Merge from trunk after a lot of time.
[bpt/emacs.git] / doc / misc / cl.texi
1 \input texinfo @c -*-texinfo-*-
2 @setfilename ../../info/cl
3 @settitle Common Lisp Extensions
4 @include emacsver.texi
5
6 @copying
7 This file documents the GNU Emacs Common Lisp emulation package.
8
9 Copyright @copyright{} 1993, 2001--2013 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
10
11 @quotation
12 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
13 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.3 or
14 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
15 Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU Manual'',
16 and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the license
17 is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation License''.
18
19 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have the freedom to copy and
20 modify this GNU manual.''
21 @end quotation
22 @end copying
23
24 @dircategory Emacs lisp libraries
25 @direntry
26 * CL: (cl). Partial Common Lisp support for Emacs Lisp.
27 @end direntry
28
29 @finalout
30
31 @titlepage
32 @sp 6
33 @center @titlefont{Common Lisp Extensions}
34 @sp 4
35 @center For GNU Emacs Lisp
36 @sp 1
37 @center as distributed with Emacs @value{EMACSVER}
38 @sp 5
39 @center Dave Gillespie
40 @center daveg@@synaptics.com
41 @page
42 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
43 @insertcopying
44 @end titlepage
45
46 @contents
47
48 @ifnottex
49 @node Top
50 @top GNU Emacs Common Lisp Emulation
51
52 @insertcopying
53 @end ifnottex
54
55 @menu
56 * Overview:: Basics, usage, organization, naming conventions.
57 * Program Structure:: Arglists, @code{cl-eval-when}.
58 * Predicates:: Type predicates and equality predicates.
59 * Control Structure:: Assignment, conditionals, blocks, looping.
60 * Macros:: Destructuring, compiler macros.
61 * Declarations:: @code{cl-proclaim}, @code{cl-declare}, etc.
62 * Symbols:: Property lists, creating symbols.
63 * Numbers:: Predicates, functions, random numbers.
64 * Sequences:: Mapping, functions, searching, sorting.
65 * Lists:: Functions, substitution, sets, associations.
66 * Structures:: @code{cl-defstruct}.
67 * Assertions:: Assertions and type checking.
68
69 Appendices
70 * Efficiency Concerns:: Hints and techniques.
71 * Common Lisp Compatibility:: All known differences with Steele.
72 * Porting Common Lisp:: Hints for porting Common Lisp code.
73 * Obsolete Features:: Obsolete features.
74 * GNU Free Documentation License:: The license for this documentation.
75
76 Indexes
77 * Function Index:: An entry for each documented function.
78 * Variable Index:: An entry for each documented variable.
79 @end menu
80
81 @node Overview
82 @chapter Overview
83
84 @noindent
85 This document describes a set of Emacs Lisp facilities borrowed from
86 Common Lisp. All the facilities are described here in detail. While
87 this document does not assume any prior knowledge of Common Lisp, it
88 does assume a basic familiarity with Emacs Lisp.
89
90 Common Lisp is a huge language, and Common Lisp systems tend to be
91 massive and extremely complex. Emacs Lisp, by contrast, is rather
92 minimalist in the choice of Lisp features it offers the programmer.
93 As Emacs Lisp programmers have grown in number, and the applications
94 they write have grown more ambitious, it has become clear that Emacs
95 Lisp could benefit from many of the conveniences of Common Lisp.
96
97 The @dfn{CL} package adds a number of Common Lisp functions and
98 control structures to Emacs Lisp. While not a 100% complete
99 implementation of Common Lisp, it adds enough functionality
100 to make Emacs Lisp programming significantly more convenient.
101
102 Some Common Lisp features have been omitted from this package
103 for various reasons:
104
105 @itemize @bullet
106 @item
107 Some features are too complex or bulky relative to their benefit
108 to Emacs Lisp programmers. CLOS and Common Lisp streams are fine
109 examples of this group. (The separate package EIEIO implements
110 a subset of CLOS functionality. @xref{Top, , Introduction, eieio, EIEIO}.)
111
112 @item
113 Other features cannot be implemented without modification to the
114 Emacs Lisp interpreter itself, such as multiple return values,
115 case-insensitive symbols, and complex numbers.
116 This package generally makes no attempt to emulate these features.
117
118 @end itemize
119
120 This package was originally written by Dave Gillespie,
121 @file{daveg@@synaptics.com}, as a total rewrite of an earlier 1986
122 @file{cl.el} package by Cesar Quiroz. Care has been taken to ensure
123 that each function is defined efficiently, concisely, and with minimal
124 impact on the rest of the Emacs environment. Stefan Monnier added the
125 file @file{cl-lib.el} and rationalized the namespace for Emacs 24.3.
126
127 @menu
128 * Usage:: How to use this package.
129 * Organization:: The package's component files.
130 * Naming Conventions:: Notes on function names.
131 @end menu
132
133 @node Usage
134 @section Usage
135
136 @noindent
137 This package is distributed with Emacs, so there is no need
138 to install any additional files in order to start using it. Lisp code
139 that uses features from this package should simply include at
140 the beginning:
141
142 @example
143 (require 'cl-lib)
144 @end example
145
146 @noindent
147 You may wish to add such a statement to your init file, if you
148 make frequent use of features from this package.
149
150 @node Organization
151 @section Organization
152
153 @noindent
154 The Common Lisp package is organized into four main files:
155
156 @table @file
157 @item cl-lib.el
158 This is the main file, which contains basic functions
159 and information about the package. This file is relatively compact.
160
161 @item cl-extra.el
162 This file contains the larger, more complex or unusual functions.
163 It is kept separate so that packages which only want to use Common
164 Lisp fundamentals like the @code{cl-incf} function won't need to pay
165 the overhead of loading the more advanced functions.
166
167 @item cl-seq.el
168 This file contains most of the advanced functions for operating
169 on sequences or lists, such as @code{cl-delete-if} and @code{cl-assoc}.
170
171 @item cl-macs.el
172 This file contains the features that are macros instead of functions.
173 Macros expand when the caller is compiled, not when it is run, so the
174 macros generally only need to be present when the byte-compiler is
175 running (or when the macros are used in uncompiled code). Most of the
176 macros of this package are isolated in @file{cl-macs.el} so that they
177 won't take up memory unless you are compiling.
178 @end table
179
180 The file @file{cl-lib.el} includes all necessary @code{autoload}
181 commands for the functions and macros in the other three files.
182 All you have to do is @code{(require 'cl-lib)}, and @file{cl-lib.el}
183 will take care of pulling in the other files when they are
184 needed.
185
186 There is another file, @file{cl.el}, which was the main entry point to
187 this package prior to Emacs 24.3. Nowadays, it is replaced by
188 @file{cl-lib.el}. The two provide the same features (in most cases),
189 but use different function names (in fact, @file{cl.el} mainly just
190 defines aliases to the @file{cl-lib.el} definitions). Where
191 @file{cl-lib.el} defines a function called, for example,
192 @code{cl-incf}, @file{cl.el} uses the same name but without the
193 @samp{cl-} prefix, e.g., @code{incf} in this example. There are a few
194 exceptions to this. First, functions such as @code{cl-defun} where
195 the unprefixed version was already used for a standard Emacs Lisp
196 function. In such cases, the @file{cl.el} version adds a @samp{*}
197 suffix, e.g., @code{defun*}. Second, there are some obsolete features
198 that are only implemented in @file{cl.el}, not in @file{cl-lib.el},
199 because they are replaced by other standard Emacs Lisp features.
200 Finally, in a very few cases the old @file{cl.el} versions do not
201 behave in exactly the same way as the @file{cl-lib.el} versions.
202 @xref{Obsolete Features}.
203 @c There is also cl-mapc, which was called cl-mapc even before cl-lib.el.
204 @c But not autoloaded, so maybe not much used?
205
206 Since the old @file{cl.el} does not use a clean namespace, Emacs has a
207 policy that packages distributed with Emacs must not load @code{cl} at
208 run time. (It is ok for them to load @code{cl} at @emph{compile}
209 time, with @code{eval-when-compile}, and use the macros it provides.)
210 There is no such restriction on the use of @code{cl-lib}. New code
211 should use @code{cl-lib} rather than @code{cl}.
212
213 There is one more file, @file{cl-compat.el}, which defines some
214 routines from the older Quiroz @file{cl.el} package that are not otherwise
215 present in the new package. This file is obsolete and should not be
216 used in new code.
217
218 @node Naming Conventions
219 @section Naming Conventions
220
221 @noindent
222 Except where noted, all functions defined by this package have the
223 same calling conventions as their Common Lisp counterparts, and
224 names that are those of Common Lisp plus a @samp{cl-} prefix.
225
226 Internal function and variable names in the package are prefixed
227 by @code{cl--}. Here is a complete list of functions prefixed by
228 @code{cl-} that were @emph{not} taken from Common Lisp:
229
230 @example
231 cl-callf cl-callf2 cl-defsubst
232 cl-letf cl-letf*
233 @end example
234
235 @c This is not uninteresting I suppose, but is of zero practical relevance
236 @c to the user, and seems like a hostage to changing implementation details.
237 The following simple functions and macros are defined in @file{cl-lib.el};
238 they do not cause other components like @file{cl-extra} to be loaded.
239
240 @example
241 cl-evenp cl-oddp cl-minusp
242 cl-plusp cl-endp cl-subst
243 cl-copy-list cl-list* cl-ldiff
244 cl-rest cl-decf [1] cl-incf [1]
245 cl-acons cl-adjoin [2] cl-pairlis
246 cl-pushnew [1,2] cl-declaim cl-proclaim
247 cl-caaar@dots{}cl-cddddr cl-first@dots{}cl-tenth
248 cl-mapcar [3]
249 @end example
250
251 @noindent
252 [1] Only when @var{place} is a plain variable name.
253
254 @noindent
255 [2] Only if @code{:test} is @code{eq}, @code{equal}, or unspecified,
256 and @code{:key} is not used.
257
258 @noindent
259 [3] Only for one sequence argument or two list arguments.
260
261 @node Program Structure
262 @chapter Program Structure
263
264 @noindent
265 This section describes features of this package that have to
266 do with programs as a whole: advanced argument lists for functions,
267 and the @code{cl-eval-when} construct.
268
269 @menu
270 * Argument Lists:: @code{&key}, @code{&aux}, @code{cl-defun}, @code{cl-defmacro}.
271 * Time of Evaluation:: The @code{cl-eval-when} construct.
272 @end menu
273
274 @node Argument Lists
275 @section Argument Lists
276
277 @noindent
278 Emacs Lisp's notation for argument lists of functions is a subset of
279 the Common Lisp notation. As well as the familiar @code{&optional}
280 and @code{&rest} markers, Common Lisp allows you to specify default
281 values for optional arguments, and it provides the additional markers
282 @code{&key} and @code{&aux}.
283
284 Since argument parsing is built-in to Emacs, there is no way for
285 this package to implement Common Lisp argument lists seamlessly.
286 Instead, this package defines alternates for several Lisp forms
287 which you must use if you need Common Lisp argument lists.
288
289 @defmac cl-defun name arglist body@dots{}
290 This form is identical to the regular @code{defun} form, except
291 that @var{arglist} is allowed to be a full Common Lisp argument
292 list. Also, the function body is enclosed in an implicit block
293 called @var{name}; @pxref{Blocks and Exits}.
294 @end defmac
295
296 @defmac cl-defsubst name arglist body@dots{}
297 This is just like @code{cl-defun}, except that the function that
298 is defined is automatically proclaimed @code{inline}, i.e.,
299 calls to it may be expanded into in-line code by the byte compiler.
300 This is analogous to the @code{defsubst} form;
301 @code{cl-defsubst} uses a different method (compiler macros) which
302 works in all versions of Emacs, and also generates somewhat more
303 @c For some examples,
304 @c see http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/emacs-devel/2012-11/msg00009.html
305 efficient inline expansions. In particular, @code{cl-defsubst}
306 arranges for the processing of keyword arguments, default values,
307 etc., to be done at compile-time whenever possible.
308 @end defmac
309
310 @defmac cl-defmacro name arglist body@dots{}
311 This is identical to the regular @code{defmacro} form,
312 except that @var{arglist} is allowed to be a full Common Lisp
313 argument list. The @code{&environment} keyword is supported as
314 described in Steele's book @cite{Common Lisp, the Language}.
315 The @code{&whole} keyword is supported only
316 within destructured lists (see below); top-level @code{&whole}
317 cannot be implemented with the current Emacs Lisp interpreter.
318 The macro expander body is enclosed in an implicit block called
319 @var{name}.
320 @end defmac
321
322 @defmac cl-function symbol-or-lambda
323 This is identical to the regular @code{function} form,
324 except that if the argument is a @code{lambda} form then that
325 form may use a full Common Lisp argument list.
326 @end defmac
327
328 Also, all forms (such as @code{cl-flet} and @code{cl-labels}) defined
329 in this package that include @var{arglist}s in their syntax allow
330 full Common Lisp argument lists.
331
332 Note that it is @emph{not} necessary to use @code{cl-defun} in
333 order to have access to most CL features in your function.
334 These features are always present; @code{cl-defun}'s only
335 difference from @code{defun} is its more flexible argument
336 lists and its implicit block.
337
338 The full form of a Common Lisp argument list is
339
340 @example
341 (@var{var}@dots{}
342 &optional (@var{var} @var{initform} @var{svar})@dots{}
343 &rest @var{var}
344 &key ((@var{keyword} @var{var}) @var{initform} @var{svar})@dots{}
345 &aux (@var{var} @var{initform})@dots{})
346 @end example
347
348 Each of the five argument list sections is optional. The @var{svar},
349 @var{initform}, and @var{keyword} parts are optional; if they are
350 omitted, then @samp{(@var{var})} may be written simply @samp{@var{var}}.
351
352 The first section consists of zero or more @dfn{required} arguments.
353 These arguments must always be specified in a call to the function;
354 there is no difference between Emacs Lisp and Common Lisp as far as
355 required arguments are concerned.
356
357 The second section consists of @dfn{optional} arguments. These
358 arguments may be specified in the function call; if they are not,
359 @var{initform} specifies the default value used for the argument.
360 (No @var{initform} means to use @code{nil} as the default.) The
361 @var{initform} is evaluated with the bindings for the preceding
362 arguments already established; @code{(a &optional (b (1+ a)))}
363 matches one or two arguments, with the second argument defaulting
364 to one plus the first argument. If the @var{svar} is specified,
365 it is an auxiliary variable which is bound to @code{t} if the optional
366 argument was specified, or to @code{nil} if the argument was omitted.
367 If you don't use an @var{svar}, then there will be no way for your
368 function to tell whether it was called with no argument, or with
369 the default value passed explicitly as an argument.
370
371 The third section consists of a single @dfn{rest} argument. If
372 more arguments were passed to the function than are accounted for
373 by the required and optional arguments, those extra arguments are
374 collected into a list and bound to the ``rest'' argument variable.
375 Common Lisp's @code{&rest} is equivalent to that of Emacs Lisp.
376 Common Lisp accepts @code{&body} as a synonym for @code{&rest} in
377 macro contexts; this package accepts it all the time.
378
379 The fourth section consists of @dfn{keyword} arguments. These
380 are optional arguments which are specified by name rather than
381 positionally in the argument list. For example,
382
383 @example
384 (cl-defun foo (a &optional b &key c d (e 17)))
385 @end example
386
387 @noindent
388 defines a function which may be called with one, two, or more
389 arguments. The first two arguments are bound to @code{a} and
390 @code{b} in the usual way. The remaining arguments must be
391 pairs of the form @code{:c}, @code{:d}, or @code{:e} followed
392 by the value to be bound to the corresponding argument variable.
393 (Symbols whose names begin with a colon are called @dfn{keywords},
394 and they are self-quoting in the same way as @code{nil} and
395 @code{t}.)
396
397 For example, the call @code{(foo 1 2 :d 3 :c 4)} sets the five
398 arguments to 1, 2, 4, 3, and 17, respectively. If the same keyword
399 appears more than once in the function call, the first occurrence
400 takes precedence over the later ones. Note that it is not possible
401 to specify keyword arguments without specifying the optional
402 argument @code{b} as well, since @code{(foo 1 :c 2)} would bind
403 @code{b} to the keyword @code{:c}, then signal an error because
404 @code{2} is not a valid keyword.
405
406 You can also explicitly specify the keyword argument; it need not be
407 simply the variable name prefixed with a colon. For example,
408
409 @example
410 (cl-defun bar (&key (a 1) ((baz b) 4)))
411 @end example
412
413 @noindent
414
415 specifies a keyword @code{:a} that sets the variable @code{a} with
416 default value 1, as well as a keyword @code{baz} that sets the
417 variable @code{b} with default value 4. In this case, because
418 @code{baz} is not self-quoting, you must quote it explicitly in the
419 function call, like this:
420
421 @example
422 (bar :a 10 'baz 42)
423 @end example
424
425 Ordinarily, it is an error to pass an unrecognized keyword to
426 a function, e.g., @code{(foo 1 2 :c 3 :goober 4)}. You can ask
427 Lisp to ignore unrecognized keywords, either by adding the
428 marker @code{&allow-other-keys} after the keyword section
429 of the argument list, or by specifying an @code{:allow-other-keys}
430 argument in the call whose value is non-@code{nil}. If the
431 function uses both @code{&rest} and @code{&key} at the same time,
432 the ``rest'' argument is bound to the keyword list as it appears
433 in the call. For example:
434
435 @example
436 (cl-defun find-thing (thing &rest rest &key need &allow-other-keys)
437 (or (apply 'cl-member thing thing-list :allow-other-keys t rest)
438 (if need (error "Thing not found"))))
439 @end example
440
441 @noindent
442 This function takes a @code{:need} keyword argument, but also
443 accepts other keyword arguments which are passed on to the
444 @code{cl-member} function. @code{allow-other-keys} is used to
445 keep both @code{find-thing} and @code{cl-member} from complaining
446 about each others' keywords in the arguments.
447
448 The fifth section of the argument list consists of @dfn{auxiliary
449 variables}. These are not really arguments at all, but simply
450 variables which are bound to @code{nil} or to the specified
451 @var{initforms} during execution of the function. There is no
452 difference between the following two functions, except for a
453 matter of stylistic taste:
454
455 @example
456 (cl-defun foo (a b &aux (c (+ a b)) d)
457 @var{body})
458
459 (cl-defun foo (a b)
460 (let ((c (+ a b)) d)
461 @var{body}))
462 @end example
463
464 @cindex destructuring, in argument list
465 Argument lists support @dfn{destructuring}. In Common Lisp,
466 destructuring is only allowed with @code{defmacro}; this package
467 allows it with @code{cl-defun} and other argument lists as well.
468 In destructuring, any argument variable (@var{var} in the above
469 example) can be replaced by a list of variables, or more generally,
470 a recursive argument list. The corresponding argument value must
471 be a list whose elements match this recursive argument list.
