number &optional divisor
3456 This function implements the Common Lisp @code{floor} function.
3457 It is called @code{floor*} to avoid name conflicts with the
3458 simpler @code{floor} function built-in to Emacs.
3460 With one argument, @code{floor*} returns a list of two numbers:
3461 The argument rounded down (toward minus infinity) to an integer,
3462 and the ``remainder'' which would have to be added back to the
3463 first return value to yield the argument again. If the argument
3464 is an integer @var{x}, the result is always the list @code{(@var{x} 0)}.
3465 If the argument is a floating-point number, the first
3466 result is a Lisp integer and the second is a Lisp float between
3467 0 (inclusive) and 1 (exclusive).
3469 With two arguments, @code{floor*} divides @var{number} by
3470 @var{divisor}, and returns the floor of the quotient and the
3471 corresponding remainder as a list of two numbers. If
3472 @code{(floor* @var{x} @var{y})} returns @code{(@var{q} @var{r})},
3473 then @code{@var{q}*@var{y} + @var{r} = @var{x}}, with @var{r}
3474 between 0 (inclusive) and @var{r} (exclusive). Also, note
3475 that @code{(floor* @var{x})} is exactly equivalent to
3476 @code{(floor* @var{x} 1)}.
3478 This function is entirely compatible with Common Lisp's @code{floor}
3479 function, except that it returns the two results in a list since
3480 Emacs Lisp does not support multiple-valued functions.
3483 @defun ceiling* number &optional divisor
3484 This function implements the Common Lisp @code{ceiling} function,
3485 which is analogous to @code{floor} except that it rounds the
3486 argument or quotient of the arguments up toward plus infinity.
3487 The remainder will be between 0 and minus @var{r}.
3490 @defun truncate* number &optional divisor
3491 This function implements the Common Lisp @code{truncate} function,
3492 which is analogous to @code{floor} except that it rounds the
3493 argument or quotient of the arguments toward zero. Thus it is
3494 equivalent to @code{floor*} if the argument or quotient is
3495 positive, or to @code{ceiling*} otherwise. The remainder has
3496 the same sign as @var{number}.
3499 @defun round* number &optional divisor
3500 This function implements the Common Lisp @code{round} function,
3501 which is analogous to @code{floor} except that it rounds the
3502 argument or quotient of the arguments to the nearest integer.
3503 In the case of a tie (the argument or quotient is exactly
3504 halfway between two integers), it rounds to the even integer.
3507 @defun mod* number divisor
3508 This function returns the same value as the second return value
3512 @defun rem* number divisor
3513 This function returns the same value as the second return value
3517 These definitions are compatible with those in the Quiroz
3518 @file{cl.el} package, except that this package appends @samp{*}
3519 to certain function names to avoid conflicts with existing
3520 Emacs functions, and that the mechanism for returning
3521 multiple values is different.
3527 @node Random Numbers, Implementation Parameters, Numerical Functions, Numbers
3528 @section Random Numbers
3531 This package also provides an implementation of the Common Lisp
3532 random number generator. It uses its own additive-congruential
3533 algorithm, which is much more likely to give statistically clean
3534 random numbers than the simple generators supplied by many
3537 @defun random* number &optional state
3538 This function returns a random nonnegative number less than
3539 @var{number}, and of the same type (either integer or floating-point).
3540 The @var{state} argument should be a @code{random-state} object
3541 which holds the state of the random number generator. The
3542 function modifies this state object as a side effect. If
3543 @var{state} is omitted, it defaults to the variable
3544 @code{*random-state*}, which contains a pre-initialized
3545 @code{random-state} object.
3548 @defvar *random-state*
3549 This variable contains the system ``default'' @code{random-state}
3550 object, used for calls to @code{random*} that do not specify an
3551 alternative state object. Since any number of programs in the
3552 Emacs process may be accessing @code{*random-state*} in interleaved
3553 fashion, the sequence generated from this variable will be
3554 irreproducible for all intents and purposes.
3557 @defun make-random-state &optional state
3558 This function creates or copies a @code{random-state} object.
3559 If @var{state} is omitted or @code{nil}, it returns a new copy of
3560 @code{*random-state*}. This is a copy in the sense that future
3561 sequences of calls to @code{(random* @var{n})} and
3562 @code{(random* @var{n} @var{s})} (where @var{s} is the new
3563 random-state object) will return identical sequences of random
3566 If @var{state} is a @code{random-state} object, this function
3567 returns a copy of that object. If @var{state} is @code{t}, this
3568 function returns a new @code{random-state} object seeded from the
3569 date and time. As an extension to Common Lisp, @var{state} may also
3570 be an integer in which case the new object is seeded from that
3571 integer; each different integer seed will result in a completely
3572 different sequence of random numbers.
3574 It is legal to print a @code{random-state} object to a buffer or
3575 file and later read it back with @code{read}. If a program wishes
3576 to use a sequence of pseudo-random numbers which can be reproduced
3577 later for debugging, it can call @code{(make-random-state t)} to
3578 get a new sequence, then print this sequence to a file. When the
3579 program is later rerun, it can read the original run's random-state
3583 @defun random-state-p object
3584 This predicate returns @code{t} if @var{object} is a
3585 @code{random-state} object, or @code{nil} otherwise.
3588 @node Implementation Parameters, , Random Numbers, Numbers
3589 @section Implementation Parameters
3592 This package defines several useful constants having to with numbers.
3594 @defvar most-positive-fixnum
3595 This constant equals the largest value a Lisp integer can hold.
3596 It is typically @code{2^23-1} or @code{2^25-1}.
3599 @defvar most-negative-fixnum
3600 This constant equals the smallest (most negative) value a Lisp
3604 The following parameters have to do with floating-point numbers.
3605 This package determines their values by exercising the computer's
3606 floating-point arithmetic in various ways. Because this operation
3607 might be slow, the code for initializing them is kept in a separate
3608 function that must be called before the parameters can be used.
3610 @defun cl-float-limits
3611 This function makes sure that the Common Lisp floating-point parameters
3612 like @code{most-positive-float} have been initialized. Until it is
3613 called, these parameters will be @code{nil}. If this version of Emacs
3614 does not support floats, the parameters will remain @code{nil}. If the
3615 parameters have already been initialized, the function returns
3618 The algorithm makes assumptions that will be valid for most modern
3619 machines, but will fail if the machine's arithmetic is extremely
3620 unusual, e.g., decimal.
3623 Since true Common Lisp supports up to four different floating-point
3624 precisions, it has families of constants like
3625 @code{most-positive-single-float}, @code{most-positive-double-float},
3626 @code{most-positive-long-float}, and so on. Emacs has only one
3627 floating-point precision, so this package omits the precision word
3628 from the constants' names.
3630 @defvar most-positive-float
3631 This constant equals the largest value a Lisp float can hold.
3632 For those systems whose arithmetic supports infinities, this is
3633 the largest @emph{finite} value. For IEEE machines, the value
3634 is approximately @code{1.79e+308}.
3637 @defvar most-negative-float
3638 This constant equals the most-negative value a Lisp float can hold.
3639 (It is assumed to be equal to @code{(- most-positive-float)}.)
3642 @defvar least-positive-float
3643 This constant equals the smallest Lisp float value greater than zero.
3644 For IEEE machines, it is about @code{4.94e-324} if denormals are
3645 supported or @code{2.22e-308} if not.
3648 @defvar least-positive-normalized-float
3649 This constant equals the smallest @emph{normalized} Lisp float greater
3650 than zero, i.e., the smallest value for which IEEE denormalization
3651 will not result in a loss of precision. For IEEE machines, this
3652 value is about @code{2.22e-308}. For machines that do not support
3653 the concept of denormalization and gradual underflow, this constant
3654 will always equal @code{least-positive-float}.
3657 @defvar least-negative-float
3658 This constant is the negative counterpart of @code{least-positive-float}.
3661 @defvar least-negative-normalized-float
3662 This constant is the negative counterpart of
3663 @code{least-positive-normalized-float}.
3666 @defvar float-epsilon
3667 This constant is the smallest positive Lisp float that can be added
3668 to 1.0 to produce a distinct value. Adding a smaller number to 1.0
3669 will yield 1.0 again due to roundoff. For IEEE machines, epsilon
3670 is about @code{2.22e-16}.
3673 @defvar float-negative-epsilon
3674 This is the smallest positive value that can be subtracted from
3675 1.0 to produce a distinct value. For IEEE machines, it is about
3683 @node Sequences, Lists, Numbers, Top
3687 Common Lisp defines a number of functions that operate on
3688 @dfn{sequences}, which are either lists, strings, or vectors.
3689 Emacs Lisp includes a few of these, notably @code{elt} and
3690 @code{length}; this package defines most of the rest.
3693 * Sequence Basics:: Arguments shared by all sequence functions
3694 * Mapping over Sequences:: `mapcar*', `mapcan', `map', `every', etc.
3695 * Sequence Functions:: `subseq', `remove*', `substitute', etc.
3696 * Searching Sequences:: `find', `position', `count', `search', etc.
3697 * Sorting Sequences:: `sort*', `stable-sort', `merge'
3700 @node Sequence Basics, Mapping over Sequences, Sequences, Sequences
3701 @section Sequence Basics
3704 Many of the sequence functions take keyword arguments; @pxref{Argument
3705 Lists}. All keyword arguments are optional and, if specified,
3706 may appear in any order.
3708 The @code{:key} argument should be passed either @code{nil}, or a
3709 function of one argument. This key function is used as a filter
3710 through which the elements of the sequence are seen; for example,
3711 @code{(find x y :key 'car)} is similar to @code{(assoc* x y)}:
3712 It searches for an element of the list whose @code{car} equals
3713 @code{x}, rather than for an element which equals @code{x} itself.
3714 If @code{:key} is omitted or @code{nil}, the filter is effectively
3715 the identity function.
