comparison lispref/sequences.texi @ 21682:90da2489c498

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21681:11eafe90b842

@setfilename ../info/sequences
@node Sequences Arrays Vectors, Symbols, Lists, Top
@chapter Sequences, Arrays, and Vectors
@cindex sequence

  Recall that the @dfn{sequence} type is the union of three other Lisp
types: lists, vectors, and strings.  In other words, any list is a
sequence, any vector is a sequence, and any string is a sequence.  The
common property that all sequences have is that each is an ordered
collection of elements.

  An @dfn{array} is a single primitive object that has a slot for each
elements.  All the elements are accessible in constant time, but the
length of an existing array cannot be changed.  Strings and vectors are
the two types of arrays.

  A list is a sequence of elements, but it is not a single primitive
object; it is made of cons cells, one cell per element.  Finding the
@var{n}th element requires looking through @var{n} cons cells, so
elements farther from the beginning of the list take longer to access.

  The following diagram shows the relationship between these types:

@example
@group
          ___________________________________
         |                                   |
         |          Sequence                 |
         |  ______   ______________________  |
         | |      | |                      | |
         | | List | |         Array        | |
         | |      | |  ________   _______  | |   
         | |______| | |        | |       | | |
         |          | | Vector | | String| | |
         |          | |________| |_______| | |
         |          |______________________| |
         |___________________________________|
@end group
@end example

  The elements of vectors and lists may be any Lisp objects.  The
elements of strings are all characters.

@end menu

@node Sequence Functions
@section Sequences

  In Emacs Lisp, a @dfn{sequence} is either a list, a vector or a
string.  The common property that all sequences have is that each is an
ordered collection of elements.  This section describes functions that
accept any kind of sequence.

@defun sequencep object
Returns @code{t} if @var{object} is a list, vector, or
string, @code{nil} otherwise.
@end defun

@defun copy-sequence sequence
@cindex copying sequences
Returns a copy of @var{sequence}.  The copy is the same type of object
as the original sequence, and it has the same elements in the same order.

Storing a new element into the copy does not affect the original
@var{sequence}, and vice versa.  However, the elements of the new
sequence are not copies; they are identical (@code{eq}) to the elements
of the original.  Therefore, changes made within these elements, as
found via the copied sequence, are also visible in the original
sequence.

If the sequence is a string with text properties, the property list in
the copy is itself a copy, not shared with the original's property
list.  However, the actual values of the properties are shared.
@xref{Text Properties}.

See also @code{append} in @ref{Building Lists}, @code{concat} in
@ref{Creating Strings}, and @code{vconcat} in @ref{Vectors}, for others
ways to copy sequences.

@example
@group
(setq bar '(1 2))
     @result{} (1 2)
@end group
@group
(setq x (vector 'foo bar))
     @result{} [foo (1 2)]
@end group
@group
(setq y (copy-sequence x))
     @result{} [foo (1 2)]
@end group

@group
(eq x y)
     @result{} nil
@end group
@group
(equal x y)
     @result{} t
@end group
@group
(eq (elt x 1) (elt y 1))
     @result{} t
@end group

@group
;; @r{Replacing an element of one sequence.}
(aset x 0 'quux)
x @result{} [quux (1 2)]
y @result{} [foo (1 2)]
@end group

@group
;; @r{Modifying the inside of a shared element.}
(setcar (aref x 1) 69)
x @result{} [quux (69 2)]
y @result{} [foo (69 2)]
@end group
@end example
@end defun

@defun length sequence
@cindex string length
@cindex list length
@cindex vector length
@cindex sequence length
Returns the number of elements in @var{sequence}.  If @var{sequence} is
a cons cell that is not a list (because the final @sc{cdr} is not
@code{nil}), a @code{wrong-type-argument} error is signaled.

@xref{List Elements}, for the related function @code{safe-list}.

