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.
20 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
21 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
22 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
23 Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
24 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
25 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
26 License'' in the Emacs manual.
28 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
29 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
30 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
32 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
33 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
34 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
35 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
40 @center @titlefont{Common Lisp Extensions}
42 @center For GNU Emacs Lisp
46 @center Dave Gillespie
47 @center daveg@@synaptics.com
50 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
51 Copyright @copyright{} 1993 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
53 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
54 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
55 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
56 Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
57 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
58 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
59 License'' in the Emacs manual.
61 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
62 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
63 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
65 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
66 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
67 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
68 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
71 @node Top, Overview, (dir), (dir)
72 @chapter Common Lisp Extensions
75 This document describes a set of Emacs Lisp facilities borrowed from
76 Common Lisp. All the facilities are described here in detail. While
77 this document does not assume any prior knowledge of Common Lisp, it
78 does assume a basic familiarity with Emacs Lisp.
81 * Overview:: Installation, usage, etc.
82 * Program Structure:: Arglists, `eval-when', `defalias'
83 * Predicates:: `typep', `eql', and `equalp'
84 * Control Structure:: `setf', `do', `loop', etc.
85 * Macros:: Destructuring, `define-compiler-macro'
86 * Declarations:: `proclaim', `declare', etc.
87 * Symbols:: Property lists, `gensym'
88 * Numbers:: Predicates, functions, random numbers
89 * Sequences:: Mapping, functions, searching, sorting
90 * Lists:: `cadr', `sublis', `member*', `assoc*', etc.
91 * Structures:: `defstruct'
92 * Assertions:: `check-type', `assert', `ignore-errors'.
94 * Efficiency Concerns:: Hints and techniques
95 * Common Lisp Compatibility:: All known differences with Steele
96 * Old CL Compatibility:: All known differences with old cl.el
97 * Porting Common Lisp:: Hints for porting Common Lisp code
103 @node Overview, Program Structure, Top, Top
112 Common Lisp is a huge language, and Common Lisp systems tend to be
113 massive and extremely complex. Emacs Lisp, by contrast, is rather
114 minimalist in the choice of Lisp features it offers the programmer.
115 As Emacs Lisp programmers have grown in number, and the applications
116 they write have grown more ambitious, it has become clear that Emacs
117 Lisp could benefit from many of the conveniences of Common Lisp.
119 The @dfn{CL} package adds a number of Common Lisp functions and
120 control structures to Emacs Lisp. While not a 100% complete
121 implementation of Common Lisp, @dfn{CL} adds enough functionality
122 to make Emacs Lisp programming significantly more convenient.
124 Some Common Lisp features have been omitted from this package
129 Some features are too complex or bulky relative to their benefit
130 to Emacs Lisp programmers. CLOS and Common Lisp streams are fine
131 examples of this group.
134 Other features cannot be implemented without modification to the
135 Emacs Lisp interpreter itself, such as multiple return values,
136 lexical scoping, case-insensitive symbols, and complex numbers.
137 The @dfn{CL} package generally makes no attempt to emulate these
141 Some features conflict with existing things in Emacs Lisp. For
142 example, Emacs' @code{assoc} function is incompatible with the
143 Common Lisp @code{assoc}. In such cases, this package usually
144 adds the suffix @samp{*} to the function name of the Common
145 Lisp version of the function (e.g., @code{assoc*}).
148 The package described here was written by Dave Gillespie,
149 @file{daveg@@synaptics.com}. It is a total rewrite of the original
150 1986 @file{cl.el} package by Cesar Quiroz. Most features of the
151 the Quiroz package have been retained; any incompatibilities are
152 noted in the descriptions below. Care has been taken in this
153 version to ensure that each function is defined efficiently,
154 concisely, and with minimal impact on the rest of the Emacs
158 * Usage:: How to use the CL package
159 * Organization:: The package's five component files
160 * Installation:: Compiling and installing CL
161 * Naming Conventions:: Notes on CL function names
164 @node Usage, Organization, Overview, Overview
168 Lisp code that uses features from the @dfn{CL} package should
169 include at the beginning:
176 If you want to ensure that the new (Gillespie) version of @dfn{CL}
177 is the one that is present, add an additional @code{(require 'cl-19)}
186 The second call will fail (with ``@file{cl-19.el} not found'') if
187 the old @file{cl.el} package was in use.
189 It is safe to arrange to load @dfn{CL} at all times, e.g.,
190 in your @file{.emacs} file. But it's a good idea, for portability,
191 to @code{(require 'cl)} in your code even if you do this.
193 @node Organization, Installation, Usage, Overview
194 @section Organization
197 The Common Lisp package is organized into four files:
201 This is the ``main'' file, which contains basic functions
202 and information about the package. This file is relatively
203 compact---about 700 lines.
206 This file contains the larger, more complex or unusual functions.
207 It is kept separate so that packages which only want to use Common
208 Lisp fundamentals like the @code{cadr} function won't need to pay
209 the overhead of loading the more advanced functions.
212 This file contains most of the advanced functions for operating
213 on sequences or lists, such as @code{delete-if} and @code{assoc*}.
216 This file contains the features of the packages which are macros
217 instead of functions. Macros expand when the caller is compiled,
218 not when it is run, so the macros generally only need to be
219 present when the byte-compiler is running (or when the macros are
220 used in uncompiled code such as a @file{.emacs} file). Most of
221 the macros of this package are isolated in @file{cl-macs.el} so
222 that they won't take up memory unless you are compiling.
225 The file @file{cl.el} includes all necessary @code{autoload}
226 commands for the functions and macros in the other three files.
227 All you have to do is @code{(require 'cl)}, and @file{cl.el}
228 will take care of pulling in the other files when they are
231 There is another file, @file{cl-compat.el}, which defines some
232 routines from the older @file{cl.el} package that are no longer
233 present in the new package. This includes internal routines
234 like @code{setelt} and @code{zip-lists}, deprecated features
235 like @code{defkeyword}, and an emulation of the old-style
236 multiple-values feature. @xref{Old CL Compatibility}.
238 @node Installation, Naming Conventions, Organization, Overview
239 @section Installation
242 Installation of the @dfn{CL} package is simple: Just put the
243 byte-compiled files @file{cl.elc}, @file{cl-extra.elc},
244 @file{cl-seq.elc}, @file{cl-macs.elc}, and @file{cl-compat.elc}
245 into a directory on your @code{load-path}.
247 There are no special requirements to compile this package:
248 The files do not have to be loaded before they are compiled,
249 nor do they need to be compiled in any particular order.
251 You may choose to put the files into your main @file{lisp/}
252 directory, replacing the original @file{cl.el} file there. Or,
253 you could put them into a directory that comes before @file{lisp/}
254 on your @code{load-path} so that the old @file{cl.el} is
257 Also, format the @file{cl.texinfo} file and put the resulting
258 Info files in the @file{info/} directory or another suitable place.
260 You may instead wish to leave this package's components all in
261 their own directory, and then add this directory to your
262 @code{load-path} and @code{Info-directory-list}.
263 Add the directory to the front of the list so the old @dfn{CL}
264 package and its documentation are hidden.
266 @node Naming Conventions, , Installation, Overview
267 @section Naming Conventions
270 Except where noted, all functions defined by this package have the
271 same names and calling conventions as their Common Lisp counterparts.
273 Following is a complete list of functions whose names were changed
274 from Common Lisp, usually to avoid conflicts with Emacs. In each
275 case, a @samp{*} has been appended to the Common Lisp name to obtain
279 defun* defsubst* defmacro* function*
280 member* assoc* rassoc* get*
281 remove* delete* mapcar* sort*
282 floor* ceiling* truncate* round*
283 mod* rem* random* last*
286 Internal function and variable names in the package are prefixed
287 by @code{cl-}. Here is a complete list of functions @emph{not}
288 prefixed by @code{cl-} which were not taken from Common Lisp:
291 floatp-safe lexical-let lexical-let*
292 callf callf2 letf letf*
296 The following simple functions and macros are defined in @file{cl.el};
297 they do not cause other components like @file{cl-extra} to be loaded.
301 evenp oddp plusp minusp
302 butlast nbutlast caaar .. cddddr
303 list* ldiff rest first .. tenth
304 copy-list subst mapcar* [2]
305 adjoin [3] acons pairlis pop [4]
306 push [4] pushnew [3,4] incf [4] decf [4]
311 [2] Only for one sequence argument or two list arguments.
314 [3] Only if @code{:test} is @code{eq}, @code{equal}, or unspecified,
315 and @code{:key} is not used.
318 [4] Only when @var{place} is a plain variable name.
324 @node Program Structure, Predicates, Overview, Top
325 @chapter Program Structure
328 This section describes features of the @dfn{CL} package which have to
329 do with programs as a whole: advanced argument lists for functions,
330 and the @code{eval-when} construct.
333 * Argument Lists:: `&key', `&aux', `defun*', `defmacro*'.
334 * Time of Evaluation:: The `eval-when' construct.
341 @node Argument Lists, Time of Evaluation, Program Structure, Program Structure
342 @section Argument Lists
345 Emacs Lisp's notation for argument lists of functions is a subset of
346 the Common Lisp notation. As well as the familiar @code{&optional}
347 and @code{&rest} markers, Common Lisp allows you to specify default
348 values for optional arguments, and it provides the additional markers
349 @code{&key} and @code{&aux}.
351 Since argument parsing is built-in to Emacs, there is no way for
352 this package to implement Common Lisp argument lists seamlessly.
353 Instead, this package defines alternates for several Lisp forms
354 which you must use if you need Common Lisp argument lists.
356 @defspec defun* name arglist body...
357 This form is identical to the regular @code{defun} form, except
358 that @var{arglist} is allowed to be a full Common Lisp argument
359 list. Also, the function body is enclosed in an implicit block
360 called @var{name}; @pxref{Blocks and Exits}.
363 @defspec defsubst* name arglist body...
364 This is just like @code{defun*}, except that the function that
365 is defined is automatically proclaimed @code{inline}, i.e.,
366 calls to it may be expanded into in-line code by the byte compiler.
367 This is analogous to the @code{defsubst} form;
368 @code{defsubst*} uses a different method (compiler macros) which
369 works in all version of Emacs, and also generates somewhat more
370 efficient inline expansions. In particular, @code{defsubst*}
371 arranges for the processing of keyword arguments, default values,
372 etc., to be done at compile-time whenever possible.
375 @defspec defmacro* name arglist body...
376 This is identical to the regular @code{defmacro} form,
377 except that @var{arglist} is allowed to be a full Common Lisp
378 argument list. The @code{&environment} keyword is supported as
379 described in Steele. The @code{&whole} keyword is supported only
380 within destructured lists (see below); top-level @code{&whole}
381 cannot be implemented with the current Emacs Lisp interpreter.
382 The macro expander body is enclosed in an implicit block called
386 @defspec function* symbol-or-lambda
387 This is identical to the regular @code{function} form,
388 except that if the argument is a @code{lambda} form then that
389 form may use a full Common Lisp argument list.
392 Also, all forms (such as @code{defsetf} and @code{flet}) defined
393 in this package that include @var{arglist}s in their syntax allow
394 full Common Lisp argument lists.
396 Note that it is @emph{not} necessary to use @code{defun*} in
397 order to have access to most @dfn{CL} features in your function.
398 These features are always present; @code{defun*}'s only
399 difference from @code{defun} is its more flexible argument
400 lists and its implicit block.
402 The full form of a Common Lisp argument list is
406 &optional (@var{var} @var{initform} @var{svar})...
408 &key ((@var{keyword} @var{var}) @var{initform} @var{svar})...
409 &aux (@var{var} @var{initform})...)
412 Each of the five argument list sections is optional. The @var{svar},
413 @var{initform}, and @var{keyword} parts are optional; if they are
414 omitted, then @samp{(@var{var})} may be written simply @samp{@var{var}}.
416 The first section consists of zero or more @dfn{required} arguments.
417 These arguments must always be specified in a call to the function;
418 there is no difference between Emacs Lisp and Common Lisp as far as
419 required arguments are concerned.
421 The second section consists of @dfn{optional} arguments. These
422 arguments may be specified in the function call; if they are not,
423 @var{initform} specifies the default value used for the argument.
424 (No @var{initform} means to use @code{nil} as the default.) The
425 @var{initform} is evaluated with the bindings for the preceding
426 arguments already established; @code{(a &optional (b (1+ a)))}
427 matches one or two arguments, with the second argument defaulting
428 to one plus the first argument. If the @var{svar} is specified,
429 it is an auxiliary variable which is bound to @code{t} if the optional
430 argument was specified, or to @code{nil} if the argument was omitted.
431 If you don't use an @var{svar}, then there will be no way for your
432 function to tell whether it was called with no argument, or with
433 the default value passed explicitly as an argument.
435 The third section consists of a single @dfn{rest} argument. If
436 more arguments were passed to the function than are accounted for
437 by the required and optional arguments, those extra arguments are
438 collected into a list and bound to the ``rest'' argument variable.
439 Common Lisp's @code{&rest} is equivalent to that of Emacs Lisp.
440 Common Lisp accepts @code{&body} as a synonym for @code{&rest} in
441 macro contexts; this package accepts it all the time.
443 The fourth section consists of @dfn{keyword} arguments. These
444 are optional arguments which are specified by name rather than
445 positionally in the argument list. For example,
448 (defun* foo (a &optional b &key c d (e 17)))
452 defines a function which may be called with one, two, or more
453 arguments. The first two arguments are bound to @code{a} and
454 @code{b} in the usual way. The remaining arguments must be
455 pairs of the form @code{:c}, @code{:d}, or @code{:e} followed
456 by the value to be bound to the corresponding argument variable.
457 (Symbols whose names begin with a colon are called @dfn{keywords},
458 and they are self-quoting in the same way as @code{nil} and
461 For example, the call @code{(foo 1 2 :d 3 :c 4)} sets the five
462 arguments to 1, 2, 4, 3, and 17, respectively. If the same keyword
463 appears more than once in the function call, the first occurrence
464 takes precedence over the later ones. Note that it is not possible
465 to specify keyword arguments without specifying the optional
466 argument @code{b} as well, since @code{(foo 1 :c 2)} would bind
467 @code{b} to the keyword @code{:c}, then signal an error because
468 @code{2} is not a valid keyword.
470 If a @var{keyword} symbol is explicitly specified in the argument
471 list as shown in the above diagram, then that keyword will be
472 used instead of just the variable name prefixed with a colon.
473 You can specify a @var{keyword} symbol which does not begin with
474 a colon at all, but such symbols will not be self-quoting; you
475 will have to quote them explicitly with an apostrophe in the
478 Ordinarily it is an error to pass an unrecognized keyword to
479 a function, e.g., @code{(foo 1 2 :c 3 :goober 4)}. You can ask
480 Lisp to ignore unrecognized keywords, either by adding the
481 marker @code{&allow-other-keys} after the keyword section
482 of the argument list, or by specifying an @code{:allow-other-keys}
483 argument in the call whose value is non-@code{nil}. If the
484 function uses both @code{&rest} and @code{&key} at the same time,
485 the ``rest'' argument is bound to the keyword list as it appears
486 in the call. For example:
489 (defun* find-thing (thing &rest rest &key need &allow-other-keys)
490 (or (apply 'member* thing thing-list :allow-other-keys t rest)
491 (if need (error "Thing not found"))))
495 This function takes a @code{:need} keyword argument, but also
496 accepts other keyword arguments which are passed on to the
497 @code{member*} function. @code{allow-other-keys} is used to
498 keep both @code{find-thing} and @code{member*} from complaining
499 about each others' keywords in the arguments.
501 As a (significant) performance optimization, this package
502 implements the scan for keyword arguments by calling @code{memq}
503 to search for keywords in a ``rest'' argument. Technically
504 speaking, this is incorrect, since @code{memq} looks at the
505 odd-numbered values as well as the even-numbered keywords.
506 The net effect is that if you happen to pass a keyword symbol
507 as the @emph{value} of another keyword argument, where that
508 keyword symbol happens to equal the name of a valid keyword
509 argument of the same function, then the keyword parser will
510 become confused. This minor bug can only affect you if you
511 use keyword symbols as general-purpose data in your program;
512 this practice is strongly discouraged in Emacs Lisp.
514 The fifth section of the argument list consists of @dfn{auxiliary
515 variables}. These are not really arguments at all, but simply
516 variables which are bound to @code{nil} or to the specified
517 @var{initforms} during execution of the function. There is no
518 difference between the following two functions, except for a
519 matter of stylistic taste:
522 (defun* foo (a b &aux (c (+ a b)) d)
530 Argument lists support @dfn{destructuring}. In Common Lisp,
531 destructuring is only allowed with @code{defmacro}; this package
532 allows it with @code{defun*} and other argument lists as well.
533 In destructuring, any argument variable (@var{var} in the above
534 diagram) can be replaced by a list of variables, or more generally,
535 a recursive argument list. The corresponding argument value must
536 be a list whose elements match this recursive argument list.
540 (defmacro* dolist ((var listform &optional resultform)
545 This says that the first argument of @code{dolist} must be a list
546 of two or three items; if there are other arguments as well as this
547 list, they are stored in @code{body}. All features allowed in
548 regular argument lists are allowed in these recursive argument lists.
549 In addition, the clause @samp{&whole @var{var}} is allowed at the
550 front of a recursive argument list. It binds @var{var} to the
551 whole list being matched; thus @code{(&whole all a b)} matches
552 a list of two things, with @code{a} bound to the first thing,
553 @code{b} bound to the second thing, and @code{all} bound to the
554 list itself. (Common Lisp allows @code{&whole} in top-level
555 @code{defmacro} argument lists as well, but Emacs Lisp does not
558 One last feature of destructuring is that the argument list may be
559 dotted, so that the argument list @code{(a b . c)} is functionally
560 equivalent to @code{(a b &rest c)}.
562 If the optimization quality @code{safety} is set to 0
563 (@pxref{Declarations}), error checking for wrong number of
564 arguments and invalid keyword arguments is disabled. By default,
565 argument lists are rigorously checked.
567 @node Time of Evaluation, , Argument Lists, Program Structure
568 @section Time of Evaluation
571 Normally, the byte-compiler does not actually execute the forms in
572 a file it compiles. For example, if a file contains @code{(setq foo t)},
573 the act of compiling it will not actually set @code{foo} to @code{t}.
574 This is true even if the @code{setq} was a top-level form (i.e., not
575 enclosed in a @code{defun} or other form). Sometimes, though, you
576 would like to have certain top-level forms evaluated at compile-time.
577 For example, the compiler effectively evaluates @code{defmacro} forms
578 at compile-time so that later parts of the file can refer to the
579 macros that are defined.
581 @defspec eval-when (situations...) forms...
582 This form controls when the body @var{forms} are evaluated.
583 The @var{situations} list may contain any set of the symbols
584 @code{compile}, @code{load}, and @code{eval} (or their long-winded
585 ANSI equivalents, @code{:compile-toplevel}, @code{:load-toplevel},
586 and @code{:execute}).
588 The @code{eval-when} form is handled differently depending on
589 whether or not it is being compiled as a top-level form.
590 Specifically, it gets special treatment if it is being compiled
591 by a command such as @code{byte-compile-file} which compiles files
592 or buffers of code, and it appears either literally at the
593 top level of the file or inside a top-level @code{progn}.
595 For compiled top-level @code{eval-when}s, the body @var{forms} are
596 executed at compile-time if @code{compile} is in the @var{situations}
597 list, and the @var{forms} are written out to the file (to be executed
598 at load-time) if @code{load} is in the @var{situations} list.
600 For non-compiled-top-level forms, only the @code{eval} situation is
601 relevant. (This includes forms executed by the interpreter, forms
602 compiled with @code{byte-compile} rather than @code{byte-compile-file},
603 and non-top-level forms.) The @code{eval-when} acts like a
604 @code{progn} if @code{eval} is specified, and like @code{nil}
605 (ignoring the body @var{forms}) if not.
607 The rules become more subtle when @code{eval-when}s are nested;
608 consult Steele (second edition) for the gruesome details (and
609 some gruesome examples).
611 Some simple examples:
614 ;; Top-level forms in foo.el:
615 (eval-when (compile) (setq foo1 'bar))
616 (eval-when (load) (setq foo2 'bar))
617 (eval-when (compile load) (setq foo3 'bar))
618 (eval-when (eval) (setq foo4 'bar))
619 (eval-when (eval compile) (setq foo5 'bar))
620 (eval-when (eval load) (setq foo6 'bar))
621 (eval-when (eval compile load) (setq foo7 'bar))
624 When @file{foo.el} is compiled, these variables will be set during
625 the compilation itself:
628 foo1 foo3 foo5 foo7 ; `compile'
631 When @file{foo.elc} is loaded, these variables will be set:
634 foo2 foo3 foo6 foo7 ; `load'
637 And if @file{foo.el} is loaded uncompiled, these variables will
641 foo4 foo5 foo6 foo7 ; `eval'
644 If these seven @code{eval-when}s had been, say, inside a @code{defun},
645 then the first three would have been equivalent to @code{nil} and the
646 last four would have been equivalent to the corresponding @code{setq}s.
648 Note that @code{(eval-when (load eval) @dots{})} is equivalent
649 to @code{(progn @dots{})} in all contexts. The compiler treats
650 certain top-level forms, like @code{defmacro} (sort-of) and
651 @code{require}, as if they were wrapped in @code{(eval-when
652 (compile load eval) @dots{})}.
655 Emacs includes two special forms related to @code{eval-when}.
656 One of these, @code{eval-when-compile}, is not quite equivalent to
657 any @code{eval-when} construct and is described below.
659 The other form, @code{(eval-and-compile @dots{})}, is exactly
660 equivalent to @samp{(eval-when (compile load eval) @dots{})} and
661 so is not itself defined by this package.
663 @defspec eval-when-compile forms...
664 The @var{forms} are evaluated at compile-time; at execution time,
665 this form acts like a quoted constant of the resulting value. Used
666 at top-level, @code{eval-when-compile} is just like @samp{eval-when
667 (compile eval)}. In other contexts, @code{eval-when-compile}
668 allows code to be evaluated once at compile-time for efficiency
671 This form is similar to the @samp{#.} syntax of true Common Lisp.
674 @defspec load-time-value form
675 The @var{form} is evaluated at load-time; at execution time,
676 this form acts like a quoted constant of the resulting value.
678 Early Common Lisp had a @samp{#,} syntax that was similar to
679 this, but ANSI Common Lisp replaced it with @code{load-time-value}
680 and gave it more well-defined semantics.
682 In a compiled file, @code{load-time-value} arranges for @var{form}
683 to be evaluated when the @file{.elc} file is loaded and then used
684 as if it were a quoted constant. In code compiled by
685 @code{byte-compile} rather than @code{byte-compile-file}, the
686 effect is identical to @code{eval-when-compile}. In uncompiled
687 code, both @code{eval-when-compile} and @code{load-time-value}
688 act exactly like @code{progn}.
692 (insert "This function was executed on: "
693 (current-time-string)
695 (eval-when-compile (current-time-string))
696 ;; or '#.(current-time-string) in real Common Lisp
698 (load-time-value (current-time-string))))
702 Byte-compiled, the above defun will result in the following code
703 (or its compiled equivalent, of course) in the @file{.elc} file:
706 (setq --temp-- (current-time-string))
708 (insert "This function was executed on: "
709 (current-time-string)
711 '"Wed Jun 23 18:33:43 1993"
717 @node Predicates, Control Structure, Program Structure, Top
721 This section describes functions for testing whether various
722 facts are true or false.
725 * Type Predicates:: `typep', `deftype', and `coerce'
726 * Equality Predicates:: `eql' and `equalp'
729 @node Type Predicates, Equality Predicates, Predicates, Predicates
730 @section Type Predicates
733 The @dfn{CL} package defines a version of the Common Lisp @code{typep}
736 @defun typep object type
737 Check if @var{object} is of type @var{type}, where @var{type} is a
738 (quoted) type name of the sort used by Common Lisp. For example,
739 @code{(typep foo 'integer)} is equivalent to @code{(integerp foo)}.
742 The @var{type} argument to the above function is either a symbol
743 or a list beginning with a symbol.
747 If the type name is a symbol, Emacs appends @samp{-p} to the
748 symbol name to form the name of a predicate function for testing
749 the type. (Built-in predicates whose names end in @samp{p} rather
750 than @samp{-p} are used when appropriate.)
753 The type symbol @code{t} stands for the union of all types.
754 @code{(typep @var{object} t)} is always true. Likewise, the
755 type symbol @code{nil} stands for nothing at all, and
756 @code{(typep @var{object} nil)} is always false.
759 The type symbol @code{null} represents the symbol @code{nil}.
760 Thus @code{(typep @var{object} 'null)} is equivalent to
761 @code{(null @var{object})}.
764 The type symbol @code{real} is a synonym for @code{number}, and
765 @code{fixnum} is a synonym for @code{integer}.
768 The type symbols @code{character} and @code{string-char} match
769 integers in the range from 0 to 255.
772 The type symbol @code{float} uses the @code{floatp-safe} predicate
773 defined by this package rather than @code{floatp}, so it will work
774 correctly even in Emacs versions without floating-point support.