3717 The @code{:test} and @code{:test-not} arguments should be either
3718 @code{nil}, or functions of two arguments. The test function is
3719 used to compare two sequence elements, or to compare a search value
3720 with sequence elements. (The two values are passed to the test
3721 function in the same order as the original sequence function
3722 arguments from which they are derived, or, if they both come from
3723 the same sequence, in the same order as they appear in that sequence.)
3724 The @code{:test} argument specifies a function which must return
3725 true (non-@code{nil}) to indicate a match; instead, you may use
3726 @code{:test-not} to give a function which returns @emph{false} to
3727 indicate a match. The default test function is @code{:test 'eql}.
3729 Many functions which take @var{item} and @code{:test} or @code{:test-not}
3730 arguments also come in @code{-if} and @code{-if-not} varieties,
3731 where a @var{predicate} function is passed instead of @var{item},
3732 and sequence elements match if the predicate returns true on them
3733 (or false in the case of @code{-if-not}). For example:
3736 (remove* 0 seq :test '=) @equiv{} (remove-if 'zerop seq)
3740 to remove all zeros from sequence @code{seq}.
3742 Some operations can work on a subsequence of the argument sequence;
3743 these function take @code{:start} and @code{:end} arguments which
3744 default to zero and the length of the sequence, respectively.
3745 Only elements between @var{start} (inclusive) and @var{end}
3746 (exclusive) are affected by the operation. The @var{end} argument
3747 may be passed @code{nil} to signify the length of the sequence;
3748 otherwise, both @var{start} and @var{end} must be integers, with
3749 @code{0 <= @var{start} <= @var{end} <= (length @var{seq})}.
3750 If the function takes two sequence arguments, the limits are
3751 defined by keywords @code{:start1} and @code{:end1} for the first,
3752 and @code{:start2} and @code{:end2} for the second.
3754 A few functions accept a @code{:from-end} argument, which, if
3755 non-@code{nil}, causes the operation to go from right-to-left
3756 through the sequence instead of left-to-right, and a @code{:count}
3757 argument, which specifies an integer maximum number of elements
3758 to be removed or otherwise processed.
3760 The sequence functions make no guarantees about the order in
3761 which the @code{:test}, @code{:test-not}, and @code{:key} functions
3762 are called on various elements. Therefore, it is a bad idea to depend
3763 on side effects of these functions. For example, @code{:from-end}
3764 may cause the sequence to be scanned actually in reverse, or it may
3765 be scanned forwards but computing a result ``as if'' it were scanned
3766 backwards. (Some functions, like @code{mapcar*} and @code{every},
3767 @emph{do} specify exactly the order in which the function is called
3768 so side effects are perfectly acceptable in those cases.)
3770 Strings may contain ``text properties'' as well
3771 as character data. Except as noted, it is undefined whether or
3772 not text properties are preserved by sequence functions. For
3773 example, @code{(remove* ?A @var{str})} may or may not preserve
3774 the properties of the characters copied from @var{str} into the
3777 @node Mapping over Sequences, Sequence Functions, Sequence Basics, Sequences
3778 @section Mapping over Sequences
3781 These functions ``map'' the function you specify over the elements
3782 of lists or arrays. They are all variations on the theme of the
3783 built-in function @code{mapcar}.
3785 @defun mapcar* function seq &rest more-seqs
3786 This function calls @var{function} on successive parallel sets of
3787 elements from its argument sequences. Given a single @var{seq}
3788 argument it is equivalent to @code{mapcar}; given @var{n} sequences,
3789 it calls the function with the first elements of each of the sequences
3790 as the @var{n} arguments to yield the first element of the result
3791 list, then with the second elements, and so on. The mapping stops as
3792 soon as the shortest sequence runs out. The argument sequences may
3793 be any mixture of lists, strings, and vectors; the return sequence
3796 Common Lisp's @code{mapcar} accepts multiple arguments but works
3797 only on lists; Emacs Lisp's @code{mapcar} accepts a single sequence
3798 argument. This package's @code{mapcar*} works as a compatible
3802 @defun map result-type function seq &rest more-seqs
3803 This function maps @var{function} over the argument sequences,
3804 just like @code{mapcar*}, but it returns a sequence of type
3805 @var{result-type} rather than a list. @var{result-type} must
3806 be one of the following symbols: @code{vector}, @code{string},
3807 @code{list} (in which case the effect is the same as for
3808 @code{mapcar*}), or @code{nil} (in which case the results are
3809 thrown away and @code{map} returns @code{nil}).
3812 @defun maplist function list &rest more-lists
3813 This function calls @var{function} on each of its argument lists,
3814 then on the @code{cdr}s of those lists, and so on, until the
3815 shortest list runs out. The results are returned in the form
3816 of a list. Thus, @code{maplist} is like @code{mapcar*} except
3817 that it passes in the list pointers themselves rather than the
3818 @code{car}s of the advancing pointers.
3821 @defun mapc function seq &rest more-seqs
3822 This function is like @code{mapcar*}, except that the values
3823 returned by @var{function} are ignored and thrown away rather
3824 than being collected into a list. The return value of @code{mapc}
3825 is @var{seq}, the first sequence.
3828 @defun mapl function list &rest more-lists
3829 This function is like @code{maplist}, except that it throws away
3830 the values returned by @var{function}.
3833 @defun mapcan function seq &rest more-seqs
3834 This function is like @code{mapcar*}, except that it concatenates
3835 the return values (which must be lists) using @code{nconc},
3836 rather than simply collecting them into a list.
3839 @defun mapcon function list &rest more-lists
3840 This function is like @code{maplist}, except that it concatenates
3841 the return values using @code{nconc}.
3844 @defun some predicate seq &rest more-seqs
3845 This function calls @var{predicate} on each element of @var{seq}
3846 in turn; if @var{predicate} returns a non-@code{nil} value,
3847 @code{some} returns that value, otherwise it returns @code{nil}.
3848 Given several sequence arguments, it steps through the sequences
3849 in parallel until the shortest one runs out, just as in
3850 @code{mapcar*}. You can rely on the left-to-right order in which
3851 the elements are visited, and on the fact that mapping stops
3852 immediately as soon as @var{predicate} returns non-@code{nil}.
3855 @defun every predicate seq &rest more-seqs
3856 This function calls @var{predicate} on each element of the sequence(s)
3857 in turn; it returns @code{nil} as soon as @var{predicate} returns
3858 @code{nil} for any element, or @code{t} if the predicate was true
3862 @defun notany predicate seq &rest more-seqs
3863 This function calls @var{predicate} on each element of the sequence(s)
3864 in turn; it returns @code{nil} as soon as @var{predicate} returns
3865 a non-@code{nil} value for any element, or @code{t} if the predicate
3866 was @code{nil} for all elements.
3869 @defun notevery predicate seq &rest more-seqs
3870 This function calls @var{predicate} on each element of the sequence(s)
3871 in turn; it returns a non-@code{nil} value as soon as @var{predicate}
3872 returns @code{nil} for any element, or @code{t} if the predicate was
3873 true for all elements.
3876 @defun reduce function seq @t{&key :from-end :start :end :initial-value :key}
3877 This function combines the elements of @var{seq} using an associative
3878 binary operation. Suppose @var{function} is @code{*} and @var{seq} is
3879 the list @code{(2 3 4 5)}. The first two elements of the list are
3880 combined with @code{(* 2 3) = 6}; this is combined with the next
3881 element, @code{(* 6 4) = 24}, and that is combined with the final
3882 element: @code{(* 24 5) = 120}. Note that the @code{*} function happens
3883 to be self-reducing, so that @code{(* 2 3 4 5)} has the same effect as
3884 an explicit call to @code{reduce}.
3886 If @code{:from-end} is true, the reduction is right-associative instead
3887 of left-associative:
3890 (reduce '- '(1 2 3 4))
3891 @equiv{} (- (- (- 1 2) 3) 4) @result{} -8
3892 (reduce '- '(1 2 3 4) :from-end t)
3893 @equiv{} (- 1 (- 2 (- 3 4))) @result{} -2
3896 If @code{:key} is specified, it is a function of one argument which
3897 is called on each of the sequence elements in turn.
3899 If @code{:initial-value} is specified, it is effectively added to the
3900 front (or rear in the case of @code{:from-end}) of the sequence.
3901 The @code{:key} function is @emph{not} applied to the initial value.
3903 If the sequence, including the initial value, has exactly one element
3904 then that element is returned without ever calling @var{function}.
3905 If the sequence is empty (and there is no initial value), then
3906 @var{function} is called with no arguments to obtain the return value.
3909 All of these mapping operations can be expressed conveniently in
3910 terms of the @code{loop} macro. In compiled code, @code{loop} will
3911 be faster since it generates the loop as in-line code with no
3914 @node Sequence Functions, Searching Sequences, Mapping over Sequences, Sequences
3915 @section Sequence Functions
3918 This section describes a number of Common Lisp functions for
3919 operating on sequences.
3921 @defun subseq sequence start &optional end
3922 This function returns a given subsequence of the argument
3923 @var{sequence}, which may be a list, string, or vector.
3924 The indices @var{start} and @var{end} must be in range, and
3925 @var{start} must be no greater than @var{end}. If @var{end}
3926 is omitted, it defaults to the length of the sequence. The
3927 return value is always a copy; it does not share structure
3928 with @var{sequence}.
3930 As an extension to Common Lisp, @var{start} and/or @var{end}
3931 may be negative, in which case they represent a distance back
3932 from the end of the sequence. This is for compatibility with
3933 Emacs' @code{substring} function. Note that @code{subseq} is
3934 the @emph{only} sequence function that allows negative
3935 @var{start} and @var{end}.
3937 You can use @code{setf} on a @code{subseq} form to replace a
3938 specified range of elements with elements from another sequence.
3939 The replacement is done as if by @code{replace}, described below.
3942 @defun concatenate result-type &rest seqs
3943 This function concatenates the argument sequences together to
3944 form a result sequence of type @var{result-type}, one of the
3945 symbols @code{vector}, @code{string}, or @code{list}. The
3946 arguments are always copied, even in cases such as
3947 @code{(concatenate 'list '(1 2 3))} where the result is
3948 identical to an argument.
