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date | Mon, 12 Apr 2004 23:17:27 +0000 |
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6447 | 1 @c -*-texinfo-*- |
2 @c This is part of the GNU Emacs Lisp Reference Manual. | |
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3 @c Copyright (C) 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1998, 1999, 2003 |
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4 @c Free Software Foundation, Inc. |
6447 | 5 @c See the file elisp.texi for copying conditions. |
6 @setfilename ../info/objects | |
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7 @node Lisp Data Types, Numbers, Introduction, Top |
6447 | 8 @chapter Lisp Data Types |
9 @cindex object | |
10 @cindex Lisp object | |
11 @cindex type | |
12 @cindex data type | |
13 | |
14 A Lisp @dfn{object} is a piece of data used and manipulated by Lisp | |
15 programs. For our purposes, a @dfn{type} or @dfn{data type} is a set of | |
16 possible objects. | |
17 | |
18 Every object belongs to at least one type. Objects of the same type | |
19 have similar structures and may usually be used in the same contexts. | |
20 Types can overlap, and objects can belong to two or more types. | |
21 Consequently, we can ask whether an object belongs to a particular type, | |
22 but not for ``the'' type of an object. | |
23 | |
24 @cindex primitive type | |
25 A few fundamental object types are built into Emacs. These, from | |
26188 | 26 which all other types are constructed, are called @dfn{primitive types}. |
27 Each object belongs to one and only one primitive type. These types | |
28 include @dfn{integer}, @dfn{float}, @dfn{cons}, @dfn{symbol}, | |
29 @dfn{string}, @dfn{vector}, @dfn{hash-table}, @dfn{subr}, and | |
30 @dfn{byte-code function}, plus several special types, such as | |
31 @dfn{buffer}, that are related to editing. (@xref{Editing Types}.) | |
6447 | 32 |
33 Each primitive type has a corresponding Lisp function that checks | |
34 whether an object is a member of that type. | |
35 | |
36 Note that Lisp is unlike many other languages in that Lisp objects are | |
37 @dfn{self-typing}: the primitive type of the object is implicit in the | |
38 object itself. For example, if an object is a vector, nothing can treat | |
39 it as a number; Lisp knows it is a vector, not a number. | |
40 | |
41 In most languages, the programmer must declare the data type of each | |
42 variable, and the type is known by the compiler but not represented in | |
43 the data. Such type declarations do not exist in Emacs Lisp. A Lisp | |
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44 variable can have any type of value, and it remembers whatever value |
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45 you store in it, type and all. |
6447 | 46 |
47 This chapter describes the purpose, printed representation, and read | |
48 syntax of each of the standard types in GNU Emacs Lisp. Details on how | |
49 to use these types can be found in later chapters. | |
50 | |
51 @menu | |
52 * Printed Representation:: How Lisp objects are represented as text. | |
53 * Comments:: Comments and their formatting conventions. | |
54 * Programming Types:: Types found in all Lisp systems. | |
55 * Editing Types:: Types specific to Emacs. | |
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56 * Circular Objects:: Read syntax for circular structure. |
6447 | 57 * Type Predicates:: Tests related to types. |
58 * Equality Predicates:: Tests of equality between any two objects. | |
59 @end menu | |
60 | |
61 @node Printed Representation | |
62 @comment node-name, next, previous, up | |
63 @section Printed Representation and Read Syntax | |
64 @cindex printed representation | |
65 @cindex read syntax | |
66 | |
67 The @dfn{printed representation} of an object is the format of the | |
68 output generated by the Lisp printer (the function @code{prin1}) for | |
69 that object. The @dfn{read syntax} of an object is the format of the | |
70 input accepted by the Lisp reader (the function @code{read}) for that | |
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71 object. @xref{Read and Print}. |
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72 |
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73 Most objects have more than one possible read syntax. Some types of |
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74 object have no read syntax, since it may not make sense to enter objects |
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75 of these types directly in a Lisp program. Except for these cases, the |
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76 printed representation of an object is also a read syntax for it. |
6447 | 77 |
78 In other languages, an expression is text; it has no other form. In | |
79 Lisp, an expression is primarily a Lisp object and only secondarily the | |
80 text that is the object's read syntax. Often there is no need to | |
81 emphasize this distinction, but you must keep it in the back of your | |
82 mind, or you will occasionally be very confused. | |
83 | |
84 @cindex hash notation | |
85 Every type has a printed representation. Some types have no read | |
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86 syntax---for example, the buffer type has none. Objects of these types |
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87 are printed in @dfn{hash notation}: the characters @samp{#<} followed by |
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88 a descriptive string (typically the type name followed by the name of |
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89 the object), and closed with a matching @samp{>}. Hash notation cannot |
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90 be read at all, so the Lisp reader signals the error |
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91 @code{invalid-read-syntax} whenever it encounters @samp{#<}. |
6447 | 92 @kindex invalid-read-syntax |
93 | |
94 @example | |
95 (current-buffer) | |
96 @result{} #<buffer objects.texi> | |
97 @end example | |
98 | |
99 When you evaluate an expression interactively, the Lisp interpreter | |
100 first reads the textual representation of it, producing a Lisp object, | |
101 and then evaluates that object (@pxref{Evaluation}). However, | |
102 evaluation and reading are separate activities. Reading returns the | |
103 Lisp object represented by the text that is read; the object may or may | |
104 not be evaluated later. @xref{Input Functions}, for a description of | |
105 @code{read}, the basic function for reading objects. | |
106 | |
107 @node Comments | |
108 @comment node-name, next, previous, up | |
109 @section Comments | |
110 @cindex comments | |
111 @cindex @samp{;} in comment | |
112 | |
113 A @dfn{comment} is text that is written in a program only for the sake | |
114 of humans that read the program, and that has no effect on the meaning | |
115 of the program. In Lisp, a semicolon (@samp{;}) starts a comment if it | |
116 is not within a string or character constant. The comment continues to | |
117 the end of line. The Lisp reader discards comments; they do not become | |
118 part of the Lisp objects which represent the program within the Lisp | |
119 system. | |
120 | |
12098 | 121 The @samp{#@@@var{count}} construct, which skips the next @var{count} |
122 characters, is useful for program-generated comments containing binary | |
123 data. The Emacs Lisp byte compiler uses this in its output files | |
124 (@pxref{Byte Compilation}). It isn't meant for source files, however. | |
125 | |
6447 | 126 @xref{Comment Tips}, for conventions for formatting comments. |
127 | |
128 @node Programming Types | |
129 @section Programming Types | |
130 @cindex programming types | |
131 | |
132 There are two general categories of types in Emacs Lisp: those having | |
133 to do with Lisp programming, and those having to do with editing. The | |
134 former exist in many Lisp implementations, in one form or another. The | |
135 latter are unique to Emacs Lisp. | |
136 | |
137 @menu | |
138 * Integer Type:: Numbers without fractional parts. | |
139 * Floating Point Type:: Numbers with fractional parts and with a large range. | |
140 * Character Type:: The representation of letters, numbers and | |
141 control characters. | |
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142 * Symbol Type:: A multi-use object that refers to a function, |
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143 variable, or property list, and has a unique identity. |
6447 | 144 * Sequence Type:: Both lists and arrays are classified as sequences. |
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145 * Cons Cell Type:: Cons cells, and lists (which are made from cons cells). |
6447 | 146 * Array Type:: Arrays include strings and vectors. |
147 * String Type:: An (efficient) array of characters. | |
148 * Vector Type:: One-dimensional arrays. | |
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149 * Char-Table Type:: One-dimensional sparse arrays indexed by characters. |
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150 * Bool-Vector Type:: One-dimensional arrays of @code{t} or @code{nil}. |
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151 * Hash Table Type:: Super-fast lookup tables. |
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152 * Function Type:: A piece of executable code you can call from elsewhere. |
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153 * Macro Type:: A method of expanding an expression into another |
6447 | 154 expression, more fundamental but less pretty. |
155 * Primitive Function Type:: A function written in C, callable from Lisp. | |
156 * Byte-Code Type:: A function written in Lisp, then compiled. | |
157 * Autoload Type:: A type used for automatically loading seldom-used | |
158 functions. | |
159 @end menu | |
160 | |
161 @node Integer Type | |
162 @subsection Integer Type | |
163 | |
10559 | 164 The range of values for integers in Emacs Lisp is @minus{}134217728 to |
165 134217727 (28 bits; i.e., | |
27193 | 166 @ifnottex |
10559 | 167 -2**27 |
27193 | 168 @end ifnottex |
6447 | 169 @tex |
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170 @math{-2^{27}} |
6447 | 171 @end tex |
172 to | |
27193 | 173 @ifnottex |
10559 | 174 2**27 - 1) |
27193 | 175 @end ifnottex |
6447 | 176 @tex |
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177 @math{2^{28}-1}) |
6447 | 178 @end tex |
10559 | 179 on most machines. (Some machines may provide a wider range.) It is |
180 important to note that the Emacs Lisp arithmetic functions do not check | |
181 for overflow. Thus @code{(1+ 134217727)} is @minus{}134217728 on most | |
182 machines. | |
6447 | 183 |
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184 The read syntax for integers is a sequence of (base ten) digits with an |
6447 | 185 optional sign at the beginning and an optional period at the end. The |
186 printed representation produced by the Lisp interpreter never has a | |
187 leading @samp{+} or a final @samp{.}. | |
188 | |
189 @example | |
190 @group | |
191 -1 ; @r{The integer -1.} | |
192 1 ; @r{The integer 1.} | |
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193 1. ; @r{Also the integer 1.} |
6447 | 194 +1 ; @r{Also the integer 1.} |
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195 268435457 ; @r{Also the integer 1 on a 28-bit implementation.} |
6447 | 196 @end group |
197 @end example | |
198 | |
199 @xref{Numbers}, for more information. | |
200 | |
201 @node Floating Point Type | |
202 @subsection Floating Point Type | |
203 | |
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204 Floating point numbers are the computer equivalent of scientific |
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205 notation. The precise number of significant figures and the range of |
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206 possible exponents is machine-specific; Emacs always uses the C data |
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207 type @code{double} to store the value. |
6447 | 208 |
209 The printed representation for floating point numbers requires either | |
210 a decimal point (with at least one digit following), an exponent, or | |
211 both. For example, @samp{1500.0}, @samp{15e2}, @samp{15.0e2}, | |
212 @samp{1.5e3}, and @samp{.15e4} are five ways of writing a floating point | |
213 number whose value is 1500. They are all equivalent. | |
214 | |
215 @xref{Numbers}, for more information. | |
216 | |
217 @node Character Type | |
218 @subsection Character Type | |
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219 @cindex @sc{ascii} character codes |
6447 | 220 |
221 A @dfn{character} in Emacs Lisp is nothing more than an integer. In | |
222 other words, characters are represented by their character codes. For | |
223 example, the character @kbd{A} is represented as the @w{integer 65}. | |
224 | |
225 Individual characters are not often used in programs. It is far more | |
226 common to work with @emph{strings}, which are sequences composed of | |
227 characters. @xref{String Type}. | |
228 | |
229 Characters in strings, buffers, and files are currently limited to the | |
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230 range of 0 to 524287---nineteen bits. But not all values in that range |
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231 are valid character codes. Codes 0 through 127 are @sc{ascii} codes; the |
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232 rest are non-@sc{ascii} (@pxref{Non-ASCII Characters}). Characters that represent |
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233 keyboard input have a much wider range, to encode modifier keys such as |
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234 Control, Meta and Shift. |
6447 | 235 |
236 @cindex read syntax for characters | |
237 @cindex printed representation for characters | |
238 @cindex syntax for characters | |
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239 @cindex @samp{?} in character constant |
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240 @cindex question mark in character constant |
6447 | 241 Since characters are really integers, the printed representation of a |
242 character is a decimal number. This is also a possible read syntax for | |
243 a character, but writing characters that way in Lisp programs is a very | |
244 bad idea. You should @emph{always} use the special read syntax formats | |
245 that Emacs Lisp provides for characters. These syntax formats start | |
246 with a question mark. | |
247 | |
248 The usual read syntax for alphanumeric characters is a question mark | |
249 followed by the character; thus, @samp{?A} for the character | |