777 The type list @code{(integer @var{low} @var{high})} represents all
778 integers between @var{low} and @var{high}, inclusive. Either bound
779 may be a list of a single integer to specify an exclusive limit,
780 or a @code{*} to specify no limit. The type @code{(integer * *)}
781 is thus equivalent to @code{integer}.
784 Likewise, lists beginning with @code{float}, @code{real}, or
785 @code{number} represent numbers of that type falling in a particular
789 Lists beginning with @code{and}, @code{or}, and @code{not} form
790 combinations of types. For example, @code{(or integer (float 0 *))}
791 represents all objects that are integers or non-negative floats.
794 Lists beginning with @code{member} or @code{member*} represent
795 objects @code{eql} to any of the following values. For example,
796 @code{(member 1 2 3 4)} is equivalent to @code{(integer 1 4)},
797 and @code{(member nil)} is equivalent to @code{null}.
800 Lists of the form @code{(satisfies @var{predicate})} represent
801 all objects for which @var{predicate} returns true when called
802 with that object as an argument.
805 The following function and macro (not technically predicates) are
806 related to @code{typep}.
808 @defun coerce object type
809 This function attempts to convert @var{object} to the specified
810 @var{type}. If @var{object} is already of that type as determined by
811 @code{typep}, it is simply returned. Otherwise, certain types of
812 conversions will be made: If @var{type} is any sequence type
813 (@code{string}, @code{list}, etc.) then @var{object} will be
814 converted to that type if possible. If @var{type} is
815 @code{character}, then strings of length one and symbols with
816 one-character names can be coerced. If @var{type} is @code{float},
817 then integers can be coerced in versions of Emacs that support
818 floats. In all other circumstances, @code{coerce} signals an
822 @defspec deftype name arglist forms...
823 This macro defines a new type called @var{name}. It is similar
824 to @code{defmacro} in many ways; when @var{name} is encountered
825 as a type name, the body @var{forms} are evaluated and should
826 return a type specifier that is equivalent to the type. The
827 @var{arglist} is a Common Lisp argument list of the sort accepted
828 by @code{defmacro*}. The type specifier @samp{(@var{name} @var{args}...)}
829 is expanded by calling the expander with those arguments; the type
830 symbol @samp{@var{name}} is expanded by calling the expander with
831 no arguments. The @var{arglist} is processed the same as for
832 @code{defmacro*} except that optional arguments without explicit
833 defaults use @code{*} instead of @code{nil} as the ``default''
834 default. Some examples:
837 (deftype null () '(satisfies null)) ; predefined
838 (deftype list () '(or null cons)) ; predefined
839 (deftype unsigned-byte (&optional bits)
840 (list 'integer 0 (if (eq bits '*) bits (1- (lsh 1 bits)))))
841 (unsigned-byte 8) @equiv{} (integer 0 255)
842 (unsigned-byte) @equiv{} (integer 0 *)
843 unsigned-byte @equiv{} (integer 0 *)
847 The last example shows how the Common Lisp @code{unsigned-byte}
848 type specifier could be implemented if desired; this package does
849 not implement @code{unsigned-byte} by default.
852 The @code{typecase} and @code{check-type} macros also use type
853 names. @xref{Conditionals}. @xref{Assertions}. The @code{map},
854 @code{concatenate}, and @code{merge} functions take type-name
855 arguments to specify the type of sequence to return. @xref{Sequences}.
857 @node Equality Predicates, , Type Predicates, Predicates
858 @section Equality Predicates
861 This package defines two Common Lisp predicates, @code{eql} and
865 This function is almost the same as @code{eq}, except that if @var{a}
866 and @var{b} are numbers of the same type, it compares them for numeric
867 equality (as if by @code{equal} instead of @code{eq}). This makes a
868 difference only for versions of Emacs that are compiled with
869 floating-point support. Emacs floats are allocated
870 objects just like cons cells, which means that @code{(eq 3.0 3.0)}
871 will not necessarily be true---if the two @code{3.0}s were allocated
872 separately, the pointers will be different even though the numbers are
873 the same. But @code{(eql 3.0 3.0)} will always be true.
875 The types of the arguments must match, so @code{(eql 3 3.0)} is
878 Note that Emacs integers are ``direct'' rather than allocated, which
879 basically means @code{(eq 3 3)} will always be true. Thus @code{eq}
880 and @code{eql} behave differently only if floating-point numbers are
881 involved, and are indistinguishable on Emacs versions that don't
884 There is a slight inconsistency with Common Lisp in the treatment of
885 positive and negative zeros. Some machines, notably those with IEEE
886 standard arithmetic, represent @code{+0} and @code{-0} as distinct
887 values. Normally this doesn't matter because the standard specifies
888 that @code{(= 0.0 -0.0)} should always be true, and this is indeed
889 what Emacs Lisp and Common Lisp do. But the Common Lisp standard
890 states that @code{(eql 0.0 -0.0)} and @code{(equal 0.0 -0.0)} should
891 be false on IEEE-like machines; Emacs Lisp does not do this, and in
892 fact the only known way to distinguish between the two zeros in Emacs
893 Lisp is to @code{format} them and check for a minus sign.
897 This function is a more flexible version of @code{equal}. In
898 particular, it compares strings case-insensitively, and it compares
899 numbers without regard to type (so that @code{(equalp 3 3.0)} is
900 true). Vectors and conses are compared recursively. All other
901 objects are compared as if by @code{equal}.
903 This function differs from Common Lisp @code{equalp} in several
904 respects. First, Common Lisp's @code{equalp} also compares
905 @emph{characters} case-insensitively, which would be impractical
906 in this package since Emacs does not distinguish between integers
907 and characters. In keeping with the idea that strings are less
908 vector-like in Emacs Lisp, this package's @code{equalp} also will
909 not compare strings against vectors of integers.
912 Also note that the Common Lisp functions @code{member} and @code{assoc}
913 use @code{eql} to compare elements, whereas Emacs Lisp follows the
914 MacLisp tradition and uses @code{equal} for these two functions.
915 In Emacs, use @code{member*} and @code{assoc*} to get functions
916 which use @code{eql} for comparisons.
918 @node Control Structure, Macros, Predicates, Top
919 @chapter Control Structure
922 The features described in the following sections implement
923 various advanced control structures, including the powerful
924 @code{setf} facility and a number of looping and conditional
928 * Assignment:: The `psetq' form
929 * Generalized Variables:: `setf', `incf', `push', etc.
930 * Variable Bindings:: `progv', `lexical-let', `flet', `macrolet'
931 * Conditionals:: `case', `typecase'
932 * Blocks and Exits:: `block', `return', `return-from'
933 * Iteration:: `do', `dotimes', `dolist', `do-symbols'
934 * Loop Facility:: The Common Lisp `loop' macro
935 * Multiple Values:: `values', `multiple-value-bind', etc.
938 @node Assignment, Generalized Variables, Control Structure, Control Structure
942 The @code{psetq} form is just like @code{setq}, except that multiple
943 assignments are done in parallel rather than sequentially.
945 @defspec psetq [symbol form]@dots{}
946 This special form (actually a macro) is used to assign to several
947 variables simultaneously. Given only one @var{symbol} and @var{form},
948 it has the same effect as @code{setq}. Given several @var{symbol}
949 and @var{form} pairs, it evaluates all the @var{form}s in advance
950 and then stores the corresponding variables afterwards.
954 (setq x (+ x y) y (* x y))
957 y ; @r{@code{y} was computed after @code{x} was set.}
960 (psetq x (+ x y) y (* x y))
963 y ; @r{@code{y} was computed before @code{x} was set.}
967 The simplest use of @code{psetq} is @code{(psetq x y y x)}, which
968 exchanges the values of two variables. (The @code{rotatef} form
969 provides an even more convenient way to swap two variables;
970 @pxref{Modify Macros}.)
972 @code{psetq} always returns @code{nil}.
975 @node Generalized Variables, Variable Bindings, Assignment, Control Structure
976 @section Generalized Variables
979 A ``generalized variable'' or ``place form'' is one of the many places
980 in Lisp memory where values can be stored. The simplest place form is
981 a regular Lisp variable. But the cars and cdrs of lists, elements
982 of arrays, properties of symbols, and many other locations are also
983 places where Lisp values are stored.
985 The @code{setf} form is like @code{setq}, except that it accepts
986 arbitrary place forms on the left side rather than just
987 symbols. For example, @code{(setf (car a) b)} sets the car of
988 @code{a} to @code{b}, doing the same operation as @code{(setcar a b)}
989 but without having to remember two separate functions for setting
990 and accessing every type of place.
992 Generalized variables are analogous to ``lvalues'' in the C
993 language, where @samp{x = a[i]} gets an element from an array
994 and @samp{a[i] = x} stores an element using the same notation.
995 Just as certain forms like @code{a[i]} can be lvalues in C, there
996 is a set of forms that can be generalized variables in Lisp.
999 * Basic Setf:: `setf' and place forms
1000 * Modify Macros:: `incf', `push', `rotatef', `letf', `callf', etc.
1001 * Customizing Setf:: `define-modify-macro', `defsetf', `define-setf-method'
1004 @node Basic Setf, Modify Macros, Generalized Variables, Generalized Variables
1005 @subsection Basic Setf
1008 The @code{setf} macro is the most basic way to operate on generalized
1011 @defspec setf [place form]@dots{}
1012 This macro evaluates @var{form} and stores it in @var{place}, which
1013 must be a valid generalized variable form. If there are several
1014 @var{place} and @var{form} pairs, the assignments are done sequentially
1015 just as with @code{setq}. @code{setf} returns the value of the last
1018 The following Lisp forms will work as generalized variables, and
1019 so may legally appear in the @var{place} argument of @code{setf}:
1023 A symbol naming a variable. In other words, @code{(setf x y)} is
1024 exactly equivalent to @code{(setq x y)}, and @code{setq} itself is
1025 strictly speaking redundant now that @code{setf} exists. Many
1026 programmers continue to prefer @code{setq} for setting simple
1027 variables, though, purely for stylistic or historical reasons.
1028 The macro @code{(setf x y)} actually expands to @code{(setq x y)},
1029 so there is no performance penalty for using it in compiled code.
1032 A call to any of the following Lisp functions:
1035 car cdr caar .. cddddr
1036 nth rest first .. tenth
1038 symbol-function symbol-value symbol-plist
1044 Note that for @code{nthcdr} and @code{getf}, the list argument
1045 of the function must itself be a valid @var{place} form. For
1046 example, @code{(setf (nthcdr 0 foo) 7)} will set @code{foo} itself
1047 to 7. Note that @code{push} and @code{pop} on an @code{nthcdr}
1048 place can be used to insert or delete at any position in a list.
1049 The use of @code{nthcdr} as a @var{place} form is an extension
1050 to standard Common Lisp.
1053 The following Emacs-specific functions are also @code{setf}-able.
1056 buffer-file-name marker-position
1057 buffer-modified-p match-data
1058 buffer-name mouse-position
1059 buffer-string overlay-end
1060 buffer-substring overlay-get
1061 current-buffer overlay-start
1062 current-case-table point
1063 current-column point-marker
1064 current-global-map point-max
1065 current-input-mode point-min
1066 current-local-map process-buffer
1067 current-window-configuration process-filter
1068 default-file-modes process-sentinel
1069 default-value read-mouse-position
1070 documentation-property screen-height
1071 extent-data screen-menubar
1072 extent-end-position screen-width
1073 extent-start-position selected-window
1074 face-background selected-screen
1075 face-background-pixmap selected-frame
1076 face-font standard-case-table
1077 face-foreground syntax-table
1078 face-underline-p window-buffer
1079 file-modes window-dedicated-p
1080 frame-height window-display-table
1081 frame-parameters window-height
1082 frame-visible-p window-hscroll
1083 frame-width window-point
1084 get-register window-start
1086 global-key-binding x-get-cut-buffer
1087 keymap-parent x-get-cutbuffer
1088 local-key-binding x-get-secondary-selection
1089 mark x-get-selection
1093 Most of these have directly corresponding ``set'' functions, like
1094 @code{use-local-map} for @code{current-local-map}, or @code{goto-char}
1095 for @code{point}. A few, like @code{point-min}, expand to longer
1096 sequences of code when they are @code{setf}'d (@code{(narrow-to-region
1097 x (point-max))} in this case).
1100 A call of the form @code{(substring @var{subplace} @var{n} [@var{m}])},
1101 where @var{subplace} is itself a legal generalized variable whose
1102 current value is a string, and where the value stored is also a
1103 string. The new string is spliced into the specified part of the
1104 destination string. For example:
1107 (setq a (list "hello" "world"))
1108 @result{} ("hello" "world")
1111 (substring (cadr a) 2 4)
1113 (setf (substring (cadr a) 2 4) "o")
1118 @result{} ("hello" "wood")
1121 The generalized variable @code{buffer-substring}, listed above,
1122 also works in this way by replacing a portion of the current buffer.
1125 A call of the form @code{(apply '@var{func} @dots{})} or
1126 @code{(apply (function @var{func}) @dots{})}, where @var{func}
1127 is a @code{setf}-able function whose store function is ``suitable''
1128 in the sense described in Steele's book; since none of the standard
1129 Emacs place functions are suitable in this sense, this feature is
1130 only interesting when used with places you define yourself with
1131 @code{define-setf-method} or the long form of @code{defsetf}.
1134 A macro call, in which case the macro is expanded and @code{setf}
1135 is applied to the resulting form.
1138 Any form for which a @code{defsetf} or @code{define-setf-method}
1142 Using any forms other than these in the @var{place} argument to
1143 @code{setf} will signal an error.
1145 The @code{setf} macro takes care to evaluate all subforms in
1146 the proper left-to-right order; for example,
1149 (setf (aref vec (incf i)) i)
1153 looks like it will evaluate @code{(incf i)} exactly once, before the
1154 following access to @code{i}; the @code{setf} expander will insert
1155 temporary variables as necessary to ensure that it does in fact work
1156 this way no matter what setf-method is defined for @code{aref}.
1157 (In this case, @code{aset} would be used and no such steps would
1158 be necessary since @code{aset} takes its arguments in a convenient
1161 However, if the @var{place} form is a macro which explicitly
1162 evaluates its arguments in an unusual order, this unusual order
1163 will be preserved. Adapting an example from Steele, given
1166 (defmacro wrong-order (x y) (list 'aref y x))
1170 the form @code{(setf (wrong-order @var{a} @var{b}) 17)} will
1171 evaluate @var{b} first, then @var{a}, just as in an actual call
1172 to @code{wrong-order}.
1175 @node Modify Macros, Customizing Setf, Basic Setf, Generalized Variables
1176 @subsection Modify Macros
1179 This package defines a number of other macros besides @code{setf}
1180 that operate on generalized variables. Many are interesting and
1181 useful even when the @var{place} is just a variable name.
1183 @defspec psetf [place form]@dots{}
1184 This macro is to @code{setf} what @code{psetq} is to @code{setq}:
1185 When several @var{place}s and @var{form}s are involved, the
1186 assignments take place in parallel rather than sequentially.
1187 Specifically, all subforms are evaluated from left to right, then
1188 all the assignments are done (in an undefined order).
1191 @defspec incf place &optional x
1192 This macro increments the number stored in @var{place} by one, or
1193 by @var{x} if specified. The incremented value is returned. For
1194 example, @code{(incf i)} is equivalent to @code{(setq i (1+ i))}, and
1195 @code{(incf (car x) 2)} is equivalent to @code{(setcar x (+ (car x) 2))}.
1197 Once again, care is taken to preserve the ``apparent'' order of
1198 evaluation. For example,
1201 (incf (aref vec (incf i)))
1205 appears to increment @code{i} once, then increment the element of
1206 @code{vec} addressed by @code{i}; this is indeed exactly what it
1207 does, which means the above form is @emph{not} equivalent to the
1208 ``obvious'' expansion,
1211 (setf (aref vec (incf i)) (1+ (aref vec (incf i)))) ; Wrong!
1215 but rather to something more like
1218 (let ((temp (incf i)))
1219 (setf (aref vec temp) (1+ (aref vec temp))))
1223 Again, all of this is taken care of automatically by @code{incf} and
1224 the other generalized-variable macros.
1226 As a more Emacs-specific example of @code{incf}, the expression
1227 @code{(incf (point) @var{n})} is essentially equivalent to
1228 @code{(forward-char @var{n})}.
1231 @defspec decf place &optional x
1232 This macro decrements the number stored in @var{place} by one, or
1233 by @var{x} if specified.
1237 This macro removes and returns the first element of the list stored
1238 in @var{place}. It is analogous to @code{(prog1 (car @var{place})
1239 (setf @var{place} (cdr @var{place})))}, except that it takes care
1240 to evaluate all subforms only once.
1243 @defspec push x place
1244 This macro inserts @var{x} at the front of the list stored in
1245 @var{place}. It is analogous to @code{(setf @var{place} (cons
1246 @var{x} @var{place}))}, except for evaluation of the subforms.
1249 @defspec pushnew x place @t{&key :test :test-not :key}
1250 This macro inserts @var{x} at the front of the list stored in
1251 @var{place}, but only if @var{x} was not @code{eql} to any
1252 existing element of the list. The optional keyword arguments
1253 are interpreted in the same way as for @code{adjoin}.
1254 @xref{Lists as Sets}.
1257 @defspec shiftf place@dots{} newvalue
1258 This macro shifts the @var{place}s left by one, shifting in the
1259 value of @var{newvalue} (which may be any Lisp expression, not just
1260 a generalized variable), and returning the value shifted out of
1261 the first @var{place}. Thus, @code{(shiftf @var{a} @var{b} @var{c}
1262 @var{d})} is equivalent to
1267 (psetf @var{a} @var{b}
1273 except that the subforms of @var{a}, @var{b}, and @var{c} are actually
1274 evaluated only once each and in the apparent order.
1277 @defspec rotatef place@dots{}
1278 This macro rotates the @var{place}s left by one in circular fashion.
1279 Thus, @code{(rotatef @var{a} @var{b} @var{c} @var{d})} is equivalent to
1282 (psetf @var{a} @var{b}
1289 except for the evaluation of subforms. @code{rotatef} always
1290 returns @code{nil}. Note that @code{(rotatef @var{a} @var{b})}
1291 conveniently exchanges @var{a} and @var{b}.
1294 The following macros were invented for this package; they have no
1295 analogues in Common Lisp.
1297 @defspec letf (bindings@dots{}) forms@dots{}
1298 This macro is analogous to @code{let}, but for generalized variables
1299 rather than just symbols. Each @var{binding} should be of the form
1300 @code{(@var{place} @var{value})}; the original contents of the
1301 @var{place}s are saved, the @var{value}s are stored in them, and
1302 then the body @var{form}s are executed. Afterwards, the @var{places}
1303 are set back to their original saved contents. This cleanup happens
1304 even if the @var{form}s exit irregularly due to a @code{throw} or an
1310 (letf (((point) (point-min))
1316 moves ``point'' in the current buffer to the beginning of the buffer,
1317 and also binds @code{a} to 17 (as if by a normal @code{let}, since
1318 @code{a} is just a regular variable). After the body exits, @code{a}
1319 is set back to its original value and point is moved back to its
1322 Note that @code{letf} on @code{(point)} is not quite like a
1323 @code{save-excursion}, as the latter effectively saves a marker
1324 which tracks insertions and deletions in the buffer. Actually,
1325 a @code{letf} of @code{(point-marker)} is much closer to this
1326 behavior. (@code{point} and @code{point-marker} are equivalent
1327 as @code{setf} places; each will accept either an integer or a
1328 marker as the stored value.)
1330 Since generalized variables look like lists, @code{let}'s shorthand
1331 of using @samp{foo} for @samp{(foo nil)} as a @var{binding} would
1332 be ambiguous in @code{letf} and is not allowed.
1334 However, a @var{binding} specifier may be a one-element list
1335 @samp{(@var{place})}, which is similar to @samp{(@var{place}
1336 @var{place})}. In other words, the @var{place} is not disturbed
1337 on entry to the body, and the only effect of the @code{letf} is
1338 to restore the original value of @var{place} afterwards. (The
1339 redundant access-and-store suggested by the @code{(@var{place}
1340 @var{place})} example does not actually occur.)
1342 In most cases, the @var{place} must have a well-defined value on
1343 entry to the @code{letf} form. The only exceptions are plain
1344 variables and calls to @code{symbol-value} and @code{symbol-function}.
1345 If the symbol is not bound on entry, it is simply made unbound by
1346 @code{makunbound} or @code{fmakunbound} on exit.
1349 @defspec letf* (bindings@dots{}) forms@dots{}
1350 This macro is to @code{letf} what @code{let*} is to @code{let}:
1351 It does the bindings in sequential rather than parallel order.
1354 @defspec callf @var{function} @var{place} @var{args}@dots{}
1355 This is the ``generic'' modify macro. It calls @var{function},
1356 which should be an unquoted function name, macro name, or lambda.
1357 It passes @var{place} and @var{args} as arguments, and assigns the
1358 result back to @var{place}. For example, @code{(incf @var{place}
1359 @var{n})} is the same as @code{(callf + @var{place} @var{n})}.
1363 (callf abs my-number)
1364 (callf concat (buffer-name) "<" (int-to-string n) ">")
1365 (callf union happy-people (list joe bob) :test 'same-person)
1368 @xref{Customizing Setf}, for @code{define-modify-macro}, a way
1369 to create even more concise notations for modify macros. Note
1370 again that @code{callf} is an extension to standard Common Lisp.
1373 @defspec callf2 @var{function} @var{arg1} @var{place} @var{args}@dots{}
1374 This macro is like @code{callf}, except that @var{place} is
1375 the @emph{second} argument of @var{function} rather than the
1376 first. For example, @code{(push @var{x} @var{place})} is
1377 equivalent to @code{(callf2 cons @var{x} @var{place})}.
1380 The @code{callf} and @code{callf2} macros serve as building
1381 blocks for other macros like @code{incf}, @code{pushnew}, and
1382 @code{define-modify-macro}. The @code{letf} and @code{letf*}
1383 macros are used in the processing of symbol macros;
1384 @pxref{Macro Bindings}.
1386 @node Customizing Setf, , Modify Macros, Generalized Variables
1387 @subsection Customizing Setf
1390 Common Lisp defines three macros, @code{define-modify-macro},
1391 @code{defsetf}, and @code{define-setf-method}, that allow the
1392 user to extend generalized variables in various ways.
1394 @defspec define-modify-macro name arglist function [doc-string]
1395 This macro defines a ``read-modify-write'' macro similar to
1396 @code{incf} and @code{decf}. The macro @var{name} is defined
1397 to take a @var{place} argument followed by additional arguments
1398 described by @var{arglist}. The call
1401 (@var{name} @var{place} @var{args}...)
1408 (callf @var{func} @var{place} @var{args}...)
1412 which in turn is roughly equivalent to
1415 (setf @var{place} (@var{func} @var{place} @var{args}...))
1421 (define-modify-macro incf (&optional (n 1)) +)
1422 (define-modify-macro concatf (&rest args) concat)
1425 Note that @code{&key} is not allowed in @var{arglist}, but
1426 @code{&rest} is sufficient to pass keywords on to the function.
1428 Most of the modify macros defined by Common Lisp do not exactly
1429 follow the pattern of @code{define-modify-macro}. For example,
1430 @code{push} takes its arguments in the wrong order, and @code{pop}
1431 is completely irregular. You can define these macros ``by hand''
1432 using @code{get-setf-method}, or consult the source file
1433 @file{cl-macs.el} to see how to use the internal @code{setf}
1437 @defspec defsetf access-fn update-fn
1438 This is the simpler of two @code{defsetf} forms. Where
1439 @var{access-fn} is the name of a function which accesses a place,
1440 this declares @var{update-fn} to be the corresponding store
1441 function. From now on,
1444 (setf (@var{access-fn} @var{arg1} @var{arg2} @var{arg3}) @var{value})
1451 (@var{update-fn} @var{arg1} @var{arg2} @var{arg3} @var{value})
1455 The @var{update-fn} is required to be either a true function, or
1456 a macro which evaluates its arguments in a function-like way. Also,
1457 the @var{update-fn} is expected to return @var{value} as its result.
1458 Otherwise, the above expansion would not obey the rules for the way
1459 @code{setf} is supposed to behave.
1461 As a special (non-Common-Lisp) extension, a third argument of @code{t}
1462 to @code{defsetf} says that the @code{update-fn}'s return value is
1463 not suitable, so that the above @code{setf} should be expanded to
1467 (let ((temp @var{value}))
1468 (@var{update-fn} @var{arg1} @var{arg2} @var{arg3} temp)
1472 Some examples of the use of @code{defsetf}, drawn from the standard
1473 suite of setf methods, are:
1476 (defsetf car setcar)
1477 (defsetf symbol-value set)
1478 (defsetf buffer-name rename-buffer t)
1482 @defspec defsetf access-fn arglist (store-var) forms@dots{}
1483 This is the second, more complex, form of @code{defsetf}. It is
1484 rather like @code{defmacro} except for the additional @var{store-var}
1485 argument. The @var{forms} should return a Lisp form which stores
1486 the value of @var{store-var} into the generalized variable formed
1487 by a call to @var{access-fn} with arguments described by @var{arglist}.