472 For example:
473
474 @example
475 (cl-defmacro dolist ((var listform &optional resultform)
476 &rest body)
477 @dots{})
478 @end example
479
480 This says that the first argument of @code{dolist} must be a list
481 of two or three items; if there are other arguments as well as this
482 list, they are stored in @code{body}. All features allowed in
483 regular argument lists are allowed in these recursive argument lists.
484 In addition, the clause @samp{&whole @var{var}} is allowed at the
485 front of a recursive argument list. It binds @var{var} to the
486 whole list being matched; thus @code{(&whole all a b)} matches
487 a list of two things, with @code{a} bound to the first thing,
488 @code{b} bound to the second thing, and @code{all} bound to the
489 list itself. (Common Lisp allows @code{&whole} in top-level
490 @code{defmacro} argument lists as well, but Emacs Lisp does not
491 support this usage.)
492
493 One last feature of destructuring is that the argument list may be
494 dotted, so that the argument list @code{(a b . c)} is functionally
495 equivalent to @code{(a b &rest c)}.
496
497 If the optimization quality @code{safety} is set to 0
498 (@pxref{Declarations}), error checking for wrong number of
499 arguments and invalid keyword arguments is disabled. By default,
500 argument lists are rigorously checked.
501
502 @node Time of Evaluation
503 @section Time of Evaluation
504
505 @noindent
506 Normally, the byte-compiler does not actually execute the forms in
507 a file it compiles. For example, if a file contains @code{(setq foo t)},
508 the act of compiling it will not actually set @code{foo} to @code{t}.
509 This is true even if the @code{setq} was a top-level form (i.e., not
510 enclosed in a @code{defun} or other form). Sometimes, though, you
511 would like to have certain top-level forms evaluated at compile-time.
512 For example, the compiler effectively evaluates @code{defmacro} forms
513 at compile-time so that later parts of the file can refer to the
514 macros that are defined.
515
516 @defmac cl-eval-when (situations@dots{}) forms@dots{}
517 This form controls when the body @var{forms} are evaluated.
518 The @var{situations} list may contain any set of the symbols
519 @code{compile}, @code{load}, and @code{eval} (or their long-winded
520 ANSI equivalents, @code{:compile-toplevel}, @code{:load-toplevel},
521 and @code{:execute}).
522
523 The @code{cl-eval-when} form is handled differently depending on
524 whether or not it is being compiled as a top-level form.
525 Specifically, it gets special treatment if it is being compiled
526 by a command such as @code{byte-compile-file} which compiles files
527 or buffers of code, and it appears either literally at the
528 top level of the file or inside a top-level @code{progn}.
529
530 For compiled top-level @code{cl-eval-when}s, the body @var{forms} are
531 executed at compile-time if @code{compile} is in the @var{situations}
532 list, and the @var{forms} are written out to the file (to be executed
533 at load-time) if @code{load} is in the @var{situations} list.
534
535 For non-compiled-top-level forms, only the @code{eval} situation is
536 relevant. (This includes forms executed by the interpreter, forms
537 compiled with @code{byte-compile} rather than @code{byte-compile-file},
538 and non-top-level forms.) The @code{cl-eval-when} acts like a
539 @code{progn} if @code{eval} is specified, and like @code{nil}
540 (ignoring the body @var{forms}) if not.
541
542 The rules become more subtle when @code{cl-eval-when}s are nested;
543 consult Steele (second edition) for the gruesome details (and
544 some gruesome examples).
545
546 Some simple examples:
547
548 @example
549 ;; Top-level forms in foo.el:
550 (cl-eval-when (compile) (setq foo1 'bar))
551 (cl-eval-when (load) (setq foo2 'bar))
552 (cl-eval-when (compile load) (setq foo3 'bar))
553 (cl-eval-when (eval) (setq foo4 'bar))
554 (cl-eval-when (eval compile) (setq foo5 'bar))
555 (cl-eval-when (eval load) (setq foo6 'bar))
556 (cl-eval-when (eval compile load) (setq foo7 'bar))
557 @end example
558
559 When @file{foo.el} is compiled, these variables will be set during
560 the compilation itself:
561
562 @example
563 foo1 foo3 foo5 foo7 ; `compile'
564 @end example
565
566 When @file{foo.elc} is loaded, these variables will be set:
567
568 @example
569 foo2 foo3 foo6 foo7 ; `load'
570 @end example
571
572 And if @file{foo.el} is loaded uncompiled, these variables will
573 be set:
574
575 @example
576 foo4 foo5 foo6 foo7 ; `eval'
577 @end example
578
579 If these seven @code{cl-eval-when}s had been, say, inside a @code{defun},
580 then the first three would have been equivalent to @code{nil} and the
581 last four would have been equivalent to the corresponding @code{setq}s.
582
583 Note that @code{(cl-eval-when (load eval) @dots{})} is equivalent
584 to @code{(progn @dots{})} in all contexts. The compiler treats
585 certain top-level forms, like @code{defmacro} (sort-of) and
586 @code{require}, as if they were wrapped in @code{(cl-eval-when
587 (compile load eval) @dots{})}.
588 @end defmac
589
590 Emacs includes two special forms related to @code{cl-eval-when}.
591 @xref{Eval During Compile,,,elisp,GNU Emacs Lisp Reference Manual}.
592 One of these, @code{eval-when-compile}, is not quite equivalent to
593 any @code{cl-eval-when} construct and is described below.
594
595 The other form, @code{(eval-and-compile @dots{})}, is exactly
596 equivalent to @samp{(cl-eval-when (compile load eval) @dots{})}.
597
598 @defmac eval-when-compile forms@dots{}
599 The @var{forms} are evaluated at compile-time; at execution time,
600 this form acts like a quoted constant of the resulting value. Used
601 at top-level, @code{eval-when-compile} is just like @samp{eval-when
602 (compile eval)}. In other contexts, @code{eval-when-compile}
603 allows code to be evaluated once at compile-time for efficiency
604 or other reasons.
605
606 This form is similar to the @samp{#.} syntax of true Common Lisp.
607 @end defmac
608
609 @defmac cl-load-time-value form
610 The @var{form} is evaluated at load-time; at execution time,
611 this form acts like a quoted constant of the resulting value.
612
613 Early Common Lisp had a @samp{#,} syntax that was similar to
614 this, but ANSI Common Lisp replaced it with @code{load-time-value}
615 and gave it more well-defined semantics.
616
617 In a compiled file, @code{cl-load-time-value} arranges for @var{form}
618 to be evaluated when the @file{.elc} file is loaded and then used
619 as if it were a quoted constant. In code compiled by
620 @code{byte-compile} rather than @code{byte-compile-file}, the
621 effect is identical to @code{eval-when-compile}. In uncompiled
622 code, both @code{eval-when-compile} and @code{cl-load-time-value}
623 act exactly like @code{progn}.
624
625 @example
626 (defun report ()
627 (insert "This function was executed on: "
628 (current-time-string)
629 ", compiled on: "
630 (eval-when-compile (current-time-string))
631 ;; or '#.(current-time-string) in real Common Lisp
632 ", and loaded on: "
633 (cl-load-time-value (current-time-string))))
634 @end example
635
636 @noindent
637 Byte-compiled, the above defun will result in the following code
638 (or its compiled equivalent, of course) in the @file{.elc} file:
639
640 @example
641 (setq --temp-- (current-time-string))
642 (defun report ()
643 (insert "This function was executed on: "
644 (current-time-string)
645 ", compiled on: "
646 '"Wed Oct 31 16:32:28 2012"
647 ", and loaded on: "
648 --temp--))
649 @end example
650 @end defmac
651
652 @node Predicates
653 @chapter Predicates
654
655 @noindent
656 This section describes functions for testing whether various
657 facts are true or false.
658
659 @menu
660 * Type Predicates:: @code{cl-typep}, @code{cl-deftype}, and @code{cl-coerce}.
661 * Equality Predicates:: @code{cl-equalp}.
662 @end menu
663
664 @node Type Predicates
665 @section Type Predicates
666
667 @defun cl-typep object type
668 Check if @var{object} is of type @var{type}, where @var{type} is a
669 (quoted) type name of the sort used by Common Lisp. For example,
670 @code{(cl-typep foo 'integer)} is equivalent to @code{(integerp foo)}.
671 @end defun
672
673 The @var{type} argument to the above function is either a symbol
674 or a list beginning with a symbol.
675
676 @itemize @bullet
677 @item
678 If the type name is a symbol, Emacs appends @samp{-p} to the
679 symbol name to form the name of a predicate function for testing
680 the type. (Built-in predicates whose names end in @samp{p} rather
681 than @samp{-p} are used when appropriate.)
682
683 @item
684 The type symbol @code{t} stands for the union of all types.
685 @code{(cl-typep @var{object} t)} is always true. Likewise, the
686 type symbol @code{nil} stands for nothing at all, and
687 @code{(cl-typep @var{object} nil)} is always false.
688
689 @item
690 The type symbol @code{null} represents the symbol @code{nil}.
691 Thus @code{(cl-typep @var{object} 'null)} is equivalent to
692 @code{(null @var{object})}.
693
694 @item
695 The type symbol @code{atom} represents all objects that are not cons
696 cells. Thus @code{(cl-typep @var{object} 'atom)} is equivalent to
697 @code{(atom @var{object})}.
698
699 @item
700 The type symbol @code{real} is a synonym for @code{number}, and
701 @code{fixnum} is a synonym for @code{integer}.
702
703 @item
704 The type symbols @code{character} and @code{string-char} match
705 integers in the range from 0 to 255.
706
707 @item
708 The type list @code{(integer @var{low} @var{high})} represents all
709 integers between @var{low} and @var{high}, inclusive. Either bound
710 may be a list of a single integer to specify an exclusive limit,
711 or a @code{*} to specify no limit. The type @code{(integer * *)}
712 is thus equivalent to @code{integer}.
713
714 @item
715 Likewise, lists beginning with @code{float}, @code{real}, or
716 @code{number} represent numbers of that type falling in a particular
717 range.
718
719 @item
720 Lists beginning with @code{and}, @code{or}, and @code{not} form
721 combinations of types. For example, @code{(or integer (float 0 *))}
722 represents all objects that are integers or non-negative floats.
723
724 @item
725 Lists beginning with @code{member} or @code{cl-member} represent
726 objects @code{eql} to any of the following values. For example,
727 @code{(member 1 2 3 4)} is equivalent to @code{(integer 1 4)},
728 and @code{(member nil)} is equivalent to @code{null}.
729
730 @item
731 Lists of the form @code{(satisfies @var{predicate})} represent
732 all objects for which @var{predicate} returns true when called
733 with that object as an argument.
734 @end itemize
735
736 The following function and macro (not technically predicates) are
737 related to @code{cl-typep}.
738
739 @defun cl-coerce object type
740 This function attempts to convert @var{object} to the specified
741 @var{type}. If @var{object} is already of that type as determined by
742 @code{cl-typep}, it is simply returned. Otherwise, certain types of
743 conversions will be made: If @var{type} is any sequence type
744 (@code{string}, @code{list}, etc.)@: then @var{object} will be
745 converted to that type if possible. If @var{type} is
746 @code{character}, then strings of length one and symbols with
747 one-character names can be coerced. If @var{type} is @code{float},
748 then integers can be coerced in versions of Emacs that support
749 floats. In all other circumstances, @code{cl-coerce} signals an
750 error.
751 @end defun
752
753 @defmac cl-deftype name arglist forms@dots{}
754 This macro defines a new type called @var{name}. It is similar
755 to @code{defmacro} in many ways; when @var{name} is encountered
756 as a type name, the body @var{forms} are evaluated and should
757 return a type specifier that is equivalent to the type. The
758 @var{arglist} is a Common Lisp argument list of the sort accepted
759 by @code{cl-defmacro}. The type specifier @samp{(@var{name} @var{args}@dots{})}
760 is expanded by calling the expander with those arguments; the type
761 symbol @samp{@var{name}} is expanded by calling the expander with
762 no arguments. The @var{arglist} is processed the same as for
763 @code{cl-defmacro} except that optional arguments without explicit
764 defaults use @code{*} instead of @code{nil} as the ``default''
765 default. Some examples:
766
767 @example
768 (cl-deftype null () '(satisfies null)) ; predefined
769 (cl-deftype list () '(or null cons)) ; predefined
770 (cl-deftype unsigned-byte (&optional bits)
771 (list 'integer 0 (if (eq bits '*) bits (1- (lsh 1 bits)))))
772 (unsigned-byte 8) @equiv{} (integer 0 255)
773 (unsigned-byte) @equiv{} (integer 0 *)
774 unsigned-byte @equiv{} (integer 0 *)
775 @end example
776
777 @noindent
778 The last example shows how the Common Lisp @code{unsigned-byte}
779 type specifier could be implemented if desired; this package does
780 not implement @code{unsigned-byte} by default.
781 @end defmac
782
783 The @code{cl-typecase} (@pxref{Conditionals}) and @code{cl-check-type}
784 (@pxref{Assertions}) macros also use type names. The @code{cl-map},
785 @code{cl-concatenate}, and @code{cl-merge} functions take type-name
786 arguments to specify the type of sequence to return. @xref{Sequences}.
787
788 @node Equality Predicates
789 @section Equality Predicates
790
791 @noindent
792 This package defines the Common Lisp predicate @code{cl-equalp}.
793
794 @defun cl-equalp a b
795 This function is a more flexible version of @code{equal}. In
796 particular, it compares strings case-insensitively, and it compares
797 numbers without regard to type (so that @code{(cl-equalp 3 3.0)} is
798 true). Vectors and conses are compared recursively. All other
799 objects are compared as if by @code{equal}.
800
801 This function differs from Common Lisp @code{equalp} in several
802 respects. First, Common Lisp's @code{equalp} also compares
803 @emph{characters} case-insensitively, which would be impractical
804 in this package since Emacs does not distinguish between integers
805 and characters. In keeping with the idea that strings are less
806 vector-like in Emacs Lisp, this package's @code{cl-equalp} also will
807 not compare strings against vectors of integers.
808 @end defun
809
810 Also note that the Common Lisp functions @code{member} and @code{assoc}
811 use @code{eql} to compare elements, whereas Emacs Lisp follows the
812 MacLisp tradition and uses @code{equal} for these two functions.
813 The functions @code{cl-member} and @code{cl-assoc} use @code{eql},
814 as in Common Lisp. The standard Emacs Lisp functions @code{memq} and
815 @code{assq} use @code{eq}, and the standard @code{memql} uses @code{eql}.
816
817 @node Control Structure
818 @chapter Control Structure
819
820 @noindent
821 The features described in the following sections implement
822 various advanced control structures, including extensions to the
823 standard @code{setf} facility, and a number of looping and conditional
824 constructs.
825
826 @menu
827 * Assignment:: The @code{cl-psetq} form.
828 * Generalized Variables:: Extensions to generalized variables.
829 * Variable Bindings:: @code{cl-progv}, @code{cl-flet}, @code{cl-macrolet}.
830 * Conditionals:: @code{cl-case}, @code{cl-typecase}.
831 * Blocks and Exits:: @code{cl-block}, @code{cl-return}, @code{cl-return-from}.
832 * Iteration:: @code{cl-do}, @code{cl-dotimes}, @code{cl-dolist}, @code{cl-do-symbols}.
833 * Loop Facility:: The Common Lisp @code{loop} macro.
834 * Multiple Values:: @code{cl-values}, @code{cl-multiple-value-bind}, etc.
835 @end menu
836
837 @node Assignment
838 @section Assignment
839
840 @noindent
841 The @code{cl-psetq} form is just like @code{setq}, except that multiple
842 assignments are done in parallel rather than sequentially.
843
844 @defmac cl-psetq [symbol form]@dots{}
845 This special form (actually a macro) is used to assign to several
846 variables simultaneously. Given only one @var{symbol} and @var{form},
847 it has the same effect as @code{setq}. Given several @var{symbol}
848 and @var{form} pairs, it evaluates all the @var{form}s in advance
849 and then stores the corresponding variables afterwards.
850
851 @example
852 (setq x 2 y 3)
853 (setq x (+ x y) y (* x y))
854 x
855 @result{} 5
856 y ; @r{@code{y} was computed after @code{x} was set.}
857 @result{} 15
858 (setq x 2 y 3)
859 (cl-psetq x (+ x y) y (* x y))
860 x
861 @result{} 5
862 y ; @r{@code{y} was computed before @code{x} was set.}
863 @result{} 6
864 @end example
865
866 The simplest use of @code{cl-psetq} is @code{(cl-psetq x y y x)}, which
867 exchanges the values of two variables. (The @code{cl-rotatef} form
868 provides an even more convenient way to swap two variables;
869 @pxref{Modify Macros}.)
870
871 @code{cl-psetq} always returns @code{nil}.
872 @end defmac
873
874 @node Generalized Variables
875 @section Generalized Variables
876
877 A @dfn{generalized variable} or @dfn{place form} is one of the many
878 places in Lisp memory where values can be stored. The simplest place
879 form is a regular Lisp variable. But the @sc{car}s and @sc{cdr}s of lists,
880 elements of arrays, properties of symbols, and many other locations
881 are also places where Lisp values are stored. For basic information,
882 @pxref{Generalized Variables,,,elisp,GNU Emacs Lisp Reference Manual}.
883 This package provides several additional features related to
884 generalized variables.
885
886 @menu
887 * Setf Extensions:: Additional @code{setf} places.
888 * Modify Macros:: @code{cl-incf}, @code{cl-rotatef}, @code{cl-letf}, @code{cl-callf}, etc.
889 @end menu
890
891 @node Setf Extensions
892 @subsection Setf Extensions
893
894 Several standard (e.g., @code{car}) and Emacs-specific
895 (e.g., @code{window-point}) Lisp functions are @code{setf}-able by default.
896 This package defines @code{setf} handlers for several additional functions:
897
898 @itemize
899 @item
900 Functions from this package:
901 @example
902 cl-rest cl-subseq cl-get cl-getf
903 cl-caaar@dots{}cl-cddddr cl-first@dots{}cl-tenth
904 @end example
905
906 @noindent
907 Note that for @code{cl-getf} (as for @code{nthcdr}), the list argument
908 of the function must itself be a valid @var{place} form.
909
910 @item
911 General Emacs Lisp functions:
912 @example
913 buffer-file-name getenv
914 buffer-modified-p global-key-binding
915 buffer-name local-key-binding
916 buffer-string mark
917 buffer-substring mark-marker
918 current-buffer marker-position
919 current-case-table mouse-position
920 current-column point
921 current-global-map point-marker
922 current-input-mode point-max
923 current-local-map point-min
924 current-window-configuration read-mouse-position
925 default-file-modes screen-height
926 documentation-property screen-width
927 face-background selected-window
928 face-background-pixmap selected-screen
929 face-font selected-frame
930 face-foreground standard-case-table
931 face-underline-p syntax-table
932 file-modes visited-file-modtime
933 frame-height window-height
934 frame-parameters window-width
935 frame-visible-p x-get-secondary-selection
936 frame-width x-get-selection
937 get-register
938 @end example
939
940 Most of these have directly corresponding ``set'' functions, like
941 @code{use-local-map} for @code{current-local-map}, or @code{goto-char}
942 for @code{point}. A few, like @code{point-min}, expand to longer
943 sequences of code when they are used with @code{setf}
944 (@code{(narrow-to-region x (point-max))} in this case).