250 @kbd{A}, @samp{?B} for the character @kbd{B}, and @samp{?a} for the | |
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251 character @kbd{a}. |
6447 | 252 |
253 For example: | |
254 | |
255 @example | |
256 ?Q @result{} 81 ?q @result{} 113 | |
257 @end example | |
258 | |
259 You can use the same syntax for punctuation characters, but it is | |
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260 often a good idea to add a @samp{\} so that the Emacs commands for |
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261 editing Lisp code don't get confused. For example, @samp{?\(} is the |
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262 way to write the open-paren character. If the character is @samp{\}, |
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263 you @emph{must} use a second @samp{\} to quote it: @samp{?\\}. |
6447 | 264 |
265 @cindex whitespace | |
266 @cindex bell character | |
267 @cindex @samp{\a} | |
268 @cindex backspace | |
269 @cindex @samp{\b} | |
270 @cindex tab | |
271 @cindex @samp{\t} | |
272 @cindex vertical tab | |
273 @cindex @samp{\v} | |
274 @cindex formfeed | |
275 @cindex @samp{\f} | |
276 @cindex newline | |
277 @cindex @samp{\n} | |
278 @cindex return | |
279 @cindex @samp{\r} | |
280 @cindex escape | |
281 @cindex @samp{\e} | |
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282 @cindex space |
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283 @cindex @samp{\s} |
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284 You can express the characters control-g, backspace, tab, newline, |
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285 vertical tab, formfeed, space, return, del, and escape as @samp{?\a}, |
37418 | 286 @samp{?\b}, @samp{?\t}, @samp{?\n}, @samp{?\v}, @samp{?\f}, |
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287 @samp{?\s}, @samp{?\r}, @samp{?\d}, and @samp{?\e}, respectively. |
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288 Thus, |
6447 | 289 |
290 @example | |
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291 ?\a @result{} 7 ; @r{control-g, @kbd{C-g}} |
6447 | 292 ?\b @result{} 8 ; @r{backspace, @key{BS}, @kbd{C-h}} |
293 ?\t @result{} 9 ; @r{tab, @key{TAB}, @kbd{C-i}} | |
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294 ?\n @result{} 10 ; @r{newline, @kbd{C-j}} |
6447 | 295 ?\v @result{} 11 ; @r{vertical tab, @kbd{C-k}} |
296 ?\f @result{} 12 ; @r{formfeed character, @kbd{C-l}} | |
297 ?\r @result{} 13 ; @r{carriage return, @key{RET}, @kbd{C-m}} | |
298 ?\e @result{} 27 ; @r{escape character, @key{ESC}, @kbd{C-[}} | |
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299 ?\s @result{} 32 ; @r{space character, @key{SPC}} |
6447 | 300 ?\\ @result{} 92 ; @r{backslash character, @kbd{\}} |
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301 ?\d @result{} 127 ; @r{delete character, @key{DEL}} |
6447 | 302 @end example |
303 | |
304 @cindex escape sequence | |
305 These sequences which start with backslash are also known as | |
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306 @dfn{escape sequences}, because backslash plays the role of an |
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307 ``escape character''; this terminology has nothing to do with the |
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308 character @key{ESC}. @samp{\s} is meant for use only in character |
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309 constants; in string constants, just write the space. |
6447 | 310 |
311 @cindex control characters | |
312 Control characters may be represented using yet another read syntax. | |
313 This consists of a question mark followed by a backslash, caret, and the | |
314 corresponding non-control character, in either upper or lower case. For | |
315 example, both @samp{?\^I} and @samp{?\^i} are valid read syntax for the | |
316 character @kbd{C-i}, the character whose value is 9. | |
317 | |
318 Instead of the @samp{^}, you can use @samp{C-}; thus, @samp{?\C-i} is | |
319 equivalent to @samp{?\^I} and to @samp{?\^i}: | |
320 | |
321 @example | |
322 ?\^I @result{} 9 ?\C-I @result{} 9 | |
323 @end example | |
324 | |
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325 In strings and buffers, the only control characters allowed are those |
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326 that exist in @sc{ascii}; but for keyboard input purposes, you can turn |
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327 any character into a control character with @samp{C-}. The character |
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328 codes for these non-@sc{ascii} control characters include the |
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329 @tex |
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330 @math{2^{26}} |
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331 @end tex |
27193 | 332 @ifnottex |
12098 | 333 2**26 |
27193 | 334 @end ifnottex |
12098 | 335 bit as well as the code for the corresponding non-control |
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336 character. Ordinary terminals have no way of generating non-@sc{ascii} |
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337 control characters, but you can generate them straightforwardly using X |
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338 and other window systems. |
6447 | 339 |
12098 | 340 For historical reasons, Emacs treats the @key{DEL} character as |
341 the control equivalent of @kbd{?}: | |
6447 | 342 |
343 @example | |
344 ?\^? @result{} 127 ?\C-? @result{} 127 | |
345 @end example | |
346 | |
12098 | 347 @noindent |
348 As a result, it is currently not possible to represent the character | |
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349 @kbd{Control-?}, which is a meaningful input character under X, using |
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350 @samp{\C-}. It is not easy to change this, as various Lisp files refer |
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351 to @key{DEL} in this way. |
12098 | 352 |
6447 | 353 For representing control characters to be found in files or strings, |
354 we recommend the @samp{^} syntax; for control characters in keyboard | |
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355 input, we prefer the @samp{C-} syntax. Which one you use does not |
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356 affect the meaning of the program, but may guide the understanding of |
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357 people who read it. |
6447 | 358 |
359 @cindex meta characters | |
360 A @dfn{meta character} is a character typed with the @key{META} | |
361 modifier key. The integer that represents such a character has the | |
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362 @tex |
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363 @math{2^{27}} |
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364 @end tex |
27193 | 365 @ifnottex |
12098 | 366 2**27 |
27193 | 367 @end ifnottex |
12098 | 368 bit set (which on most machines makes it a negative number). We |
6447 | 369 use high bits for this and other modifiers to make possible a wide range |
370 of basic character codes. | |
371 | |
12098 | 372 In a string, the |
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373 @tex |
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374 @math{2^{7}} |
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375 @end tex |
27193 | 376 @ifnottex |
12098 | 377 2**7 |
27193 | 378 @end ifnottex |
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379 bit attached to an @sc{ascii} character indicates a meta character; thus, the |
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380 meta characters that can fit in a string have codes in the range from |
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381 128 to 255, and are the meta versions of the ordinary @sc{ascii} |
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382 characters. (In Emacs versions 18 and older, this convention was used |
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383 for characters outside of strings as well.) |
6447 | 384 |
385 The read syntax for meta characters uses @samp{\M-}. For example, | |
386 @samp{?\M-A} stands for @kbd{M-A}. You can use @samp{\M-} together with | |
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387 octal character codes (see below), with @samp{\C-}, or with any other |
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388 syntax for a character. Thus, you can write @kbd{M-A} as @samp{?\M-A}, |
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389 or as @samp{?\M-\101}. Likewise, you can write @kbd{C-M-b} as |
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390 @samp{?\M-\C-b}, @samp{?\C-\M-b}, or @samp{?\M-\002}. |
6447 | 391 |
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392 The case of a graphic character is indicated by its character code; |
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393 for example, @sc{ascii} distinguishes between the characters @samp{a} |
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394 and @samp{A}. But @sc{ascii} has no way to represent whether a control |
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395 character is upper case or lower case. Emacs uses the |
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396 @tex |
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397 @math{2^{25}} |
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398 @end tex |
27193 | 399 @ifnottex |
12098 | 400 2**25 |
27193 | 401 @end ifnottex |
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402 bit to indicate that the shift key was used in typing a control |
12098 | 403 character. This distinction is possible only when you use X terminals |
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404 or other special terminals; ordinary terminals do not report the |
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405 distinction to the computer in any way. The Lisp syntax for |
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406 the shift bit is @samp{\S-}; thus, @samp{?\C-\S-o} or @samp{?\C-\S-O} |
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407 represents the shifted-control-o character. |
6447 | 408 |
409 @cindex hyper characters | |
410 @cindex super characters | |
411 @cindex alt characters | |
88123 | 412 The X Window System defines three other modifier bits that can be set |
6447 | 413 in a character: @dfn{hyper}, @dfn{super} and @dfn{alt}. The syntaxes |
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414 for these bits are @samp{\H-}, @samp{\s-} and @samp{\A-}. (Case is |
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415 significant in these prefixes.) Thus, @samp{?\H-\M-\A-x} represents |
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416 @kbd{Alt-Hyper-Meta-x}. (Note that @samp{\s} with no following @samp{-} |
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417 represents the space character.) |
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418 @tex |
12098 | 419 Numerically, the |
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420 bit values are @math{2^{22}} for alt, @math{2^{23}} for super and @math{2^{24}} for hyper. |
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421 @end tex |
27193 | 422 @ifnottex |
12098 | 423 Numerically, the |
424 bit values are 2**22 for alt, 2**23 for super and 2**24 for hyper. | |
27193 | 425 @end ifnottex |
6447 | 426 |
427 @cindex @samp{\} in character constant | |
428 @cindex backslash in character constant | |
429 @cindex octal character code | |
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430 Finally, the most general read syntax for a character represents the |
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431 character code in either octal or hex. To use octal, write a question |
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432 mark followed by a backslash and the octal character code (up to three |
6447 | 433 octal digits); thus, @samp{?\101} for the character @kbd{A}, |
434 @samp{?\001} for the character @kbd{C-a}, and @code{?\002} for the | |
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435 character @kbd{C-b}. Although this syntax can represent any @sc{ascii} |
6447 | 436 character, it is preferred only when the precise octal value is more |
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437 important than the @sc{ascii} representation. |
6447 | 438 |
439 @example | |
440 @group | |
441 ?\012 @result{} 10 ?\n @result{} 10 ?\C-j @result{} 10 | |
442 ?\101 @result{} 65 ?A @result{} 65 | |
443 @end group | |
444 @end example | |
445 | |
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446 To use hex, write a question mark followed by a backslash, @samp{x}, |
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447 and the hexadecimal character code. You can use any number of hex |
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448 digits, so you can represent any character code in this way. |
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449 Thus, @samp{?\x41} for the character @kbd{A}, @samp{?\x1} for the |
35477 | 450 character @kbd{C-a}, and @code{?\x8e0} for the Latin-1 character |
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451 @iftex |
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452 @samp{@`a}. |
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453 @end iftex |
27193 | 454 @ifnottex |
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455 @samp{a} with grave accent. |
27193 | 456 @end ifnottex |
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457 |
6447 | 458 A backslash is allowed, and harmless, preceding any character without |
459 a special escape meaning; thus, @samp{?\+} is equivalent to @samp{?+}. | |
460 There is no reason to add a backslash before most characters. However, | |
461 you should add a backslash before any of the characters | |
462 @samp{()\|;'`"#.,} to avoid confusing the Emacs commands for editing | |
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463 Lisp code. You can also add a backslash before whitespace characters such as |
6447 | 464 space, tab, newline and formfeed. However, it is cleaner to use one of |
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465 the easily readable escape sequences, such as @samp{\t} or @samp{\s}, |
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466 instead of an actual whitespace character such as a tab or a space. |
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467 (If you do write backslash followed by a space, you should write |
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468 an extra space after the character constant to separate it from the |
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469 following text.) |