1488 The @var{forms} may begin with a string which documents the @code{setf}
1489 method (analogous to the doc string that appears at the front of a
1492 For example, the simple form of @code{defsetf} is shorthand for
1495 (defsetf @var{access-fn} (&rest args) (store)
1496 (append '(@var{update-fn}) args (list store)))
1499 The Lisp form that is returned can access the arguments from
1500 @var{arglist} and @var{store-var} in an unrestricted fashion;
1501 macros like @code{setf} and @code{incf} which invoke this
1502 setf-method will insert temporary variables as needed to make
1503 sure the apparent order of evaluation is preserved.
1505 Another example drawn from the standard package:
1508 (defsetf nth (n x) (store)
1509 (list 'setcar (list 'nthcdr n x) store))
1513 @defspec define-setf-method access-fn arglist forms@dots{}
1514 This is the most general way to create new place forms. When
1515 a @code{setf} to @var{access-fn} with arguments described by
1516 @var{arglist} is expanded, the @var{forms} are evaluated and
1517 must return a list of five items:
1521 A list of @dfn{temporary variables}.
1524 A list of @dfn{value forms} corresponding to the temporary variables
1525 above. The temporary variables will be bound to these value forms
1526 as the first step of any operation on the generalized variable.
1529 A list of exactly one @dfn{store variable} (generally obtained
1530 from a call to @code{gensym}).
1533 A Lisp form which stores the contents of the store variable into
1534 the generalized variable, assuming the temporaries have been
1535 bound as described above.
1538 A Lisp form which accesses the contents of the generalized variable,
1539 assuming the temporaries have been bound.
1542 This is exactly like the Common Lisp macro of the same name,
1543 except that the method returns a list of five values rather
1544 than the five values themselves, since Emacs Lisp does not
1545 support Common Lisp's notion of multiple return values.
1547 Once again, the @var{forms} may begin with a documentation string.
1549 A setf-method should be maximally conservative with regard to
1550 temporary variables. In the setf-methods generated by
1551 @code{defsetf}, the second return value is simply the list of
1552 arguments in the place form, and the first return value is a
1553 list of a corresponding number of temporary variables generated
1554 by @code{gensym}. Macros like @code{setf} and @code{incf} which
1555 use this setf-method will optimize away most temporaries that
1556 turn out to be unnecessary, so there is little reason for the
1557 setf-method itself to optimize.
1560 @defun get-setf-method place &optional env
1561 This function returns the setf-method for @var{place}, by
1562 invoking the definition previously recorded by @code{defsetf}
1563 or @code{define-setf-method}. The result is a list of five
1564 values as described above. You can use this function to build
1565 your own @code{incf}-like modify macros. (Actually, it is
1566 better to use the internal functions @code{cl-setf-do-modify}
1567 and @code{cl-setf-do-store}, which are a bit easier to use and
1568 which also do a number of optimizations; consult the source
1569 code for the @code{incf} function for a simple example.)
1571 The argument @var{env} specifies the ``environment'' to be
1572 passed on to @code{macroexpand} if @code{get-setf-method} should
1573 need to expand a macro in @var{place}. It should come from
1574 an @code{&environment} argument to the macro or setf-method
1575 that called @code{get-setf-method}.
1577 See also the source code for the setf-methods for @code{apply}
1578 and @code{substring}, each of which works by calling
1579 @code{get-setf-method} on a simpler case, then massaging
1580 the result in various ways.
1583 Modern Common Lisp defines a second, independent way to specify
1584 the @code{setf} behavior of a function, namely ``@code{setf}
1585 functions'' whose names are lists @code{(setf @var{name})}
1586 rather than symbols. For example, @code{(defun (setf foo) @dots{})}
1587 defines the function that is used when @code{setf} is applied to
1588 @code{foo}. This package does not currently support @code{setf}
1589 functions. In particular, it is a compile-time error to use
1590 @code{setf} on a form which has not already been @code{defsetf}'d
1591 or otherwise declared; in newer Common Lisps, this would not be
1592 an error since the function @code{(setf @var{func})} might be
1599 @node Variable Bindings, Conditionals, Generalized Variables, Control Structure
1600 @section Variable Bindings
1603 These Lisp forms make bindings to variables and function names,
1604 analogous to Lisp's built-in @code{let} form.
1606 @xref{Modify Macros}, for the @code{letf} and @code{letf*} forms which
1607 are also related to variable bindings.
1610 * Dynamic Bindings:: The `progv' form
1611 * Lexical Bindings:: `lexical-let' and lexical closures
1612 * Function Bindings:: `flet' and `labels'
1613 * Macro Bindings:: `macrolet' and `symbol-macrolet'
1616 @node Dynamic Bindings, Lexical Bindings, Variable Bindings, Variable Bindings
1617 @subsection Dynamic Bindings
1620 The standard @code{let} form binds variables whose names are known
1621 at compile-time. The @code{progv} form provides an easy way to
1622 bind variables whose names are computed at run-time.
1624 @defspec progv symbols values forms@dots{}
1625 This form establishes @code{let}-style variable bindings on a
1626 set of variables computed at run-time. The expressions
1627 @var{symbols} and @var{values} are evaluated, and must return lists
1628 of symbols and values, respectively. The symbols are bound to the
1629 corresponding values for the duration of the body @var{form}s.
1630 If @var{values} is shorter than @var{symbols}, the last few symbols
1631 are made unbound (as if by @code{makunbound}) inside the body.
1632 If @var{symbols} is shorter than @var{values}, the excess values
1636 @node Lexical Bindings, Function Bindings, Dynamic Bindings, Variable Bindings
1637 @subsection Lexical Bindings
1640 The @dfn{CL} package defines the following macro which
1641 more closely follows the Common Lisp @code{let} form:
1643 @defspec lexical-let (bindings@dots{}) forms@dots{}
1644 This form is exactly like @code{let} except that the bindings it
1645 establishes are purely lexical. Lexical bindings are similar to
1646 local variables in a language like C: Only the code physically
1647 within the body of the @code{lexical-let} (after macro expansion)
1648 may refer to the bound variables.
1652 (defun foo (b) (+ a b))
1653 (let ((a 2)) (foo a))
1655 (lexical-let ((a 2)) (foo a))
1660 In this example, a regular @code{let} binding of @code{a} actually
1661 makes a temporary change to the global variable @code{a}, so @code{foo}
1662 is able to see the binding of @code{a} to 2. But @code{lexical-let}
1663 actually creates a distinct local variable @code{a} for use within its
1664 body, without any effect on the global variable of the same name.
1666 The most important use of lexical bindings is to create @dfn{closures}.
1667 A closure is a function object that refers to an outside lexical
1668 variable. For example:
1671 (defun make-adder (n)
1672 (lexical-let ((n n))
1673 (function (lambda (m) (+ n m)))))
1674 (setq add17 (make-adder 17))
1680 The call @code{(make-adder 17)} returns a function object which adds
1681 17 to its argument. If @code{let} had been used instead of
1682 @code{lexical-let}, the function object would have referred to the
1683 global @code{n}, which would have been bound to 17 only during the
1684 call to @code{make-adder} itself.
1687 (defun make-counter ()
1688 (lexical-let ((n 0))
1689 (function* (lambda (&optional (m 1)) (incf n m)))))
1690 (setq count-1 (make-counter))
1693 (funcall count-1 14)
1695 (setq count-2 (make-counter))
1705 Here we see that each call to @code{make-counter} creates a distinct
1706 local variable @code{n}, which serves as a private counter for the
1707 function object that is returned.
1709 Closed-over lexical variables persist until the last reference to
1710 them goes away, just like all other Lisp objects. For example,
1711 @code{count-2} refers to a function object which refers to an
1712 instance of the variable @code{n}; this is the only reference
1713 to that variable, so after @code{(setq count-2 nil)} the garbage
1714 collector would be able to delete this instance of @code{n}.
1715 Of course, if a @code{lexical-let} does not actually create any
1716 closures, then the lexical variables are free as soon as the
1717 @code{lexical-let} returns.
1719 Many closures are used only during the extent of the bindings they
1720 refer to; these are known as ``downward funargs'' in Lisp parlance.
1721 When a closure is used in this way, regular Emacs Lisp dynamic
1722 bindings suffice and will be more efficient than @code{lexical-let}
1726 (defun add-to-list (x list)
1727 (mapcar (lambda (y) (+ x y))) list)
1728 (add-to-list 7 '(1 2 5))
1733 Since this lambda is only used while @code{x} is still bound,
1734 it is not necessary to make a true closure out of it.
1736 You can use @code{defun} or @code{flet} inside a @code{lexical-let}
1737 to create a named closure. If several closures are created in the
1738 body of a single @code{lexical-let}, they all close over the same
1739 instance of the lexical variable.
1741 The @code{lexical-let} form is an extension to Common Lisp. In
1742 true Common Lisp, all bindings are lexical unless declared otherwise.
1745 @defspec lexical-let* (bindings@dots{}) forms@dots{}
1746 This form is just like @code{lexical-let}, except that the bindings
1747 are made sequentially in the manner of @code{let*}.
1750 @node Function Bindings, Macro Bindings, Lexical Bindings, Variable Bindings
1751 @subsection Function Bindings
1754 These forms make @code{let}-like bindings to functions instead
1757 @defspec flet (bindings@dots{}) forms@dots{}
1758 This form establishes @code{let}-style bindings on the function
1759 cells of symbols rather than on the value cells. Each @var{binding}
1760 must be a list of the form @samp{(@var{name} @var{arglist}
1761 @var{forms}@dots{})}, which defines a function exactly as if
1762 it were a @code{defun*} form. The function @var{name} is defined
1763 accordingly for the duration of the body of the @code{flet}; then
1764 the old function definition, or lack thereof, is restored.
1766 While @code{flet} in Common Lisp establishes a lexical binding of
1767 @var{name}, Emacs Lisp @code{flet} makes a dynamic binding. The
1768 result is that @code{flet} affects indirect calls to a function as
1769 well as calls directly inside the @code{flet} form itself.
1771 You can use @code{flet} to disable or modify the behavior of a
1772 function in a temporary fashion. This will even work on Emacs
1773 primitives, although note that some calls to primitive functions
1774 internal to Emacs are made without going through the symbol's
1775 function cell, and so will not be affected by @code{flet}. For
1779 (flet ((message (&rest args) (push args saved-msgs)))
1783 This code attempts to replace the built-in function @code{message}
1784 with a function that simply saves the messages in a list rather
1785 than displaying them. The original definition of @code{message}
1786 will be restored after @code{do-something} exits. This code will
1787 work fine on messages generated by other Lisp code, but messages
1788 generated directly inside Emacs will not be caught since they make
1789 direct C-language calls to the message routines rather than going
1790 through the Lisp @code{message} function.
1792 Functions defined by @code{flet} may use the full Common Lisp
1793 argument notation supported by @code{defun*}; also, the function
1794 body is enclosed in an implicit block as if by @code{defun*}.
1795 @xref{Program Structure}.
1798 @defspec labels (bindings@dots{}) forms@dots{}
1799 The @code{labels} form is like @code{flet}, except that it
1800 makes lexical bindings of the function names rather than
1801 dynamic bindings. (In true Common Lisp, both @code{flet} and
1802 @code{labels} make lexical bindings of slightly different sorts;
1803 since Emacs Lisp is dynamically bound by default, it seemed
1804 more appropriate for @code{flet} also to use dynamic binding.
1805 The @code{labels} form, with its lexical binding, is fully
1806 compatible with Common Lisp.)
1808 Lexical scoping means that all references to the named
1809 functions must appear physically within the body of the
1810 @code{labels} form. References may appear both in the body
1811 @var{forms} of @code{labels} itself, and in the bodies of
1812 the functions themselves. Thus, @code{labels} can define
1813 local recursive functions, or mutually-recursive sets of
1816 A ``reference'' to a function name is either a call to that
1817 function, or a use of its name quoted by @code{quote} or
1818 @code{function} to be passed on to, say, @code{mapcar}.
1821 @node Macro Bindings, , Function Bindings, Variable Bindings
1822 @subsection Macro Bindings
1825 These forms create local macros and ``symbol macros.''
1827 @defspec macrolet (bindings@dots{}) forms@dots{}
1828 This form is analogous to @code{flet}, but for macros instead of
1829 functions. Each @var{binding} is a list of the same form as the
1830 arguments to @code{defmacro*} (i.e., a macro name, argument list,
1831 and macro-expander forms). The macro is defined accordingly for
1832 use within the body of the @code{macrolet}.
1834 Because of the nature of macros, @code{macrolet} is lexically
1835 scoped even in Emacs Lisp: The @code{macrolet} binding will
1836 affect only calls that appear physically within the body
1837 @var{forms}, possibly after expansion of other macros in the
1841 @defspec symbol-macrolet (bindings@dots{}) forms@dots{}
1842 This form creates @dfn{symbol macros}, which are macros that look
1843 like variable references rather than function calls. Each
1844 @var{binding} is a list @samp{(@var{var} @var{expansion})};
1845 any reference to @var{var} within the body @var{forms} is
1846 replaced by @var{expansion}.
1850 (symbol-macrolet ((foo (car bar)))
1856 A @code{setq} of a symbol macro is treated the same as a @code{setf}.
1857 I.e., @code{(setq foo 4)} in the above would be equivalent to
1858 @code{(setf foo 4)}, which in turn expands to @code{(setf (car bar) 4)}.
1860 Likewise, a @code{let} or @code{let*} binding a symbol macro is
1861 treated like a @code{letf} or @code{letf*}. This differs from true
1862 Common Lisp, where the rules of lexical scoping cause a @code{let}
1863 binding to shadow a @code{symbol-macrolet} binding. In this package,
1864 only @code{lexical-let} and @code{lexical-let*} will shadow a symbol
1867 There is no analogue of @code{defmacro} for symbol macros; all symbol
1868 macros are local. A typical use of @code{symbol-macrolet} is in the
1869 expansion of another macro:
1872 (defmacro* my-dolist ((x list) &rest body)
1873 (let ((var (gensym)))
1874 (list 'loop 'for var 'on list 'do
1875 (list* 'symbol-macrolet (list (list x (list 'car var)))
1878 (setq mylist '(1 2 3 4))
1879 (my-dolist (x mylist) (incf x))
1885 In this example, the @code{my-dolist} macro is similar to @code{dolist}
1886 (@pxref{Iteration}) except that the variable @code{x} becomes a true
1887 reference onto the elements of the list. The @code{my-dolist} call
1888 shown here expands to
1891 (loop for G1234 on mylist do
1892 (symbol-macrolet ((x (car G1234)))
1897 which in turn expands to
1900 (loop for G1234 on mylist do (incf (car G1234)))
1903 @xref{Loop Facility}, for a description of the @code{loop} macro.
1904 This package defines a nonstandard @code{in-ref} loop clause that
1905 works much like @code{my-dolist}.
1908 @node Conditionals, Blocks and Exits, Variable Bindings, Control Structure
1909 @section Conditionals
1912 These conditional forms augment Emacs Lisp's simple @code{if},
1913 @code{and}, @code{or}, and @code{cond} forms.
1915 @defspec case keyform clause@dots{}
1916 This macro evaluates @var{keyform}, then compares it with the key
1917 values listed in the various @var{clause}s. Whichever clause matches
1918 the key is executed; comparison is done by @code{eql}. If no clause
1919 matches, the @code{case} form returns @code{nil}. The clauses are
1923 (@var{keylist} @var{body-forms}@dots{})
1927 where @var{keylist} is a list of key values. If there is exactly
1928 one value, and it is not a cons cell or the symbol @code{nil} or
1929 @code{t}, then it can be used by itself as a @var{keylist} without
1930 being enclosed in a list. All key values in the @code{case} form
1931 must be distinct. The final clauses may use @code{t} in place of
1932 a @var{keylist} to indicate a default clause that should be taken
1933 if none of the other clauses match. (The symbol @code{otherwise}
1934 is also recognized in place of @code{t}. To make a clause that
1935 matches the actual symbol @code{t}, @code{nil}, or @code{otherwise},
1936 enclose the symbol in a list.)
1938 For example, this expression reads a keystroke, then does one of
1939 four things depending on whether it is an @samp{a}, a @samp{b},
1940 a @key{RET} or @kbd{C-j}, or anything else.
1946 ((?\r ?\n) (do-ret-thing))
1947 (t (do-other-thing)))
1951 @defspec ecase keyform clause@dots{}
1952 This macro is just like @code{case}, except that if the key does
1953 not match any of the clauses, an error is signaled rather than
1954 simply returning @code{nil}.
1957 @defspec typecase keyform clause@dots{}
1958 This macro is a version of @code{case} that checks for types
1959 rather than values. Each @var{clause} is of the form
1960 @samp{(@var{type} @var{body}...)}. @xref{Type Predicates},
1961 for a description of type specifiers. For example,
1965 (integer (munch-integer x))
1966 (float (munch-float x))
1967 (string (munch-integer (string-to-int x)))
1968 (t (munch-anything x)))
1971 The type specifier @code{t} matches any type of object; the word
1972 @code{otherwise} is also allowed. To make one clause match any of
1973 several types, use an @code{(or ...)} type specifier.
1976 @defspec etypecase keyform clause@dots{}
1977 This macro is just like @code{typecase}, except that if the key does
1978 not match any of the clauses, an error is signaled rather than
1979 simply returning @code{nil}.
1982 @node Blocks and Exits, Iteration, Conditionals, Control Structure
1983 @section Blocks and Exits
1986 Common Lisp @dfn{blocks} provide a non-local exit mechanism very
1987 similar to @code{catch} and @code{throw}, but lexically rather than
1988 dynamically scoped. This package actually implements @code{block}
1989 in terms of @code{catch}; however, the lexical scoping allows the
1990 optimizing byte-compiler to omit the costly @code{catch} step if the
1991 body of the block does not actually @code{return-from} the block.
1993 @defspec block name forms@dots{}
1994 The @var{forms} are evaluated as if by a @code{progn}. However,
1995 if any of the @var{forms} execute @code{(return-from @var{name})},
1996 they will jump out and return directly from the @code{block} form.
1997 The @code{block} returns the result of the last @var{form} unless
1998 a @code{return-from} occurs.
2000 The @code{block}/@code{return-from} mechanism is quite similar to
2001 the @code{catch}/@code{throw} mechanism. The main differences are
2002 that block @var{name}s are unevaluated symbols, rather than forms
2003 (such as quoted symbols) which evaluate to a tag at run-time; and
2004 also that blocks are lexically scoped whereas @code{catch}/@code{throw}
2005 are dynamically scoped. This means that functions called from the
2006 body of a @code{catch} can also @code{throw} to the @code{catch},
2007 but the @code{return-from} referring to a block name must appear
2008 physically within the @var{forms} that make up the body of the block.
2009 They may not appear within other called functions, although they may
2010 appear within macro expansions or @code{lambda}s in the body. Block
2011 names and @code{catch} names form independent name-spaces.
2013 In true Common Lisp, @code{defun} and @code{defmacro} surround
2014 the function or expander bodies with implicit blocks with the
2015 same name as the function or macro. This does not occur in Emacs
2016 Lisp, but this package provides @code{defun*} and @code{defmacro*}
2017 forms which do create the implicit block.
2019 The Common Lisp looping constructs defined by this package,
2020 such as @code{loop} and @code{dolist}, also create implicit blocks
2021 just as in Common Lisp.
2023 Because they are implemented in terms of Emacs Lisp @code{catch}
2024 and @code{throw}, blocks have the same overhead as actual
2025 @code{catch} constructs (roughly two function calls). However,
2026 the optimizing byte compiler will optimize away the @code{catch}
2028 not in fact contain any @code{return} or @code{return-from} calls
2029 that jump to it. This means that @code{do} loops and @code{defun*}
2030 functions which don't use @code{return} don't pay the overhead to
2034 @defspec return-from name [result]
2035 This macro returns from the block named @var{name}, which must be
2036 an (unevaluated) symbol. If a @var{result} form is specified, it
2037 is evaluated to produce the result returned from the @code{block}.
2038 Otherwise, @code{nil} is returned.
2041 @defspec return [result]
2042 This macro is exactly like @code{(return-from nil @var{result})}.
2043 Common Lisp loops like @code{do} and @code{dolist} implicitly enclose
2044 themselves in @code{nil} blocks.
2047 @node Iteration, Loop Facility, Blocks and Exits, Control Structure
2051 The macros described here provide more sophisticated, high-level
2052 looping constructs to complement Emacs Lisp's basic @code{while}
2055 @defspec loop forms@dots{}
2056 The @dfn{CL} package supports both the simple, old-style meaning of
2057 @code{loop} and the extremely powerful and flexible feature known as
2058 the @dfn{Loop Facility} or @dfn{Loop Macro}. This more advanced
2059 facility is discussed in the following section; @pxref{Loop Facility}.
2060 The simple form of @code{loop} is described here.
2062 If @code{loop} is followed by zero or more Lisp expressions,
2063 then @code{(loop @var{exprs}@dots{})} simply creates an infinite
2064 loop executing the expressions over and over. The loop is
2065 enclosed in an implicit @code{nil} block. Thus,
2068 (loop (foo) (if (no-more) (return 72)) (bar))
2072 is exactly equivalent to
2075 (block nil (while t (foo) (if (no-more) (return 72)) (bar)))
2078 If any of the expressions are plain symbols, the loop is instead
2079 interpreted as a Loop Macro specification as described later.
2080 (This is not a restriction in practice, since a plain symbol
2081 in the above notation would simply access and throw away the
2082 value of a variable.)
2085 @defspec do (spec@dots{}) (end-test [result@dots{}]) forms@dots{}
2086 This macro creates a general iterative loop. Each @var{spec} is
2090 (@var{var} [@var{init} [@var{step}]])
2093 The loop works as follows: First, each @var{var} is bound to the
2094 associated @var{init} value as if by a @code{let} form. Then, in
2095 each iteration of the loop, the @var{end-test} is evaluated; if
2096 true, the loop is finished. Otherwise, the body @var{forms} are
2097 evaluated, then each @var{var} is set to the associated @var{step}
2098 expression (as if by a @code{psetq} form) and the next iteration
2099 begins. Once the @var{end-test} becomes true, the @var{result}
2100 forms are evaluated (with the @var{var}s still bound to their
2101 values) to produce the result returned by @code{do}.
2103 The entire @code{do} loop is enclosed in an implicit @code{nil}
2104 block, so that you can use @code{(return)} to break out of the
2107 If there are no @var{result} forms, the loop returns @code{nil}.
2108 If a given @var{var} has no @var{step} form, it is bound to its
2109 @var{init} value but not otherwise modified during the @code{do}
2110 loop (unless the code explicitly modifies it); this case is just
2111 a shorthand for putting a @code{(let ((@var{var} @var{init})) @dots{})}
2112 around the loop. If @var{init} is also omitted it defaults to
2113 @code{nil}, and in this case a plain @samp{@var{var}} can be used
2114 in place of @samp{(@var{var})}, again following the analogy with
2117 This example (from Steele) illustrates a loop which applies the
2118 function @code{f} to successive pairs of values from the lists
2119 @code{foo} and @code{bar}; it is equivalent to the call
2120 @code{(mapcar* 'f foo bar)}. Note that this loop has no body
2121 @var{forms} at all, performing all its work as side effects of
2122 the rest of the loop.
2125 (do ((x foo (cdr x))
2127 (z nil (cons (f (car x) (car y)) z)))
2128 ((or (null x) (null y))
2133 @defspec do* (spec@dots{}) (end-test [result@dots{}]) forms@dots{}
2134 This is to @code{do} what @code{let*} is to @code{let}. In
2135 particular, the initial values are bound as if by @code{let*}
2136 rather than @code{let}, and the steps are assigned as if by
2137 @code{setq} rather than @code{psetq}.
2139 Here is another way to write the above loop:
2142 (do* ((xp foo (cdr xp))
2144 (x (car xp) (car xp))
2145 (y (car yp) (car yp))
2147 ((or (null xp) (null yp))
2153 @defspec dolist (var list [result]) forms@dots{}
2154 This is a more specialized loop which iterates across the elements
2155 of a list. @var{list} should evaluate to a list; the body @var{forms}
2156 are executed with @var{var} bound to each element of the list in
2157 turn. Finally, the @var{result} form (or @code{nil}) is evaluated
2158 with @var{var} bound to @code{nil} to produce the result returned by
2159 the loop. Unlike with Emacs's built in @code{dolist}, the loop is
2160 surrounded by an implicit @code{nil} block.
2163 @defspec dotimes (var count [result]) forms@dots{}
2164 This is a more specialized loop which iterates a specified number
2165 of times. The body is executed with @var{var} bound to the integers
2166 from zero (inclusive) to @var{count} (exclusive), in turn. Then
2167 the @code{result} form is evaluated with @var{var} bound to the total
2168 number of iterations that were done (i.e., @code{(max 0 @var{count})})
2169 to get the return value for the loop form. Unlike with Emacs's built in
2170 @code{dolist}, the loop is surrounded by an implicit @code{nil} block.