945
946 @item
947 A call of the form @code{(substring @var{subplace} @var{n} [@var{m}])},
948 where @var{subplace} is itself a valid generalized variable whose
949 current value is a string, and where the value stored is also a
950 string. The new string is spliced into the specified part of the
951 destination string. For example:
952
953 @example
954 (setq a (list "hello" "world"))
955 @result{} ("hello" "world")
956 (cadr a)
957 @result{} "world"
958 (substring (cadr a) 2 4)
959 @result{} "rl"
960 (setf (substring (cadr a) 2 4) "o")
961 @result{} "o"
962 (cadr a)
963 @result{} "wood"
964 a
965 @result{} ("hello" "wood")
966 @end example
967
968 The generalized variable @code{buffer-substring}, listed above,
969 also works in this way by replacing a portion of the current buffer.
970
971 @c FIXME? Also `eq'? (see cl-lib.el)
972
973 @c Currently commented out in cl.el.
974 @ignore
975 @item
976 A call of the form @code{(apply '@var{func} @dots{})} or
977 @code{(apply (function @var{func}) @dots{})}, where @var{func}
978 is a @code{setf}-able function whose store function is ``suitable''
979 in the sense described in Steele's book; since none of the standard
980 Emacs place functions are suitable in this sense, this feature is
981 only interesting when used with places you define yourself with
982 @code{define-setf-method} or the long form of @code{defsetf}.
983 @xref{Obsolete Setf Customization}.
984 @end ignore
985
986 @c FIXME? Is this still true?
987 @item
988 A macro call, in which case the macro is expanded and @code{setf}
989 is applied to the resulting form.
990 @end itemize
991
992 @c FIXME should this be in lispref? It seems self-evident.
993 @c Contrast with the cl-incf example later on.
994 @c Here it really only serves as a contrast to wrong-order.
995 The @code{setf} macro takes care to evaluate all subforms in
996 the proper left-to-right order; for example,
997
998 @example
999 (setf (aref vec (cl-incf i)) i)
1000 @end example
1001
1002 @noindent
1003 looks like it will evaluate @code{(cl-incf i)} exactly once, before the
1004 following access to @code{i}; the @code{setf} expander will insert
1005 temporary variables as necessary to ensure that it does in fact work
1006 this way no matter what setf-method is defined for @code{aref}.
1007 (In this case, @code{aset} would be used and no such steps would
1008 be necessary since @code{aset} takes its arguments in a convenient
1009 order.)
1010
1011 However, if the @var{place} form is a macro which explicitly
1012 evaluates its arguments in an unusual order, this unusual order
1013 will be preserved. Adapting an example from Steele, given
1014
1015 @example
1016 (defmacro wrong-order (x y) (list 'aref y x))
1017 @end example
1018
1019 @noindent
1020 the form @code{(setf (wrong-order @var{a} @var{b}) 17)} will
1021 evaluate @var{b} first, then @var{a}, just as in an actual call
1022 to @code{wrong-order}.
1023
1024 @node Modify Macros
1025 @subsection Modify Macros
1026
1027 @noindent
1028 This package defines a number of macros that operate on generalized
1029 variables. Many are interesting and useful even when the @var{place}
1030 is just a variable name.
1031
1032 @defmac cl-psetf [place form]@dots{}
1033 This macro is to @code{setf} what @code{cl-psetq} is to @code{setq}:
1034 When several @var{place}s and @var{form}s are involved, the
1035 assignments take place in parallel rather than sequentially.
1036 Specifically, all subforms are evaluated from left to right, then
1037 all the assignments are done (in an undefined order).
1038 @end defmac
1039
1040 @defmac cl-incf place &optional x
1041 This macro increments the number stored in @var{place} by one, or
1042 by @var{x} if specified. The incremented value is returned. For
1043 example, @code{(cl-incf i)} is equivalent to @code{(setq i (1+ i))}, and
1044 @code{(cl-incf (car x) 2)} is equivalent to @code{(setcar x (+ (car x) 2))}.
1045
1046 As with @code{setf}, care is taken to preserve the ``apparent'' order
1047 of evaluation. For example,
1048
1049 @example
1050 (cl-incf (aref vec (cl-incf i)))
1051 @end example
1052
1053 @noindent
1054 appears to increment @code{i} once, then increment the element of
1055 @code{vec} addressed by @code{i}; this is indeed exactly what it
1056 does, which means the above form is @emph{not} equivalent to the
1057 ``obvious'' expansion,
1058
1059 @example
1060 (setf (aref vec (cl-incf i))
1061 (1+ (aref vec (cl-incf i)))) ; wrong!
1062 @end example
1063
1064 @noindent
1065 but rather to something more like
1066
1067 @example
1068 (let ((temp (cl-incf i)))
1069 (setf (aref vec temp) (1+ (aref vec temp))))
1070 @end example
1071
1072 @noindent
1073 Again, all of this is taken care of automatically by @code{cl-incf} and
1074 the other generalized-variable macros.
1075
1076 As a more Emacs-specific example of @code{cl-incf}, the expression
1077 @code{(cl-incf (point) @var{n})} is essentially equivalent to
1078 @code{(forward-char @var{n})}.
1079 @end defmac
1080
1081 @defmac cl-decf place &optional x
1082 This macro decrements the number stored in @var{place} by one, or
1083 by @var{x} if specified.
1084 @end defmac
1085
1086 @defmac cl-pushnew x place @t{&key :test :test-not :key}
1087 This macro inserts @var{x} at the front of the list stored in
1088 @var{place}, but only if @var{x} was not @code{eql} to any
1089 existing element of the list. The optional keyword arguments
1090 are interpreted in the same way as for @code{cl-adjoin}.
1091 @xref{Lists as Sets}.
1092 @end defmac
1093
1094 @defmac cl-shiftf place@dots{} newvalue
1095 This macro shifts the @var{place}s left by one, shifting in the
1096 value of @var{newvalue} (which may be any Lisp expression, not just
1097 a generalized variable), and returning the value shifted out of
1098 the first @var{place}. Thus, @code{(cl-shiftf @var{a} @var{b} @var{c}
1099 @var{d})} is equivalent to
1100
1101 @example
1102 (prog1
1103 @var{a}
1104 (cl-psetf @var{a} @var{b}
1105 @var{b} @var{c}
1106 @var{c} @var{d}))
1107 @end example
1108
1109 @noindent
1110 except that the subforms of @var{a}, @var{b}, and @var{c} are actually
1111 evaluated only once each and in the apparent order.
1112 @end defmac
1113
1114 @defmac cl-rotatef place@dots{}
1115 This macro rotates the @var{place}s left by one in circular fashion.
1116 Thus, @code{(cl-rotatef @var{a} @var{b} @var{c} @var{d})} is equivalent to
1117
1118 @example
1119 (cl-psetf @var{a} @var{b}
1120 @var{b} @var{c}
1121 @var{c} @var{d}
1122 @var{d} @var{a})
1123 @end example
1124
1125 @noindent
1126 except for the evaluation of subforms. @code{cl-rotatef} always
1127 returns @code{nil}. Note that @code{(cl-rotatef @var{a} @var{b})}
1128 conveniently exchanges @var{a} and @var{b}.
1129 @end defmac
1130
1131 The following macros were invented for this package; they have no
1132 analogues in Common Lisp.
1133
1134 @defmac cl-letf (bindings@dots{}) forms@dots{}
1135 This macro is analogous to @code{let}, but for generalized variables
1136 rather than just symbols. Each @var{binding} should be of the form
1137 @code{(@var{place} @var{value})}; the original contents of the
1138 @var{place}s are saved, the @var{value}s are stored in them, and
1139 then the body @var{form}s are executed. Afterwards, the @var{places}
1140 are set back to their original saved contents. This cleanup happens
1141 even if the @var{form}s exit irregularly due to a @code{throw} or an
1142 error.
1143
1144 For example,
1145
1146 @example
1147 (cl-letf (((point) (point-min))
1148 (a 17))
1149 @dots{})
1150 @end example
1151
1152 @noindent
1153 moves point in the current buffer to the beginning of the buffer,
1154 and also binds @code{a} to 17 (as if by a normal @code{let}, since
1155 @code{a} is just a regular variable). After the body exits, @code{a}
1156 is set back to its original value and point is moved back to its
1157 original position.
1158
1159 Note that @code{cl-letf} on @code{(point)} is not quite like a
1160 @code{save-excursion}, as the latter effectively saves a marker
1161 which tracks insertions and deletions in the buffer. Actually,
1162 a @code{cl-letf} of @code{(point-marker)} is much closer to this
1163 behavior. (@code{point} and @code{point-marker} are equivalent
1164 as @code{setf} places; each will accept either an integer or a
1165 marker as the stored value.)
1166
1167 Since generalized variables look like lists, @code{let}'s shorthand
1168 of using @samp{foo} for @samp{(foo nil)} as a @var{binding} would
1169 be ambiguous in @code{cl-letf} and is not allowed.
1170
1171 However, a @var{binding} specifier may be a one-element list
1172 @samp{(@var{place})}, which is similar to @samp{(@var{place}
1173 @var{place})}. In other words, the @var{place} is not disturbed
1174 on entry to the body, and the only effect of the @code{cl-letf} is
1175 to restore the original value of @var{place} afterwards.
1176 @c I suspect this may no longer be true; either way it's
1177 @c implementation detail and so not essential to document.
1178 @ignore
1179 (The redundant access-and-store suggested by the @code{(@var{place}
1180 @var{place})} example does not actually occur.)
1181 @end ignore
1182
1183 Note that in this case, and in fact almost every case, @var{place}
1184 must have a well-defined value outside the @code{cl-letf} body.
1185 There is essentially only one exception to this, which is @var{place}
1186 a plain variable with a specified @var{value} (such as @code{(a 17)}
1187 in the above example).
1188 @c See http://debbugs.gnu.org/12758
1189 @c Some or all of this was true for cl.el, but not for cl-lib.el.
1190 @ignore
1191 The only exceptions are plain variables and calls to
1192 @code{symbol-value} and @code{symbol-function}. If the symbol is not
1193 bound on entry, it is simply made unbound by @code{makunbound} or
1194 @code{fmakunbound} on exit.
1195 @end ignore
1196 @end defmac
1197
1198 @defmac cl-letf* (bindings@dots{}) forms@dots{}
1199 This macro is to @code{cl-letf} what @code{let*} is to @code{let}:
1200 It does the bindings in sequential rather than parallel order.
1201 @end defmac
1202
1203 @defmac cl-callf @var{function} @var{place} @var{args}@dots{}
1204 This is the ``generic'' modify macro. It calls @var{function},
1205 which should be an unquoted function name, macro name, or lambda.
1206 It passes @var{place} and @var{args} as arguments, and assigns the
1207 result back to @var{place}. For example, @code{(cl-incf @var{place}
1208 @var{n})} is the same as @code{(cl-callf + @var{place} @var{n})}.
1209 Some more examples:
1210
1211 @example
1212 (cl-callf abs my-number)
1213 (cl-callf concat (buffer-name) "<" (number-to-string n) ">")
1214 (cl-callf cl-union happy-people (list joe bob) :test 'same-person)
1215 @end example
1216
1217 Note again that @code{cl-callf} is an extension to standard Common Lisp.
1218 @end defmac
1219
1220 @defmac cl-callf2 @var{function} @var{arg1} @var{place} @var{args}@dots{}
1221 This macro is like @code{cl-callf}, except that @var{place} is
1222 the @emph{second} argument of @var{function} rather than the
1223 first. For example, @code{(push @var{x} @var{place})} is
1224 equivalent to @code{(cl-callf2 cons @var{x} @var{place})}.
1225 @end defmac
1226
1227 The @code{cl-callf} and @code{cl-callf2} macros serve as building
1228 blocks for other macros like @code{cl-incf}, and @code{cl-pushnew}.
1229 The @code{cl-letf} and @code{cl-letf*} macros are used in the processing
1230 of symbol macros; @pxref{Macro Bindings}.
1231
1232
1233 @node Variable Bindings
1234 @section Variable Bindings
1235
1236 @noindent
1237 These Lisp forms make bindings to variables and function names,
1238 analogous to Lisp's built-in @code{let} form.
1239
1240 @xref{Modify Macros}, for the @code{cl-letf} and @code{cl-letf*} forms which
1241 are also related to variable bindings.
1242
1243 @menu
1244 * Dynamic Bindings:: The @code{cl-progv} form.
1245 * Function Bindings:: @code{cl-flet} and @code{cl-labels}.
1246 * Macro Bindings:: @code{cl-macrolet} and @code{cl-symbol-macrolet}.
1247 @end menu
1248
1249 @node Dynamic Bindings
1250 @subsection Dynamic Bindings
1251
1252 @noindent
1253 The standard @code{let} form binds variables whose names are known
1254 at compile-time. The @code{cl-progv} form provides an easy way to
1255 bind variables whose names are computed at run-time.
1256
1257 @defmac cl-progv symbols values forms@dots{}
1258 This form establishes @code{let}-style variable bindings on a
1259 set of variables computed at run-time. The expressions
1260 @var{symbols} and @var{values} are evaluated, and must return lists
1261 of symbols and values, respectively. The symbols are bound to the
1262 corresponding values for the duration of the body @var{form}s.
1263 If @var{values} is shorter than @var{symbols}, the last few symbols
1264 are bound to @code{nil}.
1265 If @var{symbols} is shorter than @var{values}, the excess values
1266 are ignored.
1267 @end defmac
1268
1269 @node Function Bindings
1270 @subsection Function Bindings
1271
1272 @noindent
1273 These forms make @code{let}-like bindings to functions instead
1274 of variables.
1275
1276 @defmac cl-flet (bindings@dots{}) forms@dots{}
1277 This form establishes @code{let}-style bindings on the function
1278 cells of symbols rather than on the value cells. Each @var{binding}
1279 must be a list of the form @samp{(@var{name} @var{arglist}
1280 @var{forms}@dots{})}, which defines a function exactly as if
1281 it were a @code{cl-defun} form. The function @var{name} is defined
1282 accordingly for the duration of the body of the @code{cl-flet}; then
1283 the old function definition, or lack thereof, is restored.
1284
1285 You can use @code{cl-flet} to disable or modify the behavior of
1286 functions (including Emacs primitives) in a temporary, localized fashion.
1287 (Compare this with the idea of advising functions.
1288 @xref{Advising Functions,,,elisp,GNU Emacs Lisp Reference Manual}.)
1289
1290 The bindings are lexical in scope. This means that all references to
1291 the named functions must appear physically within the body of the
1292 @code{cl-flet} form.
1293
1294 Functions defined by @code{cl-flet} may use the full Common Lisp
1295 argument notation supported by @code{cl-defun}; also, the function
1296 body is enclosed in an implicit block as if by @code{cl-defun}.
1297 @xref{Program Structure}.
1298
1299 Note that the @file{cl.el} version of this macro behaves slightly
1300 differently. In particular, its binding is dynamic rather than
1301 lexical. @xref{Obsolete Macros}.
1302 @end defmac
1303
1304 @defmac cl-labels (bindings@dots{}) forms@dots{}
1305 The @code{cl-labels} form is like @code{cl-flet}, except that
1306 the function bindings can be recursive. The scoping is lexical,
1307 but you can only capture functions in closures if
1308 @code{lexical-binding} is @code{t}.
1309 @xref{Closures,,,elisp,GNU Emacs Lisp Reference Manual}, and
1310 @ref{Using Lexical Binding,,,elisp,GNU Emacs Lisp Reference Manual}.
1311
1312 Lexical scoping means that all references to the named
1313 functions must appear physically within the body of the
1314 @code{cl-labels} form. References may appear both in the body
1315 @var{forms} of @code{cl-labels} itself, and in the bodies of
1316 the functions themselves. Thus, @code{cl-labels} can define
1317 local recursive functions, or mutually-recursive sets of functions.
1318
1319 A ``reference'' to a function name is either a call to that
1320 function, or a use of its name quoted by @code{quote} or
1321 @code{function} to be passed on to, say, @code{mapcar}.
1322
1323 Note that the @file{cl.el} version of this macro behaves slightly
1324 differently. @xref{Obsolete Macros}.
1325 @end defmac
1326
1327 @node Macro Bindings
1328 @subsection Macro Bindings
1329
1330 @noindent
1331 These forms create local macros and ``symbol macros''.
1332
1333 @defmac cl-macrolet (bindings@dots{}) forms@dots{}
1334 This form is analogous to @code{cl-flet}, but for macros instead of
1335 functions. Each @var{binding} is a list of the same form as the
1336 arguments to @code{cl-defmacro} (i.e., a macro name, argument list,
1337 and macro-expander forms). The macro is defined accordingly for
1338 use within the body of the @code{cl-macrolet}.
1339
1340 Because of the nature of macros, @code{cl-macrolet} is always lexically
1341 scoped. The @code{cl-macrolet} binding will
1342 affect only calls that appear physically within the body
1343 @var{forms}, possibly after expansion of other macros in the
1344 body.
1345 @end defmac
1346
1347 @defmac cl-symbol-macrolet (bindings@dots{}) forms@dots{}
1348 This form creates @dfn{symbol macros}, which are macros that look
1349 like variable references rather than function calls. Each
1350 @var{binding} is a list @samp{(@var{var} @var{expansion})};
1351 any reference to @var{var} within the body @var{forms} is
1352 replaced by @var{expansion}.
1353
1354 @example
1355 (setq bar '(5 . 9))
1356 (cl-symbol-macrolet ((foo (car bar)))
1357 (cl-incf foo))
1358 bar
1359 @result{} (6 . 9)
1360 @end example
1361
1362 A @code{setq} of a symbol macro is treated the same as a @code{setf}.
1363 I.e., @code{(setq foo 4)} in the above would be equivalent to
1364 @code{(setf foo 4)}, which in turn expands to @code{(setf (car bar) 4)}.
1365
1366 Likewise, a @code{let} or @code{let*} binding a symbol macro is
1367 treated like a @code{cl-letf} or @code{cl-letf*}. This differs from true
1368 Common Lisp, where the rules of lexical scoping cause a @code{let}
1369 binding to shadow a @code{symbol-macrolet} binding. In this package,
1370 such shadowing does not occur, even when @code{lexical-binding} is
1371 @c See http://debbugs.gnu.org/12119
1372 @code{t}. (This behavior predates the addition of lexical binding to
1373 Emacs Lisp, and may change in future to respect @code{lexical-binding}.)
1374 At present in this package, only @code{lexical-let} and
1375 @code{lexical-let*} will shadow a symbol macro. @xref{Obsolete
1376 Lexical Binding}.
1377
1378 There is no analogue of @code{defmacro} for symbol macros; all symbol
1379 macros are local. A typical use of @code{cl-symbol-macrolet} is in the
1380 expansion of another macro:
1381
1382 @example
1383 (cl-defmacro my-dolist ((x list) &rest body)
1384 (let ((var (cl-gensym)))
1385 (list 'cl-loop 'for var 'on list 'do
1386 (cl-list* 'cl-symbol-macrolet
1387 (list (list x (list 'car var)))
1388 body))))
1389
1390 (setq mylist '(1 2 3 4))
1391 (my-dolist (x mylist) (cl-incf x))
1392 mylist
1393 @result{} (2 3 4 5)
1394 @end example
1395
1396 @noindent
1397 In this example, the @code{my-dolist} macro is similar to @code{dolist}
1398 (@pxref{Iteration}) except that the variable @code{x} becomes a true
1399 reference onto the elements of the list. The @code{my-dolist} call
1400 shown here expands to
1401
1402 @example
1403 (cl-loop for G1234 on mylist do
1404 (cl-symbol-macrolet ((x (car G1234)))
1405 (cl-incf x)))
1406 @end example
1407
1408 @noindent
1409 which in turn expands to
1410
1411 @example
1412 (cl-loop for G1234 on mylist do (cl-incf (car G1234)))
1413 @end example
1414
1415 @xref{Loop Facility}, for a description of the @code{cl-loop} macro.