3951 @defun fill seq item @t{&key :start :end}
3952 This function fills the elements of the sequence (or the specified
3953 part of the sequence) with the value @var{item}.
3956 @defun replace seq1 seq2 @t{&key :start1 :end1 :start2 :end2}
3957 This function copies part of @var{seq2} into part of @var{seq1}.
3958 The sequence @var{seq1} is not stretched or resized; the amount
3959 of data copied is simply the shorter of the source and destination
3960 (sub)sequences. The function returns @var{seq1}.
3962 If @var{seq1} and @var{seq2} are @code{eq}, then the replacement
3963 will work correctly even if the regions indicated by the start
3964 and end arguments overlap. However, if @var{seq1} and @var{seq2}
3965 are lists which share storage but are not @code{eq}, and the
3966 start and end arguments specify overlapping regions, the effect
3970 @defun remove* item seq @t{&key :test :test-not :key :count :start :end :from-end}
3971 This returns a copy of @var{seq} with all elements matching
3972 @var{item} removed. The result may share storage with or be
3973 @code{eq} to @var{seq} in some circumstances, but the original
3974 @var{seq} will not be modified. The @code{:test}, @code{:test-not},
3975 and @code{:key} arguments define the matching test that is used;
3976 by default, elements @code{eql} to @var{item} are removed. The
3977 @code{:count} argument specifies the maximum number of matching
3978 elements that can be removed (only the leftmost @var{count} matches
3979 are removed). The @code{:start} and @code{:end} arguments specify
3980 a region in @var{seq} in which elements will be removed; elements
3981 outside that region are not matched or removed. The @code{:from-end}
3982 argument, if true, says that elements should be deleted from the
3983 end of the sequence rather than the beginning (this matters only
3984 if @var{count} was also specified).
3987 @defun delete* item seq @t{&key :test :test-not :key :count :start :end :from-end}
3988 This deletes all elements of @var{seq} which match @var{item}.
3989 It is a destructive operation. Since Emacs Lisp does not support
3990 stretchable strings or vectors, this is the same as @code{remove*}
3991 for those sequence types. On lists, @code{remove*} will copy the
3992 list if necessary to preserve the original list, whereas
3993 @code{delete*} will splice out parts of the argument list.
3994 Compare @code{append} and @code{nconc}, which are analogous
3995 non-destructive and destructive list operations in Emacs Lisp.
3999 @findex remove-if-not
4001 @findex delete-if-not
4002 The predicate-oriented functions @code{remove-if}, @code{remove-if-not},
4003 @code{delete-if}, and @code{delete-if-not} are defined similarly.
4005 @defun remove-duplicates seq @t{&key :test :test-not :key :start :end :from-end}
4006 This function returns a copy of @var{seq} with duplicate elements
4007 removed. Specifically, if two elements from the sequence match
4008 according to the @code{:test}, @code{:test-not}, and @code{:key}
4009 arguments, only the rightmost one is retained. If @code{:from-end}
4010 is true, the leftmost one is retained instead. If @code{:start} or
4011 @code{:end} is specified, only elements within that subsequence are
4012 examined or removed.
4015 @defun delete-duplicates seq @t{&key :test :test-not :key :start :end :from-end}
4016 This function deletes duplicate elements from @var{seq}. It is
4017 a destructive version of @code{remove-duplicates}.
4020 @defun substitute new old seq @t{&key :test :test-not :key :count :start :end :from-end}
4021 This function returns a copy of @var{seq}, with all elements
4022 matching @var{old} replaced with @var{new}. The @code{:count},
4023 @code{:start}, @code{:end}, and @code{:from-end} arguments may be
4024 used to limit the number of substitutions made.
4027 @defun nsubstitute new old seq @t{&key :test :test-not :key :count :start :end :from-end}
4028 This is a destructive version of @code{substitute}; it performs
4029 the substitution using @code{setcar} or @code{aset} rather than
4030 by returning a changed copy of the sequence.
4033 @findex substitute-if
4034 @findex substitute-if-not
4035 @findex nsubstitute-if
4036 @findex nsubstitute-if-not
4037 The @code{substitute-if}, @code{substitute-if-not}, @code{nsubstitute-if},
4038 and @code{nsubstitute-if-not} functions are defined similarly. For
4039 these, a @var{predicate} is given in place of the @var{old} argument.
4041 @node Searching Sequences, Sorting Sequences, Sequence Functions, Sequences
4042 @section Searching Sequences
4045 These functions search for elements or subsequences in a sequence.
4046 (See also @code{member*} and @code{assoc*}; @pxref{Lists}.)
4048 @defun find item seq @t{&key :test :test-not :key :start :end :from-end}
4049 This function searches @var{seq} for an element matching @var{item}.
4050 If it finds a match, it returns the matching element. Otherwise,
4051 it returns @code{nil}. It returns the leftmost match, unless
4052 @code{:from-end} is true, in which case it returns the rightmost
4053 match. The @code{:start} and @code{:end} arguments may be used to
4054 limit the range of elements that are searched.
4057 @defun position item seq @t{&key :test :test-not :key :start :end :from-end}
4058 This function is like @code{find}, except that it returns the
4059 integer position in the sequence of the matching item rather than
4060 the item itself. The position is relative to the start of the
4061 sequence as a whole, even if @code{:start} is non-zero. The function
4062 returns @code{nil} if no matching element was found.
4065 @defun count item seq @t{&key :test :test-not :key :start :end}
4066 This function returns the number of elements of @var{seq} which
4067 match @var{item}. The result is always a nonnegative integer.
4073 @findex position-if-not
4075 @findex count-if-not
4076 The @code{find-if}, @code{find-if-not}, @code{position-if},
4077 @code{position-if-not}, @code{count-if}, and @code{count-if-not}
4078 functions are defined similarly.
4080 @defun mismatch seq1 seq2 @t{&key :test :test-not :key :start1 :end1 :start2 :end2 :from-end}
4081 This function compares the specified parts of @var{seq1} and
4082 @var{seq2}. If they are the same length and the corresponding
4083 elements match (according to @code{:test}, @code{:test-not},
4084 and @code{:key}), the function returns @code{nil}. If there is
4085 a mismatch, the function returns the index (relative to @var{seq1})
4086 of the first mismatching element. This will be the leftmost pair of
4087 elements which do not match, or the position at which the shorter of
4088 the two otherwise-matching sequences runs out.
4090 If @code{:from-end} is true, then the elements are compared from right
4091 to left starting at @code{(1- @var{end1})} and @code{(1- @var{end2})}.
4092 If the sequences differ, then one plus the index of the rightmost
4093 difference (relative to @var{seq1}) is returned.
4095 An interesting example is @code{(mismatch str1 str2 :key 'upcase)},
4096 which compares two strings case-insensitively.
4099 @defun search seq1 seq2 @t{&key :test :test-not :key :from-end :start1 :end1 :start2 :end2}
4100 This function searches @var{seq2} for a subsequence that matches
4101 @var{seq1} (or part of it specified by @code{:start1} and
4102 @code{:end1}.) Only matches which fall entirely within the region
4103 defined by @code{:start2} and @code{:end2} will be considered.
4104 The return value is the index of the leftmost element of the
4105 leftmost match, relative to the start of @var{seq2}, or @code{nil}
4106 if no matches were found. If @code{:from-end} is true, the
4107 function finds the @emph{rightmost} matching subsequence.
4110 @node Sorting Sequences, , Searching Sequences, Sequences
4111 @section Sorting Sequences
4113 @defun sort* seq predicate @t{&key :key}
4114 This function sorts @var{seq} into increasing order as determined
4115 by using @var{predicate} to compare pairs of elements. @var{predicate}
4116 should return true (non-@code{nil}) if and only if its first argument
4117 is less than (not equal to) its second argument. For example,
4118 @code{<} and @code{string-lessp} are suitable predicate functions
4119 for sorting numbers and strings, respectively; @code{>} would sort
4120 numbers into decreasing rather than increasing order.
4122 This function differs from Emacs' built-in @code{sort} in that it
4123 can operate on any type of sequence, not just lists. Also, it
4124 accepts a @code{:key} argument which is used to preprocess data
4125 fed to the @var{predicate} function. For example,
4128 (setq data (sort data 'string-lessp :key 'downcase))
4132 sorts @var{data}, a sequence of strings, into increasing alphabetical
4133 order without regard to case. A @code{:key} function of @code{car}
4134 would be useful for sorting association lists.
4136 The @code{sort*} function is destructive; it sorts lists by actually
4137 rearranging the @code{cdr} pointers in suitable fashion.
4140 @defun stable-sort seq predicate @t{&key :key}
4141 This function sorts @var{seq} @dfn{stably}, meaning two elements
4142 which are equal in terms of @var{predicate} are guaranteed not to
4143 be rearranged out of their original order by the sort.
4145 In practice, @code{sort*} and @code{stable-sort} are equivalent
4146 in Emacs Lisp because the underlying @code{sort} function is
4147 stable by default. However, this package reserves the right to
4148 use non-stable methods for @code{sort*} in the future.
4151 @defun merge type seq1 seq2 predicate @t{&key :key}
4152 This function merges two sequences @var{seq1} and @var{seq2} by
4153 interleaving their elements. The result sequence, of type @var{type}
4154 (in the sense of @code{concatenate}), has length equal to the sum
4155 of the lengths of the two input sequences. The sequences may be
4156 modified destructively. Order of elements within @var{seq1} and
4157 @var{seq2} is preserved in the interleaving; elements of the two
4158 sequences are compared by @var{predicate} (in the sense of
4159 @code{sort}) and the lesser element goes first in the result.