2173 @defspec do-symbols (var [obarray [result]]) forms@dots{}
2174 This loop iterates over all interned symbols. If @var{obarray}
2175 is specified and is not @code{nil}, it loops over all symbols in
2176 that obarray. For each symbol, the body @var{forms} are evaluated
2177 with @var{var} bound to that symbol. The symbols are visited in
2178 an unspecified order. Afterward the @var{result} form, if any,
2179 is evaluated (with @var{var} bound to @code{nil}) to get the return
2180 value. The loop is surrounded by an implicit @code{nil} block.
2183 @defspec do-all-symbols (var [result]) forms@dots{}
2184 This is identical to @code{do-symbols} except that the @var{obarray}
2185 argument is omitted; it always iterates over the default obarray.
2188 @xref{Mapping over Sequences}, for some more functions for
2189 iterating over vectors or lists.
2191 @node Loop Facility, Multiple Values, Iteration, Control Structure
2192 @section Loop Facility
2195 A common complaint with Lisp's traditional looping constructs is
2196 that they are either too simple and limited, such as Common Lisp's
2197 @code{dotimes} or Emacs Lisp's @code{while}, or too unreadable and
2198 obscure, like Common Lisp's @code{do} loop.
2200 To remedy this, recent versions of Common Lisp have added a new
2201 construct called the ``Loop Facility'' or ``@code{loop} macro,''
2202 with an easy-to-use but very powerful and expressive syntax.
2205 * Loop Basics:: `loop' macro, basic clause structure
2206 * Loop Examples:: Working examples of `loop' macro
2207 * For Clauses:: Clauses introduced by `for' or `as'
2208 * Iteration Clauses:: `repeat', `while', `thereis', etc.
2209 * Accumulation Clauses:: `collect', `sum', `maximize', etc.
2210 * Other Clauses:: `with', `if', `initially', `finally'
2213 @node Loop Basics, Loop Examples, Loop Facility, Loop Facility
2214 @subsection Loop Basics
2217 The @code{loop} macro essentially creates a mini-language within
2218 Lisp that is specially tailored for describing loops. While this
2219 language is a little strange-looking by the standards of regular Lisp,
2220 it turns out to be very easy to learn and well-suited to its purpose.
2222 Since @code{loop} is a macro, all parsing of the loop language
2223 takes place at byte-compile time; compiled @code{loop}s are just
2224 as efficient as the equivalent @code{while} loops written longhand.
2226 @defspec loop clauses@dots{}
2227 A loop construct consists of a series of @var{clause}s, each
2228 introduced by a symbol like @code{for} or @code{do}. Clauses
2229 are simply strung together in the argument list of @code{loop},
2230 with minimal extra parentheses. The various types of clauses
2231 specify initializations, such as the binding of temporary
2232 variables, actions to be taken in the loop, stepping actions,
2235 Common Lisp specifies a certain general order of clauses in a
2239 (loop @var{name-clause}
2240 @var{var-clauses}@dots{}
2241 @var{action-clauses}@dots{})
2244 The @var{name-clause} optionally gives a name to the implicit
2245 block that surrounds the loop. By default, the implicit block
2246 is named @code{nil}. The @var{var-clauses} specify what
2247 variables should be bound during the loop, and how they should
2248 be modified or iterated throughout the course of the loop. The
2249 @var{action-clauses} are things to be done during the loop, such
2250 as computing, collecting, and returning values.
2252 The Emacs version of the @code{loop} macro is less restrictive about
2253 the order of clauses, but things will behave most predictably if
2254 you put the variable-binding clauses @code{with}, @code{for}, and
2255 @code{repeat} before the action clauses. As in Common Lisp,
2256 @code{initially} and @code{finally} clauses can go anywhere.
2258 Loops generally return @code{nil} by default, but you can cause
2259 them to return a value by using an accumulation clause like
2260 @code{collect}, an end-test clause like @code{always}, or an
2261 explicit @code{return} clause to jump out of the implicit block.
2262 (Because the loop body is enclosed in an implicit block, you can
2263 also use regular Lisp @code{return} or @code{return-from} to
2264 break out of the loop.)
2267 The following sections give some examples of the Loop Macro in
2268 action, and describe the particular loop clauses in great detail.
2269 Consult the second edition of Steele's @dfn{Common Lisp, the Language},
2270 for additional discussion and examples of the @code{loop} macro.
2272 @node Loop Examples, For Clauses, Loop Basics, Loop Facility
2273 @subsection Loop Examples
2276 Before listing the full set of clauses that are allowed, let's
2277 look at a few example loops just to get a feel for the @code{loop}
2281 (loop for buf in (buffer-list)
2282 collect (buffer-file-name buf))
2286 This loop iterates over all Emacs buffers, using the list
2287 returned by @code{buffer-list}. For each buffer @code{buf},
2288 it calls @code{buffer-file-name} and collects the results into
2289 a list, which is then returned from the @code{loop} construct.
2290 The result is a list of the file names of all the buffers in
2291 Emacs' memory. The words @code{for}, @code{in}, and @code{collect}
2292 are reserved words in the @code{loop} language.
2295 (loop repeat 20 do (insert "Yowsa\n"))
2299 This loop inserts the phrase ``Yowsa'' twenty times in the
2303 (loop until (eobp) do (munch-line) (forward-line 1))
2307 This loop calls @code{munch-line} on every line until the end
2308 of the buffer. If point is already at the end of the buffer,
2309 the loop exits immediately.
2312 (loop do (munch-line) until (eobp) do (forward-line 1))
2316 This loop is similar to the above one, except that @code{munch-line}
2317 is always called at least once.
2320 (loop for x from 1 to 100
2323 finally return (list x (= y 729)))
2327 This more complicated loop searches for a number @code{x} whose
2328 square is 729. For safety's sake it only examines @code{x}
2329 values up to 100; dropping the phrase @samp{to 100} would
2330 cause the loop to count upwards with no limit. The second
2331 @code{for} clause defines @code{y} to be the square of @code{x}
2332 within the loop; the expression after the @code{=} sign is
2333 reevaluated each time through the loop. The @code{until}
2334 clause gives a condition for terminating the loop, and the
2335 @code{finally} clause says what to do when the loop finishes.
2336 (This particular example was written less concisely than it
2337 could have been, just for the sake of illustration.)
2339 Note that even though this loop contains three clauses (two
2340 @code{for}s and an @code{until}) that would have been enough to
2341 define loops all by themselves, it still creates a single loop
2342 rather than some sort of triple-nested loop. You must explicitly
2343 nest your @code{loop} constructs if you want nested loops.
2345 @node For Clauses, Iteration Clauses, Loop Examples, Loop Facility
2346 @subsection For Clauses
2349 Most loops are governed by one or more @code{for} clauses.
2350 A @code{for} clause simultaneously describes variables to be
2351 bound, how those variables are to be stepped during the loop,
2352 and usually an end condition based on those variables.
2354 The word @code{as} is a synonym for the word @code{for}. This
2355 word is followed by a variable name, then a word like @code{from}
2356 or @code{across} that describes the kind of iteration desired.
2357 In Common Lisp, the phrase @code{being the} sometimes precedes
2358 the type of iteration; in this package both @code{being} and
2359 @code{the} are optional. The word @code{each} is a synonym
2360 for @code{the}, and the word that follows it may be singular
2361 or plural: @samp{for x being the elements of y} or
2362 @samp{for x being each element of y}. Which form you use
2363 is purely a matter of style.
2365 The variable is bound around the loop as if by @code{let}:
2369 (loop for i from 1 to 10 do (do-something-with i))
2375 @item for @var{var} from @var{expr1} to @var{expr2} by @var{expr3}
2376 This type of @code{for} clause creates a counting loop. Each of
2377 the three sub-terms is optional, though there must be at least one
2378 term so that the clause is marked as a counting clause.
2380 The three expressions are the starting value, the ending value, and
2381 the step value, respectively, of the variable. The loop counts
2382 upwards by default (@var{expr3} must be positive), from @var{expr1}
2383 to @var{expr2} inclusively. If you omit the @code{from} term, the
2384 loop counts from zero; if you omit the @code{to} term, the loop
2385 counts forever without stopping (unless stopped by some other
2386 loop clause, of course); if you omit the @code{by} term, the loop
2387 counts in steps of one.
2389 You can replace the word @code{from} with @code{upfrom} or
2390 @code{downfrom} to indicate the direction of the loop. Likewise,
2391 you can replace @code{to} with @code{upto} or @code{downto}.
2392 For example, @samp{for x from 5 downto 1} executes five times
2393 with @code{x} taking on the integers from 5 down to 1 in turn.
2394 Also, you can replace @code{to} with @code{below} or @code{above},
2395 which are like @code{upto} and @code{downto} respectively except
2396 that they are exclusive rather than inclusive limits:
2399 (loop for x to 10 collect x)
2400 @result{} (0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10)
2401 (loop for x below 10 collect x)
2402 @result{} (0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9)
2405 The @code{by} value is always positive, even for downward-counting
2406 loops. Some sort of @code{from} value is required for downward
2407 loops; @samp{for x downto 5} is not a legal loop clause all by
2410 @item for @var{var} in @var{list} by @var{function}
2411 This clause iterates @var{var} over all the elements of @var{list},
2412 in turn. If you specify the @code{by} term, then @var{function}
2413 is used to traverse the list instead of @code{cdr}; it must be a
2414 function taking one argument. For example:
2417 (loop for x in '(1 2 3 4 5 6) collect (* x x))
2418 @result{} (1 4 9 16 25 36)
2419 (loop for x in '(1 2 3 4 5 6) by 'cddr collect (* x x))
2423 @item for @var{var} on @var{list} by @var{function}
2424 This clause iterates @var{var} over all the cons cells of @var{list}.
2427 (loop for x on '(1 2 3 4) collect x)
2428 @result{} ((1 2 3 4) (2 3 4) (3 4) (4))
2431 With @code{by}, there is no real reason that the @code{on} expression
2432 must be a list. For example:
2435 (loop for x on first-animal by 'next-animal collect x)
2439 where @code{(next-animal x)} takes an ``animal'' @var{x} and returns
2440 the next in the (assumed) sequence of animals, or @code{nil} if
2441 @var{x} was the last animal in the sequence.
2443 @item for @var{var} in-ref @var{list} by @var{function}
2444 This is like a regular @code{in} clause, but @var{var} becomes
2445 a @code{setf}-able ``reference'' onto the elements of the list
2446 rather than just a temporary variable. For example,
2449 (loop for x in-ref my-list do (incf x))
2453 increments every element of @code{my-list} in place. This clause
2454 is an extension to standard Common Lisp.
2456 @item for @var{var} across @var{array}
2457 This clause iterates @var{var} over all the elements of @var{array},
2458 which may be a vector or a string.
2461 (loop for x across "aeiou"
2462 do (use-vowel (char-to-string x)))
2465 @item for @var{var} across-ref @var{array}
2466 This clause iterates over an array, with @var{var} a @code{setf}-able
2467 reference onto the elements; see @code{in-ref} above.
2469 @item for @var{var} being the elements of @var{sequence}
2470 This clause iterates over the elements of @var{sequence}, which may
2471 be a list, vector, or string. Since the type must be determined
2472 at run-time, this is somewhat less efficient than @code{in} or
2473 @code{across}. The clause may be followed by the additional term
2474 @samp{using (index @var{var2})} to cause @var{var2} to be bound to
2475 the successive indices (starting at 0) of the elements.
2477 This clause type is taken from older versions of the @code{loop} macro,
2478 and is not present in modern Common Lisp. The @samp{using (sequence ...)}
2479 term of the older macros is not supported.
2481 @item for @var{var} being the elements of-ref @var{sequence}
2482 This clause iterates over a sequence, with @var{var} a @code{setf}-able
2483 reference onto the elements; see @code{in-ref} above.
2485 @item for @var{var} being the symbols [of @var{obarray}]
2486 This clause iterates over symbols, either over all interned symbols
2487 or over all symbols in @var{obarray}. The loop is executed with
2488 @var{var} bound to each symbol in turn. The symbols are visited in
2489 an unspecified order.
2494 (loop for sym being the symbols
2496 when (string-match "^map" (symbol-name sym))
2501 returns a list of all the functions whose names begin with @samp{map}.
2503 The Common Lisp words @code{external-symbols} and @code{present-symbols}
2504 are also recognized but are equivalent to @code{symbols} in Emacs Lisp.
2506 Due to a minor implementation restriction, it will not work to have
2507 more than one @code{for} clause iterating over symbols, hash tables,
2508 keymaps, overlays, or intervals in a given @code{loop}. Fortunately,
2509 it would rarely if ever be useful to do so. It @emph{is} legal to mix
2510 one of these types of clauses with other clauses like @code{for ... to}
2513 @item for @var{var} being the hash-keys of @var{hash-table}
2514 This clause iterates over the entries in @var{hash-table}. For each
2515 hash table entry, @var{var} is bound to the entry's key. If you write
2516 @samp{the hash-values} instead, @var{var} is bound to the values
2517 of the entries. The clause may be followed by the additional
2518 term @samp{using (hash-values @var{var2})} (where @code{hash-values}
2519 is the opposite word of the word following @code{the}) to cause
2520 @var{var} and @var{var2} to be bound to the two parts of each
2523 @item for @var{var} being the key-codes of @var{keymap}
2524 This clause iterates over the entries in @var{keymap}.
2525 The iteration does not enter nested keymaps or inherited (parent) keymaps.
2526 You can use @samp{the key-bindings} to access the commands bound to
2527 the keys rather than the key codes, and you can add a @code{using}
2528 clause to access both the codes and the bindings together.
2530 @item for @var{var} being the key-seqs of @var{keymap}
2531 This clause iterates over all key sequences defined by @var{keymap}
2532 and its nested keymaps, where @var{var} takes on values which are
2533 vectors. The strings or vectors
2534 are reused for each iteration, so you must copy them if you wish to keep
2535 them permanently. You can add a @samp{using (key-bindings ...)}
2536 clause to get the command bindings as well.
2538 @item for @var{var} being the overlays [of @var{buffer}] @dots{}
2539 This clause iterates over the ``overlays'' of a buffer
2540 (the clause @code{extents} is synonymous
2541 with @code{overlays}). If the @code{of} term is omitted, the current
2543 This clause also accepts optional @samp{from @var{pos}} and
2544 @samp{to @var{pos}} terms, limiting the clause to overlays which
2545 overlap the specified region.
2547 @item for @var{var} being the intervals [of @var{buffer}] @dots{}
2548 This clause iterates over all intervals of a buffer with constant
2549 text properties. The variable @var{var} will be bound to conses
2550 of start and end positions, where one start position is always equal
2551 to the previous end position. The clause allows @code{of},
2552 @code{from}, @code{to}, and @code{property} terms, where the latter
2553 term restricts the search to just the specified property. The
2554 @code{of} term may specify either a buffer or a string.
2556 @item for @var{var} being the frames
2557 This clause iterates over all frames, i.e., X window system windows
2558 open on Emacs files. The
2559 clause @code{screens} is a synonym for @code{frames}. The frames
2560 are visited in @code{next-frame} order starting from
2561 @code{selected-frame}.
2563 @item for @var{var} being the windows [of @var{frame}]
2564 This clause iterates over the windows (in the Emacs sense) of
2565 the current frame, or of the specified @var{frame}.
2567 @item for @var{var} being the buffers
2568 This clause iterates over all buffers in Emacs. It is equivalent
2569 to @samp{for @var{var} in (buffer-list)}.
2571 @item for @var{var} = @var{expr1} then @var{expr2}
2572 This clause does a general iteration. The first time through
2573 the loop, @var{var} will be bound to @var{expr1}. On the second
2574 and successive iterations it will be set by evaluating @var{expr2}
2575 (which may refer to the old value of @var{var}). For example,
2576 these two loops are effectively the same:
2579 (loop for x on my-list by 'cddr do ...)
2580 (loop for x = my-list then (cddr x) while x do ...)
2583 Note that this type of @code{for} clause does not imply any sort
2584 of terminating condition; the above example combines it with a
2585 @code{while} clause to tell when to end the loop.
2587 If you omit the @code{then} term, @var{expr1} is used both for
2588 the initial setting and for successive settings:
2591 (loop for x = (random) when (> x 0) return x)
2595 This loop keeps taking random numbers from the @code{(random)}
2596 function until it gets a positive one, which it then returns.
2599 If you include several @code{for} clauses in a row, they are
2600 treated sequentially (as if by @code{let*} and @code{setq}).
2601 You can instead use the word @code{and} to link the clauses,
2602 in which case they are processed in parallel (as if by @code{let}
2606 (loop for x below 5 for y = nil then x collect (list x y))
2607 @result{} ((0 nil) (1 1) (2 2) (3 3) (4 4))
2608 (loop for x below 5 and y = nil then x collect (list x y))
2609 @result{} ((0 nil) (1 0) (2 1) (3 2) (4 3))
2613 In the first loop, @code{y} is set based on the value of @code{x}
2614 that was just set by the previous clause; in the second loop,
2615 @code{x} and @code{y} are set simultaneously so @code{y} is set
2616 based on the value of @code{x} left over from the previous time
2619 Another feature of the @code{loop} macro is @dfn{destructuring},
2620 similar in concept to the destructuring provided by @code{defmacro}.
2621 The @var{var} part of any @code{for} clause can be given as a list
2622 of variables instead of a single variable. The values produced
2623 during loop execution must be lists; the values in the lists are
2624 stored in the corresponding variables.
2627 (loop for (x y) in '((2 3) (4 5) (6 7)) collect (+ x y))
2631 In loop destructuring, if there are more values than variables
2632 the trailing values are ignored, and if there are more variables
2633 than values the trailing variables get the value @code{nil}.
2634 If @code{nil} is used as a variable name, the corresponding
2635 values are ignored. Destructuring may be nested, and dotted
2636 lists of variables like @code{(x . y)} are allowed.
2638 @node Iteration Clauses, Accumulation Clauses, For Clauses, Loop Facility
2639 @subsection Iteration Clauses
2642 Aside from @code{for} clauses, there are several other loop clauses
2643 that control the way the loop operates. They might be used by
2644 themselves, or in conjunction with one or more @code{for} clauses.
2647 @item repeat @var{integer}
2648 This clause simply counts up to the specified number using an
2649 internal temporary variable. The loops
2652 (loop repeat n do ...)
2653 (loop for temp to n do ...)
2657 are identical except that the second one forces you to choose
2658 a name for a variable you aren't actually going to use.
2660 @item while @var{condition}
2661 This clause stops the loop when the specified condition (any Lisp
2662 expression) becomes @code{nil}. For example, the following two
2663 loops are equivalent, except for the implicit @code{nil} block
2664 that surrounds the second one:
2667 (while @var{cond} @var{forms}@dots{})
2668 (loop while @var{cond} do @var{forms}@dots{})
2671 @item until @var{condition}
2672 This clause stops the loop when the specified condition is true,
2673 i.e., non-@code{nil}.
2675 @item always @var{condition}
2676 This clause stops the loop when the specified condition is @code{nil}.
2677 Unlike @code{while}, it stops the loop using @code{return nil} so that
2678 the @code{finally} clauses are not executed. If all the conditions
2679 were non-@code{nil}, the loop returns @code{t}:
2682 (if (loop for size in size-list always (> size 10))
2687 @item never @var{condition}
2688 This clause is like @code{always}, except that the loop returns
2689 @code{t} if any conditions were false, or @code{nil} otherwise.
2691 @item thereis @var{condition}
2692 This clause stops the loop when the specified form is non-@code{nil};
2693 in this case, it returns that non-@code{nil} value. If all the
2694 values were @code{nil}, the loop returns @code{nil}.
2697 @node Accumulation Clauses, Other Clauses, Iteration Clauses, Loop Facility
2698 @subsection Accumulation Clauses
2701 These clauses cause the loop to accumulate information about the
2702 specified Lisp @var{form}. The accumulated result is returned
2703 from the loop unless overridden, say, by a @code{return} clause.
2706 @item collect @var{form}
2707 This clause collects the values of @var{form} into a list. Several
2708 examples of @code{collect} appear elsewhere in this manual.
2710 The word @code{collecting} is a synonym for @code{collect}, and
2711 likewise for the other accumulation clauses.
2713 @item append @var{form}
2714 This clause collects lists of values into a result list using
2717 @item nconc @var{form}
2718 This clause collects lists of values into a result list by
2719 destructively modifying the lists rather than copying them.
2721 @item concat @var{form}
2722 This clause concatenates the values of the specified @var{form}
2723 into a string. (It and the following clause are extensions to
2724 standard Common Lisp.)
2726 @item vconcat @var{form}
2727 This clause concatenates the values of the specified @var{form}
2730 @item count @var{form}
2731 This clause counts the number of times the specified @var{form}
2732 evaluates to a non-@code{nil} value.
2734 @item sum @var{form}
2735 This clause accumulates the sum of the values of the specified
2736 @var{form}, which must evaluate to a number.
2738 @item maximize @var{form}
2739 This clause accumulates the maximum value of the specified @var{form},
2740 which must evaluate to a number. The return value is undefined if
2741 @code{maximize} is executed zero times.
2743 @item minimize @var{form}
2744 This clause accumulates the minimum value of the specified @var{form}.
2747 Accumulation clauses can be followed by @samp{into @var{var}} to
2748 cause the data to be collected into variable @var{var} (which is
2749 automatically @code{let}-bound during the loop) rather than an
2750 unnamed temporary variable. Also, @code{into} accumulations do
2751 not automatically imply a return value. The loop must use some
2752 explicit mechanism, such as @code{finally return}, to return
2753 the accumulated result.
2755 It is legal for several accumulation clauses of the same type to
2756 accumulate into the same place. From Steele:
2759 (loop for name in '(fred sue alice joe june)
2760 for kids in '((bob ken) () () (kris sunshine) ())
2763 @result{} (fred bob ken sue alice joe kris sunshine june)
2766 @node Other Clauses, , Accumulation Clauses, Loop Facility
2767 @subsection Other Clauses
2770 This section describes the remaining loop clauses.
2773 @item with @var{var} = @var{value}
2774 This clause binds a variable to a value around the loop, but
2775 otherwise leaves the variable alone during the loop. The following
2776 loops are basically equivalent:
2779 (loop with x = 17 do ...)
2780 (let ((x 17)) (loop do ...))
2781 (loop for x = 17 then x do ...)
2784 Naturally, the variable @var{var} might be used for some purpose
2785 in the rest of the loop. For example:
2788 (loop for x in my-list with res = nil do (push x res)
2792 This loop inserts the elements of @code{my-list} at the front of
2793 a new list being accumulated in @code{res}, then returns the
2794 list @code{res} at the end of the loop. The effect is similar
2795 to that of a @code{collect} clause, but the list gets reversed
2796 by virtue of the fact that elements are being pushed onto the
2797 front of @code{res} rather than the end.
2799 If you omit the @code{=} term, the variable is initialized to
2800 @code{nil}. (Thus the @samp{= nil} in the above example is
2803 Bindings made by @code{with} are sequential by default, as if
2804 by @code{let*}. Just like @code{for} clauses, @code{with} clauses
2805 can be linked with @code{and} to cause the bindings to be made by
2808 @item if @var{condition} @var{clause}
2809 This clause executes the following loop clause only if the specified
2810 condition is true. The following @var{clause} should be an accumulation,
2811 @code{do}, @code{return}, @code{if}, or @code{unless} clause.
2812 Several clauses may be linked by separating them with @code{and}.
2813 These clauses may be followed by @code{else} and a clause or clauses
2814 to execute if the condition was false. The whole construct may
2815 optionally be followed by the word @code{end} (which may be used to
2816 disambiguate an @code{else} or @code{and} in a nested @code{if}).
2818 The actual non-@code{nil} value of the condition form is available
2819 by the name @code{it} in the ``then'' part. For example:
2822 (setq funny-numbers '(6 13 -1))
2824 (loop for x below 10
2827 and if (memq x funny-numbers) return (cdr it) end
2829 collect x into evens
2830 finally return (vector odds evens))
2831 @result{} [(1 3 5 7 9) (0 2 4 6 8)]
2832 (setq funny-numbers '(6 7 13 -1))
2833 @result{} (6 7 13 -1)
2834 (loop <@r{same thing again}>)
2838 Note the use of @code{and} to put two clauses into the ``then''
2839 part, one of which is itself an @code{if} clause. Note also that
2840 @code{end}, while normally optional, was necessary here to make
2841 it clear that the @code{else} refers to the outermost @code{if}
2842 clause. In the first case, the loop returns a vector of lists
2843 of the odd and even values of @var{x}. In the second case, the
2844 odd number 7 is one of the @code{funny-numbers} so the loop
2845 returns early; the actual returned value is based on the result
2846 of the @code{memq} call.
2848 @item when @var{condition} @var{clause}
2849 This clause is just a synonym for @code{if}.
2851 @item unless @var{condition} @var{clause}
2852 The @code{unless} clause is just like @code{if} except that the
2853 sense of the condition is reversed.
2855 @item named @var{name}
2856 This clause gives a name other than @code{nil} to the implicit
2857 block surrounding the loop. The @var{name} is the symbol to be
2858 used as the block name.
2860 @item initially [do] @var{forms}...