1416 This package defines a nonstandard @code{in-ref} loop clause that
1417 works much like @code{my-dolist}.
1418 @end defmac
1419
1420 @node Conditionals
1421 @section Conditionals
1422
1423 @noindent
1424 These conditional forms augment Emacs Lisp's simple @code{if},
1425 @code{and}, @code{or}, and @code{cond} forms.
1426
1427 @defmac cl-case keyform clause@dots{}
1428 This macro evaluates @var{keyform}, then compares it with the key
1429 values listed in the various @var{clause}s. Whichever clause matches
1430 the key is executed; comparison is done by @code{eql}. If no clause
1431 matches, the @code{cl-case} form returns @code{nil}. The clauses are
1432 of the form
1433
1434 @example
1435 (@var{keylist} @var{body-forms}@dots{})
1436 @end example
1437
1438 @noindent
1439 where @var{keylist} is a list of key values. If there is exactly
1440 one value, and it is not a cons cell or the symbol @code{nil} or
1441 @code{t}, then it can be used by itself as a @var{keylist} without
1442 being enclosed in a list. All key values in the @code{cl-case} form
1443 must be distinct. The final clauses may use @code{t} in place of
1444 a @var{keylist} to indicate a default clause that should be taken
1445 if none of the other clauses match. (The symbol @code{otherwise}
1446 is also recognized in place of @code{t}. To make a clause that
1447 matches the actual symbol @code{t}, @code{nil}, or @code{otherwise},
1448 enclose the symbol in a list.)
1449
1450 For example, this expression reads a keystroke, then does one of
1451 four things depending on whether it is an @samp{a}, a @samp{b},
1452 a @key{RET} or @kbd{C-j}, or anything else.
1453
1454 @example
1455 (cl-case (read-char)
1456 (?a (do-a-thing))
1457 (?b (do-b-thing))
1458 ((?\r ?\n) (do-ret-thing))
1459 (t (do-other-thing)))
1460 @end example
1461 @end defmac
1462
1463 @defmac cl-ecase keyform clause@dots{}
1464 This macro is just like @code{cl-case}, except that if the key does
1465 not match any of the clauses, an error is signaled rather than
1466 simply returning @code{nil}.
1467 @end defmac
1468
1469 @defmac cl-typecase keyform clause@dots{}
1470 This macro is a version of @code{cl-case} that checks for types
1471 rather than values. Each @var{clause} is of the form
1472 @samp{(@var{type} @var{body}@dots{})}. @xref{Type Predicates},
1473 for a description of type specifiers. For example,
1474
1475 @example
1476 (cl-typecase x
1477 (integer (munch-integer x))
1478 (float (munch-float x))
1479 (string (munch-integer (string-to-int x)))
1480 (t (munch-anything x)))
1481 @end example
1482
1483 The type specifier @code{t} matches any type of object; the word
1484 @code{otherwise} is also allowed. To make one clause match any of
1485 several types, use an @code{(or @dots{})} type specifier.
1486 @end defmac
1487
1488 @defmac cl-etypecase keyform clause@dots{}
1489 This macro is just like @code{cl-typecase}, except that if the key does
1490 not match any of the clauses, an error is signaled rather than
1491 simply returning @code{nil}.
1492 @end defmac
1493
1494 @node Blocks and Exits
1495 @section Blocks and Exits
1496 @cindex block
1497
1498 @noindent
1499 Common Lisp @dfn{blocks} provide a non-local exit mechanism very
1500 similar to @code{catch} and @code{throw}, with lexical scoping.
1501 This package actually implements @code{cl-block}
1502 in terms of @code{catch}; however, the lexical scoping allows the
1503 byte-compiler to omit the costly @code{catch} step if the
1504 body of the block does not actually @code{cl-return-from} the block.
1505
1506 @defmac cl-block name forms@dots{}
1507 The @var{forms} are evaluated as if by a @code{progn}. However,
1508 if any of the @var{forms} execute @code{(cl-return-from @var{name})},
1509 they will jump out and return directly from the @code{cl-block} form.
1510 The @code{cl-block} returns the result of the last @var{form} unless
1511 a @code{cl-return-from} occurs.
1512
1513 The @code{cl-block}/@code{cl-return-from} mechanism is quite similar to
1514 the @code{catch}/@code{throw} mechanism. The main differences are
1515 that block @var{name}s are unevaluated symbols, rather than forms
1516 (such as quoted symbols) that evaluate to a tag at run-time; and
1517 also that blocks are always lexically scoped.
1518 In a dynamically scoped @code{catch}, functions called from the
1519 @code{catch} body can also @code{throw} to the @code{catch}. This
1520 is not an option for @code{cl-block}, where
1521 the @code{cl-return-from} referring to a block name must appear
1522 physically within the @var{forms} that make up the body of the block.
1523 They may not appear within other called functions, although they may
1524 appear within macro expansions or @code{lambda}s in the body. Block
1525 names and @code{catch} names form independent name-spaces.
1526
1527 In true Common Lisp, @code{defun} and @code{defmacro} surround
1528 the function or expander bodies with implicit blocks with the
1529 same name as the function or macro. This does not occur in Emacs
1530 Lisp, but this package provides @code{cl-defun} and @code{cl-defmacro}
1531 forms, which do create the implicit block.
1532
1533 The Common Lisp looping constructs defined by this package,
1534 such as @code{cl-loop} and @code{cl-dolist}, also create implicit blocks
1535 just as in Common Lisp.
1536
1537 Because they are implemented in terms of Emacs Lisp's @code{catch}
1538 and @code{throw}, blocks have the same overhead as actual
1539 @code{catch} constructs (roughly two function calls). However,
1540 the byte compiler will optimize away the @code{catch}
1541 if the block does
1542 not in fact contain any @code{cl-return} or @code{cl-return-from} calls
1543 that jump to it. This means that @code{cl-do} loops and @code{cl-defun}
1544 functions that don't use @code{cl-return} don't pay the overhead to
1545 support it.
1546 @end defmac
1547
1548 @defmac cl-return-from name [result]
1549 This macro returns from the block named @var{name}, which must be
1550 an (unevaluated) symbol. If a @var{result} form is specified, it
1551 is evaluated to produce the result returned from the @code{block}.
1552 Otherwise, @code{nil} is returned.
1553 @end defmac
1554
1555 @defmac cl-return [result]
1556 This macro is exactly like @code{(cl-return-from nil @var{result})}.
1557 Common Lisp loops like @code{cl-do} and @code{cl-dolist} implicitly enclose
1558 themselves in @code{nil} blocks.
1559 @end defmac
1560
1561 @node Iteration
1562 @section Iteration
1563
1564 @noindent
1565 The macros described here provide more sophisticated, high-level
1566 looping constructs to complement Emacs Lisp's basic loop forms
1567 (@pxref{Iteration,,,elisp,GNU Emacs Lisp Reference Manual}).
1568
1569 @defmac cl-loop forms@dots{}
1570 This package supports both the simple, old-style meaning of
1571 @code{loop} and the extremely powerful and flexible feature known as
1572 the @dfn{Loop Facility} or @dfn{Loop Macro}. This more advanced
1573 facility is discussed in the following section; @pxref{Loop Facility}.
1574 The simple form of @code{loop} is described here.
1575
1576 If @code{cl-loop} is followed by zero or more Lisp expressions,
1577 then @code{(cl-loop @var{exprs}@dots{})} simply creates an infinite
1578 loop executing the expressions over and over. The loop is
1579 enclosed in an implicit @code{nil} block. Thus,
1580
1581 @example
1582 (cl-loop (foo) (if (no-more) (return 72)) (bar))
1583 @end example
1584
1585 @noindent
1586 is exactly equivalent to
1587
1588 @example
1589 (cl-block nil (while t (foo) (if (no-more) (return 72)) (bar)))
1590 @end example
1591
1592 If any of the expressions are plain symbols, the loop is instead
1593 interpreted as a Loop Macro specification as described later.
1594 (This is not a restriction in practice, since a plain symbol
1595 in the above notation would simply access and throw away the
1596 value of a variable.)
1597 @end defmac
1598
1599 @defmac cl-do (spec@dots{}) (end-test [result@dots{}]) forms@dots{}
1600 This macro creates a general iterative loop. Each @var{spec} is
1601 of the form
1602
1603 @example
1604 (@var{var} [@var{init} [@var{step}]])
1605 @end example
1606
1607 The loop works as follows: First, each @var{var} is bound to the
1608 associated @var{init} value as if by a @code{let} form. Then, in
1609 each iteration of the loop, the @var{end-test} is evaluated; if
1610 true, the loop is finished. Otherwise, the body @var{forms} are
1611 evaluated, then each @var{var} is set to the associated @var{step}
1612 expression (as if by a @code{cl-psetq} form) and the next iteration
1613 begins. Once the @var{end-test} becomes true, the @var{result}
1614 forms are evaluated (with the @var{var}s still bound to their
1615 values) to produce the result returned by @code{cl-do}.
1616
1617 The entire @code{cl-do} loop is enclosed in an implicit @code{nil}
1618 block, so that you can use @code{(cl-return)} to break out of the
1619 loop at any time.
1620
1621 If there are no @var{result} forms, the loop returns @code{nil}.
1622 If a given @var{var} has no @var{step} form, it is bound to its
1623 @var{init} value but not otherwise modified during the @code{cl-do}
1624 loop (unless the code explicitly modifies it); this case is just
1625 a shorthand for putting a @code{(let ((@var{var} @var{init})) @dots{})}
1626 around the loop. If @var{init} is also omitted it defaults to
1627 @code{nil}, and in this case a plain @samp{@var{var}} can be used
1628 in place of @samp{(@var{var})}, again following the analogy with
1629 @code{let}.
1630
1631 This example (from Steele) illustrates a loop that applies the
1632 function @code{f} to successive pairs of values from the lists
1633 @code{foo} and @code{bar}; it is equivalent to the call
1634 @code{(cl-mapcar 'f foo bar)}. Note that this loop has no body
1635 @var{forms} at all, performing all its work as side effects of
1636 the rest of the loop.
1637
1638 @example
1639 (cl-do ((x foo (cdr x))
1640 (y bar (cdr y))
1641 (z nil (cons (f (car x) (car y)) z)))
1642 ((or (null x) (null y))
1643 (nreverse z)))
1644 @end example
1645 @end defmac
1646
1647 @defmac cl-do* (spec@dots{}) (end-test [result@dots{}]) forms@dots{}
1648 This is to @code{cl-do} what @code{let*} is to @code{let}. In
1649 particular, the initial values are bound as if by @code{let*}
1650 rather than @code{let}, and the steps are assigned as if by
1651 @code{setq} rather than @code{cl-psetq}.
1652
1653 Here is another way to write the above loop:
1654
1655 @example
1656 (cl-do* ((xp foo (cdr xp))
1657 (yp bar (cdr yp))
1658 (x (car xp) (car xp))
1659 (y (car yp) (car yp))
1660 z)
1661 ((or (null xp) (null yp))
1662 (nreverse z))
1663 (push (f x y) z))
1664 @end example
1665 @end defmac
1666
1667 @defmac cl-dolist (var list [result]) forms@dots{}
1668 This is exactly like the standard Emacs Lisp macro @code{dolist},
1669 but surrounds the loop with an implicit @code{nil} block.
1670 @end defmac
1671
1672 @defmac cl-dotimes (var count [result]) forms@dots{}
1673 This is exactly like the standard Emacs Lisp macro @code{dotimes},
1674 but surrounds the loop with an implicit @code{nil} block.
1675 The body is executed with @var{var} bound to the integers
1676 from zero (inclusive) to @var{count} (exclusive), in turn. Then
1677 @c FIXME lispref does not state this part explicitly, could move this there.
1678 the @code{result} form is evaluated with @var{var} bound to the total
1679 number of iterations that were done (i.e., @code{(max 0 @var{count})})
1680 to get the return value for the loop form.
1681 @end defmac
1682
1683 @defmac cl-do-symbols (var [obarray [result]]) forms@dots{}
1684 This loop iterates over all interned symbols. If @var{obarray}
1685 is specified and is not @code{nil}, it loops over all symbols in
1686 that obarray. For each symbol, the body @var{forms} are evaluated
1687 with @var{var} bound to that symbol. The symbols are visited in
1688 an unspecified order. Afterward the @var{result} form, if any,
1689 is evaluated (with @var{var} bound to @code{nil}) to get the return
1690 value. The loop is surrounded by an implicit @code{nil} block.
1691 @end defmac
1692
1693 @defmac cl-do-all-symbols (var [result]) forms@dots{}
1694 This is identical to @code{cl-do-symbols} except that the @var{obarray}
1695 argument is omitted; it always iterates over the default obarray.
1696 @end defmac
1697
1698 @xref{Mapping over Sequences}, for some more functions for
1699 iterating over vectors or lists.
1700
1701 @node Loop Facility
1702 @section Loop Facility
1703
1704 @noindent
1705 A common complaint with Lisp's traditional looping constructs was
1706 that they were either too simple and limited, such as @code{dotimes}
1707 or @code{while}, or too unreadable and obscure, like Common Lisp's
1708 @code{do} loop.
1709
1710 To remedy this, Common Lisp added a construct called the ``Loop
1711 Facility'' or ``@code{loop} macro'', with an easy-to-use but very
1712 powerful and expressive syntax.
1713
1714 @menu
1715 * Loop Basics:: The @code{cl-loop} macro, basic clause structure.
1716 * Loop Examples:: Working examples of the @code{cl-loop} macro.
1717 * For Clauses:: Clauses introduced by @code{for} or @code{as}.
1718 * Iteration Clauses:: @code{repeat}, @code{while}, @code{thereis}, etc.
1719 * Accumulation Clauses:: @code{collect}, @code{sum}, @code{maximize}, etc.
1720 * Other Clauses:: @code{with}, @code{if}, @code{initially}, @code{finally}.
1721 @end menu
1722
1723 @node Loop Basics
1724 @subsection Loop Basics
1725
1726 @noindent
1727 The @code{cl-loop} macro essentially creates a mini-language within
1728 Lisp that is specially tailored for describing loops. While this
1729 language is a little strange-looking by the standards of regular Lisp,
1730 it turns out to be very easy to learn and well-suited to its purpose.
1731
1732 Since @code{cl-loop} is a macro, all parsing of the loop language
1733 takes place at byte-compile time; compiled @code{cl-loop}s are just
1734 as efficient as the equivalent @code{while} loops written longhand.
1735
1736 @defmac cl-loop clauses@dots{}
1737 A loop construct consists of a series of @var{clause}s, each
1738 introduced by a symbol like @code{for} or @code{do}. Clauses
1739 are simply strung together in the argument list of @code{cl-loop},
1740 with minimal extra parentheses. The various types of clauses
1741 specify initializations, such as the binding of temporary
1742 variables, actions to be taken in the loop, stepping actions,
1743 and final cleanup.
1744
1745 Common Lisp specifies a certain general order of clauses in a
1746 loop:
1747
1748 @example
1749 (loop @var{name-clause}
1750 @var{var-clauses}@dots{}
1751 @var{action-clauses}@dots{})
1752 @end example
1753
1754 The @var{name-clause} optionally gives a name to the implicit
1755 block that surrounds the loop. By default, the implicit block
1756 is named @code{nil}. The @var{var-clauses} specify what
1757 variables should be bound during the loop, and how they should
1758 be modified or iterated throughout the course of the loop. The
1759 @var{action-clauses} are things to be done during the loop, such
1760 as computing, collecting, and returning values.
1761
1762 The Emacs version of the @code{cl-loop} macro is less restrictive about
1763 the order of clauses, but things will behave most predictably if
1764 you put the variable-binding clauses @code{with}, @code{for}, and
1765 @code{repeat} before the action clauses. As in Common Lisp,
1766 @code{initially} and @code{finally} clauses can go anywhere.
1767
1768 Loops generally return @code{nil} by default, but you can cause
1769 them to return a value by using an accumulation clause like
1770 @code{collect}, an end-test clause like @code{always}, or an
1771 explicit @code{return} clause to jump out of the implicit block.
1772 (Because the loop body is enclosed in an implicit block, you can
1773 also use regular Lisp @code{cl-return} or @code{cl-return-from} to
1774 break out of the loop.)
1775 @end defmac
1776
1777 The following sections give some examples of the loop macro in
1778 action, and describe the particular loop clauses in great detail.
1779 Consult the second edition of Steele for additional discussion
1780 and examples.
1781
1782 @node Loop Examples
1783 @subsection Loop Examples
1784
1785 @noindent
1786 Before listing the full set of clauses that are allowed, let's
1787 look at a few example loops just to get a feel for the @code{cl-loop}
1788 language.
1789
1790 @example
1791 (cl-loop for buf in (buffer-list)
1792 collect (buffer-file-name buf))
1793 @end example
1794
1795 @noindent
1796 This loop iterates over all Emacs buffers, using the list
1797 returned by @code{buffer-list}. For each buffer @var{buf},
1798 it calls @code{buffer-file-name} and collects the results into
1799 a list, which is then returned from the @code{cl-loop} construct.
1800 The result is a list of the file names of all the buffers in
1801 Emacs's memory. The words @code{for}, @code{in}, and @code{collect}
1802 are reserved words in the @code{cl-loop} language.
1803
1804 @example
1805 (cl-loop repeat 20 do (insert "Yowsa\n"))
1806 @end example
1807
1808 @noindent
1809 This loop inserts the phrase ``Yowsa'' twenty times in the
1810 current buffer.
1811
1812 @example
1813 (cl-loop until (eobp) do (munch-line) (forward-line 1))
1814 @end example
1815
1816 @noindent
1817 This loop calls @code{munch-line} on every line until the end
1818 of the buffer. If point is already at the end of the buffer,
1819 the loop exits immediately.
1820
1821 @example
1822 (cl-loop do (munch-line) until (eobp) do (forward-line 1))
1823 @end example
1824
1825 @noindent
1826 This loop is similar to the above one, except that @code{munch-line}
1827 is always called at least once.