4160 When elements are equal, those from @var{seq1} precede those from
4161 @var{seq2} in the result. Thus, if @var{seq1} and @var{seq2} are
4162 both sorted according to @var{predicate}, then the result will be
4163 a merged sequence which is (stably) sorted according to
4167 @node Lists, Structures, Sequences, Top
4171 The functions described here operate on lists.
4174 * List Functions:: `caddr', `first', `last*', `list*', etc.
4175 * Substitution of Expressions:: `subst', `sublis', etc.
4176 * Lists as Sets:: `member*', `adjoin', `union', etc.
4177 * Association Lists:: `assoc*', `rassoc*', `acons', `pairlis'
4180 @node List Functions, Substitution of Expressions, Lists, Lists
4181 @section List Functions
4184 This section describes a number of simple operations on lists,
4185 i.e., chains of cons cells.
4188 This function is equivalent to @code{(car (cdr (cdr @var{x})))}.
4189 Likewise, this package defines all 28 @code{c@var{xxx}r} functions
4190 where @var{xxx} is up to four @samp{a}s and/or @samp{d}s.
4191 All of these functions are @code{setf}-able, and calls to them
4192 are expanded inline by the byte-compiler for maximum efficiency.
4196 This function is a synonym for @code{(car @var{x})}. Likewise,
4197 the functions @code{second}, @code{third}, @dots{}, through
4198 @code{tenth} return the given element of the list @var{x}.
4202 This function is a synonym for @code{(cdr @var{x})}.
4206 Common Lisp defines this function to act like @code{null}, but
4207 signaling an error if @code{x} is neither a @code{nil} nor a
4208 cons cell. This package simply defines @code{endp} as a synonym
4212 @defun list-length x
4213 This function returns the length of list @var{x}, exactly like
4214 @code{(length @var{x})}, except that if @var{x} is a circular
4215 list (where the cdr-chain forms a loop rather than terminating
4216 with @code{nil}), this function returns @code{nil}. (The regular
4217 @code{length} function would get stuck if given a circular list.)
4220 @defun last* x &optional n
4221 This function returns the last cons, or the @var{n}th-to-last cons,
4222 of the list @var{x}. If @var{n} is omitted it defaults to 1.
4223 The ``last cons'' means the first cons cell of the list whose
4224 @code{cdr} is not another cons cell. (For normal lists, the
4225 @code{cdr} of the last cons will be @code{nil}.) This function
4226 returns @code{nil} if @var{x} is @code{nil} or shorter than
4227 @var{n}. Note that the last @emph{element} of the list is
4228 @code{(car (last @var{x}))}.
4230 The Emacs function @code{last} does the same thing
4231 except that it does not handle the optional argument @var{n}.
4234 @defun butlast x &optional n
4235 This function returns the list @var{x} with the last element,
4236 or the last @var{n} elements, removed. If @var{n} is greater
4237 than zero it makes a copy of the list so as not to damage the
4238 original list. In general, @code{(append (butlast @var{x} @var{n})
4239 (last @var{x} @var{n}))} will return a list equal to @var{x}.
4242 @defun nbutlast x &optional n
4243 This is a version of @code{butlast} that works by destructively
4244 modifying the @code{cdr} of the appropriate element, rather than
4245 making a copy of the list.
4248 @defun list* arg &rest others
4249 This function constructs a list of its arguments. The final
4250 argument becomes the @code{cdr} of the last cell constructed.
4251 Thus, @code{(list* @var{a} @var{b} @var{c})} is equivalent to
4252 @code{(cons @var{a} (cons @var{b} @var{c}))}, and
4253 @code{(list* @var{a} @var{b} nil)} is equivalent to
4254 @code{(list @var{a} @var{b})}.
4256 (Note that this function really is called @code{list*} in Common
4257 Lisp; it is not a name invented for this package like @code{member*}
4261 @defun ldiff list sublist
4262 If @var{sublist} is a sublist of @var{list}, i.e., is @code{eq} to
4263 one of the cons cells of @var{list}, then this function returns
4264 a copy of the part of @var{list} up to but not including
4265 @var{sublist}. For example, @code{(ldiff x (cddr x))} returns
4266 the first two elements of the list @code{x}. The result is a
4267 copy; the original @var{list} is not modified. If @var{sublist}
4268 is not a sublist of @var{list}, a copy of the entire @var{list}
4272 @defun copy-list list
4273 This function returns a copy of the list @var{list}. It copies
4274 dotted lists like @code{(1 2 . 3)} correctly.
4277 @defun copy-tree x &optional vecp
4278 This function returns a copy of the tree of cons cells @var{x}.
4279 Unlike @code{copy-sequence} (and its alias @code{copy-list}),
4280 which copies only along the @code{cdr} direction, this function
4281 copies (recursively) along both the @code{car} and the @code{cdr}
4282 directions. If @var{x} is not a cons cell, the function simply
4283 returns @var{x} unchanged. If the optional @var{vecp} argument
4284 is true, this function copies vectors (recursively) as well as
4288 @defun tree-equal x y @t{&key :test :test-not :key}
4289 This function compares two trees of cons cells. If @var{x} and
4290 @var{y} are both cons cells, their @code{car}s and @code{cdr}s are
4291 compared recursively. If neither @var{x} nor @var{y} is a cons
4292 cell, they are compared by @code{eql}, or according to the
4293 specified test. The @code{:key} function, if specified, is
4294 applied to the elements of both trees. @xref{Sequences}.
4301 @node Substitution of Expressions, Lists as Sets, List Functions, Lists
4302 @section Substitution of Expressions
4305 These functions substitute elements throughout a tree of cons
4306 cells. (@xref{Sequence Functions}, for the @code{substitute}
4307 function, which works on just the top-level elements of a list.)
4309 @defun subst new old tree @t{&key :test :test-not :key}
4310 This function substitutes occurrences of @var{old} with @var{new}
4311 in @var{tree}, a tree of cons cells. It returns a substituted
4312 tree, which will be a copy except that it may share storage with
4313 the argument @var{tree} in parts where no substitutions occurred.
4314 The original @var{tree} is not modified. This function recurses
4315 on, and compares against @var{old}, both @code{car}s and @code{cdr}s
4316 of the component cons cells. If @var{old} is itself a cons cell,
4317 then matching cells in the tree are substituted as usual without
4318 recursively substituting in that cell. Comparisons with @var{old}
4319 are done according to the specified test (@code{eql} by default).
4320 The @code{:key} function is applied to the elements of the tree
4321 but not to @var{old}.
4324 @defun nsubst new old tree @t{&key :test :test-not :key}
4325 This function is like @code{subst}, except that it works by
4326 destructive modification (by @code{setcar} or @code{setcdr})
4327 rather than copying.
4331 @findex subst-if-not
4333 @findex nsubst-if-not
4334 The @code{subst-if}, @code{subst-if-not}, @code{nsubst-if}, and
4335 @code{nsubst-if-not} functions are defined similarly.
4337 @defun sublis alist tree @t{&key :test :test-not :key}
4338 This function is like @code{subst}, except that it takes an
4339 association list @var{alist} of @var{old}-@var{new} pairs.
4340 Each element of the tree (after applying the @code{:key}
4341 function, if any), is compared with the @code{car}s of
4342 @var{alist}; if it matches, it is replaced by the corresponding
4346 @defun nsublis alist tree @t{&key :test :test-not :key}
4347 This is a destructive version of @code{sublis}.
4350 @node Lists as Sets, Association Lists, Substitution of Expressions, Lists
4351 @section Lists as Sets
4354 These functions perform operations on lists which represent sets
4357 @defun member* item list @t{&key :test :test-not :key}
4358 This function searches @var{list} for an element matching @var{item}.
4359 If a match is found, it returns the cons cell whose @code{car} was
4360 the matching element. Otherwise, it returns @code{nil}. Elements
4361 are compared by @code{eql} by default; you can use the @code{:test},
4362 @code{:test-not}, and @code{:key} arguments to modify this behavior.
4365 Note that this function's name is suffixed by @samp{*} to avoid
4366 the incompatible @code{member} function defined in Emacs.
4367 (That function uses @code{equal} for comparisons; it is equivalent
4368 to @code{(member* @var{item} @var{list} :test 'equal)}.)
4372 @findex member-if-not
4373 The @code{member-if} and @code{member-if-not} functions
4374 analogously search for elements which satisfy a given predicate.
4376 @defun tailp sublist list
4377 This function returns @code{t} if @var{sublist} is a sublist of
4378 @var{list}, i.e., if @var{sublist} is @code{eql} to @var{list} or to
4379 any of its @code{cdr}s.
4382 @defun adjoin item list @t{&key :test :test-not :key}
4383 This function conses @var{item} onto the front of @var{list},
4384 like @code{(cons @var{item} @var{list})}, but only if @var{item}
4385 is not already present on the list (as determined by @code{member*}).
4386 If a @code{:key} argument is specified, it is applied to
4387 @var{item} as well as to the elements of @var{list} during
4388 the search, on the reasoning that @var{item} is ``about'' to
4389 become part of the list.
4392 @defun union list1 list2 @t{&key :test :test-not :key}
4393 This function combines two lists which represent sets of items,
4394 returning a list that represents the union of those two sets.
4395 The result list will contain all items which appear in @var{list1}
4396 or @var{list2}, and no others. If an item appears in both
4397 @var{list1} and @var{list2} it will be copied only once. If
4398 an item is duplicated in @var{list1} or @var{list2}, it is
4399 undefined whether or not that duplication will survive in the
4400 result list. The order of elements in the result list is also
4404 @defun nunion list1 list2 @t{&key :test :test-not :key}
4405 This is a destructive version of @code{union}; rather than copying,
4406 it tries to reuse the storage of the argument lists if possible.
4409 @defun intersection list1 list2 @t{&key :test :test-not :key}
4410 This function computes the intersection of the sets represented
4411 by @var{list1} and @var{list2}. It returns the list of items
4412 which appear in both @var{list1} and @var{list2}.
4415 @defun nintersection list1 list2 @t{&key :test :test-not :key}
4416 This is a destructive version of @code{intersection}. It
4417 tries to reuse storage of @var{list1} rather than copying.