2861 This keyword introduces one or more Lisp forms which will be
2862 executed before the loop itself begins (but after any variables
2863 requested by @code{for} or @code{with} have been bound to their
2864 initial values). @code{initially} clauses can appear anywhere;
2865 if there are several, they are executed in the order they appear
2866 in the loop. The keyword @code{do} is optional.
2868 @item finally [do] @var{forms}...
2869 This introduces Lisp forms which will be executed after the loop
2870 finishes (say, on request of a @code{for} or @code{while}).
2871 @code{initially} and @code{finally} clauses may appear anywhere
2872 in the loop construct, but they are executed (in the specified
2873 order) at the beginning or end, respectively, of the loop.
2875 @item finally return @var{form}
2876 This says that @var{form} should be executed after the loop
2877 is done to obtain a return value. (Without this, or some other
2878 clause like @code{collect} or @code{return}, the loop will simply
2879 return @code{nil}.) Variables bound by @code{for}, @code{with},
2880 or @code{into} will still contain their final values when @var{form}
2883 @item do @var{forms}...
2884 The word @code{do} may be followed by any number of Lisp expressions
2885 which are executed as an implicit @code{progn} in the body of the
2886 loop. Many of the examples in this section illustrate the use of
2889 @item return @var{form}
2890 This clause causes the loop to return immediately. The following
2891 Lisp form is evaluated to give the return value of the @code{loop}
2892 form. The @code{finally} clauses, if any, are not executed.
2893 Of course, @code{return} is generally used inside an @code{if} or
2894 @code{unless}, as its use in a top-level loop clause would mean
2895 the loop would never get to ``loop'' more than once.
2897 The clause @samp{return @var{form}} is equivalent to
2898 @samp{do (return @var{form})} (or @code{return-from} if the loop
2899 was named). The @code{return} clause is implemented a bit more
2900 efficiently, though.
2903 While there is no high-level way to add user extensions to @code{loop}
2904 (comparable to @code{defsetf} for @code{setf}, say), this package
2905 does offer two properties called @code{cl-loop-handler} and
2906 @code{cl-loop-for-handler} which are functions to be called when
2907 a given symbol is encountered as a top-level loop clause or
2908 @code{for} clause, respectively. Consult the source code in
2909 file @file{cl-macs.el} for details.
2911 This package's @code{loop} macro is compatible with that of Common
2912 Lisp, except that a few features are not implemented: @code{loop-finish}
2913 and data-type specifiers. Naturally, the @code{for} clauses which
2914 iterate over keymaps, overlays, intervals, frames, windows, and
2915 buffers are Emacs-specific extensions.
2917 @node Multiple Values, , Loop Facility, Control Structure
2918 @section Multiple Values
2921 Common Lisp functions can return zero or more results. Emacs Lisp
2922 functions, by contrast, always return exactly one result. This
2923 package makes no attempt to emulate Common Lisp multiple return
2924 values; Emacs versions of Common Lisp functions that return more
2925 than one value either return just the first value (as in
2926 @code{compiler-macroexpand}) or return a list of values (as in
2927 @code{get-setf-method}). This package @emph{does} define placeholders
2928 for the Common Lisp functions that work with multiple values, but
2929 in Emacs Lisp these functions simply operate on lists instead.
2930 The @code{values} form, for example, is a synonym for @code{list}
2933 @defspec multiple-value-bind (var@dots{}) values-form forms@dots{}
2934 This form evaluates @var{values-form}, which must return a list of
2935 values. It then binds the @var{var}s to these respective values,
2936 as if by @code{let}, and then executes the body @var{forms}.
2937 If there are more @var{var}s than values, the extra @var{var}s
2938 are bound to @code{nil}. If there are fewer @var{var}s than
2939 values, the excess values are ignored.
2942 @defspec multiple-value-setq (var@dots{}) form
2943 This form evaluates @var{form}, which must return a list of values.
2944 It then sets the @var{var}s to these respective values, as if by
2945 @code{setq}. Extra @var{var}s or values are treated the same as
2946 in @code{multiple-value-bind}.
2949 The older Quiroz package attempted a more faithful (but still
2950 imperfect) emulation of Common Lisp multiple values. The old
2951 method ``usually'' simulated true multiple values quite well,
2952 but under certain circumstances would leave spurious return
2953 values in memory where a later, unrelated @code{multiple-value-bind}
2954 form would see them.
2956 Since a perfect emulation is not feasible in Emacs Lisp, this
2957 package opts to keep it as simple and predictable as possible.
2959 @node Macros, Declarations, Control Structure, Top
2963 This package implements the various Common Lisp features of
2964 @code{defmacro}, such as destructuring, @code{&environment},
2965 and @code{&body}. Top-level @code{&whole} is not implemented
2966 for @code{defmacro} due to technical difficulties.
2967 @xref{Argument Lists}.
2969 Destructuring is made available to the user by way of the
2972 @defspec destructuring-bind arglist expr forms@dots{}
2973 This macro expands to code which executes @var{forms}, with
2974 the variables in @var{arglist} bound to the list of values
2975 returned by @var{expr}. The @var{arglist} can include all
2976 the features allowed for @code{defmacro} argument lists,
2977 including destructuring. (The @code{&environment} keyword
2978 is not allowed.) The macro expansion will signal an error
2979 if @var{expr} returns a list of the wrong number of arguments
2980 or with incorrect keyword arguments.
2983 This package also includes the Common Lisp @code{define-compiler-macro}
2984 facility, which allows you to define compile-time expansions and
2985 optimizations for your functions.
2987 @defspec define-compiler-macro name arglist forms@dots{}
2988 This form is similar to @code{defmacro}, except that it only expands
2989 calls to @var{name} at compile-time; calls processed by the Lisp
2990 interpreter are not expanded, nor are they expanded by the
2991 @code{macroexpand} function.
2993 The argument list may begin with a @code{&whole} keyword and a
2994 variable. This variable is bound to the macro-call form itself,
2995 i.e., to a list of the form @samp{(@var{name} @var{args}@dots{})}.
2996 If the macro expander returns this form unchanged, then the
2997 compiler treats it as a normal function call. This allows
2998 compiler macros to work as optimizers for special cases of a
2999 function, leaving complicated cases alone.
3001 For example, here is a simplified version of a definition that
3002 appears as a standard part of this package:
3005 (define-compiler-macro member* (&whole form a list &rest keys)
3006 (if (and (null keys)
3007 (eq (car-safe a) 'quote)
3008 (not (floatp-safe (cadr a))))
3014 This definition causes @code{(member* @var{a} @var{list})} to change
3015 to a call to the faster @code{memq} in the common case where @var{a}
3016 is a non-floating-point constant; if @var{a} is anything else, or
3017 if there are any keyword arguments in the call, then the original
3018 @code{member*} call is left intact. (The actual compiler macro
3019 for @code{member*} optimizes a number of other cases, including
3020 common @code{:test} predicates.)
3023 @defun compiler-macroexpand form
3024 This function is analogous to @code{macroexpand}, except that it
3025 expands compiler macros rather than regular macros. It returns
3026 @var{form} unchanged if it is not a call to a function for which
3027 a compiler macro has been defined, or if that compiler macro
3028 decided to punt by returning its @code{&whole} argument. Like
3029 @code{macroexpand}, it expands repeatedly until it reaches a form
3030 for which no further expansion is possible.
3033 @xref{Macro Bindings}, for descriptions of the @code{macrolet}
3034 and @code{symbol-macrolet} forms for making ``local'' macro
3037 @node Declarations, Symbols, Macros, Top
3038 @chapter Declarations
3041 Common Lisp includes a complex and powerful ``declaration''
3042 mechanism that allows you to give the compiler special hints
3043 about the types of data that will be stored in particular variables,
3044 and about the ways those variables and functions will be used. This
3045 package defines versions of all the Common Lisp declaration forms:
3046 @code{declare}, @code{locally}, @code{proclaim}, @code{declaim},
3049 Most of the Common Lisp declarations are not currently useful in
3050 Emacs Lisp, as the byte-code system provides little opportunity
3051 to benefit from type information, and @code{special} declarations
3052 are redundant in a fully dynamically-scoped Lisp. A few
3053 declarations are meaningful when the optimizing byte
3054 compiler is being used, however. Under the earlier non-optimizing
3055 compiler, these declarations will effectively be ignored.
3057 @defun proclaim decl-spec
3058 This function records a ``global'' declaration specified by
3059 @var{decl-spec}. Since @code{proclaim} is a function, @var{decl-spec}
3060 is evaluated and thus should normally be quoted.
3063 @defspec declaim decl-specs@dots{}
3064 This macro is like @code{proclaim}, except that it takes any number
3065 of @var{decl-spec} arguments, and the arguments are unevaluated and
3066 unquoted. The @code{declaim} macro also puts an @code{(eval-when
3067 (compile load eval) ...)} around the declarations so that they will
3068 be registered at compile-time as well as at run-time. (This is vital,
3069 since normally the declarations are meant to influence the way the
3070 compiler treats the rest of the file that contains the @code{declaim}
3074 @defspec declare decl-specs@dots{}
3075 This macro is used to make declarations within functions and other
3076 code. Common Lisp allows declarations in various locations, generally
3077 at the beginning of any of the many ``implicit @code{progn}s''
3078 throughout Lisp syntax, such as function bodies, @code{let} bodies,
3079 etc. Currently the only declaration understood by @code{declare}
3083 @defspec locally declarations@dots{} forms@dots{}
3084 In this package, @code{locally} is no different from @code{progn}.
3087 @defspec the type form
3088 Type information provided by @code{the} is ignored in this package;
3089 in other words, @code{(the @var{type} @var{form})} is equivalent
3090 to @var{form}. Future versions of the optimizing byte-compiler may
3091 make use of this information.
3093 For example, @code{mapcar} can map over both lists and arrays. It is
3094 hard for the compiler to expand @code{mapcar} into an in-line loop
3095 unless it knows whether the sequence will be a list or an array ahead
3096 of time. With @code{(mapcar 'car (the vector foo))}, a future
3097 compiler would have enough information to expand the loop in-line.
3098 For now, Emacs Lisp will treat the above code as exactly equivalent
3099 to @code{(mapcar 'car foo)}.
3102 Each @var{decl-spec} in a @code{proclaim}, @code{declaim}, or
3103 @code{declare} should be a list beginning with a symbol that says
3104 what kind of declaration it is. This package currently understands
3105 @code{special}, @code{inline}, @code{notinline}, @code{optimize},
3106 and @code{warn} declarations. (The @code{warn} declaration is an
3107 extension of standard Common Lisp.) Other Common Lisp declarations,
3108 such as @code{type} and @code{ftype}, are silently ignored.
3112 Since all variables in Emacs Lisp are ``special'' (in the Common
3113 Lisp sense), @code{special} declarations are only advisory. They
3114 simply tell the optimizing byte compiler that the specified
3115 variables are intentionally being referred to without being
3116 bound in the body of the function. The compiler normally emits
3117 warnings for such references, since they could be typographical
3118 errors for references to local variables.
3120 The declaration @code{(declare (special @var{var1} @var{var2}))} is
3121 equivalent to @code{(defvar @var{var1}) (defvar @var{var2})} in the
3122 optimizing compiler, or to nothing at all in older compilers (which
3123 do not warn for non-local references).
3125 In top-level contexts, it is generally better to write
3126 @code{(defvar @var{var})} than @code{(declaim (special @var{var}))},
3127 since @code{defvar} makes your intentions clearer. But the older
3128 byte compilers can not handle @code{defvar}s appearing inside of
3129 functions, while @code{(declare (special @var{var}))} takes care
3130 to work correctly with all compilers.
3133 The @code{inline} @var{decl-spec} lists one or more functions
3134 whose bodies should be expanded ``in-line'' into calling functions
3135 whenever the compiler is able to arrange for it. For example,
3136 the Common Lisp function @code{cadr} is declared @code{inline}
3137 by this package so that the form @code{(cadr @var{x})} will
3138 expand directly into @code{(car (cdr @var{x}))} when it is called
3139 in user functions, for a savings of one (relatively expensive)
3142 The following declarations are all equivalent. Note that the
3143 @code{defsubst} form is a convenient way to define a function
3144 and declare it inline all at once.
3147 (declaim (inline foo bar))
3148 (eval-when (compile load eval) (proclaim '(inline foo bar)))
3149 (defsubst foo (...) ...) ; instead of defun
3152 @strong{Note:} This declaration remains in effect after the
3153 containing source file is done. It is correct to use it to
3154 request that a function you have defined should be inlined,
3155 but it is impolite to use it to request inlining of an external
3158 In Common Lisp, it is possible to use @code{(declare (inline @dots{}))}
3159 before a particular call to a function to cause just that call to
3160 be inlined; the current byte compilers provide no way to implement
3161 this, so @code{(declare (inline @dots{}))} is currently ignored by
3165 The @code{notinline} declaration lists functions which should
3166 not be inlined after all; it cancels a previous @code{inline}
3170 This declaration controls how much optimization is performed by
3171 the compiler. Naturally, it is ignored by the earlier non-optimizing
3174 The word @code{optimize} is followed by any number of lists like
3175 @code{(speed 3)} or @code{(safety 2)}. Common Lisp defines several
3176 optimization ``qualities''; this package ignores all but @code{speed}
3177 and @code{safety}. The value of a quality should be an integer from
3178 0 to 3, with 0 meaning ``unimportant'' and 3 meaning ``very important.''
3179 The default level for both qualities is 1.
3181 In this package, with the optimizing compiler, the
3182 @code{speed} quality is tied to the @code{byte-compile-optimize}
3183 flag, which is set to @code{nil} for @code{(speed 0)} and to
3184 @code{t} for higher settings; and the @code{safety} quality is
3185 tied to the @code{byte-compile-delete-errors} flag, which is
3186 set to @code{t} for @code{(safety 3)} and to @code{nil} for all
3187 lower settings. (The latter flag controls whether the compiler
3188 is allowed to optimize out code whose only side-effect could
3189 be to signal an error, e.g., rewriting @code{(progn foo bar)} to
3190 @code{bar} when it is not known whether @code{foo} will be bound
3193 Note that even compiling with @code{(safety 0)}, the Emacs
3194 byte-code system provides sufficient checking to prevent real
3195 harm from being done. For example, barring serious bugs in
3196 Emacs itself, Emacs will not crash with a segmentation fault
3197 just because of an error in a fully-optimized Lisp program.
3199 The @code{optimize} declaration is normally used in a top-level
3200 @code{proclaim} or @code{declaim} in a file; Common Lisp allows
3201 it to be used with @code{declare} to set the level of optimization
3202 locally for a given form, but this will not work correctly with the
3203 current version of the optimizing compiler. (The @code{declare}
3204 will set the new optimization level, but that level will not
3205 automatically be unset after the enclosing form is done.)
3208 This declaration controls what sorts of warnings are generated
3209 by the byte compiler. Again, only the optimizing compiler
3210 generates warnings. The word @code{warn} is followed by any
3211 number of ``warning qualities,'' similar in form to optimization
3212 qualities. The currently supported warning types are
3213 @code{redefine}, @code{callargs}, @code{unresolved}, and
3214 @code{free-vars}; in the current system, a value of 0 will
3215 disable these warnings and any higher value will enable them.
3216 See the documentation for the optimizing byte compiler for details.
3219 @node Symbols, Numbers, Declarations, Top
3223 This package defines several symbol-related features that were
3224 missing from Emacs Lisp.
3227 * Property Lists:: `get*', `remprop', `getf', `remf'
3228 * Creating Symbols:: `gensym', `gentemp'
3231 @node Property Lists, Creating Symbols, Symbols, Symbols
3232 @section Property Lists
3235 These functions augment the standard Emacs Lisp functions @code{get}
3236 and @code{put} for operating on properties attached to symbols.
3237 There are also functions for working with property lists as
3238 first-class data structures not attached to particular symbols.
3240 @defun get* symbol property &optional default
3241 This function is like @code{get}, except that if the property is
3242 not found, the @var{default} argument provides the return value.
3243 (The Emacs Lisp @code{get} function always uses @code{nil} as
3244 the default; this package's @code{get*} is equivalent to Common
3247 The @code{get*} function is @code{setf}-able; when used in this
3248 fashion, the @var{default} argument is allowed but ignored.
3251 @defun remprop symbol property
3252 This function removes the entry for @var{property} from the property
3253 list of @var{symbol}. It returns a true value if the property was
3254 indeed found and removed, or @code{nil} if there was no such property.
3255 (This function was probably omitted from Emacs originally because,
3256 since @code{get} did not allow a @var{default}, it was very difficult
3257 to distinguish between a missing property and a property whose value
3258 was @code{nil}; thus, setting a property to @code{nil} was close
3259 enough to @code{remprop} for most purposes.)
3262 @defun getf place property &optional default
3263 This function scans the list @var{place} as if it were a property
3264 list, i.e., a list of alternating property names and values. If
3265 an even-numbered element of @var{place} is found which is @code{eq}
3266 to @var{property}, the following odd-numbered element is returned.
3267 Otherwise, @var{default} is returned (or @code{nil} if no default
3273 (get sym prop) @equiv{} (getf (symbol-plist sym) prop)
3276 It is legal to use @code{getf} as a @code{setf} place, in which case
3277 its @var{place} argument must itself be a legal @code{setf} place.
3278 The @var{default} argument, if any, is ignored in this context.
3279 The effect is to change (via @code{setcar}) the value cell in the
3280 list that corresponds to @var{property}, or to cons a new property-value
3281 pair onto the list if the property is not yet present.
3284 (put sym prop val) @equiv{} (setf (getf (symbol-plist sym) prop) val)
3287 The @code{get} and @code{get*} functions are also @code{setf}-able.
3288 The fact that @code{default} is ignored can sometimes be useful:
3291 (incf (get* 'foo 'usage-count 0))
3294 Here, symbol @code{foo}'s @code{usage-count} property is incremented
3295 if it exists, or set to 1 (an incremented 0) otherwise.
3297 When not used as a @code{setf} form, @code{getf} is just a regular
3298 function and its @var{place} argument can actually be any Lisp
3302 @defspec remf place property
3303 This macro removes the property-value pair for @var{property} from
3304 the property list stored at @var{place}, which is any @code{setf}-able
3305 place expression. It returns true if the property was found. Note
3306 that if @var{property} happens to be first on the list, this will
3307 effectively do a @code{(setf @var{place} (cddr @var{place}))},
3308 whereas if it occurs later, this simply uses @code{setcdr} to splice
3309 out the property and value cells.
3316 @node Creating Symbols, , Property Lists, Symbols
3317 @section Creating Symbols
3320 These functions create unique symbols, typically for use as
3321 temporary variables.
3323 @defun gensym &optional x
3324 This function creates a new, uninterned symbol (using @code{make-symbol})
3325 with a unique name. (The name of an uninterned symbol is relevant
3326 only if the symbol is printed.) By default, the name is generated
3327 from an increasing sequence of numbers, @samp{G1000}, @samp{G1001},
3328 @samp{G1002}, etc. If the optional argument @var{x} is a string, that
3329 string is used as a prefix instead of @samp{G}. Uninterned symbols
3330 are used in macro expansions for temporary variables, to ensure that
3331 their names will not conflict with ``real'' variables in the user's
3335 @defvar *gensym-counter*
3336 This variable holds the counter used to generate @code{gensym} names.
3337 It is incremented after each use by @code{gensym}. In Common Lisp
3338 this is initialized with 0, but this package initializes it with a
3339 random (time-dependent) value to avoid trouble when two files that
3340 each used @code{gensym} in their compilation are loaded together.
3341 (Uninterned symbols become interned when the compiler writes them
3342 out to a file and the Emacs loader loads them, so their names have to
3343 be treated a bit more carefully than in Common Lisp where uninterned
3344 symbols remain uninterned after loading.)
3347 @defun gentemp &optional x
3348 This function is like @code{gensym}, except that it produces a new
3349 @emph{interned} symbol. If the symbol that is generated already
3350 exists, the function keeps incrementing the counter and trying
3351 again until a new symbol is generated.
3354 The Quiroz @file{cl.el} package also defined a @code{defkeyword}
3355 form for creating self-quoting keyword symbols. This package
3356 automatically creates all keywords that are called for by
3357 @code{&key} argument specifiers, and discourages the use of
3358 keywords as data unrelated to keyword arguments, so the
3359 @code{defkeyword} form has been discontinued.
3365 @node Numbers, Sequences, Symbols, Top
3369 This section defines a few simple Common Lisp operations on numbers
3370 which were left out of Emacs Lisp.
3373 * Predicates on Numbers:: `plusp', `oddp', `floatp-safe', etc.
3374 * Numerical Functions:: `abs', `floor*', etc.
3375 * Random Numbers:: `random*', `make-random-state'
3376 * Implementation Parameters:: `most-positive-fixnum', `most-positive-float'
3383 @node Predicates on Numbers, Numerical Functions, Numbers, Numbers
3384 @section Predicates on Numbers
3387 These functions return @code{t} if the specified condition is
3388 true of the numerical argument, or @code{nil} otherwise.
3391 This predicate tests whether @var{number} is positive. It is an
3392 error if the argument is not a number.
3395 @defun minusp number
3396 This predicate tests whether @var{number} is negative. It is an
3397 error if the argument is not a number.
3401 This predicate tests whether @var{integer} is odd. It is an
3402 error if the argument is not an integer.
3405 @defun evenp integer
3406 This predicate tests whether @var{integer} is even. It is an
3407 error if the argument is not an integer.
3410 @defun floatp-safe object
3411 This predicate tests whether @var{object} is a floating-point
3412 number. On systems that support floating-point, this is equivalent
3413 to @code{floatp}. On other systems, this always returns @code{nil}.
3420 @node Numerical Functions, Random Numbers, Predicates on Numbers, Numbers
3421 @section Numerical Functions
3424 These functions perform various arithmetic operations on numbers.
3426 @defun gcd &rest integers
3427 This function returns the Greatest Common Divisor of the arguments.
3428 For one argument, it returns the absolute value of that argument.
3429 For zero arguments, it returns zero.
3432 @defun lcm &rest integers
3433 This function returns the Least Common Multiple of the arguments.
3434 For one argument, it returns the absolute value of that argument.
3435 For zero arguments, it returns one.
3438 @defun isqrt integer
3439 This function computes the ``integer square root'' of its integer
3440 argument, i.e., the greatest integer less than or equal to the true
3441 square root of the argument.
3444 @defun floor* number &optional divisor
3445 This function implements the Common Lisp @code{floor} function.
3446 It is called @code{floor*} to avoid name conflicts with the
3447 simpler @code{floor} function built-in to Emacs.
3449 With one argument, @code{floor*} returns a list of two numbers:
3450 The argument rounded down (toward minus infinity) to an integer,
3451 and the ``remainder'' which would have to be added back to the
3452 first return value to yield the argument again. If the argument
3453 is an integer @var{x}, the result is always the list @code{(@var{x} 0)}.
3454 If the argument is a floating-point number, the first
3455 result is a Lisp integer and the second is a Lisp float between
3456 0 (inclusive) and 1 (exclusive).
3458 With two arguments, @code{floor*} divides @var{number} by
3459 @var{divisor}, and returns the floor of the quotient and the
3460 corresponding remainder as a list of two numbers. If
3461 @code{(floor* @var{x} @var{y})} returns @code{(@var{q} @var{r})},
3462 then @code{@var{q}*@var{y} + @var{r} = @var{x}}, with @var{r}
3463 between 0 (inclusive) and @var{r} (exclusive). Also, note
3464 that @code{(floor* @var{x})} is exactly equivalent to
3465 @code{(floor* @var{x} 1)}.
3467 This function is entirely compatible with Common Lisp's @code{floor}
3468 function, except that it returns the two results in a list since
3469 Emacs Lisp does not support multiple-valued functions.
3472 @defun ceiling* number &optional divisor
3473 This function implements the Common Lisp @code{ceiling} function,
3474 which is analogous to @code{floor} except that it rounds the
3475 argument or quotient of the arguments up toward plus infinity.
3476 The remainder will be between 0 and minus @var{r}.
3479 @defun truncate* number &optional divisor
3480 This function implements the Common Lisp @code{truncate} function,
3481 which is analogous to @code{floor} except that it rounds the
3482 argument or quotient of the arguments toward zero. Thus it is
3483 equivalent to @code{floor*} if the argument or quotient is
3484 positive, or to @code{ceiling*} otherwise. The remainder has
3485 the same sign as @var{number}.
3488 @defun round* number &optional divisor
3489 This function implements the Common Lisp @code{round} function,
3490 which is analogous to @code{floor} except that it rounds the
3491 argument or quotient of the arguments to the nearest integer.
3492 In the case of a tie (the argument or quotient is exactly
3493 halfway between two integers), it rounds to the even integer.
3496 @defun mod* number divisor
3497 This function returns the same value as the second return value
3501 @defun rem* number divisor
3502 This function returns the same value as the second return value
3506 These definitions are compatible with those in the Quiroz
3507 @file{cl.el} package, except that this package appends @samp{*}
3508 to certain function names to avoid conflicts with existing
3509 Emacs functions, and that the mechanism for returning
3510 multiple values is different.