6447 | 470 |
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471 @node Symbol Type |
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472 @subsection Symbol Type |
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473 |
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474 A @dfn{symbol} in GNU Emacs Lisp is an object with a name. The symbol |
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475 name serves as the printed representation of the symbol. In ordinary |
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476 use, the name is unique---no two symbols have the same name. |
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477 |
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478 A symbol can serve as a variable, as a function name, or to hold a |
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479 property list. Or it may serve only to be distinct from all other Lisp |
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480 objects, so that its presence in a data structure may be recognized |
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481 reliably. In a given context, usually only one of these uses is |
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482 intended. But you can use one symbol in all of these ways, |
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483 independently. |
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484 |
26188 | 485 A symbol whose name starts with a colon (@samp{:}) is called a |
486 @dfn{keyword symbol}. These symbols automatically act as constants, and | |
487 are normally used only by comparing an unknown symbol with a few | |
488 specific alternatives. | |
489 | |
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490 @cindex @samp{\} in symbols |
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491 @cindex backslash in symbols |
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492 A symbol name can contain any characters whatever. Most symbol names |
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493 are written with letters, digits, and the punctuation characters |
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494 @samp{-+=*/}. Such names require no special punctuation; the characters |
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495 of the name suffice as long as the name does not look like a number. |
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496 (If it does, write a @samp{\} at the beginning of the name to force |
31561 | 497 interpretation as a symbol.) The characters @samp{_~!@@$%^&:<>@{@}?} are |
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498 less often used but also require no special punctuation. Any other |
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499 characters may be included in a symbol's name by escaping them with a |
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500 backslash. In contrast to its use in strings, however, a backslash in |
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501 the name of a symbol simply quotes the single character that follows the |
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502 backslash. For example, in a string, @samp{\t} represents a tab |
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503 character; in the name of a symbol, however, @samp{\t} merely quotes the |
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504 letter @samp{t}. To have a symbol with a tab character in its name, you |
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505 must actually use a tab (preceded with a backslash). But it's rare to |
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506 do such a thing. |
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507 |
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508 @cindex CL note---case of letters |
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509 @quotation |
7734 | 510 @b{Common Lisp note:} In Common Lisp, lower case letters are always |
12098 | 511 ``folded'' to upper case, unless they are explicitly escaped. In Emacs |
512 Lisp, upper case and lower case letters are distinct. | |
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513 @end quotation |
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514 |
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515 Here are several examples of symbol names. Note that the @samp{+} in |
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516 the fifth example is escaped to prevent it from being read as a number. |
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517 This is not necessary in the seventh example because the rest of the name |
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518 makes it invalid as a number. |
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519 |
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520 @example |
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521 @group |
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522 foo ; @r{A symbol named @samp{foo}.} |
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523 FOO ; @r{A symbol named @samp{FOO}, different from @samp{foo}.} |
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524 char-to-string ; @r{A symbol named @samp{char-to-string}.} |
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525 @end group |
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526 @group |
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527 1+ ; @r{A symbol named @samp{1+}} |
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528 ; @r{(not @samp{+1}, which is an integer).} |
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529 @end group |
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530 @group |
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531 \+1 ; @r{A symbol named @samp{+1}} |
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532 ; @r{(not a very readable name).} |
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533 @end group |
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534 @group |
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535 \(*\ 1\ 2\) ; @r{A symbol named @samp{(* 1 2)} (a worse name).} |
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536 @c the @'s in this next line use up three characters, hence the |
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537 @c apparent misalignment of the comment. |
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538 +-*/_~!@@$%^&=:<>@{@} ; @r{A symbol named @samp{+-*/_~!@@$%^&=:<>@{@}}.} |
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539 ; @r{These characters need not be escaped.} |
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540 @end group |
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541 @end example |
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542 |
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543 @ifinfo |
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544 @c This uses ``colon'' instead of a literal `:' because Info cannot |
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545 @c cope with a `:' in a menu |
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546 @cindex @samp{#@var{colon}} read syntax |
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547 @end ifinfo |
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548 @ifnotinfo |
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549 @cindex @samp{#:} read syntax |
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550 @end ifnotinfo |
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551 Normally the Lisp reader interns all symbols (@pxref{Creating |
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552 Symbols}). To prevent interning, you can write @samp{#:} before the |
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553 name of the symbol. |
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554 |
6447 | 555 @node Sequence Type |
556 @subsection Sequence Types | |
557 | |
558 A @dfn{sequence} is a Lisp object that represents an ordered set of | |
559 elements. There are two kinds of sequence in Emacs Lisp, lists and | |
560 arrays. Thus, an object of type list or of type array is also | |
561 considered a sequence. | |
562 | |
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563 Arrays are further subdivided into strings, vectors, char-tables and |
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564 bool-vectors. Vectors can hold elements of any type, but string |
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565 elements must be characters, and bool-vector elements must be @code{t} |
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566 or @code{nil}. Char-tables are like vectors except that they are |
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567 indexed by any valid character code. The characters in a string can |
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568 have text properties like characters in a buffer (@pxref{Text |
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569 Properties}), but vectors do not support text properties, even when |
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570 their elements happen to be characters. |
6447 | 571 |
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572 Lists, strings and the other array types are different, but they have |
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573 important similarities. For example, all have a length @var{l}, and all |
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574 have elements which can be indexed from zero to @var{l} minus one. |
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575 Several functions, called sequence functions, accept any kind of |
6447 | 576 sequence. For example, the function @code{elt} can be used to extract |
577 an element of a sequence, given its index. @xref{Sequences Arrays | |
578 Vectors}. | |
579 | |
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580 It is generally impossible to read the same sequence twice, since |
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581 sequences are always created anew upon reading. If you read the read |
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582 syntax for a sequence twice, you get two sequences with equal contents. |
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583 There is one exception: the empty list @code{()} always stands for the |
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584 same object, @code{nil}. |
6447 | 585 |
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586 @node Cons Cell Type |
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587 @subsection Cons Cell and List Types |
6447 | 588 @cindex address field of register |
589 @cindex decrement field of register | |
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590 @cindex pointers |
6447 | 591 |
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592 A @dfn{cons cell} is an object that consists of two slots, called the |
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593 @sc{car} slot and the @sc{cdr} slot. Each slot can @dfn{hold} or |
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594 @dfn{refer to} any Lisp object. We also say that ``the @sc{car} of |
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595 this cons cell is'' whatever object its @sc{car} slot currently holds, |
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596 and likewise for the @sc{cdr}. |
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597 |
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598 @quotation |
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599 A note to C programmers: in Lisp, we do not distinguish between |
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600 ``holding'' a value and ``pointing to'' the value, because pointers in |
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601 Lisp are implicit. |
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602 @end quotation |
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603 |
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604 A @dfn{list} is a series of cons cells, linked together so that the |
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605 @sc{cdr} slot of each cons cell holds either the next cons cell or the |
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606 empty list. @xref{Lists}, for functions that work on lists. Because |
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607 most cons cells are used as part of lists, the phrase @dfn{list |
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608 structure} has come to refer to any structure made out of cons cells. |
6447 | 609 |
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610 The names @sc{car} and @sc{cdr} derive from the history of Lisp. The |
6447 | 611 original Lisp implementation ran on an @w{IBM 704} computer which |
612 divided words into two parts, called the ``address'' part and the | |
613 ``decrement''; @sc{car} was an instruction to extract the contents of | |
614 the address part of a register, and @sc{cdr} an instruction to extract | |
615 the contents of the decrement. By contrast, ``cons cells'' are named | |
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616 for the function @code{cons} that creates them, which in turn was named |
6447 | 617 for its purpose, the construction of cells. |
618 | |
619 @cindex atom | |
620 Because cons cells are so central to Lisp, we also have a word for | |
621 ``an object which is not a cons cell''. These objects are called | |
622 @dfn{atoms}. | |
623 | |
624 @cindex parenthesis | |
625 The read syntax and printed representation for lists are identical, and | |
626 consist of a left parenthesis, an arbitrary number of elements, and a | |
627 right parenthesis. | |
628 | |
629 Upon reading, each object inside the parentheses becomes an element | |
630 of the list. That is, a cons cell is made for each element. The | |
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631 @sc{car} slot of the cons cell holds the element, and its @sc{cdr} |
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632 slot refers to the next cons cell of the list, which holds the next |
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633 element in the list. The @sc{cdr} slot of the last cons cell is set to |
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634 hold @code{nil}. |
6447 | 635 |
636 @cindex box diagrams, for lists | |
637 @cindex diagrams, boxed, for lists | |
638 A list can be illustrated by a diagram in which the cons cells are | |
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639 shown as pairs of boxes, like dominoes. (The Lisp reader cannot read |