@example
@group

    @result{} 6
@end group
@group
(length [1 2 3])
    @result{} 3
@end group
@end example
@end defun

@defun elt sequence index

@group
(elt '(1 2 3 4) 2)
     @result{} 3
@end group
@group
(char-to-string (elt "1234" 2))
     @result{} "3"
@end group
@group
(elt [1 2 3 4] 4)
     @error{}Args out of range: [1 2 3 4], 4

@end group
@end example

This function generalizes @code{aref} (@pxref{Array Functions}) and
@code{nth} (@pxref{List Elements}).
@end defun

@node Arrays
@section Arrays
@cindex array

objects, called the elements of the array.  Any element of an array may
be accessed in constant time.  In contrast, an element of a list
requires access time that is proportional to the position of the element
in the list.

  When you create an array, you must specify how many elements it has.
The amount of space allocated depends on the number of elements.
Therefore, it is impossible to change the size of an array once it is
created; you cannot add or remove elements.  However, you can replace an
element with a different value.

  Emacs defines two types of array, both of which are one-dimensional:
@dfn{strings} and @dfn{vectors}.  A vector is a general array; its
elements can be any Lisp objects.  A string is a specialized array; its
elements must be characters (i.e., integers between 0 and 255).  Each
type of array has its own read syntax.  @xref{String Type}, and
@ref{Vector Type}.

  Both kinds of array share these characteristics:

@itemize @bullet
@item
The first element of an array has index zero, the second element has
index 1, and so on.  This is called @dfn{zero-origin} indexing.  For
example, an array of four elements has indices 0, 1, 2, @w{and 3}.

@item
The elements of an array may be referenced or changed with the functions
@code{aref} and @code{aset}, respectively (@pxref{Array Functions}).
@end itemize

  In principle, if you wish to have an array of text characters, you
could use either a string or a vector.  In practice, we always choose
strings for such applications, for four reasons:

@itemize @bullet
@item
They occupy one-fourth the space of a vector of the same elements.

vector, a string, a bool-vector or a char-table).

@example
@group
(arrayp [a])
@result{} t
(arrayp "asdf")
@result{} t
@end group
@end example
@end defun

@defun aref array index

@group
(setq primes [2 3 5 7 11 13])
     @result{} [2 3 5 7 11 13]
(aref primes 4)
     @result{} 11
(elt primes 4)
     @result{} 11
@end group

@group
(aref "abcdefg" 1)
     @result{} 98           ; @r{@samp{b} is @sc{ASCII} code 98.}
@end group
@end example

@section Vectors
@cindex vector

  Arrays in Lisp, like arrays in most languages, are blocks of memory
whose elements can be accessed in constant time.  A @dfn{vector} is a
general-purpose array; its elements can be any Lisp objects.  (By
contrast, a string can hold only characters as elements.)  Vectors in
Emacs are used for obarrays (vectors of symbols), and as part of keymaps
(vectors of commands).  They are also used internally as part of the
representation of a byte-compiled function; if you print such a
function, you will see a vector in it.

  In Emacs Lisp, the indices of the elements of a vector start from zero
and count up from there.

     @result{} t
@end group
@end example

@node Vector Functions
@section Functions That Operate on Vectors

  Here are some functions that relate to vectors:

@defun vectorp object
This function returns @code{t} if @var{object} is a vector.

     @result{} []
(vconcat [A B C] "aa" '(foo (6 7)))
     @result{} [A B C 97 97 foo (6 7)]
@end group
@end example

The @code{vconcat} function also allows integers as arguments.  It
converts them to strings of digits, making up the decimal print
representation of the integer, and then uses the strings instead of the
original integers.  @strong{Don't use this feature; we plan to eliminate

@section Char-Tables
@cindex char-tables

  A char-table is much like a vector, except that it is indexed by
character codes.  Any valid character code, without modifiers, can be
used as an index in a char-table.  You can access a char-table with
@code{aref} and @code{aset}, just like a vector.