3516 @node Random Numbers, Implementation Parameters, Numerical Functions, Numbers
3517 @section Random Numbers
3520 This package also provides an implementation of the Common Lisp
3521 random number generator. It uses its own additive-congruential
3522 algorithm, which is much more likely to give statistically clean
3523 random numbers than the simple generators supplied by many
3526 @defun random* number &optional state
3527 This function returns a random nonnegative number less than
3528 @var{number}, and of the same type (either integer or floating-point).
3529 The @var{state} argument should be a @code{random-state} object
3530 which holds the state of the random number generator. The
3531 function modifies this state object as a side effect. If
3532 @var{state} is omitted, it defaults to the variable
3533 @code{*random-state*}, which contains a pre-initialized
3534 @code{random-state} object.
3537 @defvar *random-state*
3538 This variable contains the system ``default'' @code{random-state}
3539 object, used for calls to @code{random*} that do not specify an
3540 alternative state object. Since any number of programs in the
3541 Emacs process may be accessing @code{*random-state*} in interleaved
3542 fashion, the sequence generated from this variable will be
3543 irreproducible for all intents and purposes.
3546 @defun make-random-state &optional state
3547 This function creates or copies a @code{random-state} object.
3548 If @var{state} is omitted or @code{nil}, it returns a new copy of
3549 @code{*random-state*}. This is a copy in the sense that future
3550 sequences of calls to @code{(random* @var{n})} and
3551 @code{(random* @var{n} @var{s})} (where @var{s} is the new
3552 random-state object) will return identical sequences of random
3555 If @var{state} is a @code{random-state} object, this function
3556 returns a copy of that object. If @var{state} is @code{t}, this
3557 function returns a new @code{random-state} object seeded from the
3558 date and time. As an extension to Common Lisp, @var{state} may also
3559 be an integer in which case the new object is seeded from that
3560 integer; each different integer seed will result in a completely
3561 different sequence of random numbers.
3563 It is legal to print a @code{random-state} object to a buffer or
3564 file and later read it back with @code{read}. If a program wishes
3565 to use a sequence of pseudo-random numbers which can be reproduced
3566 later for debugging, it can call @code{(make-random-state t)} to
3567 get a new sequence, then print this sequence to a file. When the
3568 program is later rerun, it can read the original run's random-state
3572 @defun random-state-p object
3573 This predicate returns @code{t} if @var{object} is a
3574 @code{random-state} object, or @code{nil} otherwise.
3577 @node Implementation Parameters, , Random Numbers, Numbers
3578 @section Implementation Parameters
3581 This package defines several useful constants having to with numbers.
3583 @defvar most-positive-fixnum
3584 This constant equals the largest value a Lisp integer can hold.
3585 It is typically @code{2^23-1} or @code{2^25-1}.
3588 @defvar most-negative-fixnum
3589 This constant equals the smallest (most negative) value a Lisp
3593 The following parameters have to do with floating-point numbers.
3594 This package determines their values by exercising the computer's
3595 floating-point arithmetic in various ways. Because this operation
3596 might be slow, the code for initializing them is kept in a separate
3597 function that must be called before the parameters can be used.
3599 @defun cl-float-limits
3600 This function makes sure that the Common Lisp floating-point parameters
3601 like @code{most-positive-float} have been initialized. Until it is
3602 called, these parameters will be @code{nil}. If this version of Emacs
3603 does not support floats, the parameters will remain @code{nil}. If the
3604 parameters have already been initialized, the function returns
3607 The algorithm makes assumptions that will be valid for most modern
3608 machines, but will fail if the machine's arithmetic is extremely
3609 unusual, e.g., decimal.
3612 Since true Common Lisp supports up to four different floating-point
3613 precisions, it has families of constants like
3614 @code{most-positive-single-float}, @code{most-positive-double-float},
3615 @code{most-positive-long-float}, and so on. Emacs has only one
3616 floating-point precision, so this package omits the precision word
3617 from the constants' names.
3619 @defvar most-positive-float
3620 This constant equals the largest value a Lisp float can hold.
3621 For those systems whose arithmetic supports infinities, this is
3622 the largest @emph{finite} value. For IEEE machines, the value
3623 is approximately @code{1.79e+308}.
3626 @defvar most-negative-float
3627 This constant equals the most-negative value a Lisp float can hold.
3628 (It is assumed to be equal to @code{(- most-positive-float)}.)
3631 @defvar least-positive-float
3632 This constant equals the smallest Lisp float value greater than zero.
3633 For IEEE machines, it is about @code{4.94e-324} if denormals are
3634 supported or @code{2.22e-308} if not.
3637 @defvar least-positive-normalized-float
3638 This constant equals the smallest @emph{normalized} Lisp float greater
3639 than zero, i.e., the smallest value for which IEEE denormalization
3640 will not result in a loss of precision. For IEEE machines, this
3641 value is about @code{2.22e-308}. For machines that do not support
3642 the concept of denormalization and gradual underflow, this constant
3643 will always equal @code{least-positive-float}.
3646 @defvar least-negative-float
3647 This constant is the negative counterpart of @code{least-positive-float}.
3650 @defvar least-negative-normalized-float
3651 This constant is the negative counterpart of
3652 @code{least-positive-normalized-float}.
3655 @defvar float-epsilon
3656 This constant is the smallest positive Lisp float that can be added
3657 to 1.0 to produce a distinct value. Adding a smaller number to 1.0
3658 will yield 1.0 again due to roundoff. For IEEE machines, epsilon
3659 is about @code{2.22e-16}.
3662 @defvar float-negative-epsilon
3663 This is the smallest positive value that can be subtracted from
3664 1.0 to produce a distinct value. For IEEE machines, it is about
3672 @node Sequences, Lists, Numbers, Top
3676 Common Lisp defines a number of functions that operate on
3677 @dfn{sequences}, which are either lists, strings, or vectors.
3678 Emacs Lisp includes a few of these, notably @code{elt} and
3679 @code{length}; this package defines most of the rest.
3682 * Sequence Basics:: Arguments shared by all sequence functions
3683 * Mapping over Sequences:: `mapcar*', `mapcan', `map', `every', etc.
3684 * Sequence Functions:: `subseq', `remove*', `substitute', etc.
3685 * Searching Sequences:: `find', `position', `count', `search', etc.
3686 * Sorting Sequences:: `sort*', `stable-sort', `merge'
3689 @node Sequence Basics, Mapping over Sequences, Sequences, Sequences
3690 @section Sequence Basics
3693 Many of the sequence functions take keyword arguments; @pxref{Argument
3694 Lists}. All keyword arguments are optional and, if specified,
3695 may appear in any order.
3697 The @code{:key} argument should be passed either @code{nil}, or a
3698 function of one argument. This key function is used as a filter
3699 through which the elements of the sequence are seen; for example,
3700 @code{(find x y :key 'car)} is similar to @code{(assoc* x y)}:
3701 It searches for an element of the list whose @code{car} equals
3702 @code{x}, rather than for an element which equals @code{x} itself.
3703 If @code{:key} is omitted or @code{nil}, the filter is effectively
3704 the identity function.
3706 The @code{:test} and @code{:test-not} arguments should be either
3707 @code{nil}, or functions of two arguments. The test function is
3708 used to compare two sequence elements, or to compare a search value
3709 with sequence elements. (The two values are passed to the test
3710 function in the same order as the original sequence function
3711 arguments from which they are derived, or, if they both come from
3712 the same sequence, in the same order as they appear in that sequence.)
3713 The @code{:test} argument specifies a function which must return
3714 true (non-@code{nil}) to indicate a match; instead, you may use
3715 @code{:test-not} to give a function which returns @emph{false} to
3716 indicate a match. The default test function is @code{:test 'eql}.
3718 Many functions which take @var{item} and @code{:test} or @code{:test-not}
3719 arguments also come in @code{-if} and @code{-if-not} varieties,
3720 where a @var{predicate} function is passed instead of @var{item},
3721 and sequence elements match if the predicate returns true on them
3722 (or false in the case of @code{-if-not}). For example:
3725 (remove* 0 seq :test '=) @equiv{} (remove-if 'zerop seq)
3729 to remove all zeros from sequence @code{seq}.
3731 Some operations can work on a subsequence of the argument sequence;
3732 these function take @code{:start} and @code{:end} arguments which
3733 default to zero and the length of the sequence, respectively.
3734 Only elements between @var{start} (inclusive) and @var{end}
3735 (exclusive) are affected by the operation. The @var{end} argument
3736 may be passed @code{nil} to signify the length of the sequence;
3737 otherwise, both @var{start} and @var{end} must be integers, with
3738 @code{0 <= @var{start} <= @var{end} <= (length @var{seq})}.
3739 If the function takes two sequence arguments, the limits are
3740 defined by keywords @code{:start1} and @code{:end1} for the first,
3741 and @code{:start2} and @code{:end2} for the second.
3743 A few functions accept a @code{:from-end} argument, which, if
3744 non-@code{nil}, causes the operation to go from right-to-left
3745 through the sequence instead of left-to-right, and a @code{:count}
3746 argument, which specifies an integer maximum number of elements
3747 to be removed or otherwise processed.
3749 The sequence functions make no guarantees about the order in
3750 which the @code{:test}, @code{:test-not}, and @code{:key} functions
3751 are called on various elements. Therefore, it is a bad idea to depend
3752 on side effects of these functions. For example, @code{:from-end}
3753 may cause the sequence to be scanned actually in reverse, or it may
3754 be scanned forwards but computing a result ``as if'' it were scanned
3755 backwards. (Some functions, like @code{mapcar*} and @code{every},
3756 @emph{do} specify exactly the order in which the function is called
3757 so side effects are perfectly acceptable in those cases.)
3759 Strings may contain ``text properties'' as well
3760 as character data. Except as noted, it is undefined whether or
3761 not text properties are preserved by sequence functions. For
3762 example, @code{(remove* ?A @var{str})} may or may not preserve
3763 the properties of the characters copied from @var{str} into the
3766 @node Mapping over Sequences, Sequence Functions, Sequence Basics, Sequences
3767 @section Mapping over Sequences
3770 These functions ``map'' the function you specify over the elements
3771 of lists or arrays. They are all variations on the theme of the
3772 built-in function @code{mapcar}.
3774 @defun mapcar* function seq &rest more-seqs
3775 This function calls @var{function} on successive parallel sets of
3776 elements from its argument sequences. Given a single @var{seq}
3777 argument it is equivalent to @code{mapcar}; given @var{n} sequences,
3778 it calls the function with the first elements of each of the sequences
3779 as the @var{n} arguments to yield the first element of the result
3780 list, then with the second elements, and so on. The mapping stops as
3781 soon as the shortest sequence runs out. The argument sequences may
3782 be any mixture of lists, strings, and vectors; the return sequence
3785 Common Lisp's @code{mapcar} accepts multiple arguments but works
3786 only on lists; Emacs Lisp's @code{mapcar} accepts a single sequence
3787 argument. This package's @code{mapcar*} works as a compatible
3791 @defun map result-type function seq &rest more-seqs
3792 This function maps @var{function} over the argument sequences,
3793 just like @code{mapcar*}, but it returns a sequence of type
3794 @var{result-type} rather than a list. @var{result-type} must
3795 be one of the following symbols: @code{vector}, @code{string},
3796 @code{list} (in which case the effect is the same as for
3797 @code{mapcar*}), or @code{nil} (in which case the results are
3798 thrown away and @code{map} returns @code{nil}).
3801 @defun maplist function list &rest more-lists
3802 This function calls @var{function} on each of its argument lists,
3803 then on the @code{cdr}s of those lists, and so on, until the
3804 shortest list runs out. The results are returned in the form
3805 of a list. Thus, @code{maplist} is like @code{mapcar*} except
3806 that it passes in the list pointers themselves rather than the
3807 @code{car}s of the advancing pointers.
3810 @defun mapc function seq &rest more-seqs
3811 This function is like @code{mapcar*}, except that the values
3812 returned by @var{function} are ignored and thrown away rather
3813 than being collected into a list. The return value of @code{mapc}
3814 is @var{seq}, the first sequence.
3817 @defun mapl function list &rest more-lists
3818 This function is like @code{maplist}, except that it throws away
3819 the values returned by @var{function}.
3822 @defun mapcan function seq &rest more-seqs
3823 This function is like @code{mapcar*}, except that it concatenates
3824 the return values (which must be lists) using @code{nconc},
3825 rather than simply collecting them into a list.
3828 @defun mapcon function list &rest more-lists
3829 This function is like @code{maplist}, except that it concatenates
3830 the return values using @code{nconc}.
3833 @defun some predicate seq &rest more-seqs
3834 This function calls @var{predicate} on each element of @var{seq}
3835 in turn; if @var{predicate} returns a non-@code{nil} value,
3836 @code{some} returns that value, otherwise it returns @code{nil}.
3837 Given several sequence arguments, it steps through the sequences
3838 in parallel until the shortest one runs out, just as in
3839 @code{mapcar*}. You can rely on the left-to-right order in which
3840 the elements are visited, and on the fact that mapping stops
3841 immediately as soon as @var{predicate} returns non-@code{nil}.
3844 @defun every predicate seq &rest more-seqs
3845 This function calls @var{predicate} on each element of the sequence(s)
3846 in turn; it returns @code{nil} as soon as @var{predicate} returns
3847 @code{nil} for any element, or @code{t} if the predicate was true
3851 @defun notany predicate seq &rest more-seqs
3852 This function calls @var{predicate} on each element of the sequence(s)
3853 in turn; it returns @code{nil} as soon as @var{predicate} returns
3854 a non-@code{nil} value for any element, or @code{t} if the predicate
3855 was @code{nil} for all elements.
3858 @defun notevery predicate seq &rest more-seqs
3859 This function calls @var{predicate} on each element of the sequence(s)
3860 in turn; it returns a non-@code{nil} value as soon as @var{predicate}
3861 returns @code{nil} for any element, or @code{t} if the predicate was
3862 true for all elements.
3865 @defun reduce function seq @t{&key :from-end :start :end :initial-value :key}
3866 This function combines the elements of @var{seq} using an associative
3867 binary operation. Suppose @var{function} is @code{*} and @var{seq} is
3868 the list @code{(2 3 4 5)}. The first two elements of the list are
3869 combined with @code{(* 2 3) = 6}; this is combined with the next
3870 element, @code{(* 6 4) = 24}, and that is combined with the final
3871 element: @code{(* 24 5) = 120}. Note that the @code{*} function happens
3872 to be self-reducing, so that @code{(* 2 3 4 5)} has the same effect as
3873 an explicit call to @code{reduce}.
3875 If @code{:from-end} is true, the reduction is right-associative instead
3876 of left-associative:
3879 (reduce '- '(1 2 3 4))
3880 @equiv{} (- (- (- 1 2) 3) 4) @result{} -8
3881 (reduce '- '(1 2 3 4) :from-end t)
3882 @equiv{} (- 1 (- 2 (- 3 4))) @result{} -2
3885 If @code{:key} is specified, it is a function of one argument which
3886 is called on each of the sequence elements in turn.
3888 If @code{:initial-value} is specified, it is effectively added to the
3889 front (or rear in the case of @code{:from-end}) of the sequence.
3890 The @code{:key} function is @emph{not} applied to the initial value.
3892 If the sequence, including the initial value, has exactly one element
3893 then that element is returned without ever calling @var{function}.
3894 If the sequence is empty (and there is no initial value), then
3895 @var{function} is called with no arguments to obtain the return value.
3898 All of these mapping operations can be expressed conveniently in
3899 terms of the @code{loop} macro. In compiled code, @code{loop} will
3900 be faster since it generates the loop as in-line code with no
3903 @node Sequence Functions, Searching Sequences, Mapping over Sequences, Sequences
3904 @section Sequence Functions
3907 This section describes a number of Common Lisp functions for
3908 operating on sequences.
3910 @defun subseq sequence start &optional end
3911 This function returns a given subsequence of the argument
3912 @var{sequence}, which may be a list, string, or vector.
3913 The indices @var{start} and @var{end} must be in range, and
3914 @var{start} must be no greater than @var{end}. If @var{end}
3915 is omitted, it defaults to the length of the sequence. The
3916 return value is always a copy; it does not share structure
3917 with @var{sequence}.
3919 As an extension to Common Lisp, @var{start} and/or @var{end}
3920 may be negative, in which case they represent a distance back
3921 from the end of the sequence. This is for compatibility with
3922 Emacs' @code{substring} function. Note that @code{subseq} is
3923 the @emph{only} sequence function that allows negative
3924 @var{start} and @var{end}.
3926 You can use @code{setf} on a @code{subseq} form to replace a
3927 specified range of elements with elements from another sequence.
3928 The replacement is done as if by @code{replace}, described below.
3931 @defun concatenate result-type &rest seqs
3932 This function concatenates the argument sequences together to
3933 form a result sequence of type @var{result-type}, one of the
3934 symbols @code{vector}, @code{string}, or @code{list}. The
3935 arguments are always copied, even in cases such as
3936 @code{(concatenate 'list '(1 2 3))} where the result is
3937 identical to an argument.
3940 @defun fill seq item @t{&key :start :end}
3941 This function fills the elements of the sequence (or the specified
3942 part of the sequence) with the value @var{item}.
3945 @defun replace seq1 seq2 @t{&key :start1 :end1 :start2 :end2}
3946 This function copies part of @var{seq2} into part of @var{seq1}.
3947 The sequence @var{seq1} is not stretched or resized; the amount
3948 of data copied is simply the shorter of the source and destination
3949 (sub)sequences. The function returns @var{seq1}.
3951 If @var{seq1} and @var{seq2} are @code{eq}, then the replacement
3952 will work correctly even if the regions indicated by the start
3953 and end arguments overlap. However, if @var{seq1} and @var{seq2}
3954 are lists which share storage but are not @code{eq}, and the
3955 start and end arguments specify overlapping regions, the effect
3959 @defun remove* item seq @t{&key :test :test-not :key :count :start :end :from-end}
3960 This returns a copy of @var{seq} with all elements matching
3961 @var{item} removed. The result may share storage with or be
3962 @code{eq} to @var{seq} in some circumstances, but the original
3963 @var{seq} will not be modified. The @code{:test}, @code{:test-not},
3964 and @code{:key} arguments define the matching test that is used;
3965 by default, elements @code{eql} to @var{item} are removed. The
3966 @code{:count} argument specifies the maximum number of matching
3967 elements that can be removed (only the leftmost @var{count} matches
3968 are removed). The @code{:start} and @code{:end} arguments specify
3969 a region in @var{seq} in which elements will be removed; elements
3970 outside that region are not matched or removed. The @code{:from-end}
3971 argument, if true, says that elements should be deleted from the
3972 end of the sequence rather than the beginning (this matters only
3973 if @var{count} was also specified).
3976 @defun delete* item seq @t{&key :test :test-not :key :count :start :end :from-end}
3977 This deletes all elements of @var{seq} which match @var{item}.
3978 It is a destructive operation. Since Emacs Lisp does not support
3979 stretchable strings or vectors, this is the same as @code{remove*}
3980 for those sequence types. On lists, @code{remove*} will copy the
3981 list if necessary to preserve the original list, whereas
3982 @code{delete*} will splice out parts of the argument list.
3983 Compare @code{append} and @code{nconc}, which are analogous
3984 non-destructive and destructive list operations in Emacs Lisp.
3988 @findex remove-if-not
3990 @findex delete-if-not
3991 The predicate-oriented functions @code{remove-if}, @code{remove-if-not},
3992 @code{delete-if}, and @code{delete-if-not} are defined similarly.
3994 @defun remove-duplicates seq @t{&key :test :test-not :key :start :end :from-end}
3995 This function returns a copy of @var{seq} with duplicate elements
3996 removed. Specifically, if two elements from the sequence match
3997 according to the @code{:test}, @code{:test-not}, and @code{:key}
3998 arguments, only the rightmost one is retained. If @code{:from-end}
3999 is true, the leftmost one is retained instead. If @code{:start} or
4000 @code{:end} is specified, only elements within that subsequence are
4001 examined or removed.
4004 @defun delete-duplicates seq @t{&key :test :test-not :key :start :end :from-end}
4005 This function deletes duplicate elements from @var{seq}. It is
4006 a destructive version of @code{remove-duplicates}.
4009 @defun substitute new old seq @t{&key :test :test-not :key :count :start :end :from-end}
4010 This function returns a copy of @var{seq}, with all elements
4011 matching @var{old} replaced with @var{new}. The @code{:count},
4012 @code{:start}, @code{:end}, and @code{:from-end} arguments may be
4013 used to limit the number of substitutions made.
4016 @defun nsubstitute new old seq @t{&key :test :test-not :key :count :start :end :from-end}
4017 This is a destructive version of @code{substitute}; it performs
4018 the substitution using @code{setcar} or @code{aset} rather than
4019 by returning a changed copy of the sequence.
4022 @findex substitute-if
4023 @findex substitute-if-not
4024 @findex nsubstitute-if
4025 @findex nsubstitute-if-not
4026 The @code{substitute-if}, @code{substitute-if-not}, @code{nsubstitute-if},
4027 and @code{nsubstitute-if-not} functions are defined similarly. For
4028 these, a @var{predicate} is given in place of the @var{old} argument.
4030 @node Searching Sequences, Sorting Sequences, Sequence Functions, Sequences
4031 @section Searching Sequences
4034 These functions search for elements or subsequences in a sequence.
4035 (See also @code{member*} and @code{assoc*}; @pxref{Lists}.)
4037 @defun find item seq @t{&key :test :test-not :key :start :end :from-end}
4038 This function searches @var{seq} for an element matching @var{item}.
4039 If it finds a match, it returns the matching element. Otherwise,
4040 it returns @code{nil}. It returns the leftmost match, unless
4041 @code{:from-end} is true, in which case it returns the rightmost
4042 match. The @code{:start} and @code{:end} arguments may be used to
4043 limit the range of elements that are searched.
4046 @defun position item seq @t{&key :test :test-not :key :start :end :from-end}
4047 This function is like @code{find}, except that it returns the
4048 integer position in the sequence of the matching item rather than
4049 the item itself. The position is relative to the start of the
4050 sequence as a whole, even if @code{:start} is non-zero. The function
4051 returns @code{nil} if no matching element was found.
4054 @defun count item seq @t{&key :test :test-not :key :start :end}
4055 This function returns the number of elements of @var{seq} which
4056 match @var{item}. The result is always a nonnegative integer.
4062 @findex position-if-not
4064 @findex count-if-not
4065 The @code{find-if}, @code{find-if-not}, @code{position-if},
4066 @code{position-if-not}, @code{count-if}, and @code{count-if-not}
4067 functions are defined similarly.
4069 @defun mismatch seq1 seq2 @t{&key :test :test-not :key :start1 :end1 :start2 :end2 :from-end}
4070 This function compares the specified parts of @var{seq1} and
4071 @var{seq2}. If they are the same length and the corresponding
4072 elements match (according to @code{:test}, @code{:test-not},
4073 and @code{:key}), the function returns @code{nil}. If there is
4074 a mismatch, the function returns the index (relative to @var{seq1})
4075 of the first mismatching element. This will be the leftmost pair of
4076 elements which do not match, or the position at which the shorter of
4077 the two otherwise-matching sequences runs out.
4079 If @code{:from-end} is true, then the elements are compared from right
4080 to left starting at @code{(1- @var{end1})} and @code{(1- @var{end2})}.
4081 If the sequences differ, then one plus the index of the rightmost
4082 difference (relative to @var{seq1}) is returned.
4084 An interesting example is @code{(mismatch str1 str2 :key 'upcase)},
4085 which compares two strings case-insensitively.
4088 @defun search seq1 seq2 @t{&key :test :test-not :key :from-end :start1 :end1 :start2 :end2}
4089 This function searches @var{seq2} for a subsequence that matches
4090 @var{seq1} (or part of it specified by @code{:start1} and
4091 @code{:end1}.) Only matches which fall entirely within the region
4092 defined by @code{:start2} and @code{:end2} will be considered.
4093 The return value is the index of the leftmost element of the
4094 leftmost match, relative to the start of @var{seq2}, or @code{nil}
4095 if no matches were found. If @code{:from-end} is true, the
4096 function finds the @emph{rightmost} matching subsequence.
4099 @node Sorting Sequences, , Searching Sequences, Sequences
4100 @section Sorting Sequences
4102 @defun sort* seq predicate @t{&key :key}
4103 This function sorts @var{seq} into increasing order as determined
4104 by using @var{predicate} to compare pairs of elements. @var{predicate}
4105 should return true (non-@code{nil}) if and only if its first argument
4106 is less than (not equal to) its second argument. For example,
4107 @code{<} and @code{string-lessp} are suitable predicate functions
4108 for sorting numbers and strings, respectively; @code{>} would sort
4109 numbers into decreasing rather than increasing order.
4111 This function differs from Emacs' built-in @code{sort} in that it
4112 can operate on any type of sequence, not just lists. Also, it
4113 accepts a @code{:key} argument which is used to preprocess data
4114 fed to the @var{predicate} function. For example,
4117 (setq data (sort data 'string-lessp :key 'downcase))
4121 sorts @var{data}, a sequence of strings, into increasing alphabetical
4122 order without regard to case. A @code{:key} function of @code{car}
4123 would be useful for sorting association lists.