4418 It does @emph{not} reuse the storage of @var{list2}.
4421 @defun set-difference list1 list2 @t{&key :test :test-not :key}
4422 This function computes the ``set difference'' of @var{list1}
4423 and @var{list2}, i.e., the set of elements that appear in
4424 @var{list1} but @emph{not} in @var{list2}.
4427 @defun nset-difference list1 list2 @t{&key :test :test-not :key}
4428 This is a destructive @code{set-difference}, which will try
4429 to reuse @var{list1} if possible.
4432 @defun set-exclusive-or list1 list2 @t{&key :test :test-not :key}
4433 This function computes the ``set exclusive or'' of @var{list1}
4434 and @var{list2}, i.e., the set of elements that appear in
4435 exactly one of @var{list1} and @var{list2}.
4438 @defun nset-exclusive-or list1 list2 @t{&key :test :test-not :key}
4439 This is a destructive @code{set-exclusive-or}, which will try
4440 to reuse @var{list1} and @var{list2} if possible.
4443 @defun subsetp list1 list2 @t{&key :test :test-not :key}
4444 This function checks whether @var{list1} represents a subset
4445 of @var{list2}, i.e., whether every element of @var{list1}
4446 also appears in @var{list2}.
4449 @node Association Lists, , Lists as Sets, Lists
4450 @section Association Lists
4453 An @dfn{association list} is a list representing a mapping from
4454 one set of values to another; any list whose elements are cons
4455 cells is an association list.
4457 @defun assoc* item a-list @t{&key :test :test-not :key}
4458 This function searches the association list @var{a-list} for an
4459 element whose @code{car} matches (in the sense of @code{:test},
4460 @code{:test-not}, and @code{:key}, or by comparison with @code{eql})
4461 a given @var{item}. It returns the matching element, if any,
4462 otherwise @code{nil}. It ignores elements of @var{a-list} which
4463 are not cons cells. (This corresponds to the behavior of
4464 @code{assq} and @code{assoc} in Emacs Lisp; Common Lisp's
4465 @code{assoc} ignores @code{nil}s but considers any other non-cons
4466 elements of @var{a-list} to be an error.)
4469 @defun rassoc* item a-list @t{&key :test :test-not :key}
4470 This function searches for an element whose @code{cdr} matches
4471 @var{item}. If @var{a-list} represents a mapping, this applies
4472 the inverse of the mapping to @var{item}.
4476 @findex assoc-if-not
4478 @findex rassoc-if-not
4479 The @code{assoc-if}, @code{assoc-if-not}, @code{rassoc-if},
4480 and @code{rassoc-if-not} functions are defined similarly.
4482 Two simple functions for constructing association lists are:
4484 @defun acons key value alist
4485 This is equivalent to @code{(cons (cons @var{key} @var{value}) @var{alist})}.
4488 @defun pairlis keys values &optional alist
4489 This is equivalent to @code{(nconc (mapcar* 'cons @var{keys} @var{values})
4497 @node Structures, Assertions, Lists, Top
4501 The Common Lisp @dfn{structure} mechanism provides a general way
4502 to define data types similar to C's @code{struct} types. A
4503 structure is a Lisp object containing some number of @dfn{slots},
4504 each of which can hold any Lisp data object. Functions are
4505 provided for accessing and setting the slots, creating or copying
4506 structure objects, and recognizing objects of a particular structure
4509 In true Common Lisp, each structure type is a new type distinct
4510 from all existing Lisp types. Since the underlying Emacs Lisp
4511 system provides no way to create new distinct types, this package
4512 implements structures as vectors (or lists upon request) with a
4513 special ``tag'' symbol to identify them.
4515 @defspec defstruct name slots@dots{}
4516 The @code{defstruct} form defines a new structure type called
4517 @var{name}, with the specified @var{slots}. (The @var{slots}
4518 may begin with a string which documents the structure type.)
4519 In the simplest case, @var{name} and each of the @var{slots}
4520 are symbols. For example,
4523 (defstruct person name age sex)
4527 defines a struct type called @code{person} which contains three
4528 slots. Given a @code{person} object @var{p}, you can access those
4529 slots by calling @code{(person-name @var{p})}, @code{(person-age @var{p})},
4530 and @code{(person-sex @var{p})}. You can also change these slots by
4531 using @code{setf} on any of these place forms:
4534 (incf (person-age birthday-boy))
4537 You can create a new @code{person} by calling @code{make-person},
4538 which takes keyword arguments @code{:name}, @code{:age}, and
4539 @code{:sex} to specify the initial values of these slots in the
4540 new object. (Omitting any of these arguments leaves the corresponding
4541 slot ``undefined,'' according to the Common Lisp standard; in Emacs
4542 Lisp, such uninitialized slots are filled with @code{nil}.)
4544 Given a @code{person}, @code{(copy-person @var{p})} makes a new
4545 object of the same type whose slots are @code{eq} to those of @var{p}.
4547 Given any Lisp object @var{x}, @code{(person-p @var{x})} returns
4548 true if @var{x} looks like a @code{person}, false otherwise. (Again,
4549 in Common Lisp this predicate would be exact; in Emacs Lisp the
4550 best it can do is verify that @var{x} is a vector of the correct
4551 length which starts with the correct tag symbol.)
4553 Accessors like @code{person-name} normally check their arguments
4554 (effectively using @code{person-p}) and signal an error if the
4555 argument is the wrong type. This check is affected by
4556 @code{(optimize (safety @dots{}))} declarations. Safety level 1,
4557 the default, uses a somewhat optimized check that will detect all
4558 incorrect arguments, but may use an uninformative error message
4559 (e.g., ``expected a vector'' instead of ``expected a @code{person}'').
4560 Safety level 0 omits all checks except as provided by the underlying
4561 @code{aref} call; safety levels 2 and 3 do rigorous checking that will
4562 always print a descriptive error message for incorrect inputs.
4563 @xref{Declarations}.
4566 (setq dave (make-person :name "Dave" :sex 'male))
4567 @result{} [cl-struct-person "Dave" nil male]
4568 (setq other (copy-person dave))
4569 @result{} [cl-struct-person "Dave" nil male]
4572 (eq (person-name dave) (person-name other))
4576 (person-p [1 2 3 4])
4580 (person-p '[cl-struct-person counterfeit person object])
4584 In general, @var{name} is either a name symbol or a list of a name
4585 symbol followed by any number of @dfn{struct options}; each @var{slot}
4586 is either a slot symbol or a list of the form @samp{(@var{slot-name}
4587 @var{default-value} @var{slot-options}@dots{})}. The @var{default-value}
4588 is a Lisp form which is evaluated any time an instance of the
4589 structure type is created without specifying that slot's value.
4591 Common Lisp defines several slot options, but the only one
4592 implemented in this package is @code{:read-only}. A non-@code{nil}
4593 value for this option means the slot should not be @code{setf}-able;
4594 the slot's value is determined when the object is created and does
4595 not change afterward.
4599 (name nil :read-only t)
4604 Any slot options other than @code{:read-only} are ignored.
4606 For obscure historical reasons, structure options take a different
4607 form than slot options. A structure option is either a keyword
4608 symbol, or a list beginning with a keyword symbol possibly followed
4609 by arguments. (By contrast, slot options are key-value pairs not
4613 (defstruct (person (:constructor create-person)
4619 The following structure options are recognized.
4624 @advance@leftskip-.5@tableindent
4627 The argument is a symbol whose print name is used as the prefix for
4628 the names of slot accessor functions. The default is the name of
4629 the struct type followed by a hyphen. The option @code{(:conc-name p-)}
4630 would change this prefix to @code{p-}. Specifying @code{nil} as an
4631 argument means no prefix, so that the slot names themselves are used
4632 to name the accessor functions.
4635 In the simple case, this option takes one argument which is an
4636 alternate name to use for the constructor function. The default
4637 is @code{make-@var{name}}, e.g., @code{make-person}. The above
4638 example changes this to @code{create-person}. Specifying @code{nil}
4639 as an argument means that no standard constructor should be
4642 In the full form of this option, the constructor name is followed
4643 by an arbitrary argument list. @xref{Program Structure}, for a
4644 description of the format of Common Lisp argument lists. All
4645 options, such as @code{&rest} and @code{&key}, are supported.
4646 The argument names should match the slot names; each slot is
4647 initialized from the corresponding argument. Slots whose names
4648 do not appear in the argument list are initialized based on the
4649 @var{default-value} in their slot descriptor. Also, @code{&optional}
4650 and @code{&key} arguments which don't specify defaults take their
4651 defaults from the slot descriptor. It is legal to include arguments
4652 which don't correspond to slot names; these are useful if they are
4653 referred to in the defaults for optional, keyword, or @code{&aux}
4654 arguments which @emph{do} correspond to slots.
4656 You can specify any number of full-format @code{:constructor}
4657 options on a structure. The default constructor is still generated
4658 as well unless you disable it with a simple-format @code{:constructor}
4664 (:constructor nil) ; no default constructor
4665 (:constructor new-person (name sex &optional (age 0)))
4666 (:constructor new-hound (&key (name "Rover")
4668 &aux (age (* 7 dog-years))
4673 The first constructor here takes its arguments positionally rather
4674 than by keyword. (In official Common Lisp terminology, constructors
4675 that work By Order of Arguments instead of by keyword are called
4676 ``BOA constructors.'' No, I'm not making this up.) For example,
4677 @code{(new-person "Jane" 'female)} generates a person whose slots
4678 are @code{"Jane"}, 0, and @code{female}, respectively.
4680 The second constructor takes two keyword arguments, @code{:name},
4681 which initializes the @code{name} slot and defaults to @code{"Rover"},
4682 and @code{:dog-years}, which does not itself correspond to a slot
4683 but which is used to initialize the @code{age} slot. The @code{sex}
4684 slot is forced to the symbol @code{canine} with no syntax for
4688 The argument is an alternate name for the copier function for
4689 this type. The default is @code{copy-@var{name}}. @code{nil}
4690 means not to generate a copier function. (In this implementation,
4691 all copier functions are simply synonyms for @code{copy-sequence}.)