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640 such an illustration; unlike the textual notation, which can be |
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641 understood by both humans and computers, the box illustrations can be |
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642 understood only by humans.) This picture represents the three-element |
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643 list @code{(rose violet buttercup)}: |
6447 | 644 |
645 @example | |
646 @group | |
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647 --- --- --- --- --- --- |
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648 | | |--> | | |--> | | |--> nil |
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649 --- --- --- --- --- --- |
6447 | 650 | | | |
651 | | | | |
652 --> rose --> violet --> buttercup | |
653 @end group | |
654 @end example | |
655 | |
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656 In this diagram, each box represents a slot that can hold or refer to |
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657 any Lisp object. Each pair of boxes represents a cons cell. Each arrow |
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658 represents a reference to a Lisp object, either an atom or another cons |
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659 cell. |
6447 | 660 |
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661 In this example, the first box, which holds the @sc{car} of the first |
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662 cons cell, refers to or ``holds'' @code{rose} (a symbol). The second |
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663 box, holding the @sc{cdr} of the first cons cell, refers to the next |
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664 pair of boxes, the second cons cell. The @sc{car} of the second cons |
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665 cell is @code{violet}, and its @sc{cdr} is the third cons cell. The |
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666 @sc{cdr} of the third (and last) cons cell is @code{nil}. |
6447 | 667 |
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668 Here is another diagram of the same list, @code{(rose violet |
6447 | 669 buttercup)}, sketched in a different manner: |
670 | |
671 @smallexample | |
672 @group | |
673 --------------- ---------------- ------------------- | |
674 | car | cdr | | car | cdr | | car | cdr | | |
675 | rose | o-------->| violet | o-------->| buttercup | nil | | |
676 | | | | | | | | | | |
677 --------------- ---------------- ------------------- | |
678 @end group | |
679 @end smallexample | |
680 | |
681 @cindex @samp{(@dots{})} in lists | |
682 @cindex @code{nil} in lists | |
683 @cindex empty list | |
684 A list with no elements in it is the @dfn{empty list}; it is identical | |
685 to the symbol @code{nil}. In other words, @code{nil} is both a symbol | |
686 and a list. | |
687 | |
688 Here are examples of lists written in Lisp syntax: | |
689 | |
690 @example | |
691 (A 2 "A") ; @r{A list of three elements.} | |
692 () ; @r{A list of no elements (the empty list).} | |
693 nil ; @r{A list of no elements (the empty list).} | |
694 ("A ()") ; @r{A list of one element: the string @code{"A ()"}.} | |
695 (A ()) ; @r{A list of two elements: @code{A} and the empty list.} | |
696 (A nil) ; @r{Equivalent to the previous.} | |
697 ((A B C)) ; @r{A list of one element} | |
698 ; @r{(which is a list of three elements).} | |
699 @end example | |
700 | |
701 Here is the list @code{(A ())}, or equivalently @code{(A nil)}, | |
702 depicted with boxes and arrows: | |
703 | |
704 @example | |
705 @group | |
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706 --- --- --- --- |
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707 | | |--> | | |--> nil |
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708 --- --- --- --- |
6447 | 709 | | |
710 | | | |
711 --> A --> nil | |
712 @end group | |
713 @end example | |
714 | |
715 @menu | |
716 * Dotted Pair Notation:: An alternative syntax for lists. | |
717 * Association List Type:: A specially constructed list. | |
718 @end menu | |
719 | |
720 @node Dotted Pair Notation | |
721 @comment node-name, next, previous, up | |
722 @subsubsection Dotted Pair Notation | |
723 @cindex dotted pair notation | |
724 @cindex @samp{.} in lists | |
725 | |
726 @dfn{Dotted pair notation} is an alternative syntax for cons cells | |
727 that represents the @sc{car} and @sc{cdr} explicitly. In this syntax, | |
728 @code{(@var{a} .@: @var{b})} stands for a cons cell whose @sc{car} is | |
729 the object @var{a}, and whose @sc{cdr} is the object @var{b}. Dotted | |
730 pair notation is therefore more general than list syntax. In the dotted | |
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731 pair notation, the list @samp{(1 2 3)} is written as @samp{(1 . (2 . (3 |
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732 . nil)))}. For @code{nil}-terminated lists, you can use either |
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733 notation, but list notation is usually clearer and more convenient. |
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734 When printing a list, the dotted pair notation is only used if the |
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735 @sc{cdr} of a cons cell is not a list. |
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737 Here's an example using boxes to illustrate dotted pair notation. |
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738 This example shows the pair @code{(rose . violet)}: |
6447 | 739 |
740 @example | |
741 @group | |
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742 --- --- |
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743 | | |--> violet |
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744 --- --- |
6447 | 745 | |
746 | | |
747 --> rose | |
748 @end group | |
749 @end example | |
750 | |
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751 You can combine dotted pair notation with list notation to represent |
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752 conveniently a chain of cons cells with a non-@code{nil} final @sc{cdr}. |
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753 You write a dot after the last element of the list, followed by the |
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754 @sc{cdr} of the final cons cell. For example, @code{(rose violet |
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755 . buttercup)} is equivalent to @code{(rose . (violet . buttercup))}. |
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756 The object looks like this: |
6447 | 757 |
758 @example | |
759 @group | |
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760 --- --- --- --- |
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761 | | |--> | | |--> buttercup |
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762 --- --- --- --- |
6447 | 763 | | |
764 | | | |
765 --> rose --> violet | |
766 @end group | |
767 @end example | |
768 | |
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769 The syntax @code{(rose .@: violet .@: buttercup)} is invalid because |
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770 there is nothing that it could mean. If anything, it would say to put |
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771 @code{buttercup} in the @sc{cdr} of a cons cell whose @sc{cdr} is already |
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772 used for @code{violet}. |
6447 | 773 |
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774 The list @code{(rose violet)} is equivalent to @code{(rose . (violet))}, |
6447 | 775 and looks like this: |
776 | |
777 @example | |
778 @group | |
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779 --- --- --- --- |
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780 | | |--> | | |--> nil |
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781 --- --- --- --- |
6447 | 782 | | |
783 | | | |
784 --> rose --> violet | |
785 @end group | |
786 @end example | |
787 | |
788 Similarly, the three-element list @code{(rose violet buttercup)} | |
789 is equivalent to @code{(rose . (violet . (buttercup)))}. | |
27193 | 790 @ifnottex |
6447 | 791 It looks like this: |
792 | |
793 @example | |
794 @group | |
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795 --- --- --- --- --- --- |
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796 | | |--> | | |--> | | |--> nil |
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797 --- --- --- --- --- --- |
6447 | 798 | | | |
799 | | | | |
800 --> rose --> violet --> buttercup | |
801 @end group | |
802 @end example | |
27193 | 803 @end ifnottex |
6447 | 804 |
805 @node Association List Type | |
806 @comment node-name, next, previous, up | |
807 @subsubsection Association List Type | |
808 | |
809 An @dfn{association list} or @dfn{alist} is a specially-constructed | |
810 list whose elements are cons cells. In each element, the @sc{car} is | |
811 considered a @dfn{key}, and the @sc{cdr} is considered an | |
812 @dfn{associated value}. (In some cases, the associated value is stored | |
813 in the @sc{car} of the @sc{cdr}.) Association lists are often used as | |
814 stacks, since it is easy to add or remove associations at the front of | |
815 the list. | |
816 | |
817 For example, | |
818 | |
819 @example | |
820 (setq alist-of-colors | |
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821 '((rose . red) (lily . white) (buttercup . yellow))) |
6447 | 822 @end example |
823 | |
824 @noindent | |
825 sets the variable @code{alist-of-colors} to an alist of three elements. In the | |
826 first element, @code{rose} is the key and @code{red} is the value. | |
827 | |
828 @xref{Association Lists}, for a further explanation of alists and for | |
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829 functions that work on alists. @xref{Hash Tables}, for another kind of |
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830 lookup table, which is much faster for handling a large number of keys. |
6447 | 831 |
832 @node Array Type | |
833 @subsection Array Type | |
834 | |
835 An @dfn{array} is composed of an arbitrary number of slots for | |
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836 holding or referring to other Lisp objects, arranged in a contiguous block of |
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837 memory. Accessing any element of an array takes approximately the same |
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838 amount of time. In contrast, accessing an element of a list requires |
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839 time proportional to the position of the element in the list. (Elements |
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840 at the end of a list take longer to access than elements at the |
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841 beginning of a list.) |
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842 |
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843 Emacs defines four types of array: strings, vectors, bool-vectors, and |
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844 char-tables. |
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845 |
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846 A string is an array of characters and a vector is an array of |
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847 arbitrary objects. A bool-vector can hold only @code{t} or @code{nil}. |
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848 These kinds of array may have any length up to the largest integer. |
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849 Char-tables are sparse arrays indexed by any valid character code; they |
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850 can hold arbitrary objects. |
6447 | 851 |
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852 The first element of an array has index zero, the second element has |
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853 index 1, and so on. This is called @dfn{zero-origin} indexing. For |
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854 example, an array of four elements has indices 0, 1, 2, @w{and 3}. The |
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855 largest possible index value is one less than the length of the array. |
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856 Once an array is created, its length is fixed. |
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858 All Emacs Lisp arrays are one-dimensional. (Most other programming |
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859 languages support multidimensional arrays, but they are not essential; |
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860 you can get the same effect with an array of arrays.) Each type of |
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861 array has its own read syntax; see the following sections for details. |
6447 | 862 |
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863 The array type is contained in the sequence type and |
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864 contains the string type, the vector type, the bool-vector type, and the |
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865 char-table type. |
6447 | 866 |
867 @node String Type | |
868 @subsection String Type | |
869 | |
870 A @dfn{string} is an array of characters. Strings are used for many | |
871 purposes in Emacs, as can be expected in a text editor; for example, as | |
872 the names of Lisp symbols, as messages for the user, and to represent | |
873 text extracted from buffers. Strings in Lisp are constants: evaluation | |
874 of a string returns the same string. | |
875 | |
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876 @xref{Strings and Characters}, for functions that operate on strings. |
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877 |
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878 @menu |
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879 * Syntax for Strings:: |
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880 * Non-ASCII in Strings:: |
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881 * Nonprinting Characters:: |
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882 * Text Props and Strings:: |
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883 @end menu |
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884 |
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885 @node Syntax for Strings |
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886 @subsubsection Syntax for Strings |
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887 |
6447 | 888 @cindex @samp{"} in strings |
889 @cindex double-quote in strings | |