4125 The @code{sort*} function is destructive; it sorts lists by actually
4126 rearranging the @code{cdr} pointers in suitable fashion.
4129 @defun stable-sort seq predicate @t{&key :key}
4130 This function sorts @var{seq} @dfn{stably}, meaning two elements
4131 which are equal in terms of @var{predicate} are guaranteed not to
4132 be rearranged out of their original order by the sort.
4134 In practice, @code{sort*} and @code{stable-sort} are equivalent
4135 in Emacs Lisp because the underlying @code{sort} function is
4136 stable by default. However, this package reserves the right to
4137 use non-stable methods for @code{sort*} in the future.
4140 @defun merge type seq1 seq2 predicate @t{&key :key}
4141 This function merges two sequences @var{seq1} and @var{seq2} by
4142 interleaving their elements. The result sequence, of type @var{type}
4143 (in the sense of @code{concatenate}), has length equal to the sum
4144 of the lengths of the two input sequences. The sequences may be
4145 modified destructively. Order of elements within @var{seq1} and
4146 @var{seq2} is preserved in the interleaving; elements of the two
4147 sequences are compared by @var{predicate} (in the sense of
4148 @code{sort}) and the lesser element goes first in the result.
4149 When elements are equal, those from @var{seq1} precede those from
4150 @var{seq2} in the result. Thus, if @var{seq1} and @var{seq2} are
4151 both sorted according to @var{predicate}, then the result will be
4152 a merged sequence which is (stably) sorted according to
4156 @node Lists, Structures, Sequences, Top
4160 The functions described here operate on lists.
4163 * List Functions:: `caddr', `first', `last*', `list*', etc.
4164 * Substitution of Expressions:: `subst', `sublis', etc.
4165 * Lists as Sets:: `member*', `adjoin', `union', etc.
4166 * Association Lists:: `assoc*', `rassoc*', `acons', `pairlis'
4169 @node List Functions, Substitution of Expressions, Lists, Lists
4170 @section List Functions
4173 This section describes a number of simple operations on lists,
4174 i.e., chains of cons cells.
4177 This function is equivalent to @code{(car (cdr (cdr @var{x})))}.
4178 Likewise, this package defines all 28 @code{c@var{xxx}r} functions
4179 where @var{xxx} is up to four @samp{a}s and/or @samp{d}s.
4180 All of these functions are @code{setf}-able, and calls to them
4181 are expanded inline by the byte-compiler for maximum efficiency.
4185 This function is a synonym for @code{(car @var{x})}. Likewise,
4186 the functions @code{second}, @code{third}, @dots{}, through
4187 @code{tenth} return the given element of the list @var{x}.
4191 This function is a synonym for @code{(cdr @var{x})}.
4195 Common Lisp defines this function to act like @code{null}, but
4196 signaling an error if @code{x} is neither a @code{nil} nor a
4197 cons cell. This package simply defines @code{endp} as a synonym
4201 @defun list-length x
4202 This function returns the length of list @var{x}, exactly like
4203 @code{(length @var{x})}, except that if @var{x} is a circular
4204 list (where the cdr-chain forms a loop rather than terminating
4205 with @code{nil}), this function returns @code{nil}. (The regular
4206 @code{length} function would get stuck if given a circular list.)
4209 @defun last* x &optional n
4210 This function returns the last cons, or the @var{n}th-to-last cons,
4211 of the list @var{x}. If @var{n} is omitted it defaults to 1.
4212 The ``last cons'' means the first cons cell of the list whose
4213 @code{cdr} is not another cons cell. (For normal lists, the
4214 @code{cdr} of the last cons will be @code{nil}.) This function
4215 returns @code{nil} if @var{x} is @code{nil} or shorter than
4216 @var{n}. Note that the last @emph{element} of the list is
4217 @code{(car (last @var{x}))}.
4219 The Emacs function @code{last} does the same thing
4220 except that it does not handle the optional argument @var{n}.
4223 @defun butlast x &optional n
4224 This function returns the list @var{x} with the last element,
4225 or the last @var{n} elements, removed. If @var{n} is greater
4226 than zero it makes a copy of the list so as not to damage the
4227 original list. In general, @code{(append (butlast @var{x} @var{n})
4228 (last @var{x} @var{n}))} will return a list equal to @var{x}.
4231 @defun nbutlast x &optional n
4232 This is a version of @code{butlast} that works by destructively
4233 modifying the @code{cdr} of the appropriate element, rather than
4234 making a copy of the list.
4237 @defun list* arg &rest others
4238 This function constructs a list of its arguments. The final
4239 argument becomes the @code{cdr} of the last cell constructed.
4240 Thus, @code{(list* @var{a} @var{b} @var{c})} is equivalent to
4241 @code{(cons @var{a} (cons @var{b} @var{c}))}, and
4242 @code{(list* @var{a} @var{b} nil)} is equivalent to
4243 @code{(list @var{a} @var{b})}.
4245 (Note that this function really is called @code{list*} in Common
4246 Lisp; it is not a name invented for this package like @code{member*}
4250 @defun ldiff list sublist
4251 If @var{sublist} is a sublist of @var{list}, i.e., is @code{eq} to
4252 one of the cons cells of @var{list}, then this function returns
4253 a copy of the part of @var{list} up to but not including
4254 @var{sublist}. For example, @code{(ldiff x (cddr x))} returns
4255 the first two elements of the list @code{x}. The result is a
4256 copy; the original @var{list} is not modified. If @var{sublist}
4257 is not a sublist of @var{list}, a copy of the entire @var{list}
4261 @defun copy-list list
4262 This function returns a copy of the list @var{list}. It copies
4263 dotted lists like @code{(1 2 . 3)} correctly.
4266 @defun copy-tree x &optional vecp
4267 This function returns a copy of the tree of cons cells @var{x}.
4268 Unlike @code{copy-sequence} (and its alias @code{copy-list}),
4269 which copies only along the @code{cdr} direction, this function
4270 copies (recursively) along both the @code{car} and the @code{cdr}
4271 directions. If @var{x} is not a cons cell, the function simply
4272 returns @var{x} unchanged. If the optional @var{vecp} argument
4273 is true, this function copies vectors (recursively) as well as
4277 @defun tree-equal x y @t{&key :test :test-not :key}
4278 This function compares two trees of cons cells. If @var{x} and
4279 @var{y} are both cons cells, their @code{car}s and @code{cdr}s are
4280 compared recursively. If neither @var{x} nor @var{y} is a cons
4281 cell, they are compared by @code{eql}, or according to the
4282 specified test. The @code{:key} function, if specified, is
4283 applied to the elements of both trees. @xref{Sequences}.
4290 @node Substitution of Expressions, Lists as Sets, List Functions, Lists
4291 @section Substitution of Expressions
4294 These functions substitute elements throughout a tree of cons
4295 cells. (@xref{Sequence Functions}, for the @code{substitute}
4296 function, which works on just the top-level elements of a list.)
4298 @defun subst new old tree @t{&key :test :test-not :key}
4299 This function substitutes occurrences of @var{old} with @var{new}
4300 in @var{tree}, a tree of cons cells. It returns a substituted
4301 tree, which will be a copy except that it may share storage with
4302 the argument @var{tree} in parts where no substitutions occurred.
4303 The original @var{tree} is not modified. This function recurses
4304 on, and compares against @var{old}, both @code{car}s and @code{cdr}s
4305 of the component cons cells. If @var{old} is itself a cons cell,
4306 then matching cells in the tree are substituted as usual without
4307 recursively substituting in that cell. Comparisons with @var{old}
4308 are done according to the specified test (@code{eql} by default).
4309 The @code{:key} function is applied to the elements of the tree
4310 but not to @var{old}.
4313 @defun nsubst new old tree @t{&key :test :test-not :key}
4314 This function is like @code{subst}, except that it works by
4315 destructive modification (by @code{setcar} or @code{setcdr})
4316 rather than copying.
4320 @findex subst-if-not
4322 @findex nsubst-if-not
4323 The @code{subst-if}, @code{subst-if-not}, @code{nsubst-if}, and
4324 @code{nsubst-if-not} functions are defined similarly.
4326 @defun sublis alist tree @t{&key :test :test-not :key}
4327 This function is like @code{subst}, except that it takes an
4328 association list @var{alist} of @var{old}-@var{new} pairs.
4329 Each element of the tree (after applying the @code{:key}
4330 function, if any), is compared with the @code{car}s of
4331 @var{alist}; if it matches, it is replaced by the corresponding
4335 @defun nsublis alist tree @t{&key :test :test-not :key}
4336 This is a destructive version of @code{sublis}.
4339 @node Lists as Sets, Association Lists, Substitution of Expressions, Lists
4340 @section Lists as Sets
4343 These functions perform operations on lists which represent sets
4346 @defun member* item list @t{&key :test :test-not :key}
4347 This function searches @var{list} for an element matching @var{item}.
4348 If a match is found, it returns the cons cell whose @code{car} was
4349 the matching element. Otherwise, it returns @code{nil}. Elements
4350 are compared by @code{eql} by default; you can use the @code{:test},
4351 @code{:test-not}, and @code{:key} arguments to modify this behavior.
4354 Note that this function's name is suffixed by @samp{*} to avoid
4355 the incompatible @code{member} function defined in Emacs.
4356 (That function uses @code{equal} for comparisons; it is equivalent
4357 to @code{(member* @var{item} @var{list} :test 'equal)}.)
4361 @findex member-if-not
4362 The @code{member-if} and @code{member-if-not} functions
4363 analogously search for elements which satisfy a given predicate.
4365 @defun tailp sublist list
4366 This function returns @code{t} if @var{sublist} is a sublist of
4367 @var{list}, i.e., if @var{sublist} is @code{eql} to @var{list} or to
4368 any of its @code{cdr}s.
4371 @defun adjoin item list @t{&key :test :test-not :key}
4372 This function conses @var{item} onto the front of @var{list},
4373 like @code{(cons @var{item} @var{list})}, but only if @var{item}
4374 is not already present on the list (as determined by @code{member*}).
4375 If a @code{:key} argument is specified, it is applied to
4376 @var{item} as well as to the elements of @var{list} during
4377 the search, on the reasoning that @var{item} is ``about'' to
4378 become part of the list.
4381 @defun union list1 list2 @t{&key :test :test-not :key}
4382 This function combines two lists which represent sets of items,
4383 returning a list that represents the union of those two sets.
4384 The result list will contain all items which appear in @var{list1}
4385 or @var{list2}, and no others. If an item appears in both
4386 @var{list1} and @var{list2} it will be copied only once. If
4387 an item is duplicated in @var{list1} or @var{list2}, it is
4388 undefined whether or not that duplication will survive in the
4389 result list. The order of elements in the result list is also
4393 @defun nunion list1 list2 @t{&key :test :test-not :key}
4394 This is a destructive version of @code{union}; rather than copying,
4395 it tries to reuse the storage of the argument lists if possible.
4398 @defun intersection list1 list2 @t{&key :test :test-not :key}
4399 This function computes the intersection of the sets represented
4400 by @var{list1} and @var{list2}. It returns the list of items
4401 which appear in both @var{list1} and @var{list2}.
4404 @defun nintersection list1 list2 @t{&key :test :test-not :key}
4405 This is a destructive version of @code{intersection}. It
4406 tries to reuse storage of @var{list1} rather than copying.
4407 It does @emph{not} reuse the storage of @var{list2}.
4410 @defun set-difference list1 list2 @t{&key :test :test-not :key}
4411 This function computes the ``set difference'' of @var{list1}
4412 and @var{list2}, i.e., the set of elements that appear in
4413 @var{list1} but @emph{not} in @var{list2}.
4416 @defun nset-difference list1 list2 @t{&key :test :test-not :key}
4417 This is a destructive @code{set-difference}, which will try
4418 to reuse @var{list1} if possible.
4421 @defun set-exclusive-or list1 list2 @t{&key :test :test-not :key}
4422 This function computes the ``set exclusive or'' of @var{list1}
4423 and @var{list2}, i.e., the set of elements that appear in
4424 exactly one of @var{list1} and @var{list2}.
4427 @defun nset-exclusive-or list1 list2 @t{&key :test :test-not :key}
4428 This is a destructive @code{set-exclusive-or}, which will try
4429 to reuse @var{list1} and @var{list2} if possible.
4432 @defun subsetp list1 list2 @t{&key :test :test-not :key}
4433 This function checks whether @var{list1} represents a subset
4434 of @var{list2}, i.e., whether every element of @var{list1}
4435 also appears in @var{list2}.
4438 @node Association Lists, , Lists as Sets, Lists
4439 @section Association Lists
4442 An @dfn{association list} is a list representing a mapping from
4443 one set of values to another; any list whose elements are cons
4444 cells is an association list.
4446 @defun assoc* item a-list @t{&key :test :test-not :key}
4447 This function searches the association list @var{a-list} for an
4448 element whose @code{car} matches (in the sense of @code{:test},
4449 @code{:test-not}, and @code{:key}, or by comparison with @code{eql})
4450 a given @var{item}. It returns the matching element, if any,
4451 otherwise @code{nil}. It ignores elements of @var{a-list} which
4452 are not cons cells. (This corresponds to the behavior of
4453 @code{assq} and @code{assoc} in Emacs Lisp; Common Lisp's
4454 @code{assoc} ignores @code{nil}s but considers any other non-cons
4455 elements of @var{a-list} to be an error.)
4458 @defun rassoc* item a-list @t{&key :test :test-not :key}
4459 This function searches for an element whose @code{cdr} matches
4460 @var{item}. If @var{a-list} represents a mapping, this applies
4461 the inverse of the mapping to @var{item}.
4465 @findex assoc-if-not
4467 @findex rassoc-if-not
4468 The @code{assoc-if}, @code{assoc-if-not}, @code{rassoc-if},
4469 and @code{rassoc-if-not} functions are defined similarly.
4471 Two simple functions for constructing association lists are:
4473 @defun acons key value alist
4474 This is equivalent to @code{(cons (cons @var{key} @var{value}) @var{alist})}.
4477 @defun pairlis keys values &optional alist
4478 This is equivalent to @code{(nconc (mapcar* 'cons @var{keys} @var{values})
4486 @node Structures, Assertions, Lists, Top
4490 The Common Lisp @dfn{structure} mechanism provides a general way
4491 to define data types similar to C's @code{struct} types. A
4492 structure is a Lisp object containing some number of @dfn{slots},
4493 each of which can hold any Lisp data object. Functions are
4494 provided for accessing and setting the slots, creating or copying
4495 structure objects, and recognizing objects of a particular structure
4498 In true Common Lisp, each structure type is a new type distinct
4499 from all existing Lisp types. Since the underlying Emacs Lisp
4500 system provides no way to create new distinct types, this package
4501 implements structures as vectors (or lists upon request) with a
4502 special ``tag'' symbol to identify them.
4504 @defspec defstruct name slots@dots{}
4505 The @code{defstruct} form defines a new structure type called
4506 @var{name}, with the specified @var{slots}. (The @var{slots}
4507 may begin with a string which documents the structure type.)
4508 In the simplest case, @var{name} and each of the @var{slots}
4509 are symbols. For example,
4512 (defstruct person name age sex)
4516 defines a struct type called @code{person} which contains three
4517 slots. Given a @code{person} object @var{p}, you can access those
4518 slots by calling @code{(person-name @var{p})}, @code{(person-age @var{p})},
4519 and @code{(person-sex @var{p})}. You can also change these slots by
4520 using @code{setf} on any of these place forms:
4523 (incf (person-age birthday-boy))
4526 You can create a new @code{person} by calling @code{make-person},
4527 which takes keyword arguments @code{:name}, @code{:age}, and
4528 @code{:sex} to specify the initial values of these slots in the
4529 new object. (Omitting any of these arguments leaves the corresponding
4530 slot ``undefined,'' according to the Common Lisp standard; in Emacs
4531 Lisp, such uninitialized slots are filled with @code{nil}.)
4533 Given a @code{person}, @code{(copy-person @var{p})} makes a new
4534 object of the same type whose slots are @code{eq} to those of @var{p}.
4536 Given any Lisp object @var{x}, @code{(person-p @var{x})} returns
4537 true if @var{x} looks like a @code{person}, false otherwise. (Again,
4538 in Common Lisp this predicate would be exact; in Emacs Lisp the
4539 best it can do is verify that @var{x} is a vector of the correct
4540 length which starts with the correct tag symbol.)
4542 Accessors like @code{person-name} normally check their arguments
4543 (effectively using @code{person-p}) and signal an error if the
4544 argument is the wrong type. This check is affected by
4545 @code{(optimize (safety @dots{}))} declarations. Safety level 1,
4546 the default, uses a somewhat optimized check that will detect all
4547 incorrect arguments, but may use an uninformative error message
4548 (e.g., ``expected a vector'' instead of ``expected a @code{person}'').
4549 Safety level 0 omits all checks except as provided by the underlying
4550 @code{aref} call; safety levels 2 and 3 do rigorous checking that will
4551 always print a descriptive error message for incorrect inputs.
4552 @xref{Declarations}.
4555 (setq dave (make-person :name "Dave" :sex 'male))
4556 @result{} [cl-struct-person "Dave" nil male]
4557 (setq other (copy-person dave))
4558 @result{} [cl-struct-person "Dave" nil male]
4561 (eq (person-name dave) (person-name other))
4565 (person-p [1 2 3 4])
4569 (person-p '[cl-struct-person counterfeit person object])
4573 In general, @var{name} is either a name symbol or a list of a name
4574 symbol followed by any number of @dfn{struct options}; each @var{slot}
4575 is either a slot symbol or a list of the form @samp{(@var{slot-name}
4576 @var{default-value} @var{slot-options}@dots{})}. The @var{default-value}
4577 is a Lisp form which is evaluated any time an instance of the
4578 structure type is created without specifying that slot's value.
4580 Common Lisp defines several slot options, but the only one
4581 implemented in this package is @code{:read-only}. A non-@code{nil}
4582 value for this option means the slot should not be @code{setf}-able;
4583 the slot's value is determined when the object is created and does
4584 not change afterward.
4588 (name nil :read-only t)
4593 Any slot options other than @code{:read-only} are ignored.
4595 For obscure historical reasons, structure options take a different
4596 form than slot options. A structure option is either a keyword
4597 symbol, or a list beginning with a keyword symbol possibly followed
4598 by arguments. (By contrast, slot options are key-value pairs not
4602 (defstruct (person (:constructor create-person)
4608 The following structure options are recognized.
4613 @advance@leftskip-.5@tableindent
4616 The argument is a symbol whose print name is used as the prefix for
4617 the names of slot accessor functions. The default is the name of
4618 the struct type followed by a hyphen. The option @code{(:conc-name p-)}
4619 would change this prefix to @code{p-}. Specifying @code{nil} as an
4620 argument means no prefix, so that the slot names themselves are used
4621 to name the accessor functions.
4624 In the simple case, this option takes one argument which is an
4625 alternate name to use for the constructor function. The default
4626 is @code{make-@var{name}}, e.g., @code{make-person}. The above
4627 example changes this to @code{create-person}. Specifying @code{nil}
4628 as an argument means that no standard constructor should be
4631 In the full form of this option, the constructor name is followed
4632 by an arbitrary argument list. @xref{Program Structure}, for a
4633 description of the format of Common Lisp argument lists. All
4634 options, such as @code{&rest} and @code{&key}, are supported.
4635 The argument names should match the slot names; each slot is
4636 initialized from the corresponding argument. Slots whose names
4637 do not appear in the argument list are initialized based on the
4638 @var{default-value} in their slot descriptor. Also, @code{&optional}
4639 and @code{&key} arguments which don't specify defaults take their
4640 defaults from the slot descriptor. It is legal to include arguments
4641 which don't correspond to slot names; these are useful if they are
4642 referred to in the defaults for optional, keyword, or @code{&aux}
4643 arguments which @emph{do} correspond to slots.
4645 You can specify any number of full-format @code{:constructor}
4646 options on a structure. The default constructor is still generated
4647 as well unless you disable it with a simple-format @code{:constructor}
4653 (:constructor nil) ; no default constructor
4654 (:constructor new-person (name sex &optional (age 0)))
4655 (:constructor new-hound (&key (name "Rover")
4657 &aux (age (* 7 dog-years))
4662 The first constructor here takes its arguments positionally rather
4663 than by keyword. (In official Common Lisp terminology, constructors
4664 that work By Order of Arguments instead of by keyword are called
4665 ``BOA constructors.'' No, I'm not making this up.) For example,
4666 @code{(new-person "Jane" 'female)} generates a person whose slots
4667 are @code{"Jane"}, 0, and @code{female}, respectively.
4669 The second constructor takes two keyword arguments, @code{:name},
4670 which initializes the @code{name} slot and defaults to @code{"Rover"},
4671 and @code{:dog-years}, which does not itself correspond to a slot
4672 but which is used to initialize the @code{age} slot. The @code{sex}
4673 slot is forced to the symbol @code{canine} with no syntax for
4677 The argument is an alternate name for the copier function for
4678 this type. The default is @code{copy-@var{name}}. @code{nil}
4679 means not to generate a copier function. (In this implementation,
4680 all copier functions are simply synonyms for @code{copy-sequence}.)
4683 The argument is an alternate name for the predicate which recognizes
4684 objects of this type. The default is @code{@var{name}-p}. @code{nil}
4685 means not to generate a predicate function. (If the @code{:type}
4686 option is used without the @code{:named} option, no predicate is
4689 In true Common Lisp, @code{typep} is always able to recognize a
4690 structure object even if @code{:predicate} was used. In this
4691 package, @code{typep} simply looks for a function called
4692 @code{@var{typename}-p}, so it will work for structure types
4693 only if they used the default predicate name.
4696 This option implements a very limited form of C++-style inheritance.
4697 The argument is the name of another structure type previously
4698 created with @code{defstruct}. The effect is to cause the new
4699 structure type to inherit all of the included structure's slots
4700 (plus, of course, any new slots described by this struct's slot
4701 descriptors). The new structure is considered a ``specialization''
4702 of the included one. In fact, the predicate and slot accessors
4703 for the included type will also accept objects of the new type.
4705 If there are extra arguments to the @code{:include} option after
4706 the included-structure name, these options are treated as replacement
4707 slot descriptors for slots in the included structure, possibly with
4708 modified default values. Borrowing an example from Steele:
4711 (defstruct person name (age 0) sex)
4713 (defstruct (astronaut (:include person (age 45)))
4715 (favorite-beverage 'tang))
4718 (setq joe (make-person :name "Joe"))
4719 @result{} [cl-struct-person "Joe" 0 nil]
4720 (setq buzz (make-astronaut :name "Buzz"))
4721 @result{} [cl-struct-astronaut "Buzz" 45 nil nil tang]
4723 (list (person-p joe) (person-p buzz))
4725 (list (astronaut-p joe) (astronaut-p buzz))
4730 (astronaut-name joe)
4731 @result{} error: "astronaut-name accessing a non-astronaut"
4734 Thus, if @code{astronaut} is a specialization of @code{person},
4735 then every @code{astronaut} is also a @code{person} (but not the
4736 other way around). Every @code{astronaut} includes all the slots
4737 of a @code{person}, plus extra slots that are specific to
4738 astronauts. Operations that work on people (like @code{person-name})
4739 work on astronauts just like other people.
4741 @item :print-function
4742 In full Common Lisp, this option allows you to specify a function
4743 which is called to print an instance of the structure type. The
4744 Emacs Lisp system offers no hooks into the Lisp printer which would
4745 allow for such a feature, so this package simply ignores
4746 @code{:print-function}.
4749 The argument should be one of the symbols @code{vector} or @code{list}.
4750 This tells which underlying Lisp data type should be used to implement
4751 the new structure type. Vectors are used by default, but
4752 @code{(:type list)} will cause structure objects to be stored as
4755 The vector representation for structure objects has the advantage
4756 that all structure slots can be accessed quickly, although creating
4757 vectors is a bit slower in Emacs Lisp. Lists are easier to create,
4758 but take a relatively long time accessing the later slots.
4761 This option, which takes no arguments, causes a characteristic ``tag''
4762 symbol to be stored at the front of the structure object. Using
4763 @code{:type} without also using @code{:named} will result in a
4764 structure type stored as plain vectors or lists with no identifying
4767 The default, if you don't specify @code{:type} explicitly, is to
4768 use named vectors. Therefore, @code{:named} is only useful in
4769 conjunction with @code{:type}.
4772 (defstruct (person1) name age sex)
4773 (defstruct (person2 (:type list) :named) name age sex)
4774 (defstruct (person3 (:type list)) name age sex)
4776 (setq p1 (make-person1))
4777 @result{} [cl-struct-person1 nil nil nil]
4778 (setq p2 (make-person2))
4779 @result{} (person2 nil nil nil)
4780 (setq p3 (make-person3))
4781 @result{} (nil nil nil)
4788 @result{} error: function person3-p undefined
4791 Since unnamed structures don't have tags, @code{defstruct} is not
4792 able to make a useful predicate for recognizing them. Also,
4793 accessors like @code{person3-name} will be generated but they
4794 will not be able to do any type checking. The @code{person3-name}
4795 function, for example, will simply be a synonym for @code{car} in
4796 this case. By contrast, @code{person2-name} is able to verify
4797 that its argument is indeed a @code{person2} object before
4800 @item :initial-offset
4801 The argument must be a nonnegative integer. It specifies a
4802 number of slots to be left ``empty'' at the front of the
4803 structure. If the structure is named, the tag appears at the
4804 specified position in the list or vector; otherwise, the first
4805 slot appears at that position. Earlier positions are filled
4806 with @code{nil} by the constructors and ignored otherwise. If
4807 the type @code{:include}s another type, then @code{:initial-offset}
4808 specifies a number of slots to be skipped between the last slot
4809 of the included type and the first new slot.