4694 The argument is an alternate name for the predicate which recognizes
4695 objects of this type. The default is @code{@var{name}-p}. @code{nil}
4696 means not to generate a predicate function. (If the @code{:type}
4697 option is used without the @code{:named} option, no predicate is
4700 In true Common Lisp, @code{typep} is always able to recognize a
4701 structure object even if @code{:predicate} was used. In this
4702 package, @code{typep} simply looks for a function called
4703 @code{@var{typename}-p}, so it will work for structure types
4704 only if they used the default predicate name.
4707 This option implements a very limited form of C++-style inheritance.
4708 The argument is the name of another structure type previously
4709 created with @code{defstruct}. The effect is to cause the new
4710 structure type to inherit all of the included structure's slots
4711 (plus, of course, any new slots described by this struct's slot
4712 descriptors). The new structure is considered a ``specialization''
4713 of the included one. In fact, the predicate and slot accessors
4714 for the included type will also accept objects of the new type.
4716 If there are extra arguments to the @code{:include} option after
4717 the included-structure name, these options are treated as replacement
4718 slot descriptors for slots in the included structure, possibly with
4719 modified default values. Borrowing an example from Steele:
4722 (defstruct person name (age 0) sex)
4724 (defstruct (astronaut (:include person (age 45)))
4726 (favorite-beverage 'tang))
4729 (setq joe (make-person :name "Joe"))
4730 @result{} [cl-struct-person "Joe" 0 nil]
4731 (setq buzz (make-astronaut :name "Buzz"))
4732 @result{} [cl-struct-astronaut "Buzz" 45 nil nil tang]
4734 (list (person-p joe) (person-p buzz))
4736 (list (astronaut-p joe) (astronaut-p buzz))
4741 (astronaut-name joe)
4742 @result{} error: "astronaut-name accessing a non-astronaut"
4745 Thus, if @code{astronaut} is a specialization of @code{person},
4746 then every @code{astronaut} is also a @code{person} (but not the
4747 other way around). Every @code{astronaut} includes all the slots
4748 of a @code{person}, plus extra slots that are specific to
4749 astronauts. Operations that work on people (like @code{person-name})
4750 work on astronauts just like other people.
4752 @item :print-function
4753 In full Common Lisp, this option allows you to specify a function
4754 which is called to print an instance of the structure type. The
4755 Emacs Lisp system offers no hooks into the Lisp printer which would
4756 allow for such a feature, so this package simply ignores
4757 @code{:print-function}.
4760 The argument should be one of the symbols @code{vector} or @code{list}.
4761 This tells which underlying Lisp data type should be used to implement
4762 the new structure type. Vectors are used by default, but
4763 @code{(:type list)} will cause structure objects to be stored as
4766 The vector representation for structure objects has the advantage
4767 that all structure slots can be accessed quickly, although creating
4768 vectors is a bit slower in Emacs Lisp. Lists are easier to create,
4769 but take a relatively long time accessing the later slots.
4772 This option, which takes no arguments, causes a characteristic ``tag''
4773 symbol to be stored at the front of the structure object. Using
4774 @code{:type} without also using @code{:named} will result in a
4775 structure type stored as plain vectors or lists with no identifying
4778 The default, if you don't specify @code{:type} explicitly, is to
4779 use named vectors. Therefore, @code{:named} is only useful in
4780 conjunction with @code{:type}.
4783 (defstruct (person1) name age sex)
4784 (defstruct (person2 (:type list) :named) name age sex)
4785 (defstruct (person3 (:type list)) name age sex)
4787 (setq p1 (make-person1))
4788 @result{} [cl-struct-person1 nil nil nil]
4789 (setq p2 (make-person2))
4790 @result{} (person2 nil nil nil)
4791 (setq p3 (make-person3))
4792 @result{} (nil nil nil)
4799 @result{} error: function person3-p undefined
4802 Since unnamed structures don't have tags, @code{defstruct} is not
4803 able to make a useful predicate for recognizing them. Also,
4804 accessors like @code{person3-name} will be generated but they
4805 will not be able to do any type checking. The @code{person3-name}
4806 function, for example, will simply be a synonym for @code{car} in
4807 this case. By contrast, @code{person2-name} is able to verify
4808 that its argument is indeed a @code{person2} object before
4811 @item :initial-offset
4812 The argument must be a nonnegative integer. It specifies a
4813 number of slots to be left ``empty'' at the front of the
4814 structure. If the structure is named, the tag appears at the
4815 specified position in the list or vector; otherwise, the first
4816 slot appears at that position. Earlier positions are filled
4817 with @code{nil} by the constructors and ignored otherwise. If
4818 the type @code{:include}s another type, then @code{:initial-offset}
4819 specifies a number of slots to be skipped between the last slot
4820 of the included type and the first new slot.
4824 Except as noted, the @code{defstruct} facility of this package is
4825 entirely compatible with that of Common Lisp.
4831 @node Assertions, Efficiency Concerns, Structures, Top
4832 @chapter Assertions and Errors
4835 This section describes two macros that test @dfn{assertions}, i.e.,
4836 conditions which must be true if the program is operating correctly.
4837 Assertions never add to the behavior of a Lisp program; they simply
4838 make ``sanity checks'' to make sure everything is as it should be.
4840 If the optimization property @code{speed} has been set to 3, and
4841 @code{safety} is less than 3, then the byte-compiler will optimize
4842 away the following assertions. Because assertions might be optimized
4843 away, it is a bad idea for them to include side-effects.
4845 @defspec assert test-form [show-args string args@dots{}]
4846 This form verifies that @var{test-form} is true (i.e., evaluates to
4847 a non-@code{nil} value). If so, it returns @code{nil}. If the test
4848 is not satisfied, @code{assert} signals an error.
4850 A default error message will be supplied which includes @var{test-form}.
4851 You can specify a different error message by including a @var{string}
4852 argument plus optional extra arguments. Those arguments are simply
4853 passed to @code{error} to signal the error.
4855 If the optional second argument @var{show-args} is @code{t} instead
4856 of @code{nil}, then the error message (with or without @var{string})
4857 will also include all non-constant arguments of the top-level
4858 @var{form}. For example:
4861 (assert (> x 10) t "x is too small: %d")
4864 This usage of @var{show-args} is an extension to Common Lisp. In
4865 true Common Lisp, the second argument gives a list of @var{places}
4866 which can be @code{setf}'d by the user before continuing from the
4867 error. Since Emacs Lisp does not support continuable errors, it
4868 makes no sense to specify @var{places}.
4871 @defspec check-type form type [string]
4872 This form verifies that @var{form} evaluates to a value of type
4873 @var{type}. If so, it returns @code{nil}. If not, @code{check-type}
4874 signals a @code{wrong-type-argument} error. The default error message
4875 lists the erroneous value along with @var{type} and @var{form}
4876 themselves. If @var{string} is specified, it is included in the
4877 error message in place of @var{type}. For example:
4880 (check-type x (integer 1 *) "a positive integer")
4883 @xref{Type Predicates}, for a description of the type specifiers
4884 that may be used for @var{type}.
4886 Note that in Common Lisp, the first argument to @code{check-type}
4887 must be a @var{place} suitable for use by @code{setf}, because
4888 @code{check-type} signals a continuable error that allows the
4889 user to modify @var{place}.
4892 The following error-related macro is also defined:
4894 @defspec ignore-errors forms@dots{}
4895 This executes @var{forms} exactly like a @code{progn}, except that
4896 errors are ignored during the @var{forms}. More precisely, if
4897 an error is signaled then @code{ignore-errors} immediately
4898 aborts execution of the @var{forms} and returns @code{nil}.
4899 If the @var{forms} complete successfully, @code{ignore-errors}
4900 returns the result of the last @var{form}.
4903 @node Efficiency Concerns, Common Lisp Compatibility, Assertions, Top
4904 @appendix Efficiency Concerns
4909 Many of the advanced features of this package, such as @code{defun*},
4910 @code{loop}, and @code{setf}, are implemented as Lisp macros. In
4911 byte-compiled code, these complex notations will be expanded into
4912 equivalent Lisp code which is simple and efficient. For example,
4921 are expanded at compile-time to the Lisp forms
4925 (setcar p (cons x (car p)))
4929 which are the most efficient ways of doing these respective operations
4930 in Lisp. Thus, there is no performance penalty for using the more
4931 readable @code{incf} and @code{push} forms in your compiled code.
4933 @emph{Interpreted} code, on the other hand, must expand these macros
4934 every time they are executed. For this reason it is strongly
4935 recommended that code making heavy use of macros be compiled.
4936 (The features labeled ``Special Form'' instead of ``Function'' in
4937 this manual are macros.) A loop using @code{incf} a hundred times
4938 will execute considerably faster if compiled, and will also
4939 garbage-collect less because the macro expansion will not have
4940 to be generated, used, and thrown away a hundred times.
4942 You can find out how a macro expands by using the
4943 @code{cl-prettyexpand} function.
4945 @defun cl-prettyexpand form &optional full
4946 This function takes a single Lisp form as an argument and inserts
4947 a nicely formatted copy of it in the current buffer (which must be
4948 in Lisp mode so that indentation works properly). It also expands
4949 all Lisp macros which appear in the form. The easiest way to use
4950 this function is to go to the @code{*scratch*} buffer and type, say,
4953 (cl-prettyexpand '(loop for x below 10 collect x))
4957 and type @kbd{C-x C-e} immediately after the closing parenthesis;
4965 (setq G1004 (cons x G1004))
4971 will be inserted into the buffer. (The @code{block} macro is
4972 expanded differently in the interpreter and compiler, so
4973 @code{cl-prettyexpand} just leaves it alone. The temporary
4974 variable @code{G1004} was created by @code{gensym}.)