@cindex extra slots of char-table
@cindex subtype of char-table
  Each char-table has a @dfn{subtype} which is a symbol.  In order to be
a valid subtype, a symbol must have a @code{char-table-extra-slots}

@defun make-char-table subtype &optional init
Return a newly created char-table, with subtype @var{subtype}.  Each
element is initialized to @var{init}, which defaults to @code{nil}.  You
cannot alter the subtype of a char-table after the char-table is
created.
@end defun

@tindex char-table-p
@defun char-table-p object
This function returns @code{t} if @code{object} is a char-table,
otherwise @code{nil}.
@end defun

@tindex char-table-subtype
@defun char-table-subtype char-table

@defun map-char-table function char-table
This function calls @var{function} for each element of @var{char-table}.
@var{function} is called with two arguments, a key and a value.  The key
is a possible @var{range} argument for @code{char-table-range}, and the
value is @code{(char-table-range @var{char-table} @var{key})}.  Invalid
character codes are never used as the key.

Overall, the keys-value pairs passed to @var{function} describe all the
values stored in @var{char-table}.
@end defun

@node Bool-Vectors
@section Bool-vectors
@cindex Bool-vectors

  A bool-vector is much like a vector, except that it stores only the
values @code{t} and @code{nil}.  If you try to store any non-@code{nil}
value into an element of the bool-vector, that actually stores @code{t}
there.

  There are two special functions for working with bool-vectors; aside
from that, you manipulate them with same functions used for other kinds
of arrays.

21682:90da2489c498

@setfilename ../info/sequences
@node Sequences Arrays Vectors, Symbols, Lists, Top
@chapter Sequences, Arrays, and Vectors
@cindex sequence

  Recall that the @dfn{sequence} type is the union of two other Lisp
types: lists and arrays.  In other words, any list is a sequence, and
any array is a sequence.  The common property that all sequences have is
that each is an ordered collection of elements.

  An @dfn{array} is a single primitive object that has a slot for each
of its elements.  All the elements are accessible in constant time, but
the length of an existing array cannot be changed.  Strings, vectors,
char-tables and bool-vectors are the four types of arrays.

  A list is a sequence of elements, but it is not a single primitive
object; it is made of cons cells, one cell per element.  Finding the
@var{n}th element requires looking through @var{n} cons cells, so
elements farther from the beginning of the list take longer to access.

  The following diagram shows the relationship between these types:

@example
@group
          _____________________________________________
         |                                             |
         |          Sequence                           |
         |  ______   ________________________________  |
         | |      | |                                | |
         | | List | |             Array              | |
         | |      | |    ________       ________     | |
         | |______| |   |        |     |        |    | |
         |          |   | Vector |     | String |    | |
         |          |   |________|     |________|    | |
         |          |  ____________   _____________  | |
         |          | |            | |             | | |
         |          | | Char-table | | Bool-vector | | |
         |          | |____________| |_____________| | |
         |          |________________________________| |
         |_____________________________________________|
@end group
@end example

  The elements of vectors and lists may be any Lisp objects.  The
elements of strings are all characters.

@end menu

@node Sequence Functions
@section Sequences

  In Emacs Lisp, a @dfn{sequence} is either a list or an array.  The
common property of all sequences is that they are ordered collections of
elements.  This section describes functions that accept any kind of
sequence.

@defun sequencep object
Returns @code{t} if @var{object} is a list, vector, or
string, @code{nil} otherwise.
@end defun

@defun length sequence
@cindex string length
@cindex list length
@cindex vector length
@cindex sequence length
This function returns the number of elements in @var{sequence}.  If
@var{sequence} is a cons cell that is not a list (because the final
@sc{cdr} is not @code{nil}), a @code{wrong-type-argument} error is
signaled.

@xref{List Elements}, for the related function @code{safe-list}.