1828
1829 @example
1830 (cl-loop for x from 1 to 100
1831 for y = (* x x)
1832 until (>= y 729)
1833 finally return (list x (= y 729)))
1834 @end example
1835
1836 @noindent
1837 This more complicated loop searches for a number @code{x} whose
1838 square is 729. For safety's sake it only examines @code{x}
1839 values up to 100; dropping the phrase @samp{to 100} would
1840 cause the loop to count upwards with no limit. The second
1841 @code{for} clause defines @code{y} to be the square of @code{x}
1842 within the loop; the expression after the @code{=} sign is
1843 reevaluated each time through the loop. The @code{until}
1844 clause gives a condition for terminating the loop, and the
1845 @code{finally} clause says what to do when the loop finishes.
1846 (This particular example was written less concisely than it
1847 could have been, just for the sake of illustration.)
1848
1849 Note that even though this loop contains three clauses (two
1850 @code{for}s and an @code{until}) that would have been enough to
1851 define loops all by themselves, it still creates a single loop
1852 rather than some sort of triple-nested loop. You must explicitly
1853 nest your @code{cl-loop} constructs if you want nested loops.
1854
1855 @node For Clauses
1856 @subsection For Clauses
1857
1858 @noindent
1859 Most loops are governed by one or more @code{for} clauses.
1860 A @code{for} clause simultaneously describes variables to be
1861 bound, how those variables are to be stepped during the loop,
1862 and usually an end condition based on those variables.
1863
1864 The word @code{as} is a synonym for the word @code{for}. This
1865 word is followed by a variable name, then a word like @code{from}
1866 or @code{across} that describes the kind of iteration desired.
1867 In Common Lisp, the phrase @code{being the} sometimes precedes
1868 the type of iteration; in this package both @code{being} and
1869 @code{the} are optional. The word @code{each} is a synonym
1870 for @code{the}, and the word that follows it may be singular
1871 or plural: @samp{for x being the elements of y} or
1872 @samp{for x being each element of y}. Which form you use
1873 is purely a matter of style.
1874
1875 The variable is bound around the loop as if by @code{let}:
1876
1877 @example
1878 (setq i 'happy)
1879 (cl-loop for i from 1 to 10 do (do-something-with i))
1880 i
1881 @result{} happy
1882 @end example
1883
1884 @table @code
1885 @item for @var{var} from @var{expr1} to @var{expr2} by @var{expr3}
1886 This type of @code{for} clause creates a counting loop. Each of
1887 the three sub-terms is optional, though there must be at least one
1888 term so that the clause is marked as a counting clause.
1889
1890 The three expressions are the starting value, the ending value, and
1891 the step value, respectively, of the variable. The loop counts
1892 upwards by default (@var{expr3} must be positive), from @var{expr1}
1893 to @var{expr2} inclusively. If you omit the @code{from} term, the
1894 loop counts from zero; if you omit the @code{to} term, the loop
1895 counts forever without stopping (unless stopped by some other
1896 loop clause, of course); if you omit the @code{by} term, the loop
1897 counts in steps of one.
1898
1899 You can replace the word @code{from} with @code{upfrom} or
1900 @code{downfrom} to indicate the direction of the loop. Likewise,
1901 you can replace @code{to} with @code{upto} or @code{downto}.
1902 For example, @samp{for x from 5 downto 1} executes five times
1903 with @code{x} taking on the integers from 5 down to 1 in turn.
1904 Also, you can replace @code{to} with @code{below} or @code{above},
1905 which are like @code{upto} and @code{downto} respectively except
1906 that they are exclusive rather than inclusive limits:
1907
1908 @example
1909 (cl-loop for x to 10 collect x)
1910 @result{} (0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10)
1911 (cl-loop for x below 10 collect x)
1912 @result{} (0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9)
1913 @end example
1914
1915 The @code{by} value is always positive, even for downward-counting
1916 loops. Some sort of @code{from} value is required for downward
1917 loops; @samp{for x downto 5} is not a valid loop clause all by
1918 itself.
1919
1920 @item for @var{var} in @var{list} by @var{function}
1921 This clause iterates @var{var} over all the elements of @var{list},
1922 in turn. If you specify the @code{by} term, then @var{function}
1923 is used to traverse the list instead of @code{cdr}; it must be a
1924 function taking one argument. For example:
1925
1926 @example
1927 (cl-loop for x in '(1 2 3 4 5 6) collect (* x x))
1928 @result{} (1 4 9 16 25 36)
1929 (cl-loop for x in '(1 2 3 4 5 6) by 'cddr collect (* x x))
1930 @result{} (1 9 25)
1931 @end example
1932
1933 @item for @var{var} on @var{list} by @var{function}
1934 This clause iterates @var{var} over all the cons cells of @var{list}.
1935
1936 @example
1937 (cl-loop for x on '(1 2 3 4) collect x)
1938 @result{} ((1 2 3 4) (2 3 4) (3 4) (4))
1939 @end example
1940
1941 With @code{by}, there is no real reason that the @code{on} expression
1942 must be a list. For example:
1943
1944 @example
1945 (cl-loop for x on first-animal by 'next-animal collect x)
1946 @end example
1947
1948 @noindent
1949 where @code{(next-animal x)} takes an ``animal'' @var{x} and returns
1950 the next in the (assumed) sequence of animals, or @code{nil} if
1951 @var{x} was the last animal in the sequence.
1952
1953 @item for @var{var} in-ref @var{list} by @var{function}
1954 This is like a regular @code{in} clause, but @var{var} becomes
1955 a @code{setf}-able ``reference'' onto the elements of the list
1956 rather than just a temporary variable. For example,
1957
1958 @example
1959 (cl-loop for x in-ref my-list do (cl-incf x))
1960 @end example
1961
1962 @noindent
1963 increments every element of @code{my-list} in place. This clause
1964 is an extension to standard Common Lisp.
1965
1966 @item for @var{var} across @var{array}
1967 This clause iterates @var{var} over all the elements of @var{array},
1968 which may be a vector or a string.
1969
1970 @example
1971 (cl-loop for x across "aeiou"
1972 do (use-vowel (char-to-string x)))
1973 @end example
1974
1975 @item for @var{var} across-ref @var{array}
1976 This clause iterates over an array, with @var{var} a @code{setf}-able
1977 reference onto the elements; see @code{in-ref} above.
1978
1979 @item for @var{var} being the elements of @var{sequence}
1980 This clause iterates over the elements of @var{sequence}, which may
1981 be a list, vector, or string. Since the type must be determined
1982 at run-time, this is somewhat less efficient than @code{in} or
1983 @code{across}. The clause may be followed by the additional term
1984 @samp{using (index @var{var2})} to cause @var{var2} to be bound to
1985 the successive indices (starting at 0) of the elements.
1986
1987 This clause type is taken from older versions of the @code{loop} macro,
1988 and is not present in modern Common Lisp. The @samp{using (sequence @dots{})}
1989 term of the older macros is not supported.
1990
1991 @item for @var{var} being the elements of-ref @var{sequence}
1992 This clause iterates over a sequence, with @var{var} a @code{setf}-able
1993 reference onto the elements; see @code{in-ref} above.
1994
1995 @item for @var{var} being the symbols [of @var{obarray}]
1996 This clause iterates over symbols, either over all interned symbols
1997 or over all symbols in @var{obarray}. The loop is executed with
1998 @var{var} bound to each symbol in turn. The symbols are visited in
1999 an unspecified order.
2000
2001 As an example,
2002
2003 @example
2004 (cl-loop for sym being the symbols
2005 when (fboundp sym)
2006 when (string-match "^map" (symbol-name sym))
2007 collect sym)
2008 @end example
2009
2010 @noindent
2011 returns a list of all the functions whose names begin with @samp{map}.
2012
2013 The Common Lisp words @code{external-symbols} and @code{present-symbols}
2014 are also recognized but are equivalent to @code{symbols} in Emacs Lisp.
2015
2016 Due to a minor implementation restriction, it will not work to have
2017 more than one @code{for} clause iterating over symbols, hash tables,
2018 keymaps, overlays, or intervals in a given @code{cl-loop}. Fortunately,
2019 it would rarely if ever be useful to do so. It @emph{is} valid to mix
2020 one of these types of clauses with other clauses like @code{for @dots{} to}
2021 or @code{while}.
2022
2023 @item for @var{var} being the hash-keys of @var{hash-table}
2024 @itemx for @var{var} being the hash-values of @var{hash-table}
2025 This clause iterates over the entries in @var{hash-table} with
2026 @var{var} bound to each key, or value. A @samp{using} clause can bind
2027 a second variable to the opposite part.
2028
2029 @example
2030 (cl-loop for k being the hash-keys of h
2031 using (hash-values v)
2032 do
2033 (message "key %S -> value %S" k v))
2034 @end example
2035
2036 @item for @var{var} being the key-codes of @var{keymap}
2037 @itemx for @var{var} being the key-bindings of @var{keymap}
2038 This clause iterates over the entries in @var{keymap}.
2039 The iteration does not enter nested keymaps but does enter inherited
2040 (parent) keymaps.
2041 A @code{using} clause can access both the codes and the bindings
2042 together.
2043
2044 @example
2045 (cl-loop for c being the key-codes of (current-local-map)
2046 using (key-bindings b)
2047 do
2048 (message "key %S -> binding %S" c b))
2049 @end example
2050
2051
2052 @item for @var{var} being the key-seqs of @var{keymap}
2053 This clause iterates over all key sequences defined by @var{keymap}
2054 and its nested keymaps, where @var{var} takes on values which are
2055 vectors. The strings or vectors
2056 are reused for each iteration, so you must copy them if you wish to keep
2057 them permanently. You can add a @samp{using (key-bindings @dots{})}
2058 clause to get the command bindings as well.
2059
2060 @item for @var{var} being the overlays [of @var{buffer}] @dots{}
2061 This clause iterates over the ``overlays'' of a buffer
2062 (the clause @code{extents} is synonymous
2063 with @code{overlays}). If the @code{of} term is omitted, the current
2064 buffer is used.
2065 This clause also accepts optional @samp{from @var{pos}} and
2066 @samp{to @var{pos}} terms, limiting the clause to overlays which
2067 overlap the specified region.
2068
2069 @item for @var{var} being the intervals [of @var{buffer}] @dots{}
2070 This clause iterates over all intervals of a buffer with constant
2071 text properties. The variable @var{var} will be bound to conses
2072 of start and end positions, where one start position is always equal
2073 to the previous end position. The clause allows @code{of},
2074 @code{from}, @code{to}, and @code{property} terms, where the latter
2075 term restricts the search to just the specified property. The
2076 @code{of} term may specify either a buffer or a string.
2077
2078 @item for @var{var} being the frames
2079 This clause iterates over all Emacs frames. The clause @code{screens} is
2080 a synonym for @code{frames}. The frames are visited in
2081 @code{next-frame} order starting from @code{selected-frame}.
2082
2083 @item for @var{var} being the windows [of @var{frame}]
2084 This clause iterates over the windows (in the Emacs sense) of
2085 the current frame, or of the specified @var{frame}. It visits windows
2086 in @code{next-window} order starting from @code{selected-window}
2087 (or @code{frame-selected-window} if you specify @var{frame}).
2088 This clause treats the minibuffer window in the same way as
2089 @code{next-window} does. For greater flexibility, consider using
2090 @code{walk-windows} instead.
2091
2092 @item for @var{var} being the buffers
2093 This clause iterates over all buffers in Emacs. It is equivalent
2094 to @samp{for @var{var} in (buffer-list)}.
2095
2096 @item for @var{var} = @var{expr1} then @var{expr2}
2097 This clause does a general iteration. The first time through
2098 the loop, @var{var} will be bound to @var{expr1}. On the second
2099 and successive iterations it will be set by evaluating @var{expr2}
2100 (which may refer to the old value of @var{var}). For example,
2101 these two loops are effectively the same:
2102
2103 @example
2104 (cl-loop for x on my-list by 'cddr do @dots{})
2105 (cl-loop for x = my-list then (cddr x) while x do @dots{})
2106 @end example
2107
2108 Note that this type of @code{for} clause does not imply any sort
2109 of terminating condition; the above example combines it with a
2110 @code{while} clause to tell when to end the loop.
2111
2112 If you omit the @code{then} term, @var{expr1} is used both for
2113 the initial setting and for successive settings:
2114
2115 @example
2116 (cl-loop for x = (random) when (> x 0) return x)
2117 @end example
2118
2119 @noindent
2120 This loop keeps taking random numbers from the @code{(random)}
2121 function until it gets a positive one, which it then returns.
2122 @end table
2123
2124 If you include several @code{for} clauses in a row, they are
2125 treated sequentially (as if by @code{let*} and @code{setq}).
2126 You can instead use the word @code{and} to link the clauses,
2127 in which case they are processed in parallel (as if by @code{let}
2128 and @code{cl-psetq}).
2129
2130 @example
2131 (cl-loop for x below 5 for y = nil then x collect (list x y))
2132 @result{} ((0 nil) (1 1) (2 2) (3 3) (4 4))
2133 (cl-loop for x below 5 and y = nil then x collect (list x y))
2134 @result{} ((0 nil) (1 0) (2 1) (3 2) (4 3))
2135 @end example
2136
2137 @noindent
2138 In the first loop, @code{y} is set based on the value of @code{x}
2139 that was just set by the previous clause; in the second loop,
2140 @code{x} and @code{y} are set simultaneously so @code{y} is set
2141 based on the value of @code{x} left over from the previous time
2142 through the loop.
2143
2144 @cindex destructuring, in cl-loop
2145 Another feature of the @code{cl-loop} macro is @emph{destructuring},
2146 similar in concept to the destructuring provided by @code{defmacro}
2147 (@pxref{Argument Lists}).
2148 The @var{var} part of any @code{for} clause can be given as a list
2149 of variables instead of a single variable. The values produced
2150 during loop execution must be lists; the values in the lists are
2151 stored in the corresponding variables.
2152
2153 @example
2154 (cl-loop for (x y) in '((2 3) (4 5) (6 7)) collect (+ x y))
2155 @result{} (5 9 13)
2156 @end example
2157
2158 In loop destructuring, if there are more values than variables
2159 the trailing values are ignored, and if there are more variables
2160 than values the trailing variables get the value @code{nil}.
2161 If @code{nil} is used as a variable name, the corresponding
2162 values are ignored. Destructuring may be nested, and dotted
2163 lists of variables like @code{(x . y)} are allowed, so for example
2164 to process an alist
2165
2166 @example
2167 (cl-loop for (key . value) in '((a . 1) (b . 2))
2168 collect value)
2169 @result{} (1 2)
2170 @end example
2171
2172 @node Iteration Clauses
2173 @subsection Iteration Clauses
2174
2175 @noindent
2176 Aside from @code{for} clauses, there are several other loop clauses
2177 that control the way the loop operates. They might be used by
2178 themselves, or in conjunction with one or more @code{for} clauses.
2179
2180 @table @code
2181 @item repeat @var{integer}
2182 This clause simply counts up to the specified number using an
2183 internal temporary variable. The loops
2184
2185 @example
2186 (cl-loop repeat (1+ n) do @dots{})
2187 (cl-loop for temp to n do @dots{})
2188 @end example
2189
2190 @noindent
2191 are identical except that the second one forces you to choose
2192 a name for a variable you aren't actually going to use.
2193
2194 @item while @var{condition}
2195 This clause stops the loop when the specified condition (any Lisp
2196 expression) becomes @code{nil}. For example, the following two
2197 loops are equivalent, except for the implicit @code{nil} block
2198 that surrounds the second one:
2199
2200 @example
2201 (while @var{cond} @var{forms}@dots{})
2202 (cl-loop while @var{cond} do @var{forms}@dots{})
2203 @end example
2204
2205 @item until @var{condition}
2206 This clause stops the loop when the specified condition is true,
2207 i.e., non-@code{nil}.
2208
2209 @item always @var{condition}
2210 This clause stops the loop when the specified condition is @code{nil}.
2211 Unlike @code{while}, it stops the loop using @code{return nil} so that
2212 the @code{finally} clauses are not executed. If all the conditions
2213 were non-@code{nil}, the loop returns @code{t}:
2214
2215 @example
2216 (if (cl-loop for size in size-list always (> size 10))
2217 (some-big-sizes)
2218 (no-big-sizes))
2219 @end example
2220
2221 @item never @var{condition}
2222 This clause is like @code{always}, except that the loop returns
2223 @code{t} if any conditions were false, or @code{nil} otherwise.
2224
2225 @item thereis @var{condition}
2226 This clause stops the loop when the specified form is non-@code{nil};
2227 in this case, it returns that non-@code{nil} value. If all the
2228 values were @code{nil}, the loop returns @code{nil}.
2229 @end table
2230
2231 @node Accumulation Clauses
2232 @subsection Accumulation Clauses
2233
2234 @noindent
2235 These clauses cause the loop to accumulate information about the
2236 specified Lisp @var{form}. The accumulated result is returned
2237 from the loop unless overridden, say, by a @code{return} clause.
2238
2239 @table @code
2240 @item collect @var{form}
2241 This clause collects the values of @var{form} into a list. Several
2242 examples of @code{collect} appear elsewhere in this manual.
2243
2244 The word @code{collecting} is a synonym for @code{collect}, and
2245 likewise for the other accumulation clauses.
2246
2247 @item append @var{form}
2248 This clause collects lists of values into a result list using
2249 @code{append}.
2250
2251 @item nconc @var{form}
2252 This clause collects lists of values into a result list by
2253 destructively modifying the lists rather than copying them.
2254
2255 @item concat @var{form}
2256 This clause concatenates the values of the specified @var{form}
2257 into a string. (It and the following clause are extensions to
2258 standard Common Lisp.)
2259
2260 @item vconcat @var{form}
2261 This clause concatenates the values of the specified @var{form}
2262 into a vector.
2263
2264 @item count @var{form}
2265 This clause counts the number of times the specified @var{form}
2266 evaluates to a non-@code{nil} value.
2267
2268 @item sum @var{form}
2269 This clause accumulates the sum of the values of the specified
2270 @var{form}, which must evaluate to a number.
2271
2272 @item maximize @var{form}
2273 This clause accumulates the maximum value of the specified @var{form},
2274 which must evaluate to a number. The return value is undefined if
2275 @code{maximize} is executed zero times.
2276
2277 @item minimize @var{form}
2278 This clause accumulates the minimum value of the specified @var{form}.
2279 @end table
2280
2281 Accumulation clauses can be followed by @samp{into @var{var}} to
2282 cause the data to be collected into variable @var{var} (which is
2283 automatically @code{let}-bound during the loop) rather than an
2284 unnamed temporary variable. Also, @code{into} accumulations do
2285 not automatically imply a return value. The loop must use some
2286 explicit mechanism, such as @code{finally return}, to return
2287 the accumulated result.