890 @cindex @samp{\} in strings | |
891 @cindex backslash in strings | |
892 The read syntax for strings is a double-quote, an arbitrary number of | |
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893 characters, and another double-quote, @code{"like this"}. To include a |
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894 double-quote in a string, precede it with a backslash; thus, @code{"\""} |
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895 is a string containing just a single double-quote character. Likewise, |
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896 you can include a backslash by preceding it with another backslash, like |
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897 this: @code{"this \\ is a single embedded backslash"}. |
6447 | 898 |
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899 @cindex newline in strings |
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900 The newline character is not special in the read syntax for strings; |
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901 if you write a new line between the double-quotes, it becomes a |
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902 character in the string. But an escaped newline---one that is preceded |
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903 by @samp{\}---does not become part of the string; i.e., the Lisp reader |
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904 ignores an escaped newline while reading a string. An escaped space |
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905 @w{@samp{\ }} is likewise ignored. |
6447 | 906 |
907 @example | |
908 "It is useful to include newlines | |
909 in documentation strings, | |
910 but the newline is \ | |
911 ignored if escaped." | |
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912 @result{} "It is useful to include newlines |
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913 in documentation strings, |
6447 | 914 but the newline is ignored if escaped." |
915 @end example | |
916 | |
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917 @node Non-ASCII in Strings |
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918 @subsubsection Non-@sc{ascii} Characters in Strings |
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919 |
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920 You can include a non-@sc{ascii} international character in a string |
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921 constant by writing it literally. There are two text representations |
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922 for non-@sc{ascii} characters in Emacs strings (and in buffers): unibyte |
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923 and multibyte. If the string constant is read from a multibyte source, |
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924 such as a multibyte buffer or string, or a file that would be visited as |
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925 multibyte, then the character is read as a multibyte character, and that |
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926 makes the string multibyte. If the string constant is read from a |
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927 unibyte source, then the character is read as unibyte and that makes the |
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928 string unibyte. |
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929 |
26783 | 930 You can also represent a multibyte non-@sc{ascii} character with its |
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931 character code: use a hex escape, @samp{\x@var{nnnnnnn}}, with as many |
26783 | 932 digits as necessary. (Multibyte non-@sc{ascii} character codes are all |
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933 greater than 256.) Any character which is not a valid hex digit |
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934 terminates this construct. If the next character in the string could be |
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935 interpreted as a hex digit, write @w{@samp{\ }} (backslash and space) to |
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936 terminate the hex escape---for example, @w{@samp{\x8e0\ }} represents |
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937 one character, @samp{a} with grave accent. @w{@samp{\ }} in a string |
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938 constant is just like backslash-newline; it does not contribute any |
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939 character to the string, but it does terminate the preceding hex escape. |
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940 |
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941 Using a multibyte hex escape forces the string to multibyte. You can |
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942 represent a unibyte non-@sc{ascii} character with its character code, |
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943 which must be in the range from 128 (0200 octal) to 255 (0377 octal). |
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944 This forces a unibyte string. |
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945 |
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946 @xref{Text Representations}, for more information about the two |
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947 text representations. |
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948 |
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949 @node Nonprinting Characters |
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950 @subsubsection Nonprinting Characters in Strings |
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951 |
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952 You can use the same backslash escape-sequences in a string constant |
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953 as in character literals (but do not use the question mark that begins a |
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954 character constant). For example, you can write a string containing the |
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955 nonprinting characters tab and @kbd{C-a}, with commas and spaces between |
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956 them, like this: @code{"\t, \C-a"}. @xref{Character Type}, for a |
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957 description of the read syntax for characters. |
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958 |
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959 However, not all of the characters you can write with backslash |
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960 escape-sequences are valid in strings. The only control characters that |
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961 a string can hold are the @sc{ascii} control characters. Strings do not |
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962 distinguish case in @sc{ascii} control characters. |
22138
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963 |
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964 Properly speaking, strings cannot hold meta characters; but when a |
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965 string is to be used as a key sequence, there is a special convention |
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966 that provides a way to represent meta versions of @sc{ascii} characters in a |
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967 string. If you use the @samp{\M-} syntax to indicate a meta character |
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968 in a string constant, this sets the |
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969 @tex |
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970 @math{2^{7}} |
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971 @end tex |
27193 | 972 @ifnottex |
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973 2**7 |
27193 | 974 @end ifnottex |
22138
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975 bit of the character in the string. If the string is used in |
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976 @code{define-key} or @code{lookup-key}, this numeric code is translated |
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977 into the equivalent meta character. @xref{Character Type}. |
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978 |
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979 Strings cannot hold characters that have the hyper, super, or alt |
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980 modifiers. |
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981 |
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982 @node Text Props and Strings |
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983 @subsubsection Text Properties in Strings |
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984 |
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985 A string can hold properties for the characters it contains, in |
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986 addition to the characters themselves. This enables programs that copy |
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987 text between strings and buffers to copy the text's properties with no |
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988 special effort. @xref{Text Properties}, for an explanation of what text |
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989 properties mean. Strings with text properties use a special read and |
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990 print syntax: |
6447 | 991 |
992 @example | |
993 #("@var{characters}" @var{property-data}...) | |
994 @end example | |
995 | |
996 @noindent | |
997 where @var{property-data} consists of zero or more elements, in groups | |
998 of three as follows: | |
999 | |
1000 @example | |
1001 @var{beg} @var{end} @var{plist} | |
1002 @end example | |
1003 | |
1004 @noindent | |
1005 The elements @var{beg} and @var{end} are integers, and together specify | |
1006 a range of indices in the string; @var{plist} is the property list for | |
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1007 that range. For example, |
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1008 |
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1009 @example |
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1010 #("foo bar" 0 3 (face bold) 3 4 nil 4 7 (face italic)) |
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1011 @end example |
6447 | 1012 |
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1013 @noindent |
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1014 represents a string whose textual contents are @samp{foo bar}, in which |
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1015 the first three characters have a @code{face} property with value |
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1016 @code{bold}, and the last three have a @code{face} property with value |
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1017 @code{italic}. (The fourth character has no text properties, so its |
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1018 property list is @code{nil}. It is not actually necessary to mention |
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1019 ranges with @code{nil} as the property list, since any characters not |
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1020 mentioned in any range will default to having no properties.) |
6447 | 1021 |
1022 @node Vector Type | |
1023 @subsection Vector Type | |
1024 | |
1025 A @dfn{vector} is a one-dimensional array of elements of any type. It | |
1026 takes a constant amount of time to access any element of a vector. (In | |
1027 a list, the access time of an element is proportional to the distance of | |
1028 the element from the beginning of the list.) | |
1029 | |
1030 The printed representation of a vector consists of a left square | |
1031 bracket, the elements, and a right square bracket. This is also the | |
1032 read syntax. Like numbers and strings, vectors are considered constants | |
1033 for evaluation. | |
1034 | |
1035 @example | |
1036 [1 "two" (three)] ; @r{A vector of three elements.} | |
1037 @result{} [1 "two" (three)] | |
1038 @end example | |
1039 | |
1040 @xref{Vectors}, for functions that work with vectors. | |
1041 | |
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1042 @node Char-Table Type |
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1043 @subsection Char-Table Type |
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1044 |
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1045 A @dfn{char-table} is a one-dimensional array of elements of any type, |
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1046 indexed by character codes. Char-tables have certain extra features to |
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1047 make them more useful for many jobs that involve assigning information |
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1048 to character codes---for example, a char-table can have a parent to |
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1049 inherit from, a default value, and a small number of extra slots to use for |
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1050 special purposes. A char-table can also specify a single value for |
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1051 a whole character set. |
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1052 |
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1053 The printed representation of a char-table is like a vector |
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1054 except that there is an extra @samp{#^} at the beginning. |
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1055 |
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1056 @xref{Char-Tables}, for special functions to operate on char-tables. |
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1057 Uses of char-tables include: |
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1058 |
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1059 @itemize @bullet |
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1060 @item |
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1061 Case tables (@pxref{Case Tables}). |
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1062 |
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1063 @item |
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1064 Character category tables (@pxref{Categories}). |
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1065 |
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1066 @item |