4813 Except as noted, the @code{defstruct} facility of this package is
4814 entirely compatible with that of Common Lisp.
4820 @node Assertions, Efficiency Concerns, Structures, Top
4821 @chapter Assertions and Errors
4824 This section describes two macros that test @dfn{assertions}, i.e.,
4825 conditions which must be true if the program is operating correctly.
4826 Assertions never add to the behavior of a Lisp program; they simply
4827 make ``sanity checks'' to make sure everything is as it should be.
4829 If the optimization property @code{speed} has been set to 3, and
4830 @code{safety} is less than 3, then the byte-compiler will optimize
4831 away the following assertions. Because assertions might be optimized
4832 away, it is a bad idea for them to include side-effects.
4834 @defspec assert test-form [show-args string args@dots{}]
4835 This form verifies that @var{test-form} is true (i.e., evaluates to
4836 a non-@code{nil} value). If so, it returns @code{nil}. If the test
4837 is not satisfied, @code{assert} signals an error.
4839 A default error message will be supplied which includes @var{test-form}.
4840 You can specify a different error message by including a @var{string}
4841 argument plus optional extra arguments. Those arguments are simply
4842 passed to @code{error} to signal the error.
4844 If the optional second argument @var{show-args} is @code{t} instead
4845 of @code{nil}, then the error message (with or without @var{string})
4846 will also include all non-constant arguments of the top-level
4847 @var{form}. For example:
4850 (assert (> x 10) t "x is too small: %d")
4853 This usage of @var{show-args} is an extension to Common Lisp. In
4854 true Common Lisp, the second argument gives a list of @var{places}
4855 which can be @code{setf}'d by the user before continuing from the
4856 error. Since Emacs Lisp does not support continuable errors, it
4857 makes no sense to specify @var{places}.
4860 @defspec check-type form type [string]
4861 This form verifies that @var{form} evaluates to a value of type
4862 @var{type}. If so, it returns @code{nil}. If not, @code{check-type}
4863 signals a @code{wrong-type-argument} error. The default error message
4864 lists the erroneous value along with @var{type} and @var{form}
4865 themselves. If @var{string} is specified, it is included in the
4866 error message in place of @var{type}. For example:
4869 (check-type x (integer 1 *) "a positive integer")
4872 @xref{Type Predicates}, for a description of the type specifiers
4873 that may be used for @var{type}.
4875 Note that in Common Lisp, the first argument to @code{check-type}
4876 must be a @var{place} suitable for use by @code{setf}, because
4877 @code{check-type} signals a continuable error that allows the
4878 user to modify @var{place}.
4881 The following error-related macro is also defined:
4883 @defspec ignore-errors forms@dots{}
4884 This executes @var{forms} exactly like a @code{progn}, except that
4885 errors are ignored during the @var{forms}. More precisely, if
4886 an error is signaled then @code{ignore-errors} immediately
4887 aborts execution of the @var{forms} and returns @code{nil}.
4888 If the @var{forms} complete successfully, @code{ignore-errors}
4889 returns the result of the last @var{form}.
4892 @node Efficiency Concerns, Common Lisp Compatibility, Assertions, Top
4893 @appendix Efficiency Concerns
4898 Many of the advanced features of this package, such as @code{defun*},
4899 @code{loop}, and @code{setf}, are implemented as Lisp macros. In
4900 byte-compiled code, these complex notations will be expanded into
4901 equivalent Lisp code which is simple and efficient. For example,
4910 are expanded at compile-time to the Lisp forms
4914 (setcar p (cons x (car p)))
4918 which are the most efficient ways of doing these respective operations
4919 in Lisp. Thus, there is no performance penalty for using the more
4920 readable @code{incf} and @code{push} forms in your compiled code.
4922 @emph{Interpreted} code, on the other hand, must expand these macros
4923 every time they are executed. For this reason it is strongly
4924 recommended that code making heavy use of macros be compiled.
4925 (The features labeled ``Special Form'' instead of ``Function'' in
4926 this manual are macros.) A loop using @code{incf} a hundred times
4927 will execute considerably faster if compiled, and will also
4928 garbage-collect less because the macro expansion will not have
4929 to be generated, used, and thrown away a hundred times.
4931 You can find out how a macro expands by using the
4932 @code{cl-prettyexpand} function.
4934 @defun cl-prettyexpand form &optional full
4935 This function takes a single Lisp form as an argument and inserts
4936 a nicely formatted copy of it in the current buffer (which must be
4937 in Lisp mode so that indentation works properly). It also expands
4938 all Lisp macros which appear in the form. The easiest way to use
4939 this function is to go to the @code{*scratch*} buffer and type, say,
4942 (cl-prettyexpand '(loop for x below 10 collect x))
4946 and type @kbd{C-x C-e} immediately after the closing parenthesis;
4954 (setq G1004 (cons x G1004))
4960 will be inserted into the buffer. (The @code{block} macro is
4961 expanded differently in the interpreter and compiler, so
4962 @code{cl-prettyexpand} just leaves it alone. The temporary
4963 variable @code{G1004} was created by @code{gensym}.)
4965 If the optional argument @var{full} is true, then @emph{all}
4966 macros are expanded, including @code{block}, @code{eval-when},
4967 and compiler macros. Expansion is done as if @var{form} were
4968 a top-level form in a file being compiled. For example,
4971 (cl-prettyexpand '(pushnew 'x list))
4972 @print{} (setq list (adjoin 'x list))
4973 (cl-prettyexpand '(pushnew 'x list) t)
4974 @print{} (setq list (if (memq 'x list) list (cons 'x list)))
4975 (cl-prettyexpand '(caddr (member* 'a list)) t)
4976 @print{} (car (cdr (cdr (memq 'a list))))
4979 Note that @code{adjoin}, @code{caddr}, and @code{member*} all
4980 have built-in compiler macros to optimize them in common cases.
4988 @appendixsec Error Checking
4991 Common Lisp compliance has in general not been sacrificed for the
4992 sake of efficiency. A few exceptions have been made for cases
4993 where substantial gains were possible at the expense of marginal
4994 incompatibility. One example is the use of @code{memq} (which is
4995 treated very efficiently by the byte-compiler) to scan for keyword
4996 arguments; this can become confused in rare cases when keyword
4997 symbols are used as both keywords and data values at once. This
4998 is extremely unlikely to occur in practical code, and the use of
4999 @code{memq} allows functions with keyword arguments to be nearly
5000 as fast as functions that use @code{&optional} arguments.
5002 The Common Lisp standard (as embodied in Steele's book) uses the
5003 phrase ``it is an error if'' to indicate a situation which is not
5004 supposed to arise in complying programs; implementations are strongly
5005 encouraged but not required to signal an error in these situations.
5006 This package sometimes omits such error checking in the interest of
5007 compactness and efficiency. For example, @code{do} variable
5008 specifiers are supposed to be lists of one, two, or three forms;
5009 extra forms are ignored by this package rather than signaling a
5010 syntax error. The @code{endp} function is simply a synonym for
5011 @code{null} in this package. Functions taking keyword arguments
5012 will accept an odd number of arguments, treating the trailing
5013 keyword as if it were followed by the value @code{nil}.
5015 Argument lists (as processed by @code{defun*} and friends)
5016 @emph{are} checked rigorously except for the minor point just
5017 mentioned; in particular, keyword arguments are checked for
5018 validity, and @code{&allow-other-keys} and @code{:allow-other-keys}
5019 are fully implemented. Keyword validity checking is slightly
5020 time consuming (though not too bad in byte-compiled code);
5021 you can use @code{&allow-other-keys} to omit this check. Functions
5022 defined in this package such as @code{find} and @code{member*}
5023 do check their keyword arguments for validity.
5030 @appendixsec Optimizing Compiler
5033 Use of the optimizing Emacs compiler is highly recommended; many of the Common
5035 code which can be improved by optimization. In particular,
5036 @code{block}s (whether explicit or implicit in constructs like
5037 @code{defun*} and @code{loop}) carry a fair run-time penalty; the
5038 optimizing compiler removes @code{block}s which are not actually
5039 referenced by @code{return} or @code{return-from} inside the block.
5041 @node Common Lisp Compatibility, Old CL Compatibility, Efficiency Concerns, Top
5042 @appendix Common Lisp Compatibility
5045 Following is a list of all known incompatibilities between this
5046 package and Common Lisp as documented in Steele (2nd edition).
5048 Certain function names, such as @code{member}, @code{assoc}, and
5049 @code{floor}, were already taken by (incompatible) Emacs Lisp
5050 functions; this package appends @samp{*} to the names of its
5051 Common Lisp versions of these functions.
5053 The word @code{defun*} is required instead of @code{defun} in order
5054 to use extended Common Lisp argument lists in a function. Likewise,
5055 @code{defmacro*} and @code{function*} are versions of those forms
5056 which understand full-featured argument lists. The @code{&whole}
5057 keyword does not work in @code{defmacro} argument lists (except
5058 inside recursive argument lists).
5060 In order to allow an efficient implementation, keyword arguments use
5061 a slightly cheesy parser which may be confused if a keyword symbol
5062 is passed as the @emph{value} of another keyword argument.
5063 (Specifically, @code{(memq :@var{keyword} @var{rest-of-arguments})}
5064 is used to scan for @code{:@var{keyword}} among the supplied
5067 The @code{eql} and @code{equal} predicates do not distinguish
5068 between IEEE floating-point plus and minus zero. The @code{equalp}
5069 predicate has several differences with Common Lisp; @pxref{Predicates}.
5071 The @code{setf} mechanism is entirely compatible, except that
5072 setf-methods return a list of five values rather than five
5073 values directly. Also, the new ``@code{setf} function'' concept
5074 (typified by @code{(defun (setf foo) @dots{})}) is not implemented.
5076 The @code{do-all-symbols} form is the same as @code{do-symbols}
5077 with no @var{obarray} argument. In Common Lisp, this form would
5078 iterate over all symbols in all packages. Since Emacs obarrays
5079 are not a first-class package mechanism, there is no way for
5080 @code{do-all-symbols} to locate any but the default obarray.
5082 The @code{loop} macro is complete except that @code{loop-finish}
5083 and type specifiers are unimplemented.
5085 The multiple-value return facility treats lists as multiple
5086 values, since Emacs Lisp cannot support multiple return values
5087 directly. The macros will be compatible with Common Lisp if
5088 @code{values} or @code{values-list} is always used to return to
5089 a @code{multiple-value-bind} or other multiple-value receiver;
5090 if @code{values} is used without @code{multiple-value-@dots{}}
5091 or vice-versa the effect will be different from Common Lisp.
5093 Many Common Lisp declarations are ignored, and others match
5094 the Common Lisp standard in concept but not in detail. For
5095 example, local @code{special} declarations, which are purely
5096 advisory in Emacs Lisp, do not rigorously obey the scoping rules
5097 set down in Steele's book.
5099 The variable @code{*gensym-counter*} starts out with a pseudo-random
5100 value rather than with zero. This is to cope with the fact that
5101 generated symbols become interned when they are written to and
5102 loaded back from a file.
5104 The @code{defstruct} facility is compatible, except that structures
5105 are of type @code{:type vector :named} by default rather than some
5106 special, distinct type. Also, the @code{:type} slot option is ignored.
5108 The second argument of @code{check-type} is treated differently.
5110 @node Old CL Compatibility, Porting Common Lisp, Common Lisp Compatibility, Top
5111 @appendix Old CL Compatibility
5114 Following is a list of all known incompatibilities between this package
5115 and the older Quiroz @file{cl.el} package.
5117 This package's emulation of multiple return values in functions is
5118 incompatible with that of the older package. That package attempted
5119 to come as close as possible to true Common Lisp multiple return
5120 values; unfortunately, it could not be 100% reliable and so was prone
5121 to occasional surprises if used freely. This package uses a simpler
5122 method, namely replacing multiple values with lists of values, which
5123 is more predictable though more noticeably different from Common Lisp.
5125 The @code{defkeyword} form and @code{keywordp} function are not
5126 implemented in this package.
5128 The @code{member}, @code{floor}, @code{ceiling}, @code{truncate},
5129 @code{round}, @code{mod}, and @code{rem} functions are suffixed
5130 by @samp{*} in this package to avoid collision with existing
5131 functions in Emacs. The older package simply
5132 redefined these functions, overwriting the built-in meanings and
5133 causing serious portability problems. (Some more
5134 recent versions of the Quiroz package changed the names to
5135 @code{cl-member}, etc.; this package defines the latter names as
5136 aliases for @code{member*}, etc.)
5138 Certain functions in the old package which were buggy or inconsistent
5139 with the Common Lisp standard are incompatible with the conforming
5140 versions in this package. For example, @code{eql} and @code{member}
5141 were synonyms for @code{eq} and @code{memq} in that package, @code{setf}
5142 failed to preserve correct order of evaluation of its arguments, etc.
5144 Finally, unlike the older package, this package is careful to
5145 prefix all of its internal names with @code{cl-}. Except for a
5146 few functions which are explicitly defined as additional features
5147 (such as @code{floatp-safe} and @code{letf}), this package does not
5148 export any non-@samp{cl-} symbols which are not also part of Common
5156 @appendixsec The @code{cl-compat} package
5159 The @dfn{CL} package includes emulations of some features of the
5160 old @file{cl.el}, in the form of a compatibility package
5161 @code{cl-compat}. To use it, put @code{(require 'cl-compat)} in
5164 The old package defined a number of internal routines without
5165 @code{cl-} prefixes or other annotations. Call to these routines
5166 may have crept into existing Lisp code. @code{cl-compat}
5167 provides emulations of the following internal routines:
5168 @code{pair-with-newsyms}, @code{zip-lists}, @code{unzip-lists},
5169 @code{reassemble-arglists}, @code{duplicate-symbols-p},
5172 Some @code{setf} forms translated into calls to internal
5173 functions that user code might call directly. The functions
5174 @code{setnth}, @code{setnthcdr}, and @code{setelt} fall in
5175 this category; they are defined by @code{cl-compat}, but the
5176 best fix is to change to use @code{setf} properly.
5178 The @code{cl-compat} file defines the keyword functions
5179 @code{keywordp}, @code{keyword-of}, and @code{defkeyword},
5180 which are not defined by the new @dfn{CL} package because the
5181 use of keywords as data is discouraged.
5183 The @code{build-klist} mechanism for parsing keyword arguments
5184 is emulated by @code{cl-compat}; the @code{with-keyword-args}
5185 macro is not, however, and in any case it's best to change to
5186 use the more natural keyword argument processing offered by
5189 Multiple return values are treated differently by the two
5190 Common Lisp packages. The old package's method was more
5191 compatible with true Common Lisp, though it used heuristics
5192 that caused it to report spurious multiple return values in
5193 certain cases. The @code{cl-compat} package defines a set
5194 of multiple-value macros that are compatible with the old
5195 CL package; again, they are heuristic in nature, but they
5196 are guaranteed to work in any case where the old package's
5197 macros worked. To avoid name collision with the ``official''
5198 multiple-value facilities, the ones in @code{cl-compat} have
5199 capitalized names: @code{Values}, @code{Values-list},
5200 @code{Multiple-value-bind}, etc.
5202 The functions @code{cl-floor}, @code{cl-ceiling}, @code{cl-truncate},
5203 and @code{cl-round} are defined by @code{cl-compat} to use the
5204 old-style multiple-value mechanism, just as they did in the old
5205 package. The newer @code{floor*} and friends return their two
5206 results in a list rather than as multiple values. Note that
5207 older versions of the old package used the unadorned names
5208 @code{floor}, @code{ceiling}, etc.; @code{cl-compat} cannot use
5209 these names because they conflict with Emacs built-ins.
5211 @node Porting Common Lisp, Function Index, Old CL Compatibility, Top
5212 @appendix Porting Common Lisp
5215 This package is meant to be used as an extension to Emacs Lisp,
5216 not as an Emacs implementation of true Common Lisp. Some of the
5217 remaining differences between Emacs Lisp and Common Lisp make it
5218 difficult to port large Common Lisp applications to Emacs. For
5219 one, some of the features in this package are not fully compliant
5220 with ANSI or Steele; @pxref{Common Lisp Compatibility}. But there
5221 are also quite a few features that this package does not provide
5222 at all. Here are some major omissions that you will want watch out
5223 for when bringing Common Lisp code into Emacs.
5227 Case-insensitivity. Symbols in Common Lisp are case-insensitive
5228 by default. Some programs refer to a function or variable as
5229 @code{foo} in one place and @code{Foo} or @code{FOO} in another.
5230 Emacs Lisp will treat these as three distinct symbols.
5232 Some Common Lisp code is written entirely in upper case. While Emacs
5233 is happy to let the program's own functions and variables use
5234 this convention, calls to Lisp builtins like @code{if} and
5235 @code{defun} will have to be changed to lower case.
5238 Lexical scoping. In Common Lisp, function arguments and @code{let}
5239 bindings apply only to references physically within their bodies
5240 (or within macro expansions in their bodies). Emacs Lisp, by
5241 contrast, uses @dfn{dynamic scoping} wherein a binding to a
5242 variable is visible even inside functions called from the body.
5244 Variables in Common Lisp can be made dynamically scoped by
5245 declaring them @code{special} or using @code{defvar}. In Emacs
5246 Lisp it is as if all variables were declared @code{special}.
5248 Often you can use code that was written for lexical scoping
5249 even in a dynamically scoped Lisp, but not always. Here is
5250 an example of a Common Lisp code fragment that would fail in
5254 (defun map-odd-elements (func list)
5256 for flag = t then (not flag)
5257 collect (if flag x (funcall func x))))
5259 (defun add-odd-elements (list x)
5260 (map-odd-elements (lambda (a) (+ a x))) list)
5264 In Common Lisp, the two functions' usages of @code{x} are completely
5265 independent. In Emacs Lisp, the binding to @code{x} made by
5266 @code{add-odd-elements} will have been hidden by the binding
5267 in @code{map-odd-elements} by the time the @code{(+ a x)} function
5270 (This package avoids such problems in its own mapping functions
5271 by using names like @code{cl-x} instead of @code{x} internally;
5272 as long as you don't use the @code{cl-} prefix for your own
5273 variables no collision can occur.)
5275 @xref{Lexical Bindings}, for a description of the @code{lexical-let}
5276 form which establishes a Common Lisp-style lexical binding, and some
5277 examples of how it differs from Emacs' regular @code{let}.
5280 Reader macros. Common Lisp includes a second type of macro that
5281 works at the level of individual characters. For example, Common
5282 Lisp implements the quote notation by a reader macro called @code{'},
5283 whereas Emacs Lisp's parser just treats quote as a special case.
5284 Some Lisp packages use reader macros to create special syntaxes
5285 for themselves, which the Emacs parser is incapable of reading.
5287 The lack of reader macros, incidentally, is the reason behind
5288 Emacs Lisp's unusual backquote syntax. Since backquotes are
5289 implemented as a Lisp package and not built-in to the Emacs
5290 parser, they are forced to use a regular macro named @code{`}
5291 which is used with the standard function/macro call notation.
5294 Other syntactic features. Common Lisp provides a number of
5295 notations beginning with @code{#} that the Emacs Lisp parser
5296 won't understand. For example, @samp{#| ... |#} is an
5297 alternate comment notation, and @samp{#+lucid (foo)} tells
5298 the parser to ignore the @code{(foo)} except in Lucid Common
5302 Packages. In Common Lisp, symbols are divided into @dfn{packages}.
5303 Symbols that are Lisp built-ins are typically stored in one package;
5304 symbols that are vendor extensions are put in another, and each
5305 application program would have a package for its own symbols.
5306 Certain symbols are ``exported'' by a package and others are
5307 internal; certain packages ``use'' or import the exported symbols
5308 of other packages. To access symbols that would not normally be
5309 visible due to this importing and exporting, Common Lisp provides
5310 a syntax like @code{package:symbol} or @code{package::symbol}.
5312 Emacs Lisp has a single namespace for all interned symbols, and
5313 then uses a naming convention of putting a prefix like @code{cl-}
5314 in front of the name. Some Emacs packages adopt the Common Lisp-like
5315 convention of using @code{cl:} or @code{cl::} as the prefix.
5316 However, the Emacs parser does not understand colons and just
5317 treats them as part of the symbol name. Thus, while @code{mapcar}
5318 and @code{lisp:mapcar} may refer to the same symbol in Common
5319 Lisp, they are totally distinct in Emacs Lisp. Common Lisp
5320 programs which refer to a symbol by the full name sometimes
5321 and the short name other times will not port cleanly to Emacs.
5323 Emacs Lisp does have a concept of ``obarrays,'' which are
5324 package-like collections of symbols, but this feature is not
5325 strong enough to be used as a true package mechanism.
5328 The @code{format} function is quite different between Common
5329 Lisp and Emacs Lisp. It takes an additional ``destination''
5330 argument before the format string. A destination of @code{nil}
5331 means to format to a string as in Emacs Lisp; a destination
5332 of @code{t} means to write to the terminal (similar to
5333 @code{message} in Emacs). Also, format control strings are
5334 utterly different; @code{~} is used instead of @code{%} to
5335 introduce format codes, and the set of available codes is
5336 much richer. There are no notations like @code{\n} for
5337 string literals; instead, @code{format} is used with the
5338 ``newline'' format code, @code{~%}. More advanced formatting
5339 codes provide such features as paragraph filling, case
5340 conversion, and even loops and conditionals.
5342 While it would have been possible to implement most of Common
5343 Lisp @code{format} in this package (under the name @code{format*},
5344 of course), it was not deemed worthwhile. It would have required
5345 a huge amount of code to implement even a decent subset of
5346 @code{format*}, yet the functionality it would provide over
5347 Emacs Lisp's @code{format} would rarely be useful.
5350 Vector constants use square brackets in Emacs Lisp, but
5351 @code{#(a b c)} notation in Common Lisp. To further complicate
5352 matters, Emacs has its own @code{#(} notation for
5353 something entirely different---strings with properties.
5356 Characters are distinct from integers in Common Lisp. The
5357 notation for character constants is also different: @code{#\A}
5358 instead of @code{?A}. Also, @code{string=} and @code{string-equal}
5359 are synonyms in Emacs Lisp whereas the latter is case-insensitive
5363 Data types. Some Common Lisp data types do not exist in Emacs
5364 Lisp. Rational numbers and complex numbers are not present,
5365 nor are large integers (all integers are ``fixnums''). All
5366 arrays are one-dimensional. There are no readtables or pathnames;
5367 streams are a set of existing data types rather than a new data
5368 type of their own. Hash tables, random-states, structures, and
5369 packages (obarrays) are built from Lisp vectors or lists rather
5370 than being distinct types.
5373 The Common Lisp Object System (CLOS) is not implemented,
5374 nor is the Common Lisp Condition System. However, the EIEIO package
5375 from @uref{ftp://ftp.ultranet.com/pub/zappo} does implement some
5379 Common Lisp features that are completely redundant with Emacs
5380 Lisp features of a different name generally have not been
5381 implemented. For example, Common Lisp writes @code{defconstant}
5382 where Emacs Lisp uses @code{defconst}. Similarly, @code{make-list}
5383 takes its arguments in different ways in the two Lisps but does
5384 exactly the same thing, so this package has not bothered to
5385 implement a Common Lisp-style @code{make-list}.
5388 A few more notable Common Lisp features not included in this
5389 package: @code{compiler-let}, @code{tagbody}, @code{prog},
5390 @code{ldb/dpb}, @code{parse-integer}, @code{cerror}.
5393 Recursion. While recursion works in Emacs Lisp just like it
5394 does in Common Lisp, various details of the Emacs Lisp system
5395 and compiler make recursion much less efficient than it is in
5396 most Lisps. Some schools of thought prefer to use recursion
5397 in Lisp over other techniques; they would sum a list of
5398 numbers using something like
5401 (defun sum-list (list)
5403 (+ (car list) (sum-list (cdr list)))
5408 where a more iteratively-minded programmer might write one of
5412 (let ((total 0)) (dolist (x my-list) (incf total x)) total)
5413 (loop for x in my-list sum x)
5416 While this would be mainly a stylistic choice in most Common Lisps,
5417 in Emacs Lisp you should be aware that the iterative forms are
5418 much faster than recursion. Also, Lisp programmers will want to
5419 note that the current Emacs Lisp compiler does not optimize tail
5423 @node Function Index, Variable Index, Porting Common Lisp, Top
5424 @unnumbered Function Index
5428 @node Variable Index, , Function Index, Top
5429 @unnumbered Variable Index
5433 @setchapternewpage odd