4976 If the optional argument @var{full} is true, then @emph{all}
4977 macros are expanded, including @code{block}, @code{eval-when},
4978 and compiler macros. Expansion is done as if @var{form} were
4979 a top-level form in a file being compiled. For example,
4982 (cl-prettyexpand '(pushnew 'x list))
4983 @print{} (setq list (adjoin 'x list))
4984 (cl-prettyexpand '(pushnew 'x list) t)
4985 @print{} (setq list (if (memq 'x list) list (cons 'x list)))
4986 (cl-prettyexpand '(caddr (member* 'a list)) t)
4987 @print{} (car (cdr (cdr (memq 'a list))))
4990 Note that @code{adjoin}, @code{caddr}, and @code{member*} all
4991 have built-in compiler macros to optimize them in common cases.
4999 @appendixsec Error Checking
5002 Common Lisp compliance has in general not been sacrificed for the
5003 sake of efficiency. A few exceptions have been made for cases
5004 where substantial gains were possible at the expense of marginal
5005 incompatibility. One example is the use of @code{memq} (which is
5006 treated very efficiently by the byte-compiler) to scan for keyword
5007 arguments; this can become confused in rare cases when keyword
5008 symbols are used as both keywords and data values at once. This
5009 is extremely unlikely to occur in practical code, and the use of
5010 @code{memq} allows functions with keyword arguments to be nearly
5011 as fast as functions that use @code{&optional} arguments.
5013 The Common Lisp standard (as embodied in Steele's book) uses the
5014 phrase ``it is an error if'' to indicate a situation which is not
5015 supposed to arise in complying programs; implementations are strongly
5016 encouraged but not required to signal an error in these situations.
5017 This package sometimes omits such error checking in the interest of
5018 compactness and efficiency. For example, @code{do} variable
5019 specifiers are supposed to be lists of one, two, or three forms;
5020 extra forms are ignored by this package rather than signaling a
5021 syntax error. The @code{endp} function is simply a synonym for
5022 @code{null} in this package. Functions taking keyword arguments
5023 will accept an odd number of arguments, treating the trailing
5024 keyword as if it were followed by the value @code{nil}.
5026 Argument lists (as processed by @code{defun*} and friends)
5027 @emph{are} checked rigorously except for the minor point just
5028 mentioned; in particular, keyword arguments are checked for
5029 validity, and @code{&allow-other-keys} and @code{:allow-other-keys}
5030 are fully implemented. Keyword validity checking is slightly
5031 time consuming (though not too bad in byte-compiled code);
5032 you can use @code{&allow-other-keys} to omit this check. Functions
5033 defined in this package such as @code{find} and @code{member*}
5034 do check their keyword arguments for validity.
5041 @appendixsec Optimizing Compiler
5044 Use of the optimizing Emacs compiler is highly recommended; many of the Common
5046 code which can be improved by optimization. In particular,
5047 @code{block}s (whether explicit or implicit in constructs like
5048 @code{defun*} and @code{loop}) carry a fair run-time penalty; the
5049 optimizing compiler removes @code{block}s which are not actually
5050 referenced by @code{return} or @code{return-from} inside the block.
5052 @node Common Lisp Compatibility, Old CL Compatibility, Efficiency Concerns, Top
5053 @appendix Common Lisp Compatibility
5056 Following is a list of all known incompatibilities between this
5057 package and Common Lisp as documented in Steele (2nd edition).
5059 Certain function names, such as @code{member}, @code{assoc}, and
5060 @code{floor}, were already taken by (incompatible) Emacs Lisp
5061 functions; this package appends @samp{*} to the names of its
5062 Common Lisp versions of these functions.
5064 The word @code{defun*} is required instead of @code{defun} in order
5065 to use extended Common Lisp argument lists in a function. Likewise,
5066 @code{defmacro*} and @code{function*} are versions of those forms
5067 which understand full-featured argument lists. The @code{&whole}
5068 keyword does not work in @code{defmacro} argument lists (except
5069 inside recursive argument lists).
5071 In order to allow an efficient implementation, keyword arguments use
5072 a slightly cheesy parser which may be confused if a keyword symbol
5073 is passed as the @emph{value} of another keyword argument.
5074 (Specifically, @code{(memq :@var{keyword} @var{rest-of-arguments})}
5075 is used to scan for @code{:@var{keyword}} among the supplied
5078 The @code{eql} and @code{equal} predicates do not distinguish
5079 between IEEE floating-point plus and minus zero. The @code{equalp}
5080 predicate has several differences with Common Lisp; @pxref{Predicates}.
5082 The @code{setf} mechanism is entirely compatible, except that
5083 setf-methods return a list of five values rather than five
5084 values directly. Also, the new ``@code{setf} function'' concept
5085 (typified by @code{(defun (setf foo) @dots{})}) is not implemented.
5087 The @code{do-all-symbols} form is the same as @code{do-symbols}
5088 with no @var{obarray} argument. In Common Lisp, this form would
5089 iterate over all symbols in all packages. Since Emacs obarrays
5090 are not a first-class package mechanism, there is no way for
5091 @code{do-all-symbols} to locate any but the default obarray.
5093 The @code{loop} macro is complete except that @code{loop-finish}
5094 and type specifiers are unimplemented.
5096 The multiple-value return facility treats lists as multiple
5097 values, since Emacs Lisp cannot support multiple return values
5098 directly. The macros will be compatible with Common Lisp if
5099 @code{values} or @code{values-list} is always used to return to
5100 a @code{multiple-value-bind} or other multiple-value receiver;
5101 if @code{values} is used without @code{multiple-value-@dots{}}
5102 or vice-versa the effect will be different from Common Lisp.
5104 Many Common Lisp declarations are ignored, and others match
5105 the Common Lisp standard in concept but not in detail. For
5106 example, local @code{special} declarations, which are purely
5107 advisory in Emacs Lisp, do not rigorously obey the scoping rules
5108 set down in Steele's book.
5110 The variable @code{*gensym-counter*} starts out with a pseudo-random
5111 value rather than with zero. This is to cope with the fact that
5112 generated symbols become interned when they are written to and
5113 loaded back from a file.
5115 The @code{defstruct} facility is compatible, except that structures
5116 are of type @code{:type vector :named} by default rather than some
5117 special, distinct type. Also, the @code{:type} slot option is ignored.
5119 The second argument of @code{check-type} is treated differently.
5121 @node Old CL Compatibility, Porting Common Lisp, Common Lisp Compatibility, Top
5122 @appendix Old CL Compatibility
5125 Following is a list of all known incompatibilities between this package
5126 and the older Quiroz @file{cl.el} package.
5128 This package's emulation of multiple return values in functions is
5129 incompatible with that of the older package. That package attempted
5130 to come as close as possible to true Common Lisp multiple return
5131 values; unfortunately, it could not be 100% reliable and so was prone
5132 to occasional surprises if used freely. This package uses a simpler
5133 method, namely replacing multiple values with lists of values, which
5134 is more predictable though more noticeably different from Common Lisp.
5136 The @code{defkeyword} form and @code{keywordp} function are not
5137 implemented in this package.
5139 The @code{member}, @code{floor}, @code{ceiling}, @code{truncate},
5140 @code{round}, @code{mod}, and @code{rem} functions are suffixed
5141 by @samp{*} in this package to avoid collision with existing
5142 functions in Emacs. The older package simply
5143 redefined these functions, overwriting the built-in meanings and
5144 causing serious portability problems. (Some more
5145 recent versions of the Quiroz package changed the names to
5146 @code{cl-member}, etc.; this package defines the latter names as
5147 aliases for @code{member*}, etc.)
5149 Certain functions in the old package which were buggy or inconsistent
5150 with the Common Lisp standard are incompatible with the conforming
5151 versions in this package. For example, @code{eql} and @code{member}
5152 were synonyms for @code{eq} and @code{memq} in that package, @code{setf}
5153 failed to preserve correct order of evaluation of its arguments, etc.
5155 Finally, unlike the older package, this package is careful to
5156 prefix all of its internal names with @code{cl-}. Except for a
5157 few functions which are explicitly defined as additional features
5158 (such as @code{floatp-safe} and @code{letf}), this package does not
5159 export any non-@samp{cl-} symbols which are not also part of Common
5167 @appendixsec The @code{cl-compat} package
5170 The @dfn{CL} package includes emulations of some features of the
5171 old @file{cl.el}, in the form of a compatibility package
5172 @code{cl-compat}. To use it, put @code{(require 'cl-compat)} in
5175 The old package defined a number of internal routines without
5176 @code{cl-} prefixes or other annotations. Call to these routines
5177 may have crept into existing Lisp code. @code{cl-compat}
5178 provides emulations of the following internal routines:
5179 @code{pair-with-newsyms}, @code{zip-lists}, @code{unzip-lists},
5180 @code{reassemble-arglists}, @code{duplicate-symbols-p},
5183 Some @code{setf} forms translated into calls to internal
5184 functions that user code might call directly. The functions
5185 @code{setnth}, @code{setnthcdr}, and @code{setelt} fall in
5186 this category; they are defined by @code{cl-compat}, but the
5187 best fix is to change to use @code{setf} properly.
5189 The @code{cl-compat} file defines the keyword functions
5190 @code{keywordp}, @code{keyword-of}, and @code{defkeyword},
5191 which are not defined by the new @dfn{CL} package because the
5192 use of keywords as data is discouraged.
5194 The @code{build-klist} mechanism for parsing keyword arguments
5195 is emulated by @code{cl-compat}; the @code{with-keyword-args}
5196 macro is not, however, and in any case it's best to change to
5197 use the more natural keyword argument processing offered by
5200 Multiple return values are treated differently by the two
5201 Common Lisp packages. The old package's method was more
5202 compatible with true Common Lisp, though it used heuristics
5203 that caused it to report spurious multiple return values in
5204 certain cases. The @code{cl-compat} package defines a set
5205 of multiple-value macros that are compatible with the old
5206 CL package; again, they are heuristic in nature, but they
5207 are guaranteed to work in any case where the old package's
5208 macros worked. To avoid name collision with the ``official''
5209 multiple-value facilities, the ones in @code{cl-compat} have
5210 capitalized names: @code{Values}, @code{Values-list},
5211 @code{Multiple-value-bind}, etc.