@example
@group

    @result{} 6
@end group
@group
(length [1 2 3])
    @result{} 3
@end group
@group
(length (make-bool-vector 5 nil))
    @result{} 5
@end group
@end example
@end defun

@defun elt sequence index

@group
(elt '(1 2 3 4) 2)
     @result{} 3
@end group
@group
;; @r{We use @code{string} to show clearly which character @code{elt} returns.}
(string (elt "1234" 2))
     @result{} "3"
@end group
@group
(elt [1 2 3 4] 4)
     @error{}Args out of range: [1 2 3 4], 4

@end group
@end example

This function generalizes @code{aref} (@pxref{Array Functions}) and
@code{nth} (@pxref{List Elements}).
@end defun

@defun copy-sequence sequence
@cindex copying sequences
Returns a copy of @var{sequence}.  The copy is the same type of object
as the original sequence, and it has the same elements in the same order.

Storing a new element into the copy does not affect the original
@var{sequence}, and vice versa.  However, the elements of the new
sequence are not copies; they are identical (@code{eq}) to the elements
of the original.  Therefore, changes made within these elements, as
found via the copied sequence, are also visible in the original
sequence.

If the sequence is a string with text properties, the property list in
the copy is itself a copy, not shared with the original's property
list.  However, the actual values of the properties are shared.
@xref{Text Properties}.

See also @code{append} in @ref{Building Lists}, @code{concat} in
@ref{Creating Strings}, and @code{vconcat} in @ref{Vectors}, for others
ways to copy sequences.

@example
@group
(setq bar '(1 2))
     @result{} (1 2)
@end group
@group
(setq x (vector 'foo bar))
     @result{} [foo (1 2)]
@end group
@group
(setq y (copy-sequence x))
     @result{} [foo (1 2)]
@end group

@group
(eq x y)
     @result{} nil
@end group
@group
(equal x y)
     @result{} t
@end group
@group
(eq (elt x 1) (elt y 1))
     @result{} t
@end group

@group
;; @r{Replacing an element of one sequence.}
(aset x 0 'quux)
x @result{} [quux (1 2)]
y @result{} [foo (1 2)]
@end group

@group
;; @r{Modifying the inside of a shared element.}
(setcar (aref x 1) 69)
x @result{} [quux (69 2)]
y @result{} [foo (69 2)]
@end group
@end example
@end defun

@node Arrays
@section Arrays
@cindex array

objects, called the elements of the array.  Any element of an array may
be accessed in constant time.  In contrast, an element of a list
requires access time that is proportional to the position of the element
in the list.

  Emacs defines four types of array, both of which are one-dimensional:
@dfn{strings}, @dfn{vectors}, @dfn{bool-vectors} and @dfn{char-tables}.
A vector is a general array; its elements can be any Lisp objects.  A
string is a specialized array; its elements must be characters (i.e.,
integers between 0 and 255).  Each type of array has its own read
syntax.  @xref{String Type}, and @ref{Vector Type}.

  All four kinds of array share these characteristics:

@itemize @bullet
@item
The first element of an array has index zero, the second element has
index 1, and so on.  This is called @dfn{zero-origin} indexing.  For
example, an array of four elements has indices 0, 1, 2, @w{and 3}.

@item
The length of the array is fixed once you create it; you cannot
change the length of an existing array.

@item
The array is a constant, for evaluation---in other words, it evaluates
to itself.

@item
The elements of an array may be referenced or changed with the functions
@code{aref} and @code{aset}, respectively (@pxref{Array Functions}).
@end itemize

    When you create an array, other than a char-table, you must specify
its length.  You cannot specify the length of a char-table, because that
is determined by the range of character codes.

  In principle, if you want an array of text characters, you could use
either a string or a vector.  In practice, we always choose strings for
such applications, for four reasons:

@itemize @bullet
@item
They occupy one-fourth the space of a vector of the same elements.

vector, a string, a bool-vector or a char-table).