2288
2289 It is valid for several accumulation clauses of the same type to
2290 accumulate into the same place. From Steele:
2291
2292 @example
2293 (cl-loop for name in '(fred sue alice joe june)
2294 for kids in '((bob ken) () () (kris sunshine) ())
2295 collect name
2296 append kids)
2297 @result{} (fred bob ken sue alice joe kris sunshine june)
2298 @end example
2299
2300 @node Other Clauses
2301 @subsection Other Clauses
2302
2303 @noindent
2304 This section describes the remaining loop clauses.
2305
2306 @table @code
2307 @item with @var{var} = @var{value}
2308 This clause binds a variable to a value around the loop, but
2309 otherwise leaves the variable alone during the loop. The following
2310 loops are basically equivalent:
2311
2312 @example
2313 (cl-loop with x = 17 do @dots{})
2314 (let ((x 17)) (cl-loop do @dots{}))
2315 (cl-loop for x = 17 then x do @dots{})
2316 @end example
2317
2318 Naturally, the variable @var{var} might be used for some purpose
2319 in the rest of the loop. For example:
2320
2321 @example
2322 (cl-loop for x in my-list with res = nil do (push x res)
2323 finally return res)
2324 @end example
2325
2326 This loop inserts the elements of @code{my-list} at the front of
2327 a new list being accumulated in @code{res}, then returns the
2328 list @code{res} at the end of the loop. The effect is similar
2329 to that of a @code{collect} clause, but the list gets reversed
2330 by virtue of the fact that elements are being pushed onto the
2331 front of @code{res} rather than the end.
2332
2333 If you omit the @code{=} term, the variable is initialized to
2334 @code{nil}. (Thus the @samp{= nil} in the above example is
2335 unnecessary.)
2336
2337 Bindings made by @code{with} are sequential by default, as if
2338 by @code{let*}. Just like @code{for} clauses, @code{with} clauses
2339 can be linked with @code{and} to cause the bindings to be made by
2340 @code{let} instead.
2341
2342 @item if @var{condition} @var{clause}
2343 This clause executes the following loop clause only if the specified
2344 condition is true. The following @var{clause} should be an accumulation,
2345 @code{do}, @code{return}, @code{if}, or @code{unless} clause.
2346 Several clauses may be linked by separating them with @code{and}.
2347 These clauses may be followed by @code{else} and a clause or clauses
2348 to execute if the condition was false. The whole construct may
2349 optionally be followed by the word @code{end} (which may be used to
2350 disambiguate an @code{else} or @code{and} in a nested @code{if}).
2351
2352 The actual non-@code{nil} value of the condition form is available
2353 by the name @code{it} in the ``then'' part. For example:
2354
2355 @example
2356 (setq funny-numbers '(6 13 -1))
2357 @result{} (6 13 -1)
2358 (cl-loop for x below 10
2359 if (cl-oddp x)
2360 collect x into odds
2361 and if (memq x funny-numbers) return (cdr it) end
2362 else
2363 collect x into evens
2364 finally return (vector odds evens))
2365 @result{} [(1 3 5 7 9) (0 2 4 6 8)]
2366 (setq funny-numbers '(6 7 13 -1))
2367 @result{} (6 7 13 -1)
2368 (cl-loop <@r{same thing again}>)
2369 @result{} (13 -1)
2370 @end example
2371
2372 Note the use of @code{and} to put two clauses into the ``then''
2373 part, one of which is itself an @code{if} clause. Note also that
2374 @code{end}, while normally optional, was necessary here to make
2375 it clear that the @code{else} refers to the outermost @code{if}
2376 clause. In the first case, the loop returns a vector of lists
2377 of the odd and even values of @var{x}. In the second case, the
2378 odd number 7 is one of the @code{funny-numbers} so the loop
2379 returns early; the actual returned value is based on the result
2380 of the @code{memq} call.
2381
2382 @item when @var{condition} @var{clause}
2383 This clause is just a synonym for @code{if}.
2384
2385 @item unless @var{condition} @var{clause}
2386 The @code{unless} clause is just like @code{if} except that the
2387 sense of the condition is reversed.
2388
2389 @item named @var{name}
2390 This clause gives a name other than @code{nil} to the implicit
2391 block surrounding the loop. The @var{name} is the symbol to be
2392 used as the block name.
2393
2394 @item initially [do] @var{forms}@dots{}
2395 This keyword introduces one or more Lisp forms which will be
2396 executed before the loop itself begins (but after any variables
2397 requested by @code{for} or @code{with} have been bound to their
2398 initial values). @code{initially} clauses can appear anywhere;
2399 if there are several, they are executed in the order they appear
2400 in the loop. The keyword @code{do} is optional.
2401
2402 @item finally [do] @var{forms}@dots{}
2403 This introduces Lisp forms which will be executed after the loop
2404 finishes (say, on request of a @code{for} or @code{while}).
2405 @code{initially} and @code{finally} clauses may appear anywhere
2406 in the loop construct, but they are executed (in the specified
2407 order) at the beginning or end, respectively, of the loop.
2408
2409 @item finally return @var{form}
2410 This says that @var{form} should be executed after the loop
2411 is done to obtain a return value. (Without this, or some other
2412 clause like @code{collect} or @code{return}, the loop will simply
2413 return @code{nil}.) Variables bound by @code{for}, @code{with},
2414 or @code{into} will still contain their final values when @var{form}
2415 is executed.
2416
2417 @item do @var{forms}@dots{}
2418 The word @code{do} may be followed by any number of Lisp expressions
2419 which are executed as an implicit @code{progn} in the body of the
2420 loop. Many of the examples in this section illustrate the use of
2421 @code{do}.
2422
2423 @item return @var{form}
2424 This clause causes the loop to return immediately. The following
2425 Lisp form is evaluated to give the return value of the loop
2426 form. The @code{finally} clauses, if any, are not executed.
2427 Of course, @code{return} is generally used inside an @code{if} or
2428 @code{unless}, as its use in a top-level loop clause would mean
2429 the loop would never get to ``loop'' more than once.
2430
2431 The clause @samp{return @var{form}} is equivalent to
2432 @samp{do (cl-return @var{form})} (or @code{cl-return-from} if the loop
2433 was named). The @code{return} clause is implemented a bit more
2434 efficiently, though.
2435 @end table
2436
2437 While there is no high-level way to add user extensions to @code{cl-loop},
2438 this package does offer two properties called @code{cl-loop-handler}
2439 and @code{cl-loop-for-handler} which are functions to be called when a
2440 given symbol is encountered as a top-level loop clause or @code{for}
2441 clause, respectively. Consult the source code in file
2442 @file{cl-macs.el} for details.
2443
2444 This package's @code{cl-loop} macro is compatible with that of Common
2445 Lisp, except that a few features are not implemented: @code{loop-finish}
2446 and data-type specifiers. Naturally, the @code{for} clauses that
2447 iterate over keymaps, overlays, intervals, frames, windows, and
2448 buffers are Emacs-specific extensions.
2449
2450 @node Multiple Values
2451 @section Multiple Values
2452
2453 @noindent
2454 Common Lisp functions can return zero or more results. Emacs Lisp
2455 functions, by contrast, always return exactly one result. This
2456 package makes no attempt to emulate Common Lisp multiple return
2457 values; Emacs versions of Common Lisp functions that return more
2458 than one value either return just the first value (as in
2459 @code{cl-compiler-macroexpand}) or return a list of values.
2460 This package @emph{does} define placeholders
2461 for the Common Lisp functions that work with multiple values, but
2462 in Emacs Lisp these functions simply operate on lists instead.
2463 The @code{cl-values} form, for example, is a synonym for @code{list}
2464 in Emacs.
2465
2466 @defmac cl-multiple-value-bind (var@dots{}) values-form forms@dots{}
2467 This form evaluates @var{values-form}, which must return a list of
2468 values. It then binds the @var{var}s to these respective values,
2469 as if by @code{let}, and then executes the body @var{forms}.
2470 If there are more @var{var}s than values, the extra @var{var}s
2471 are bound to @code{nil}. If there are fewer @var{var}s than
2472 values, the excess values are ignored.
2473 @end defmac
2474
2475 @defmac cl-multiple-value-setq (var@dots{}) form
2476 This form evaluates @var{form}, which must return a list of values.
2477 It then sets the @var{var}s to these respective values, as if by
2478 @code{setq}. Extra @var{var}s or values are treated the same as
2479 in @code{cl-multiple-value-bind}.
2480 @end defmac
2481
2482 Since a perfect emulation is not feasible in Emacs Lisp, this
2483 package opts to keep it as simple and predictable as possible.
2484
2485 @node Macros
2486 @chapter Macros
2487
2488 @noindent
2489 This package implements the various Common Lisp features of
2490 @code{defmacro}, such as destructuring, @code{&environment},
2491 and @code{&body}. Top-level @code{&whole} is not implemented
2492 for @code{defmacro} due to technical difficulties.
2493 @xref{Argument Lists}.
2494
2495 Destructuring is made available to the user by way of the
2496 following macro:
2497
2498 @defmac cl-destructuring-bind arglist expr forms@dots{}
2499 This macro expands to code that executes @var{forms}, with
2500 the variables in @var{arglist} bound to the list of values
2501 returned by @var{expr}. The @var{arglist} can include all
2502 the features allowed for @code{cl-defmacro} argument lists,
2503 including destructuring. (The @code{&environment} keyword
2504 is not allowed.) The macro expansion will signal an error
2505 if @var{expr} returns a list of the wrong number of arguments
2506 or with incorrect keyword arguments.
2507 @end defmac
2508
2509 @cindex compiler macros
2510 @cindex define compiler macros
2511 This package also includes the Common Lisp @code{define-compiler-macro}
2512 facility, which allows you to define compile-time expansions and
2513 optimizations for your functions.
2514
2515 @defmac cl-define-compiler-macro name arglist forms@dots{}
2516 This form is similar to @code{defmacro}, except that it only expands
2517 calls to @var{name} at compile-time; calls processed by the Lisp
2518 interpreter are not expanded, nor are they expanded by the
2519 @code{macroexpand} function.
2520
2521 The argument list may begin with a @code{&whole} keyword and a
2522 variable. This variable is bound to the macro-call form itself,
2523 i.e., to a list of the form @samp{(@var{name} @var{args}@dots{})}.
2524 If the macro expander returns this form unchanged, then the
2525 compiler treats it as a normal function call. This allows
2526 compiler macros to work as optimizers for special cases of a
2527 function, leaving complicated cases alone.
2528
2529 For example, here is a simplified version of a definition that
2530 appears as a standard part of this package:
2531
2532 @example
2533 (cl-define-compiler-macro cl-member (&whole form a list &rest keys)
2534 (if (and (null keys)
2535 (eq (car-safe a) 'quote)
2536 (not (floatp (cadr a))))
2537 (list 'memq a list)
2538 form))
2539 @end example
2540
2541 @noindent
2542 This definition causes @code{(cl-member @var{a} @var{list})} to change
2543 to a call to the faster @code{memq} in the common case where @var{a}
2544 is a non-floating-point constant; if @var{a} is anything else, or
2545 if there are any keyword arguments in the call, then the original
2546 @code{cl-member} call is left intact. (The actual compiler macro
2547 for @code{cl-member} optimizes a number of other cases, including
2548 common @code{:test} predicates.)
2549 @end defmac
2550
2551 @defun cl-compiler-macroexpand form
2552 This function is analogous to @code{macroexpand}, except that it
2553 expands compiler macros rather than regular macros. It returns
2554 @var{form} unchanged if it is not a call to a function for which
2555 a compiler macro has been defined, or if that compiler macro
2556 decided to punt by returning its @code{&whole} argument. Like
2557 @code{macroexpand}, it expands repeatedly until it reaches a form
2558 for which no further expansion is possible.
2559 @end defun
2560
2561 @xref{Macro Bindings}, for descriptions of the @code{cl-macrolet}
2562 and @code{cl-symbol-macrolet} forms for making ``local'' macro
2563 definitions.
2564
2565 @node Declarations
2566 @chapter Declarations
2567
2568 @noindent
2569 Common Lisp includes a complex and powerful ``declaration''
2570 mechanism that allows you to give the compiler special hints
2571 about the types of data that will be stored in particular variables,
2572 and about the ways those variables and functions will be used. This
2573 package defines versions of all the Common Lisp declaration forms:
2574 @code{declare}, @code{locally}, @code{proclaim}, @code{declaim},
2575 and @code{the}.
2576
2577 Most of the Common Lisp declarations are not currently useful in Emacs
2578 Lisp. For example, the byte-code system provides little
2579 opportunity to benefit from type information.
2580 @ignore
2581 and @code{special} declarations are redundant in a fully
2582 dynamically-scoped Lisp.
2583 @end ignore
2584 A few declarations are meaningful when byte compiler optimizations
2585 are enabled, as they are by the default. Otherwise these
2586 declarations will effectively be ignored.
2587
2588 @defun cl-proclaim decl-spec
2589 This function records a ``global'' declaration specified by
2590 @var{decl-spec}. Since @code{cl-proclaim} is a function, @var{decl-spec}
2591 is evaluated and thus should normally be quoted.
2592 @end defun
2593
2594 @defmac cl-declaim decl-specs@dots{}
2595 This macro is like @code{cl-proclaim}, except that it takes any number
2596 of @var{decl-spec} arguments, and the arguments are unevaluated and
2597 unquoted. The @code{cl-declaim} macro also puts @code{(cl-eval-when
2598 (compile load eval) @dots{})} around the declarations so that they will
2599 be registered at compile-time as well as at run-time. (This is vital,
2600 since normally the declarations are meant to influence the way the
2601 compiler treats the rest of the file that contains the @code{cl-declaim}
2602 form.)
2603 @end defmac
2604
2605 @defmac cl-declare decl-specs@dots{}
2606 This macro is used to make declarations within functions and other
2607 code. Common Lisp allows declarations in various locations, generally
2608 at the beginning of any of the many ``implicit @code{progn}s''
2609 throughout Lisp syntax, such as function bodies, @code{let} bodies,
2610 etc. Currently the only declaration understood by @code{cl-declare}
2611 is @code{special}.
2612 @end defmac
2613
2614 @defmac cl-locally declarations@dots{} forms@dots{}
2615 In this package, @code{cl-locally} is no different from @code{progn}.
2616 @end defmac
2617
2618 @defmac cl-the type form
2619 Type information provided by @code{cl-the} is ignored in this package;
2620 in other words, @code{(cl-the @var{type} @var{form})} is equivalent to
2621 @var{form}. Future byte-compiler optimizations may make use of this
2622 information.
2623
2624 For example, @code{mapcar} can map over both lists and arrays. It is
2625 hard for the compiler to expand @code{mapcar} into an in-line loop
2626 unless it knows whether the sequence will be a list or an array ahead
2627 of time. With @code{(mapcar 'car (cl-the vector foo))}, a future
2628 compiler would have enough information to expand the loop in-line.
2629 For now, Emacs Lisp will treat the above code as exactly equivalent
2630 to @code{(mapcar 'car foo)}.
2631 @end defmac
2632
2633 Each @var{decl-spec} in a @code{cl-proclaim}, @code{cl-declaim}, or
2634 @code{cl-declare} should be a list beginning with a symbol that says
2635 what kind of declaration it is. This package currently understands
2636 @code{special}, @code{inline}, @code{notinline}, @code{optimize},
2637 and @code{warn} declarations. (The @code{warn} declaration is an
2638 extension of standard Common Lisp.) Other Common Lisp declarations,
2639 such as @code{type} and @code{ftype}, are silently ignored.
2640
2641 @table @code
2642 @item special
2643 @c FIXME ?
2644 Since all variables in Emacs Lisp are ``special'' (in the Common
2645 Lisp sense), @code{special} declarations are only advisory. They
2646 simply tell the byte compiler that the specified
2647 variables are intentionally being referred to without being
2648 bound in the body of the function. The compiler normally emits
2649 warnings for such references, since they could be typographical
2650 errors for references to local variables.
2651
2652 The declaration @code{(cl-declare (special @var{var1} @var{var2}))} is
2653 equivalent to @code{(defvar @var{var1}) (defvar @var{var2})}.
2654
2655 In top-level contexts, it is generally better to write
2656 @code{(defvar @var{var})} than @code{(cl-declaim (special @var{var}))},
2657 since @code{defvar} makes your intentions clearer.
2658
2659 @item inline
2660 The @code{inline} @var{decl-spec} lists one or more functions
2661 whose bodies should be expanded ``in-line'' into calling functions
2662 whenever the compiler is able to arrange for it. For example,
2663 the function @code{cl-acons} is declared @code{inline}
2664 by this package so that the form @code{(cl-acons @var{key} @var{value}
2665 @var{alist})} will
2666 expand directly into @code{(cons (cons @var{key} @var{value}) @var{alist})}
2667 when it is called in user functions, so as to save function calls.
2668
2669 The following declarations are all equivalent. Note that the
2670 @code{defsubst} form is a convenient way to define a function
2671 and declare it inline all at once.
2672
2673 @example
2674 (cl-declaim (inline foo bar))
2675 (cl-eval-when (compile load eval)
2676 (cl-proclaim '(inline foo bar)))
2677 (defsubst foo (@dots{}) @dots{}) ; instead of defun
2678 @end example
2679
2680 @strong{Please note:} this declaration remains in effect after the
2681 containing source file is done. It is correct to use it to
2682 request that a function you have defined should be inlined,
2683 but it is impolite to use it to request inlining of an external
2684 function.
2685
2686 In Common Lisp, it is possible to use @code{(declare (inline @dots{}))}
2687 before a particular call to a function to cause just that call to
2688 be inlined; the current byte compilers provide no way to implement
2689 this, so @code{(cl-declare (inline @dots{}))} is currently ignored by
2690 this package.
2691
2692 @item notinline
2693 The @code{notinline} declaration lists functions which should
2694 not be inlined after all; it cancels a previous @code{inline}
2695 declaration.
2696
2697 @item optimize
2698 This declaration controls how much optimization is performed by
2699 the compiler.
2700
2701 The word @code{optimize} is followed by any number of lists like
2702 @code{(speed 3)} or @code{(safety 2)}. Common Lisp defines several
2703 optimization ``qualities''; this package ignores all but @code{speed}
2704 and @code{safety}. The value of a quality should be an integer from
2705 0 to 3, with 0 meaning ``unimportant'' and 3 meaning ``very important''.
2706 The default level for both qualities is 1.
2707
2708 In this package, the @code{speed} quality is tied to the @code{byte-optimize}
2709 flag, which is set to @code{nil} for @code{(speed 0)} and to
2710 @code{t} for higher settings; and the @code{safety} quality is
2711 tied to the @code{byte-compile-delete-errors} flag, which is
2712 set to @code{nil} for @code{(safety 3)} and to @code{t} for all
2713 lower settings. (The latter flag controls whether the compiler
2714 is allowed to optimize out code whose only side-effect could
2715 be to signal an error, e.g., rewriting @code{(progn foo bar)} to
2716 @code{bar} when it is not known whether @code{foo} will be bound
2717 at run-time.)
2718
2719 Note that even compiling with @code{(safety 0)}, the Emacs
2720 byte-code system provides sufficient checking to prevent real
2721 harm from being done. For example, barring serious bugs in
2722 Emacs itself, Emacs will not crash with a segmentation fault
2723 just because of an error in a fully-optimized Lisp program.