5213 The functions @code{cl-floor}, @code{cl-ceiling}, @code{cl-truncate},
5214 and @code{cl-round} are defined by @code{cl-compat} to use the
5215 old-style multiple-value mechanism, just as they did in the old
5216 package. The newer @code{floor*} and friends return their two
5217 results in a list rather than as multiple values. Note that
5218 older versions of the old package used the unadorned names
5219 @code{floor}, @code{ceiling}, etc.; @code{cl-compat} cannot use
5220 these names because they conflict with Emacs built-ins.
5222 @node Porting Common Lisp, Function Index, Old CL Compatibility, Top
5223 @appendix Porting Common Lisp
5226 This package is meant to be used as an extension to Emacs Lisp,
5227 not as an Emacs implementation of true Common Lisp. Some of the
5228 remaining differences between Emacs Lisp and Common Lisp make it
5229 difficult to port large Common Lisp applications to Emacs. For
5230 one, some of the features in this package are not fully compliant
5231 with ANSI or Steele; @pxref{Common Lisp Compatibility}. But there
5232 are also quite a few features that this package does not provide
5233 at all. Here are some major omissions that you will want watch out
5234 for when bringing Common Lisp code into Emacs.
5238 Case-insensitivity. Symbols in Common Lisp are case-insensitive
5239 by default. Some programs refer to a function or variable as
5240 @code{foo} in one place and @code{Foo} or @code{FOO} in another.
5241 Emacs Lisp will treat these as three distinct symbols.
5243 Some Common Lisp code is written entirely in upper case. While Emacs
5244 is happy to let the program's own functions and variables use
5245 this convention, calls to Lisp builtins like @code{if} and
5246 @code{defun} will have to be changed to lower case.
5249 Lexical scoping. In Common Lisp, function arguments and @code{let}
5250 bindings apply only to references physically within their bodies
5251 (or within macro expansions in their bodies). Emacs Lisp, by
5252 contrast, uses @dfn{dynamic scoping} wherein a binding to a
5253 variable is visible even inside functions called from the body.
5255 Variables in Common Lisp can be made dynamically scoped by
5256 declaring them @code{special} or using @code{defvar}. In Emacs
5257 Lisp it is as if all variables were declared @code{special}.
5259 Often you can use code that was written for lexical scoping
5260 even in a dynamically scoped Lisp, but not always. Here is
5261 an example of a Common Lisp code fragment that would fail in
5265 (defun map-odd-elements (func list)
5267 for flag = t then (not flag)
5268 collect (if flag x (funcall func x))))
5270 (defun add-odd-elements (list x)
5271 (map-odd-elements (lambda (a) (+ a x))) list)
5275 In Common Lisp, the two functions' usages of @code{x} are completely
5276 independent. In Emacs Lisp, the binding to @code{x} made by
5277 @code{add-odd-elements} will have been hidden by the binding
5278 in @code{map-odd-elements} by the time the @code{(+ a x)} function
5281 (This package avoids such problems in its own mapping functions
5282 by using names like @code{cl-x} instead of @code{x} internally;
5283 as long as you don't use the @code{cl-} prefix for your own
5284 variables no collision can occur.)
5286 @xref{Lexical Bindings}, for a description of the @code{lexical-let}
5287 form which establishes a Common Lisp-style lexical binding, and some
5288 examples of how it differs from Emacs' regular @code{let}.
5291 Reader macros. Common Lisp includes a second type of macro that
5292 works at the level of individual characters. For example, Common
5293 Lisp implements the quote notation by a reader macro called @code{'},
5294 whereas Emacs Lisp's parser just treats quote as a special case.
5295 Some Lisp packages use reader macros to create special syntaxes
5296 for themselves, which the Emacs parser is incapable of reading.
5298 The lack of reader macros, incidentally, is the reason behind
5299 Emacs Lisp's unusual backquote syntax. Since backquotes are
5300 implemented as a Lisp package and not built-in to the Emacs
5301 parser, they are forced to use a regular macro named @code{`}
5302 which is used with the standard function/macro call notation.
5305 Other syntactic features. Common Lisp provides a number of
5306 notations beginning with @code{#} that the Emacs Lisp parser
5307 won't understand. For example, @samp{#| ... |#} is an
5308 alternate comment notation, and @samp{#+lucid (foo)} tells
5309 the parser to ignore the @code{(foo)} except in Lucid Common
5313 Packages. In Common Lisp, symbols are divided into @dfn{packages}.
5314 Symbols that are Lisp built-ins are typically stored in one package;
5315 symbols that are vendor extensions are put in another, and each
5316 application program would have a package for its own symbols.
5317 Certain symbols are ``exported'' by a package and others are
5318 internal; certain packages ``use'' or import the exported symbols
5319 of other packages. To access symbols that would not normally be
5320 visible due to this importing and exporting, Common Lisp provides
5321 a syntax like @code{package:symbol} or @code{package::symbol}.
5323 Emacs Lisp has a single namespace for all interned symbols, and
5324 then uses a naming convention of putting a prefix like @code{cl-}
5325 in front of the name. Some Emacs packages adopt the Common Lisp-like
5326 convention of using @code{cl:} or @code{cl::} as the prefix.
5327 However, the Emacs parser does not understand colons and just
5328 treats them as part of the symbol name. Thus, while @code{mapcar}
5329 and @code{lisp:mapcar} may refer to the same symbol in Common
5330 Lisp, they are totally distinct in Emacs Lisp. Common Lisp
5331 programs which refer to a symbol by the full name sometimes
5332 and the short name other times will not port cleanly to Emacs.
5334 Emacs Lisp does have a concept of ``obarrays,'' which are
5335 package-like collections of symbols, but this feature is not
5336 strong enough to be used as a true package mechanism.
5339 The @code{format} function is quite different between Common
5340 Lisp and Emacs Lisp. It takes an additional ``destination''
5341 argument before the format string. A destination of @code{nil}
5342 means to format to a string as in Emacs Lisp; a destination
5343 of @code{t} means to write to the terminal (similar to
5344 @code{message} in Emacs). Also, format control strings are
5345 utterly different; @code{~} is used instead of @code{%} to
5346 introduce format codes, and the set of available codes is
5347 much richer. There are no notations like @code{\n} for
5348 string literals; instead, @code{format} is used with the
5349 ``newline'' format code, @code{~%}. More advanced formatting
5350 codes provide such features as paragraph filling, case
5351 conversion, and even loops and conditionals.
5353 While it would have been possible to implement most of Common
5354 Lisp @code{format} in this package (under the name @code{format*},
5355 of course), it was not deemed worthwhile. It would have required
5356 a huge amount of code to implement even a decent subset of
5357 @code{format*}, yet the functionality it would provide over
5358 Emacs Lisp's @code{format} would rarely be useful.
5361 Vector constants use square brackets in Emacs Lisp, but
5362 @code{#(a b c)} notation in Common Lisp. To further complicate
5363 matters, Emacs has its own @code{#(} notation for
5364 something entirely different---strings with properties.
5367 Characters are distinct from integers in Common Lisp. The
5368 notation for character constants is also different: @code{#\A}
5369 instead of @code{?A}. Also, @code{string=} and @code{string-equal}
5370 are synonyms in Emacs Lisp whereas the latter is case-insensitive
5374 Data types. Some Common Lisp data types do not exist in Emacs
5375 Lisp. Rational numbers and complex numbers are not present,
5376 nor are large integers (all integers are ``fixnums''). All
5377 arrays are one-dimensional. There are no readtables or pathnames;
5378 streams are a set of existing data types rather than a new data
5379 type of their own. Hash tables, random-states, structures, and
5380 packages (obarrays) are built from Lisp vectors or lists rather
5381 than being distinct types.
5384 The Common Lisp Object System (CLOS) is not implemented,
5385 nor is the Common Lisp Condition System. However, the EIEIO package
5386 from @uref{ftp://ftp.ultranet.com/pub/zappo} does implement some
5390 Common Lisp features that are completely redundant with Emacs
5391 Lisp features of a different name generally have not been
5392 implemented. For example, Common Lisp writes @code{defconstant}
5393 where Emacs Lisp uses @code{defconst}. Similarly, @code{make-list}
5394 takes its arguments in different ways in the two Lisps but does
5395 exactly the same thing, so this package has not bothered to
5396 implement a Common Lisp-style @code{make-list}.
5399 A few more notable Common Lisp features not included in this
5400 package: @code{compiler-let}, @code{tagbody}, @code{prog},
5401 @code{ldb/dpb}, @code{parse-integer}, @code{cerror}.
5404 Recursion. While recursion works in Emacs Lisp just like it
5405 does in Common Lisp, various details of the Emacs Lisp system
5406 and compiler make recursion much less efficient than it is in
5407 most Lisps. Some schools of thought prefer to use recursion
5408 in Lisp over other techniques; they would sum a list of
5409 numbers using something like
5412 (defun sum-list (list)
5414 (+ (car list) (sum-list (cdr list)))
5419 where a more iteratively-minded programmer might write one of
5423 (let ((total 0)) (dolist (x my-list) (incf total x)) total)
5424 (loop for x in my-list sum x)
5427 While this would be mainly a stylistic choice in most Common Lisps,
5428 in Emacs Lisp you should be aware that the iterative forms are
5429 much faster than recursion. Also, Lisp programmers will want to
5430 note that the current Emacs Lisp compiler does not optimize tail
5434 @node Function Index, Variable Index, Porting Common Lisp, Top
5435 @unnumbered Function Index
5439 @node Variable Index, , Function Index, Top
5440 @unnumbered Variable Index
5444 @setchapternewpage odd