38788 | 1067 Display tables (@pxref{Display Tables}). |
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1068 |
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1069 @item |
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1070 Syntax tables (@pxref{Syntax Tables}). |
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1071 @end itemize |
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1072 |
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1073 @node Bool-Vector Type |
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1074 @subsection Bool-Vector Type |
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1075 |
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1076 A @dfn{bool-vector} is a one-dimensional array of elements that |
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1077 must be @code{t} or @code{nil}. |
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1078 |
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1079 The printed representation of a bool-vector is like a string, except |
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1080 that it begins with @samp{#&} followed by the length. The string |
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1081 constant that follows actually specifies the contents of the bool-vector |
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1082 as a bitmap---each ``character'' in the string contains 8 bits, which |
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1083 specify the next 8 elements of the bool-vector (1 stands for @code{t}, |
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1084 and 0 for @code{nil}). The least significant bits of the character |
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1085 correspond to the lowest indices in the bool-vector. If the length is not a |
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1086 multiple of 8, the printed representation shows extra elements, but |
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1087 these extras really make no difference. |
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1088 |
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1089 @example |
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1090 (make-bool-vector 3 t) |
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1091 @result{} #&3"\007" |
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1092 (make-bool-vector 3 nil) |
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1093 @result{} #&3"\0" |
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1094 ;; @r{These are equal since only the first 3 bits are used.} |
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1095 (equal #&3"\377" #&3"\007") |
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1096 @result{} t |
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1097 @end example |
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1098 |
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1099 @node Hash Table Type |
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1100 @subsection Hash Table Type |
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1101 |
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1102 A hash table is a very fast kind of lookup table, somewhat like an |
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1103 alist in that it maps keys to corresponding values, but much faster. |
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1104 Hash tables are a new feature in Emacs 21; they have no read syntax, and |
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1105 print using hash notation. @xref{Hash Tables}. |
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1106 |
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1107 @example |
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1108 (make-hash-table) |
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1109 @result{} #<hash-table 'eql nil 0/65 0x83af980> |
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1110 @end example |
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1111 |
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1112 @node Function Type |
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1113 @subsection Function Type |
6447 | 1114 |
1115 Just as functions in other programming languages are executable, | |
1116 @dfn{Lisp function} objects are pieces of executable code. However, | |
1117 functions in Lisp are primarily Lisp objects, and only secondarily the | |
1118 text which represents them. These Lisp objects are lambda expressions: | |
1119 lists whose first element is the symbol @code{lambda} (@pxref{Lambda | |
1120 Expressions}). | |
1121 | |
1122 In most programming languages, it is impossible to have a function | |
1123 without a name. In Lisp, a function has no intrinsic name. A lambda | |
1124 expression is also called an @dfn{anonymous function} (@pxref{Anonymous | |
1125 Functions}). A named function in Lisp is actually a symbol with a valid | |
1126 function in its function cell (@pxref{Defining Functions}). | |
1127 | |
1128 Most of the time, functions are called when their names are written in | |
1129 Lisp expressions in Lisp programs. However, you can construct or obtain | |
1130 a function object at run time and then call it with the primitive | |
1131 functions @code{funcall} and @code{apply}. @xref{Calling Functions}. | |
1132 | |
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1133 @node Macro Type |
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1134 @subsection Macro Type |
6447 | 1135 |
1136 A @dfn{Lisp macro} is a user-defined construct that extends the Lisp | |
1137 language. It is represented as an object much like a function, but with | |
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1138 different argument-passing semantics. A Lisp macro has the form of a |
6447 | 1139 list whose first element is the symbol @code{macro} and whose @sc{cdr} |
1140 is a Lisp function object, including the @code{lambda} symbol. | |
1141 | |
1142 Lisp macro objects are usually defined with the built-in | |
1143 @code{defmacro} function, but any list that begins with @code{macro} is | |
1144 a macro as far as Emacs is concerned. @xref{Macros}, for an explanation | |
1145 of how to write a macro. | |
1146 | |
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1147 @strong{Warning}: Lisp macros and keyboard macros (@pxref{Keyboard |
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1148 Macros}) are entirely different things. When we use the word ``macro'' |
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1149 without qualification, we mean a Lisp macro, not a keyboard macro. |
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1150 |
6447 | 1151 @node Primitive Function Type |
1152 @subsection Primitive Function Type | |
1153 @cindex special forms | |
1154 | |
1155 A @dfn{primitive function} is a function callable from Lisp but | |
1156 written in the C programming language. Primitive functions are also | |
1157 called @dfn{subrs} or @dfn{built-in functions}. (The word ``subr'' is | |
1158 derived from ``subroutine''.) Most primitive functions evaluate all | |
1159 their arguments when they are called. A primitive function that does | |
1160 not evaluate all its arguments is called a @dfn{special form} | |
1161 (@pxref{Special Forms}).@refill | |
1162 | |
1163 It does not matter to the caller of a function whether the function is | |
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1164 primitive. However, this does matter if you try to redefine a primitive |
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1165 with a function written in Lisp. The reason is that the primitive |
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1166 function may be called directly from C code. Calls to the redefined |
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1167 function from Lisp will use the new definition, but calls from C code |
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1168 may still use the built-in definition. Therefore, @strong{we discourage |
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1169 redefinition of primitive functions}. |
6447 | 1170 |
1171 The term @dfn{function} refers to all Emacs functions, whether written | |
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1172 in Lisp or C. @xref{Function Type}, for information about the |
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1173 functions written in Lisp. |
6447 | 1174 |
1175 Primitive functions have no read syntax and print in hash notation | |
1176 with the name of the subroutine. | |
1177 | |
1178 @example | |
1179 @group | |
1180 (symbol-function 'car) ; @r{Access the function cell} | |
1181 ; @r{of the symbol.} | |
1182 @result{} #<subr car> | |
1183 (subrp (symbol-function 'car)) ; @r{Is this a primitive function?} | |
1184 @result{} t ; @r{Yes.} | |
1185 @end group | |
1186 @end example | |
1187 | |
1188 @node Byte-Code Type | |
1189 @subsection Byte-Code Function Type | |
1190 | |
1191 The byte compiler produces @dfn{byte-code function objects}. | |
1192 Internally, a byte-code function object is much like a vector; however, | |
1193 the evaluator handles this data type specially when it appears as a | |
1194 function to be called. @xref{Byte Compilation}, for information about | |
1195 the byte compiler. | |
1196 | |
12098 | 1197 The printed representation and read syntax for a byte-code function |
1198 object is like that for a vector, with an additional @samp{#} before the | |
1199 opening @samp{[}. | |
6447 | 1200 |
1201 @node Autoload Type | |
1202 @subsection Autoload Type | |
1203 | |
1204 An @dfn{autoload object} is a list whose first element is the symbol | |
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1205 @code{autoload}. It is stored as the function definition of a symbol, |
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1206 where it serves as a placeholder for the real definition. The autoload |
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1207 object says that the real definition is found in a file of Lisp code |
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1208 that should be loaded when necessary. It contains the name of the file, |
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1209 plus some other information about the real definition. |
6447 | 1210 |
1211 After the file has been loaded, the symbol should have a new function | |
1212 definition that is not an autoload object. The new definition is then | |
1213 called as if it had been there to begin with. From the user's point of | |
1214 view, the function call works as expected, using the function definition | |
1215 in the loaded file. | |
1216 | |
1217 An autoload object is usually created with the function | |
1218 @code{autoload}, which stores the object in the function cell of a | |
1219 symbol. @xref{Autoload}, for more details. | |
1220 | |
1221 @node Editing Types | |
1222 @section Editing Types | |
1223 @cindex editing types | |
1224 | |
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1225 The types in the previous section are used for general programming |
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1226 purposes, and most of them are common to most Lisp dialects. Emacs Lisp |
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1227 provides several additional data types for purposes connected with |
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1228 editing. |
6447 | 1229 |
1230 @menu | |
1231 * Buffer Type:: The basic object of editing. | |
1232 * Marker Type:: A position in a buffer. | |
1233 * Window Type:: Buffers are displayed in windows. | |
1234 * Frame Type:: Windows subdivide frames. | |
1235 * Window Configuration Type:: Recording the way a frame is subdivided. | |
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1236 * Frame Configuration Type:: Recording the status of all frames. |
6447 | 1237 * Process Type:: A process running on the underlying OS. |
1238 * Stream Type:: Receive or send characters. | |
1239 * Keymap Type:: What function a keystroke invokes. | |
1240 * Overlay Type:: How an overlay is represented. | |
1241 @end menu | |
1242 | |
1243 @node Buffer Type | |
1244 @subsection Buffer Type | |
1245 | |
1246 A @dfn{buffer} is an object that holds text that can be edited | |
1247 (@pxref{Buffers}). Most buffers hold the contents of a disk file | |
1248 (@pxref{Files}) so they can be edited, but some are used for other | |
1249 purposes. Most buffers are also meant to be seen by the user, and | |
1250 therefore displayed, at some time, in a window (@pxref{Windows}). But a | |
1251 buffer need not be displayed in any window. | |
1252 | |
1253 The contents of a buffer are much like a string, but buffers are not | |
1254 used like strings in Emacs Lisp, and the available operations are | |
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1255 different. For example, you can insert text efficiently into an |
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1256 existing buffer, altering the buffer's contents, whereas ``inserting'' |
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1257 text into a string requires concatenating substrings, and the result is |
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1258 an entirely new string object. |
6447 | 1259 |
1260 Each buffer has a designated position called @dfn{point} | |
1261 (@pxref{Positions}). At any time, one buffer is the @dfn{current | |
1262 buffer}. Most editing commands act on the contents of the current | |
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1263 buffer in the neighborhood of point. Many of the standard Emacs |
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1264 functions manipulate or test the characters in the current buffer; a |
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1265 whole chapter in this manual is devoted to describing these functions |
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1266 (@pxref{Text}). |
6447 | 1267 |
1268 Several other data structures are associated with each buffer: | |
1269 | |
1270 @itemize @bullet | |
1271 @item | |
1272 a local syntax table (@pxref{Syntax Tables}); | |
1273 | |
1274 @item | |
1275 a local keymap (@pxref{Keymaps}); and, | |
1276 | |
1277 @item | |
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1278 a list of buffer-local variable bindings (@pxref{Buffer-Local Variables}). |
12098 | 1279 |
1280 @item | |
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1281 overlays (@pxref{Overlays}). |
12098 | 1282 |
1283 @item | |
1284 text properties for the text in the buffer (@pxref{Text Properties}). | |
6447 | 1285 @end itemize |
1286 | |
1287 @noindent | |