2724
2725 The @code{optimize} declaration is normally used in a top-level
2726 @code{cl-proclaim} or @code{cl-declaim} in a file; Common Lisp allows
2727 it to be used with @code{declare} to set the level of optimization
2728 locally for a given form, but this will not work correctly with the
2729 current byte-compiler. (The @code{cl-declare}
2730 will set the new optimization level, but that level will not
2731 automatically be unset after the enclosing form is done.)
2732
2733 @item warn
2734 This declaration controls what sorts of warnings are generated
2735 by the byte compiler. The word @code{warn} is followed by any
2736 number of ``warning qualities'', similar in form to optimization
2737 qualities. The currently supported warning types are
2738 @code{redefine}, @code{callargs}, @code{unresolved}, and
2739 @code{free-vars}; in the current system, a value of 0 will
2740 disable these warnings and any higher value will enable them.
2741 See the documentation of the variable @code{byte-compile-warnings}
2742 for more details.
2743 @end table
2744
2745 @node Symbols
2746 @chapter Symbols
2747
2748 @noindent
2749 This package defines several symbol-related features that were
2750 missing from Emacs Lisp.
2751
2752 @menu
2753 * Property Lists:: @code{cl-get}, @code{cl-remprop}, @code{cl-getf}, @code{cl-remf}.
2754 * Creating Symbols:: @code{cl-gensym}, @code{cl-gentemp}.
2755 @end menu
2756
2757 @node Property Lists
2758 @section Property Lists
2759
2760 @noindent
2761 These functions augment the standard Emacs Lisp functions @code{get}
2762 and @code{put} for operating on properties attached to symbols.
2763 There are also functions for working with property lists as
2764 first-class data structures not attached to particular symbols.
2765
2766 @defun cl-get symbol property &optional default
2767 This function is like @code{get}, except that if the property is
2768 not found, the @var{default} argument provides the return value.
2769 (The Emacs Lisp @code{get} function always uses @code{nil} as
2770 the default; this package's @code{cl-get} is equivalent to Common
2771 Lisp's @code{get}.)
2772
2773 The @code{cl-get} function is @code{setf}-able; when used in this
2774 fashion, the @var{default} argument is allowed but ignored.
2775 @end defun
2776
2777 @defun cl-remprop symbol property
2778 This function removes the entry for @var{property} from the property
2779 list of @var{symbol}. It returns a true value if the property was
2780 indeed found and removed, or @code{nil} if there was no such property.
2781 (This function was probably omitted from Emacs originally because,
2782 since @code{get} did not allow a @var{default}, it was very difficult
2783 to distinguish between a missing property and a property whose value
2784 was @code{nil}; thus, setting a property to @code{nil} was close
2785 enough to @code{cl-remprop} for most purposes.)
2786 @end defun
2787
2788 @defun cl-getf place property &optional default
2789 This function scans the list @var{place} as if it were a property
2790 list, i.e., a list of alternating property names and values. If
2791 an even-numbered element of @var{place} is found which is @code{eq}
2792 to @var{property}, the following odd-numbered element is returned.
2793 Otherwise, @var{default} is returned (or @code{nil} if no default
2794 is given).
2795
2796 In particular,
2797
2798 @example
2799 (get sym prop) @equiv{} (cl-getf (symbol-plist sym) prop)
2800 @end example
2801
2802 It is valid to use @code{cl-getf} as a @code{setf} place, in which case
2803 its @var{place} argument must itself be a valid @code{setf} place.
2804 The @var{default} argument, if any, is ignored in this context.
2805 The effect is to change (via @code{setcar}) the value cell in the
2806 list that corresponds to @var{property}, or to cons a new property-value
2807 pair onto the list if the property is not yet present.
2808
2809 @example
2810 (put sym prop val) @equiv{} (setf (cl-getf (symbol-plist sym) prop) val)
2811 @end example
2812
2813 The @code{get} and @code{cl-get} functions are also @code{setf}-able.
2814 The fact that @code{default} is ignored can sometimes be useful:
2815
2816 @example
2817 (cl-incf (cl-get 'foo 'usage-count 0))
2818 @end example
2819
2820 Here, symbol @code{foo}'s @code{usage-count} property is incremented
2821 if it exists, or set to 1 (an incremented 0) otherwise.
2822
2823 When not used as a @code{setf} form, @code{cl-getf} is just a regular
2824 function and its @var{place} argument can actually be any Lisp
2825 expression.
2826 @end defun
2827
2828 @defmac cl-remf place property
2829 This macro removes the property-value pair for @var{property} from
2830 the property list stored at @var{place}, which is any @code{setf}-able
2831 place expression. It returns true if the property was found. Note
2832 that if @var{property} happens to be first on the list, this will
2833 effectively do a @code{(setf @var{place} (cddr @var{place}))},
2834 whereas if it occurs later, this simply uses @code{setcdr} to splice
2835 out the property and value cells.
2836 @end defmac
2837
2838 @node Creating Symbols
2839 @section Creating Symbols
2840
2841 @noindent
2842 These functions create unique symbols, typically for use as
2843 temporary variables.
2844
2845 @defun cl-gensym &optional x
2846 This function creates a new, uninterned symbol (using @code{make-symbol})
2847 with a unique name. (The name of an uninterned symbol is relevant
2848 only if the symbol is printed.) By default, the name is generated
2849 from an increasing sequence of numbers, @samp{G1000}, @samp{G1001},
2850 @samp{G1002}, etc. If the optional argument @var{x} is a string, that
2851 string is used as a prefix instead of @samp{G}. Uninterned symbols
2852 are used in macro expansions for temporary variables, to ensure that
2853 their names will not conflict with ``real'' variables in the user's
2854 code.
2855
2856 (Internally, the variable @code{cl--gensym-counter} holds the counter
2857 used to generate names. It is incremented after each use. In Common
2858 Lisp this is initialized with 0, but this package initializes it with
2859 a random time-dependent value to avoid trouble when two files that
2860 each used @code{cl-gensym} in their compilation are loaded together.
2861 Uninterned symbols become interned when the compiler writes them out
2862 to a file and the Emacs loader loads them, so their names have to be
2863 treated a bit more carefully than in Common Lisp where uninterned
2864 symbols remain uninterned after loading.)
2865 @end defun
2866
2867 @defun cl-gentemp &optional x
2868 This function is like @code{cl-gensym}, except that it produces a new
2869 @emph{interned} symbol. If the symbol that is generated already
2870 exists, the function keeps incrementing the counter and trying
2871 again until a new symbol is generated.
2872 @end defun
2873
2874 This package automatically creates all keywords that are called for by
2875 @code{&key} argument specifiers, and discourages the use of keywords
2876 as data unrelated to keyword arguments, so the related function
2877 @code{defkeyword} (to create self-quoting keyword symbols) is not
2878 provided.
2879
2880 @node Numbers
2881 @chapter Numbers
2882
2883 @noindent
2884 This section defines a few simple Common Lisp operations on numbers
2885 that were left out of Emacs Lisp.
2886
2887 @menu
2888 * Predicates on Numbers:: @code{cl-plusp}, @code{cl-oddp}, etc.
2889 * Numerical Functions:: @code{cl-floor}, @code{cl-ceiling}, etc.
2890 * Random Numbers:: @code{cl-random}, @code{cl-make-random-state}.
2891 * Implementation Parameters:: @code{cl-most-positive-float}, etc.
2892 @end menu
2893
2894 @node Predicates on Numbers
2895 @section Predicates on Numbers
2896
2897 @noindent
2898 These functions return @code{t} if the specified condition is
2899 true of the numerical argument, or @code{nil} otherwise.
2900
2901 @defun cl-plusp number
2902 This predicate tests whether @var{number} is positive. It is an
2903 error if the argument is not a number.
2904 @end defun
2905
2906 @defun cl-minusp number
2907 This predicate tests whether @var{number} is negative. It is an
2908 error if the argument is not a number.
2909 @end defun
2910
2911 @defun cl-oddp integer
2912 This predicate tests whether @var{integer} is odd. It is an
2913 error if the argument is not an integer.
2914 @end defun
2915
2916 @defun cl-evenp integer
2917 This predicate tests whether @var{integer} is even. It is an
2918 error if the argument is not an integer.
2919 @end defun
2920
2921 @node Numerical Functions
2922 @section Numerical Functions
2923
2924 @noindent
2925 These functions perform various arithmetic operations on numbers.
2926
2927 @defun cl-gcd &rest integers
2928 This function returns the Greatest Common Divisor of the arguments.
2929 For one argument, it returns the absolute value of that argument.
2930 For zero arguments, it returns zero.
2931 @end defun
2932
2933 @defun cl-lcm &rest integers
2934 This function returns the Least Common Multiple of the arguments.
2935 For one argument, it returns the absolute value of that argument.
2936 For zero arguments, it returns one.
2937 @end defun
2938
2939 @defun cl-isqrt integer
2940 This function computes the ``integer square root'' of its integer
2941 argument, i.e., the greatest integer less than or equal to the true
2942 square root of the argument.
2943 @end defun
2944
2945 @defun cl-floor number &optional divisor
2946 With one argument, @code{cl-floor} returns a list of two numbers:
2947 The argument rounded down (toward minus infinity) to an integer,
2948 and the ``remainder'' which would have to be added back to the
2949 first return value to yield the argument again. If the argument
2950 is an integer @var{x}, the result is always the list @code{(@var{x} 0)}.
2951 If the argument is a floating-point number, the first
2952 result is a Lisp integer and the second is a Lisp float between
2953 0 (inclusive) and 1 (exclusive).
2954
2955 With two arguments, @code{cl-floor} divides @var{number} by
2956 @var{divisor}, and returns the floor of the quotient and the
2957 corresponding remainder as a list of two numbers. If
2958 @code{(cl-floor @var{x} @var{y})} returns @code{(@var{q} @var{r})},
2959 then @code{@var{q}*@var{y} + @var{r} = @var{x}}, with @var{r}
2960 between 0 (inclusive) and @var{r} (exclusive). Also, note
2961 that @code{(cl-floor @var{x})} is exactly equivalent to
2962 @code{(cl-floor @var{x} 1)}.
2963
2964 This function is entirely compatible with Common Lisp's @code{floor}
2965 function, except that it returns the two results in a list since
2966 Emacs Lisp does not support multiple-valued functions.
2967 @end defun
2968
2969 @defun cl-ceiling number &optional divisor
2970 This function implements the Common Lisp @code{ceiling} function,
2971 which is analogous to @code{floor} except that it rounds the
2972 argument or quotient of the arguments up toward plus infinity.
2973 The remainder will be between 0 and minus @var{r}.
2974 @end defun
2975
2976 @defun cl-truncate number &optional divisor
2977 This function implements the Common Lisp @code{truncate} function,
2978 which is analogous to @code{floor} except that it rounds the
2979 argument or quotient of the arguments toward zero. Thus it is
2980 equivalent to @code{cl-floor} if the argument or quotient is
2981 positive, or to @code{cl-ceiling} otherwise. The remainder has
2982 the same sign as @var{number}.
2983 @end defun
2984
2985 @defun cl-round number &optional divisor
2986 This function implements the Common Lisp @code{round} function,
2987 which is analogous to @code{floor} except that it rounds the
2988 argument or quotient of the arguments to the nearest integer.
2989 In the case of a tie (the argument or quotient is exactly
2990 halfway between two integers), it rounds to the even integer.
2991 @end defun
2992
2993 @defun cl-mod number divisor
2994 This function returns the same value as the second return value
2995 of @code{cl-floor}.
2996 @end defun
2997
2998 @defun cl-rem number divisor
2999 This function returns the same value as the second return value
3000 of @code{cl-truncate}.
3001 @end defun
3002
3003 @node Random Numbers
3004 @section Random Numbers
3005
3006 @noindent
3007 This package also provides an implementation of the Common Lisp
3008 random number generator. It uses its own additive-congruential
3009 algorithm, which is much more likely to give statistically clean
3010 @c FIXME? Still true?
3011 random numbers than the simple generators supplied by many
3012 operating systems.
3013
3014 @defun cl-random number &optional state
3015 This function returns a random nonnegative number less than
3016 @var{number}, and of the same type (either integer or floating-point).
3017 The @var{state} argument should be a @code{random-state} object
3018 that holds the state of the random number generator. The
3019 function modifies this state object as a side effect. If
3020 @var{state} is omitted, it defaults to the internal variable
3021 @code{cl--random-state}, which contains a pre-initialized
3022 default @code{random-state} object. (Since any number of programs in
3023 the Emacs process may be accessing @code{cl--random-state} in
3024 interleaved fashion, the sequence generated from this will be
3025 irreproducible for all intents and purposes.)
3026 @end defun
3027
3028 @defun cl-make-random-state &optional state
3029 This function creates or copies a @code{random-state} object.
3030 If @var{state} is omitted or @code{nil}, it returns a new copy of
3031 @code{cl--random-state}. This is a copy in the sense that future
3032 sequences of calls to @code{(cl-random @var{n})} and
3033 @code{(cl-random @var{n} @var{s})} (where @var{s} is the new
3034 random-state object) will return identical sequences of random
3035 numbers.
3036
3037 If @var{state} is a @code{random-state} object, this function
3038 returns a copy of that object. If @var{state} is @code{t}, this
3039 function returns a new @code{random-state} object seeded from the
3040 date and time. As an extension to Common Lisp, @var{state} may also
3041 be an integer in which case the new object is seeded from that
3042 integer; each different integer seed will result in a completely
3043 different sequence of random numbers.
3044
3045 It is valid to print a @code{random-state} object to a buffer or
3046 file and later read it back with @code{read}. If a program wishes
3047 to use a sequence of pseudo-random numbers which can be reproduced
3048 later for debugging, it can call @code{(cl-make-random-state t)} to
3049 get a new sequence, then print this sequence to a file. When the
3050 program is later rerun, it can read the original run's random-state
3051 from the file.
3052 @end defun
3053
3054 @defun cl-random-state-p object
3055 This predicate returns @code{t} if @var{object} is a
3056 @code{random-state} object, or @code{nil} otherwise.
3057 @end defun
3058
3059 @node Implementation Parameters
3060 @section Implementation Parameters
3061
3062 @noindent
3063 This package defines several useful constants having to do with
3064 floating-point numbers.
3065
3066 It determines their values by exercising the computer's
3067 floating-point arithmetic in various ways. Because this operation
3068 might be slow, the code for initializing them is kept in a separate
3069 function that must be called before the parameters can be used.
3070
3071 @defun cl-float-limits
3072 This function makes sure that the Common Lisp floating-point parameters
3073 like @code{cl-most-positive-float} have been initialized. Until it is
3074 called, these parameters will be @code{nil}.
3075 @c If this version of Emacs does not support floats, the parameters will
3076 @c remain @code{nil}.
3077 If the parameters have already been initialized, the function returns
3078 immediately.
3079
3080 The algorithm makes assumptions that will be valid for almost all
3081 machines, but will fail if the machine's arithmetic is extremely
3082 unusual, e.g., decimal.
3083 @end defun
3084
3085 Since true Common Lisp supports up to four different floating-point
3086 precisions, it has families of constants like
3087 @code{most-positive-single-float}, @code{most-positive-double-float},
3088 @code{most-positive-long-float}, and so on. Emacs has only one
3089 floating-point precision, so this package omits the precision word
3090 from the constants' names.
3091
3092 @defvar cl-most-positive-float
3093 This constant equals the largest value a Lisp float can hold.
3094 For those systems whose arithmetic supports infinities, this is
3095 the largest @emph{finite} value. For IEEE machines, the value
3096 is approximately @code{1.79e+308}.
3097 @end defvar
3098
3099 @defvar cl-most-negative-float
3100 This constant equals the most negative value a Lisp float can hold.
3101 (It is assumed to be equal to @code{(- cl-most-positive-float)}.)
3102 @end defvar
3103
3104 @defvar cl-least-positive-float
3105 This constant equals the smallest Lisp float value greater than zero.
3106 For IEEE machines, it is about @code{4.94e-324} if denormals are
3107 supported or @code{2.22e-308} if not.
3108 @end defvar
3109
3110 @defvar cl-least-positive-normalized-float
3111 This constant equals the smallest @emph{normalized} Lisp float greater
3112 than zero, i.e., the smallest value for which IEEE denormalization
3113 will not result in a loss of precision. For IEEE machines, this
3114 value is about @code{2.22e-308}. For machines that do not support
3115 the concept of denormalization and gradual underflow, this constant
3116 will always equal @code{cl-least-positive-float}.
3117 @end defvar
3118
3119 @defvar cl-least-negative-float
3120 This constant is the negative counterpart of @code{cl-least-positive-float}.
3121 @end defvar
3122
3123 @defvar cl-least-negative-normalized-float
3124 This constant is the negative counterpart of
3125 @code{cl-least-positive-normalized-float}.
3126 @end defvar
3127
3128 @defvar cl-float-epsilon
3129 This constant is the smallest positive Lisp float that can be added
3130 to 1.0 to produce a distinct value. Adding a smaller number to 1.0
3131 will yield 1.0 again due to roundoff. For IEEE machines, epsilon
3132 is about @code{2.22e-16}.
3133 @end defvar
3134
3135 @defvar cl-float-negative-epsilon
3136 This is the smallest positive value that can be subtracted from
3137 1.0 to produce a distinct value. For IEEE machines, it is about
3138 @code{1.11e-16}.
3139 @end defvar
3140
3141 @node Sequences
3142 @chapter Sequences
3143
3144 @noindent
3145 Common Lisp defines a number of functions that operate on
3146 @dfn{sequences}, which are either lists, strings, or vectors.
3147 Emacs Lisp includes a few of these, notably @code{elt} and
3148 @code{length}; this package defines most of the rest.
3149
3150 @menu
3151 * Sequence Basics:: Arguments shared by all sequence functions.
3152 * Mapping over Sequences:: @code{cl-mapcar}, @code{cl-map}, @code{cl-maplist}, etc.
3153 * Sequence Functions:: @code{cl-subseq}, @code{cl-remove}, @code{cl-substitute}, etc.
3154 * Searching Sequences:: @code{cl-find}, @code{cl-count}, @code{cl-search}, etc.
3155 * Sorting Sequences:: @code{cl-sort}, @code{cl-stable-sort}, @code{cl-merge}.
3156 @end menu
3157
3158 @node Sequence Basics
3159 @section Sequence Basics
3160
3161 @noindent
3162 Many of the sequence functions take keyword arguments; @pxref{Argument
3163 Lists}. All keyword arguments are optional and, if specified,
3164 may appear in any order.
3165
3166 The @code{:key} argument should be passed either @code{nil}, or a
3167 function of one argument. This key function is used as a filter
3168 through which the elements of the sequence are seen; for example,
3169 @code{(cl-find x y :key 'car)} is similar to @code{(cl-assoc x y)}.
3170 It searches for an element of the list whose @sc{car} equals
3171 @code{x}, rather than for an element which equals @code{x} itself.
3172 If @code{:key} is omitted or @code{nil}, the filter is effectively
3173 the identity function.