@example
@group
(arrayp [a])
     @result{} t
(arrayp "asdf")
     @result{} t
(arrayp (syntax-table))    ;; @r{A char-table.}
     @result{} t
@end group
@end example
@end defun

@defun aref array index

@group
(setq primes [2 3 5 7 11 13])
     @result{} [2 3 5 7 11 13]
(aref primes 4)
     @result{} 11
@end group
@group
(aref "abcdefg" 1)
     @result{} 98           ; @r{@samp{b} is @sc{ASCII} code 98.}
@end group
@end example

@section Vectors
@cindex vector

  Arrays in Lisp, like arrays in most languages, are blocks of memory
whose elements can be accessed in constant time.  A @dfn{vector} is a
general-purpose array of specified length; its elements can be any Lisp
objects.  (By contrast, a string can hold only characters as elements.)
Vectors in Emacs are used for obarrays (vectors of symbols), and as part
of keymaps (vectors of commands).  They are also used internally as part
of the representation of a byte-compiled function; if you print such a
function, you will see a vector in it.

  In Emacs Lisp, the indices of the elements of a vector start from zero
and count up from there.

     @result{} t
@end group
@end example

@node Vector Functions
@section Functions for Vectors

  Here are some functions that relate to vectors:

@defun vectorp object
This function returns @code{t} if @var{object} is a vector.

     @result{} []
(vconcat [A B C] "aa" '(foo (6 7)))
     @result{} [A B C 97 97 foo (6 7)]
@end group
@end example

The @code{vconcat} function also allows byte-code function objects as
arguments.  This is a special feature to make it easy to access the entire
contents of a byte-code function object.  @xref{Byte-Code Objects}.

The @code{vconcat} function also allows integers as arguments.  It
converts them to strings of digits, making up the decimal print
representation of the integer, and then uses the strings instead of the
original integers.  @strong{Don't use this feature; we plan to eliminate

@section Char-Tables
@cindex char-tables

  A char-table is much like a vector, except that it is indexed by
character codes.  Any valid character code, without modifiers, can be
used as an index in a char-table.  You can access a char-table's
elements with @code{aref} and @code{aset}, as with any array.
Char-tables are constants when evaluated.

@cindex extra slots of char-table
@cindex subtype of char-table
  Each char-table has a @dfn{subtype} which is a symbol.  In order to be
a valid subtype, a symbol must have a @code{char-table-extra-slots}

@defun make-char-table subtype &optional init
Return a newly created char-table, with subtype @var{subtype}.  Each
element is initialized to @var{init}, which defaults to @code{nil}.  You
cannot alter the subtype of a char-table after the char-table is
created.

There is no argument to specify the length of the char-table, because
all char-tables have room for any valid character code as an index.
@end defun

@tindex char-table-p
@defun char-table-p object
This function returns @code{t} if @var{object} is a char-table,
otherwise @code{nil}.
@end defun

@tindex char-table-subtype
@defun char-table-subtype char-table

@defun map-char-table function char-table
This function calls @var{function} for each element of @var{char-table}.
@var{function} is called with two arguments, a key and a value.  The key
is a possible @var{range} argument for @code{char-table-range}, and the
value is @code{(char-table-range @var{char-table} @var{key})}.  Invalid
character codes are never used as @var{key}.

Overall, the key-value pairs passed to @var{function} describe all the
values stored in @var{char-table}.
@end defun

@node Bool-Vectors
@section Bool-vectors
@cindex Bool-vectors

  A bool-vector is much like a vector, except that it stores only the
values @code{t} and @code{nil}.  If you try to store any non-@code{nil}
value into an element of the bool-vector, the effect is to store
@code{t} there.  As with all arrays, bool-vector indices start from 0,
and the length cannot be changed once the bool-vector is created.
Bool-vectors are constants when evaluated.

  There are two special functions for working with bool-vectors; aside
from that, you manipulate them with same functions used for other kinds
of arrays.