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1288 The local keymap and variable list contain entries that individually |
6447 | 1289 override global bindings or values. These are used to customize the |
1290 behavior of programs in different buffers, without actually changing the | |
1291 programs. | |
1292 | |
12098 | 1293 A buffer may be @dfn{indirect}, which means it shares the text |
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1294 of another buffer, but presents it differently. @xref{Indirect Buffers}. |
12098 | 1295 |
1296 Buffers have no read syntax. They print in hash notation, showing the | |
6447 | 1297 buffer name. |
1298 | |
1299 @example | |
1300 @group | |
1301 (current-buffer) | |
1302 @result{} #<buffer objects.texi> | |
1303 @end group | |
1304 @end example | |
1305 | |
1306 @node Marker Type | |
1307 @subsection Marker Type | |
1308 | |
1309 A @dfn{marker} denotes a position in a specific buffer. Markers | |
1310 therefore have two components: one for the buffer, and one for the | |
1311 position. Changes in the buffer's text automatically relocate the | |
1312 position value as necessary to ensure that the marker always points | |
1313 between the same two characters in the buffer. | |
1314 | |
1315 Markers have no read syntax. They print in hash notation, giving the | |
1316 current character position and the name of the buffer. | |
1317 | |
1318 @example | |
1319 @group | |
1320 (point-marker) | |
1321 @result{} #<marker at 10779 in objects.texi> | |
1322 @end group | |
1323 @end example | |
1324 | |
1325 @xref{Markers}, for information on how to test, create, copy, and move | |
1326 markers. | |
1327 | |
1328 @node Window Type | |
1329 @subsection Window Type | |
1330 | |
1331 A @dfn{window} describes the portion of the terminal screen that Emacs | |
1332 uses to display a buffer. Every window has one associated buffer, whose | |
1333 contents appear in the window. By contrast, a given buffer may appear | |
1334 in one window, no window, or several windows. | |
1335 | |
1336 Though many windows may exist simultaneously, at any time one window | |
1337 is designated the @dfn{selected window}. This is the window where the | |
1338 cursor is (usually) displayed when Emacs is ready for a command. The | |
1339 selected window usually displays the current buffer, but this is not | |
1340 necessarily the case. | |
1341 | |
1342 Windows are grouped on the screen into frames; each window belongs to | |
1343 one and only one frame. @xref{Frame Type}. | |
1344 | |
1345 Windows have no read syntax. They print in hash notation, giving the | |
1346 window number and the name of the buffer being displayed. The window | |
1347 numbers exist to identify windows uniquely, since the buffer displayed | |
1348 in any given window can change frequently. | |
1349 | |
1350 @example | |
1351 @group | |
1352 (selected-window) | |
1353 @result{} #<window 1 on objects.texi> | |
1354 @end group | |
1355 @end example | |
1356 | |
1357 @xref{Windows}, for a description of the functions that work on windows. | |
1358 | |
1359 @node Frame Type | |
1360 @subsection Frame Type | |
1361 | |
22138
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1362 A @dfn{frame} is a rectangle on the screen that contains one or more |
6447 | 1363 Emacs windows. A frame initially contains a single main window (plus |
1364 perhaps a minibuffer window) which you can subdivide vertically or | |
1365 horizontally into smaller windows. | |
1366 | |
1367 Frames have no read syntax. They print in hash notation, giving the | |
1368 frame's title, plus its address in core (useful to identify the frame | |
1369 uniquely). | |
1370 | |
1371 @example | |
1372 @group | |
1373 (selected-frame) | |
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1374 @result{} #<frame emacs@@psilocin.gnu.org 0xdac80> |
6447 | 1375 @end group |
1376 @end example | |
1377 | |
1378 @xref{Frames}, for a description of the functions that work on frames. | |
1379 | |
1380 @node Window Configuration Type | |
1381 @subsection Window Configuration Type | |
1382 @cindex screen layout | |
1383 | |
1384 A @dfn{window configuration} stores information about the positions, | |
1385 sizes, and contents of the windows in a frame, so you can recreate the | |
1386 same arrangement of windows later. | |
1387 | |
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1388 Window configurations do not have a read syntax; their print syntax |
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1389 looks like @samp{#<window-configuration>}. @xref{Window |
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1390 Configurations}, for a description of several functions related to |
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1391 window configurations. |
6447 | 1392 |
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1393 @node Frame Configuration Type |
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1394 @subsection Frame Configuration Type |
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1395 @cindex screen layout |
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1396 |
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1397 A @dfn{frame configuration} stores information about the positions, |
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1398 sizes, and contents of the windows in all frames. It is actually |
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1399 a list whose @sc{car} is @code{frame-configuration} and whose |
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1400 @sc{cdr} is an alist. Each alist element describes one frame, |
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1401 which appears as the @sc{car} of that element. |
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1402 |
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1403 @xref{Frame Configurations}, for a description of several functions |
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1404 related to frame configurations. |
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1405 |
6447 | 1406 @node Process Type |
1407 @subsection Process Type | |
1408 | |
1409 The word @dfn{process} usually means a running program. Emacs itself | |
1410 runs in a process of this sort. However, in Emacs Lisp, a process is a | |
1411 Lisp object that designates a subprocess created by the Emacs process. | |
1412 Programs such as shells, GDB, ftp, and compilers, running in | |
1413 subprocesses of Emacs, extend the capabilities of Emacs. | |
1414 | |
1415 An Emacs subprocess takes textual input from Emacs and returns textual | |
1416 output to Emacs for further manipulation. Emacs can also send signals | |
1417 to the subprocess. | |
1418 | |
1419 Process objects have no read syntax. They print in hash notation, | |
1420 giving the name of the process: | |
1421 | |
1422 @example | |
1423 @group | |
1424 (process-list) | |
1425 @result{} (#<process shell>) | |
1426 @end group | |
1427 @end example | |
1428 | |
1429 @xref{Processes}, for information about functions that create, delete, | |
1430 return information about, send input or signals to, and receive output | |
1431 from processes. | |
1432 | |
1433 @node Stream Type | |
1434 @subsection Stream Type | |
1435 | |
1436 A @dfn{stream} is an object that can be used as a source or sink for | |
1437 characters---either to supply characters for input or to accept them as | |
1438 output. Many different types can be used this way: markers, buffers, | |
1439 strings, and functions. Most often, input streams (character sources) | |
1440 obtain characters from the keyboard, a buffer, or a file, and output | |
1441 streams (character sinks) send characters to a buffer, such as a | |
1442 @file{*Help*} buffer, or to the echo area. | |
1443 | |
1444 The object @code{nil}, in addition to its other meanings, may be used | |
1445 as a stream. It stands for the value of the variable | |
1446 @code{standard-input} or @code{standard-output}. Also, the object | |
1447 @code{t} as a stream specifies input using the minibuffer | |
1448 (@pxref{Minibuffers}) or output in the echo area (@pxref{The Echo | |
1449 Area}). | |
1450 | |
1451 Streams have no special printed representation or read syntax, and | |
1452 print as whatever primitive type they are. | |
1453 | |
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1454 @xref{Read and Print}, for a description of functions |
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1455 related to streams, including parsing and printing functions. |
6447 | 1456 |
1457 @node Keymap Type | |
1458 @subsection Keymap Type | |
1459 | |
1460 A @dfn{keymap} maps keys typed by the user to commands. This mapping | |
1461 controls how the user's command input is executed. A keymap is actually | |
1462 a list whose @sc{car} is the symbol @code{keymap}. | |
1463 | |
1464 @xref{Keymaps}, for information about creating keymaps, handling prefix | |
1465 keys, local as well as global keymaps, and changing key bindings. | |
1466 | |
1467 @node Overlay Type | |
1468 @subsection Overlay Type | |
1469 | |
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1470 An @dfn{overlay} specifies properties that apply to a part of a |
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1471 buffer. Each overlay applies to a specified range of the buffer, and |
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1472 contains a property list (a list whose elements are alternating property |
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1473 names and values). Overlay properties are used to present parts of the |
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1474 buffer temporarily in a different display style. Overlays have no read |
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1475 syntax, and print in hash notation, giving the buffer name and range of |
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1476 positions. |
6447 | 1477 |
12098 | 1478 @xref{Overlays}, for how to create and use overlays. |
6447 | 1479 |
25751
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1480 @node Circular Objects |
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1481 @section Read Syntax for Circular Objects |
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1482 @cindex circular structure, read syntax |
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1483 @cindex shared structure, read syntax |
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1484 @cindex @samp{#@var{n}=} read syntax |
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1485 @cindex @samp{#@var{n}#} read syntax |
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1486 |
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1487 In Emacs 21, to represent shared or circular structure within a |
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1488 complex of Lisp objects, you can use the reader constructs |
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1489 @samp{#@var{n}=} and @samp{#@var{n}#}. |
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1490 |
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1491 Use @code{#@var{n}=} before an object to label it for later reference; |
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1492 subsequently, you can use @code{#@var{n}#} to refer the same object in |
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1493 another place. Here, @var{n} is some integer. For example, here is how |
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1494 to make a list in which the first element recurs as the third element: |
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1495 |
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1496 @example |
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1497 (#1=(a) b #1#) |
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1498 @end example |
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1499 |
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1500 @noindent |
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1501 This differs from ordinary syntax such as this |
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1502 |
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1503 @example |
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1504 ((a) b (a)) |
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1505 @end example |
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1506 |
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1507 @noindent |
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1508 which would result in a list whose first and third elements |
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1509 look alike but are not the same Lisp object. This shows the difference: |
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1510 |
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1511 @example |
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1512 (prog1 nil |
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1513 (setq x '(#1=(a) b #1#))) |
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1514 (eq (nth 0 x) (nth 2 x)) |
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1515 @result{} t |
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1516 (setq x '((a) b (a))) |
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1517 (eq (nth 0 x) (nth 2 x)) |
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1518 @result{} nil |
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1519 @end example |
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1520 |
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1521 You can also use the same syntax to make a circular structure, which |
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1522 appears as an ``element'' within itself. Here is an example: |
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1523 |
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1524 @example |
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1525 #1=(a #1#) |
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1526 @end example |
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1527 |
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1528 @noindent |
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1529 This makes a list whose second element is the list itself. |
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1530 Here's how you can see that it really works: |
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1531 |
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1532 @example |
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1533 (prog1 nil |
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1534 (setq x '#1=(a #1#))) |
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1535 (eq x (cadr x)) |
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1536 @result{} t |
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1537 @end example |
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1538 |
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1539 The Lisp printer can produce this syntax to record circular and shared |
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1540 structure in a Lisp object, if you bind the variable @code{print-circle} |
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1541 to a non-@code{nil} value. @xref{Output Variables}. |
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1542 |
6447 | 1543 @node Type Predicates |
1544 @section Type Predicates | |
1545 @cindex predicates | |
1546 @cindex type checking | |
1547 @kindex wrong-type-argument | |
1548 | |
1549 The Emacs Lisp interpreter itself does not perform type checking on | |
1550 the actual arguments passed to functions when they are called. It could | |
1551 not do so, since function arguments in Lisp do not have declared data | |
1552 types, as they do in other programming languages. It is therefore up to | |
1553 the individual function to test whether each actual argument belongs to | |
1554 a type that the function can use. | |
1555 | |
1556 All built-in functions do check the types of their actual arguments | |
1557 when appropriate, and signal a @code{wrong-type-argument} error if an | |
1558 argument is of the wrong type. For example, here is what happens if you | |
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1559 pass an argument to @code{+} that it cannot handle: |
6447 | 1560 |
1561 @example | |
1562 @group | |
1563 (+ 2 'a) | |
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1564 @error{} Wrong type argument: number-or-marker-p, a |
6447 | 1565 @end group |
1566 @end example | |
1567 | |
1568 @cindex type predicates | |
1569 @cindex testing types | |
12067 | 1570 If you want your program to handle different types differently, you |
1571 must do explicit type checking. The most common way to check the type | |
1572 of an object is to call a @dfn{type predicate} function. Emacs has a | |
1573 type predicate for each type, as well as some predicates for | |
1574 combinations of types. | |
1575 | |
1576 A type predicate function takes one argument; it returns @code{t} if | |
1577 the argument belongs to the appropriate type, and @code{nil} otherwise. | |
1578 Following a general Lisp convention for predicate functions, most type | |
1579 predicates' names end with @samp{p}. | |
1580 | |
1581 Here is an example which uses the predicates @code{listp} to check for | |
1582 a list and @code{symbolp} to check for a symbol. | |
6447 | 1583 |
12067 | 1584 @example |
1585 (defun add-on (x) | |
1586 (cond ((symbolp x) | |
1587 ;; If X is a symbol, put it on LIST. | |
1588 (setq list (cons x list))) | |
1589 ((listp x) | |
1590 ;; If X is a list, add its elements to LIST. | |
1591 (setq list (append x list))) | |
1592 (t | |
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1593 ;; We handle only symbols and lists. |
12067 | 1594 (error "Invalid argument %s in add-on" x)))) |
1595 @end example | |
1596 | |
1597 Here is a table of predefined type predicates, in alphabetical order, | |
6447 | 1598 with references to further information. |
1599 | |
1600 @table @code | |
1601 @item atom | |
1602 @xref{List-related Predicates, atom}. | |
1603 | |
1604 @item arrayp | |
1605 @xref{Array Functions, arrayp}. | |
1606 | |
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1607 @item bool-vector-p |
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1608 @xref{Bool-Vectors, bool-vector-p}. |
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1609 |
6447 | 1610 @item bufferp |
1611 @xref{Buffer Basics, bufferp}. | |
1612 | |
1613 @item byte-code-function-p | |
1614 @xref{Byte-Code Type, byte-code-function-p}. | |
1615 | |
1616 @item case-table-p | |
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1617 @xref{Case Tables, case-table-p}. |
6447 | 1618 |
1619 @item char-or-string-p | |
1620 @xref{Predicates for Strings, char-or-string-p}. | |
1621 | |
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1622 @item char-table-p |
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1623 @xref{Char-Tables, char-table-p}. |
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1624 |
6447 | 1625 @item commandp |
1626 @xref{Interactive Call, commandp}. | |
1627 | |
1628 @item consp | |
1629 @xref{List-related Predicates, consp}. | |
1630 | |
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1631 @item display-table-p |
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1632 @xref{Display Tables, display-table-p}. |
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1633 |
6447 | 1634 @item floatp |
1635 @xref{Predicates on Numbers, floatp}. | |
1636 | |
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1637 @item frame-configuration-p |
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1638 @xref{Frame Configurations, frame-configuration-p}. |
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1639 |
6447 | 1640 @item frame-live-p |
1641 @xref{Deleting Frames, frame-live-p}. | |
1642 | |
1643 @item framep | |
1644 @xref{Frames, framep}. | |
1645 | |
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1646 @item functionp |
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1647 @xref{Functions, functionp}. |
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1648 |
6447 | 1649 @item integer-or-marker-p |
1650 @xref{Predicates on Markers, integer-or-marker-p}. | |
1651 | |
1652 @item integerp | |
1653 @xref{Predicates on Numbers, integerp}. | |
1654 | |
1655 @item keymapp | |
1656 @xref{Creating Keymaps, keymapp}. | |
1657 | |
27528 | 1658 @item keywordp |
1659 @xref{Constant Variables}. | |
1660 | |
6447 | 1661 @item listp |
1662 @xref{List-related Predicates, listp}. | |
1663 | |
1664 @item markerp | |
1665 @xref{Predicates on Markers, markerp}. | |
1666 | |
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1667 @item wholenump |
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1668 @xref{Predicates on Numbers, wholenump}. |
6447 | 1669 |
1670 @item nlistp | |
1671 @xref{List-related Predicates, nlistp}. | |
1672 | |
1673 @item numberp | |
1674 @xref{Predicates on Numbers, numberp}. | |
1675 | |
1676 @item number-or-marker-p | |
1677 @xref{Predicates on Markers, number-or-marker-p}. | |
1678 | |
1679 @item overlayp | |
1680 @xref{Overlays, overlayp}. | |
1681 | |
1682 @item processp | |
1683 @xref{Processes, processp}. | |
1684 | |
1685 @item sequencep | |
1686 @xref{Sequence Functions, sequencep}. | |
1687 | |
1688 @item stringp | |
1689 @xref{Predicates for Strings, stringp}. | |
1690 | |
1691 @item subrp | |
1692 @xref{Function Cells, subrp}. | |
1693 | |
1694 @item symbolp | |
1695 @xref{Symbols, symbolp}. | |
1696 | |
1697 @item syntax-table-p | |
1698 @xref{Syntax Tables, syntax-table-p}. | |
1699 | |
1700 @item user-variable-p | |
1701 @xref{Defining Variables, user-variable-p}. | |
1702 | |
1703 @item vectorp | |
1704 @xref{Vectors, vectorp}. | |
1705 | |
1706 @item window-configuration-p | |
1707 @xref{Window Configurations, window-configuration-p}. | |
1708 | |
1709 @item window-live-p | |
1710 @xref{Deleting Windows, window-live-p}. | |
1711 | |
1712 @item windowp | |
1713 @xref{Basic Windows, windowp}. | |
1714 @end table | |
1715 | |
12067 | 1716 The most general way to check the type of an object is to call the |
1717 function @code{type-of}. Recall that each object belongs to one and | |
1718 only one primitive type; @code{type-of} tells you which one (@pxref{Lisp | |
1719 Data Types}). But @code{type-of} knows nothing about non-primitive | |
1720 types. In most cases, it is more convenient to use type predicates than | |
1721 @code{type-of}. | |
1722 | |
1723 @defun type-of object | |
1724 This function returns a symbol naming the primitive type of | |
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1725 @var{object}. The value is one of the symbols @code{symbol}, |
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1726 @code{integer}, @code{float}, @code{string}, @code{cons}, @code{vector}, |
26188 | 1727 @code{char-table}, @code{bool-vector}, @code{hash-table}, @code{subr}, |
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1728 @code{compiled-function}, @code{marker}, @code{overlay}, @code{window}, |
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1729 @code{buffer}, @code{frame}, @code{process}, or |
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1730 @code{window-configuration}. |
12067 | 1731 |
1732 @example | |
1733 (type-of 1) | |
1734 @result{} integer | |
1735 (type-of 'nil) | |
1736 @result{} symbol | |
1737 (type-of '()) ; @r{@code{()} is @code{nil}.} | |
1738 @result{} symbol | |
1739 (type-of '(x)) | |
1740 @result{} cons | |
1741 @end example | |
1742 @end defun | |
1743 | |
6447 | 1744 @node Equality Predicates |
1745 @section Equality Predicates | |
1746 @cindex equality | |
1747 | |
1748 Here we describe two functions that test for equality between any two | |
1749 objects. Other functions test equality between objects of specific | |
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1750 types, e.g., strings. For these predicates, see the appropriate chapter |
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1751 describing the data type. |
6447 | 1752 |
1753 @defun eq object1 object2 | |
1754 This function returns @code{t} if @var{object1} and @var{object2} are | |
1755 the same object, @code{nil} otherwise. The ``same object'' means that a | |
1756 change in one will be reflected by the same change in the other. | |
1757 | |
1758 @code{eq} returns @code{t} if @var{object1} and @var{object2} are | |
1759 integers with the same value. Also, since symbol names are normally | |
1760 unique, if the arguments are symbols with the same name, they are | |
1761 @code{eq}. For other types (e.g., lists, vectors, strings), two | |
1762 arguments with the same contents or elements are not necessarily | |
1763 @code{eq} to each other: they are @code{eq} only if they are the same | |
1764 object. | |
1765 | |
1766 @example | |
1767 @group | |
1768 (eq 'foo 'foo) | |
1769 @result{} t | |
1770 @end group | |
1771 | |
1772 @group | |
1773 (eq 456 456) | |
1774 @result{} t | |
1775 @end group | |
1776 | |
1777 @group | |
1778 (eq "asdf" "asdf") | |
1779 @result{} nil | |
1780 @end group | |
1781 | |
1782 @group | |
1783 (eq '(1 (2 (3))) '(1 (2 (3)))) | |
1784 @result{} nil | |
1785 @end group | |
1786 | |
1787 @group | |
1788 (setq foo '(1 (2 (3)))) | |
1789 @result{} (1 (2 (3))) | |
1790 (eq foo foo) | |
1791 @result{} t | |
1792 (eq foo '(1 (2 (3)))) | |
1793 @result{} nil | |
1794 @end group | |
1795 | |
1796 @group | |
1797 (eq [(1 2) 3] [(1 2) 3]) | |
1798 @result{} nil | |
1799 @end group | |
1800 | |
1801 @group | |
1802 (eq (point-marker) (point-marker)) | |
1803 @result{} nil | |
1804 @end group | |
1805 @end example | |
1806 | |
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1807 The @code{make-symbol} function returns an uninterned symbol, distinct |
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1808 from the symbol that is used if you write the name in a Lisp expression. |
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1809 Distinct symbols with the same name are not @code{eq}. @xref{Creating |
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1810 Symbols}. |
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1811 |
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1812 @example |
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1813 @group |
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1814 (eq (make-symbol "foo") 'foo) |
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1815 @result{} nil |
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1816 @end group |
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1817 @end example |
6447 | 1818 @end defun |
1819 | |
1820 @defun equal object1 object2 | |
1821 This function returns @code{t} if @var{object1} and @var{object2} have | |
1822 equal components, @code{nil} otherwise. Whereas @code{eq} tests if its | |
1823 arguments are the same object, @code{equal} looks inside nonidentical | |
26188 | 1824 arguments to see if their elements or contents are the same. So, if two |
1825 objects are @code{eq}, they are @code{equal}, but the converse is not | |
1826 always true. | |
6447 | 1827 |
1828 @example | |
1829 @group | |
1830 (equal 'foo 'foo) | |
1831 @result{} t | |
1832 @end group | |
1833 | |
1834 @group | |
1835 (equal 456 456) | |
1836 @result{} t | |
1837 @end group | |
1838 | |
1839 @group | |
1840 (equal "asdf" "asdf") | |
1841 @result{} t | |
1842 @end group | |
1843 @group | |
1844 (eq "asdf" "asdf") | |
1845 @result{} nil | |
1846 @end group | |
1847 | |
1848 @group | |
1849 (equal '(1 (2 (3))) '(1 (2 (3)))) | |
1850 @result{} t | |
1851 @end group | |
1852 @group | |
1853 (eq '(1 (2 (3))) '(1 (2 (3)))) | |
1854 @result{} nil | |
1855 @end group | |
1856 | |
1857 @group | |
1858 (equal [(1 2) 3] [(1 2) 3]) | |
1859 @result{} t | |
1860 @end group | |
1861 @group | |
1862 (eq [(1 2) 3] [(1 2) 3]) | |
1863 @result{} nil | |
1864 @end group | |
1865 | |
1866 @group | |
1867 (equal (point-marker) (point-marker)) | |
1868 @result{} t | |
1869 @end group | |
1870 | |
1871 @group | |
1872 (eq (point-marker) (point-marker)) | |
1873 @result{} nil | |
1874 @end group | |
1875 @end example | |
1876 | |
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1877 Comparison of strings is case-sensitive, but does not take account of |
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1878 text properties---it compares only the characters in the strings. |
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1879 A unibyte string never equals a multibyte string unless the |
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1880 contents are entirely @sc{ascii} (@pxref{Text Representations}). |
6447 | 1881 |
1882 @example | |
1883 @group | |
1884 (equal "asdf" "ASDF") | |
1885 @result{} nil | |
1886 @end group | |
1887 @end example | |
12098 | 1888 |
26188 | 1889 However, two distinct buffers are never considered @code{equal}, even if |
1890 their textual contents are the same. | |
6447 | 1891 @end defun |
1892 | |
26188 | 1893 The test for equality is implemented recursively; for example, given |
1894 two cons cells @var{x} and @var{y}, @code{(equal @var{x} @var{y})} | |
1895 returns @code{t} if and only if both the expressions below return | |
1896 @code{t}: | |
1897 | |
1898 @example | |
1899 (equal (car @var{x}) (car @var{y})) | |
1900 (equal (cdr @var{x}) (cdr @var{y})) | |
1901 @end example | |
1902 | |
1903 Because of this recursive method, circular lists may therefore cause | |
1904 infinite recursion (leading to an error). |