3174
3175 The @code{:test} and @code{:test-not} arguments should be either
3176 @code{nil}, or functions of two arguments. The test function is
3177 used to compare two sequence elements, or to compare a search value
3178 with sequence elements. (The two values are passed to the test
3179 function in the same order as the original sequence function
3180 arguments from which they are derived, or, if they both come from
3181 the same sequence, in the same order as they appear in that sequence.)
3182 The @code{:test} argument specifies a function which must return
3183 true (non-@code{nil}) to indicate a match; instead, you may use
3184 @code{:test-not} to give a function which returns @emph{false} to
3185 indicate a match. The default test function is @code{eql}.
3186
3187 Many functions that take @var{item} and @code{:test} or @code{:test-not}
3188 arguments also come in @code{-if} and @code{-if-not} varieties,
3189 where a @var{predicate} function is passed instead of @var{item},
3190 and sequence elements match if the predicate returns true on them
3191 (or false in the case of @code{-if-not}). For example:
3192
3193 @example
3194 (cl-remove 0 seq :test '=) @equiv{} (cl-remove-if 'zerop seq)
3195 @end example
3196
3197 @noindent
3198 to remove all zeros from sequence @code{seq}.
3199
3200 Some operations can work on a subsequence of the argument sequence;
3201 these function take @code{:start} and @code{:end} arguments, which
3202 default to zero and the length of the sequence, respectively.
3203 Only elements between @var{start} (inclusive) and @var{end}
3204 (exclusive) are affected by the operation. The @var{end} argument
3205 may be passed @code{nil} to signify the length of the sequence;
3206 otherwise, both @var{start} and @var{end} must be integers, with
3207 @code{0 <= @var{start} <= @var{end} <= (length @var{seq})}.
3208 If the function takes two sequence arguments, the limits are
3209 defined by keywords @code{:start1} and @code{:end1} for the first,
3210 and @code{:start2} and @code{:end2} for the second.
3211
3212 A few functions accept a @code{:from-end} argument, which, if
3213 non-@code{nil}, causes the operation to go from right-to-left
3214 through the sequence instead of left-to-right, and a @code{:count}
3215 argument, which specifies an integer maximum number of elements
3216 to be removed or otherwise processed.
3217
3218 The sequence functions make no guarantees about the order in
3219 which the @code{:test}, @code{:test-not}, and @code{:key} functions
3220 are called on various elements. Therefore, it is a bad idea to depend
3221 on side effects of these functions. For example, @code{:from-end}
3222 may cause the sequence to be scanned actually in reverse, or it may
3223 be scanned forwards but computing a result ``as if'' it were scanned
3224 backwards. (Some functions, like @code{cl-mapcar} and @code{cl-every},
3225 @emph{do} specify exactly the order in which the function is called
3226 so side effects are perfectly acceptable in those cases.)
3227
3228 Strings may contain ``text properties'' as well
3229 as character data. Except as noted, it is undefined whether or
3230 not text properties are preserved by sequence functions. For
3231 example, @code{(cl-remove ?A @var{str})} may or may not preserve
3232 the properties of the characters copied from @var{str} into the
3233 result.
3234
3235 @node Mapping over Sequences
3236 @section Mapping over Sequences
3237
3238 @noindent
3239 These functions ``map'' the function you specify over the elements
3240 of lists or arrays. They are all variations on the theme of the
3241 built-in function @code{mapcar}.
3242
3243 @defun cl-mapcar function seq &rest more-seqs
3244 This function calls @var{function} on successive parallel sets of
3245 elements from its argument sequences. Given a single @var{seq}
3246 argument it is equivalent to @code{mapcar}; given @var{n} sequences,
3247 it calls the function with the first elements of each of the sequences
3248 as the @var{n} arguments to yield the first element of the result
3249 list, then with the second elements, and so on. The mapping stops as
3250 soon as the shortest sequence runs out. The argument sequences may
3251 be any mixture of lists, strings, and vectors; the return sequence
3252 is always a list.
3253
3254 Common Lisp's @code{mapcar} accepts multiple arguments but works
3255 only on lists; Emacs Lisp's @code{mapcar} accepts a single sequence
3256 argument. This package's @code{cl-mapcar} works as a compatible
3257 superset of both.
3258 @end defun
3259
3260 @defun cl-map result-type function seq &rest more-seqs
3261 This function maps @var{function} over the argument sequences,
3262 just like @code{cl-mapcar}, but it returns a sequence of type
3263 @var{result-type} rather than a list. @var{result-type} must
3264 be one of the following symbols: @code{vector}, @code{string},
3265 @code{list} (in which case the effect is the same as for
3266 @code{cl-mapcar}), or @code{nil} (in which case the results are
3267 thrown away and @code{cl-map} returns @code{nil}).
3268 @end defun
3269
3270 @defun cl-maplist function list &rest more-lists
3271 This function calls @var{function} on each of its argument lists,
3272 then on the @sc{cdr}s of those lists, and so on, until the
3273 shortest list runs out. The results are returned in the form
3274 of a list. Thus, @code{cl-maplist} is like @code{cl-mapcar} except
3275 that it passes in the list pointers themselves rather than the
3276 @sc{car}s of the advancing pointers.
3277 @end defun
3278
3279 @defun cl-mapc function seq &rest more-seqs
3280 This function is like @code{cl-mapcar}, except that the values returned
3281 by @var{function} are ignored and thrown away rather than being
3282 collected into a list. The return value of @code{cl-mapc} is @var{seq},
3283 the first sequence. This function is more general than the Emacs
3284 primitive @code{mapc}. (Note that this function is called
3285 @code{cl-mapc} even in @file{cl.el}, rather than @code{mapc*} as you
3286 might expect.)
3287 @c http://debbugs.gnu.org/6575
3288 @end defun
3289
3290 @defun cl-mapl function list &rest more-lists
3291 This function is like @code{cl-maplist}, except that it throws away
3292 the values returned by @var{function}.
3293 @end defun
3294
3295 @defun cl-mapcan function seq &rest more-seqs
3296 This function is like @code{cl-mapcar}, except that it concatenates
3297 the return values (which must be lists) using @code{nconc},
3298 rather than simply collecting them into a list.
3299 @end defun
3300
3301 @defun cl-mapcon function list &rest more-lists
3302 This function is like @code{cl-maplist}, except that it concatenates
3303 the return values using @code{nconc}.
3304 @end defun
3305
3306 @defun cl-some predicate seq &rest more-seqs
3307 This function calls @var{predicate} on each element of @var{seq}
3308 in turn; if @var{predicate} returns a non-@code{nil} value,
3309 @code{cl-some} returns that value, otherwise it returns @code{nil}.
3310 Given several sequence arguments, it steps through the sequences
3311 in parallel until the shortest one runs out, just as in
3312 @code{cl-mapcar}. You can rely on the left-to-right order in which
3313 the elements are visited, and on the fact that mapping stops
3314 immediately as soon as @var{predicate} returns non-@code{nil}.
3315 @end defun
3316
3317 @defun cl-every predicate seq &rest more-seqs
3318 This function calls @var{predicate} on each element of the sequence(s)
3319 in turn; it returns @code{nil} as soon as @var{predicate} returns
3320 @code{nil} for any element, or @code{t} if the predicate was true
3321 for all elements.
3322 @end defun
3323
3324 @defun cl-notany predicate seq &rest more-seqs
3325 This function calls @var{predicate} on each element of the sequence(s)
3326 in turn; it returns @code{nil} as soon as @var{predicate} returns
3327 a non-@code{nil} value for any element, or @code{t} if the predicate
3328 was @code{nil} for all elements.
3329 @end defun
3330
3331 @defun cl-notevery predicate seq &rest more-seqs
3332 This function calls @var{predicate} on each element of the sequence(s)
3333 in turn; it returns a non-@code{nil} value as soon as @var{predicate}
3334 returns @code{nil} for any element, or @code{t} if the predicate was
3335 true for all elements.
3336 @end defun
3337
3338 @defun cl-reduce function seq @t{&key :from-end :start :end :initial-value :key}
3339 This function combines the elements of @var{seq} using an associative
3340 binary operation. Suppose @var{function} is @code{*} and @var{seq} is
3341 the list @code{(2 3 4 5)}. The first two elements of the list are
3342 combined with @code{(* 2 3) = 6}; this is combined with the next
3343 element, @code{(* 6 4) = 24}, and that is combined with the final
3344 element: @code{(* 24 5) = 120}. Note that the @code{*} function happens
3345 to be self-reducing, so that @code{(* 2 3 4 5)} has the same effect as
3346 an explicit call to @code{cl-reduce}.
3347
3348 If @code{:from-end} is true, the reduction is right-associative instead
3349 of left-associative:
3350
3351 @example
3352 (cl-reduce '- '(1 2 3 4))
3353 @equiv{} (- (- (- 1 2) 3) 4) @result{} -8
3354 (cl-reduce '- '(1 2 3 4) :from-end t)
3355 @equiv{} (- 1 (- 2 (- 3 4))) @result{} -2
3356 @end example
3357
3358 If @code{:key} is specified, it is a function of one argument, which
3359 is called on each of the sequence elements in turn.
3360
3361 If @code{:initial-value} is specified, it is effectively added to the
3362 front (or rear in the case of @code{:from-end}) of the sequence.
3363 The @code{:key} function is @emph{not} applied to the initial value.
3364
3365 If the sequence, including the initial value, has exactly one element
3366 then that element is returned without ever calling @var{function}.
3367 If the sequence is empty (and there is no initial value), then
3368 @var{function} is called with no arguments to obtain the return value.
3369 @end defun
3370
3371 All of these mapping operations can be expressed conveniently in
3372 terms of the @code{cl-loop} macro. In compiled code, @code{cl-loop} will
3373 be faster since it generates the loop as in-line code with no
3374 function calls.
3375
3376 @node Sequence Functions
3377 @section Sequence Functions
3378
3379 @noindent
3380 This section describes a number of Common Lisp functions for
3381 operating on sequences.
3382
3383 @defun cl-subseq sequence start &optional end
3384 This function returns a given subsequence of the argument
3385 @var{sequence}, which may be a list, string, or vector.
3386 The indices @var{start} and @var{end} must be in range, and
3387 @var{start} must be no greater than @var{end}. If @var{end}
3388 is omitted, it defaults to the length of the sequence. The
3389 return value is always a copy; it does not share structure
3390 with @var{sequence}.
3391
3392 As an extension to Common Lisp, @var{start} and/or @var{end}
3393 may be negative, in which case they represent a distance back
3394 from the end of the sequence. This is for compatibility with
3395 Emacs's @code{substring} function. Note that @code{cl-subseq} is
3396 the @emph{only} sequence function that allows negative
3397 @var{start} and @var{end}.
3398
3399 You can use @code{setf} on a @code{cl-subseq} form to replace a
3400 specified range of elements with elements from another sequence.
3401 The replacement is done as if by @code{cl-replace}, described below.
3402 @end defun
3403
3404 @defun cl-concatenate result-type &rest seqs
3405 This function concatenates the argument sequences together to
3406 form a result sequence of type @var{result-type}, one of the
3407 symbols @code{vector}, @code{string}, or @code{list}. The
3408 arguments are always copied, even in cases such as
3409 @code{(cl-concatenate 'list '(1 2 3))} where the result is
3410 identical to an argument.
3411 @end defun
3412
3413 @defun cl-fill seq item @t{&key :start :end}
3414 This function fills the elements of the sequence (or the specified
3415 part of the sequence) with the value @var{item}.
3416 @end defun
3417
3418 @defun cl-replace seq1 seq2 @t{&key :start1 :end1 :start2 :end2}
3419 This function copies part of @var{seq2} into part of @var{seq1}.
3420 The sequence @var{seq1} is not stretched or resized; the amount
3421 of data copied is simply the shorter of the source and destination
3422 (sub)sequences. The function returns @var{seq1}.
3423
3424 If @var{seq1} and @var{seq2} are @code{eq}, then the replacement
3425 will work correctly even if the regions indicated by the start
3426 and end arguments overlap. However, if @var{seq1} and @var{seq2}
3427 are lists that share storage but are not @code{eq}, and the
3428 start and end arguments specify overlapping regions, the effect
3429 is undefined.
3430 @end defun
3431
3432 @defun cl-remove item seq @t{&key :test :test-not :key :count :start :end :from-end}
3433 This returns a copy of @var{seq} with all elements matching
3434 @var{item} removed. The result may share storage with or be
3435 @code{eq} to @var{seq} in some circumstances, but the original
3436 @var{seq} will not be modified. The @code{:test}, @code{:test-not},
3437 and @code{:key} arguments define the matching test that is used;
3438 by default, elements @code{eql} to @var{item} are removed. The
3439 @code{:count} argument specifies the maximum number of matching
3440 elements that can be removed (only the leftmost @var{count} matches
3441 are removed). The @code{:start} and @code{:end} arguments specify
3442 a region in @var{seq} in which elements will be removed; elements
3443 outside that region are not matched or removed. The @code{:from-end}
3444 argument, if true, says that elements should be deleted from the
3445 end of the sequence rather than the beginning (this matters only
3446 if @var{count} was also specified).
3447 @end defun
3448
3449 @defun cl-delete item seq @t{&key :test :test-not :key :count :start :end :from-end}
3450 This deletes all elements of @var{seq} that match @var{item}.
3451 It is a destructive operation. Since Emacs Lisp does not support
3452 stretchable strings or vectors, this is the same as @code{cl-remove}
3453 for those sequence types. On lists, @code{cl-remove} will copy the
3454 list if necessary to preserve the original list, whereas
3455 @code{cl-delete} will splice out parts of the argument list.
3456 Compare @code{append} and @code{nconc}, which are analogous
3457 non-destructive and destructive list operations in Emacs Lisp.
3458 @end defun
3459
3460 @findex cl-remove-if
3461 @findex cl-remove-if-not
3462 @findex cl-delete-if
3463 @findex cl-delete-if-not
3464 The predicate-oriented functions @code{cl-remove-if}, @code{cl-remove-if-not},
3465 @code{cl-delete-if}, and @code{cl-delete-if-not} are defined similarly.
3466
3467 @defun cl-remove-duplicates seq @t{&key :test :test-not :key :start :end :from-end}
3468 This function returns a copy of @var{seq} with duplicate elements
3469 removed. Specifically, if two elements from the sequence match
3470 according to the @code{:test}, @code{:test-not}, and @code{:key}
3471 arguments, only the rightmost one is retained. If @code{:from-end}
3472 is true, the leftmost one is retained instead. If @code{:start} or
3473 @code{:end} is specified, only elements within that subsequence are
3474 examined or removed.
3475 @end defun
3476
3477 @defun cl-delete-duplicates seq @t{&key :test :test-not :key :start :end :from-end}
3478 This function deletes duplicate elements from @var{seq}. It is
3479 a destructive version of @code{cl-remove-duplicates}.
3480 @end defun
3481
3482 @defun cl-substitute new old seq @t{&key :test :test-not :key :count :start :end :from-end}
3483 This function returns a copy of @var{seq}, with all elements
3484 matching @var{old} replaced with @var{new}. The @code{:count},
3485 @code{:start}, @code{:end}, and @code{:from-end} arguments may be
3486 used to limit the number of substitutions made.
3487 @end defun
3488
3489 @defun cl-nsubstitute new old seq @t{&key :test :test-not :key :count :start :end :from-end}
3490 This is a destructive version of @code{cl-substitute}; it performs
3491 the substitution using @code{setcar} or @code{aset} rather than
3492 by returning a changed copy of the sequence.
3493 @end defun
3494
3495 @findex cl-substitute-if
3496 @findex cl-substitute-if-not
3497 @findex cl-nsubstitute-if
3498 @findex cl-nsubstitute-if-not
3499 The functions @code{cl-substitute-if}, @code{cl-substitute-if-not},
3500 @code{cl-nsubstitute-if}, and @code{cl-nsubstitute-if-not} are defined
3501 similarly. For these, a @var{predicate} is given in place of the
3502 @var{old} argument.
3503
3504 @node Searching Sequences
3505 @section Searching Sequences
3506
3507 @noindent
3508 These functions search for elements or subsequences in a sequence.
3509 (See also @code{cl-member} and @code{cl-assoc}; @pxref{Lists}.)
3510
3511 @defun cl-find item seq @t{&key :test :test-not :key :start :end :from-end}
3512 This function searches @var{seq} for an element matching @var{item}.
3513 If it finds a match, it returns the matching element. Otherwise,
3514 it returns @code{nil}. It returns the leftmost match, unless
3515 @code{:from-end} is true, in which case it returns the rightmost
3516 match. The @code{:start} and @code{:end} arguments may be used to
3517 limit the range of elements that are searched.
3518 @end defun
3519
3520 @defun cl-position item seq @t{&key :test :test-not :key :start :end :from-end}
3521 This function is like @code{cl-find}, except that it returns the
3522 integer position in the sequence of the matching item rather than
3523 the item itself. The position is relative to the start of the
3524 sequence as a whole, even if @code{:start} is non-zero. The function
3525 returns @code{nil} if no matching element was found.
3526 @end defun
3527
3528 @defun cl-count item seq @t{&key :test :test-not :key :start :end}
3529 This function returns the number of elements of @var{seq} which
3530 match @var{item}. The result is always a nonnegative integer.
3531 @end defun
3532
3533 @findex cl-find-if
3534 @findex cl-find-if-not
3535 @findex cl-position-if
3536 @findex cl-position-if-not
3537 @findex cl-count-if
3538 @findex cl-count-if-not
3539 The @code{cl-find-if}, @code{cl-find-if-not}, @code{cl-position-if},
3540 @code{cl-position-if-not}, @code{cl-count-if}, and @code{cl-count-if-not}
3541 functions are defined similarly.
3542
3543 @defun cl-mismatch seq1 seq2 @t{&key :test :test-not :key :start1 :end1 :start2 :end2 :from-end}
3544 This function compares the specified parts of @var{seq1} and
3545 @var{seq2}. If they are the same length and the corresponding
3546 elements match (according to @code{:test}, @code{:test-not},
3547 and @code{:key}), the function returns @code{nil}. If there is
3548 a mismatch, the function returns the index (relative to @var{seq1})
3549 of the first mismatching element. This will be the leftmost pair of
3550 elements that do not match, or the position at which the shorter of
3551 the two otherwise-matching sequences runs out.
3552
3553 If @code{:from-end} is true, then the elements are compared from right
3554 to left starting at @code{(1- @var{end1})} and @code{(1- @var{end2})}.
3555 If the sequences differ, then one plus the index of the rightmost
3556 difference (relative to @var{seq1}) is returned.
3557
3558 An interesting example is @code{(cl-mismatch str1 str2 :key 'upcase)},
3559 which compares two strings case-insensitively.
3560 @end defun
3561
3562 @defun cl-search seq1 seq2 @t{&key :test :test-not :key :from-end :start1 :end1 :start2 :end2}
3563 This function searches @var{seq2} for a subsequence that matches
3564 @var{seq1} (or part of it specified by @code{:start1} and
3565 @code{:end1}). Only matches that fall entirely within the region
3566 defined by @code{:start2} and @code{:end2} will be considered.
3567 The return value is the index of the leftmost element of the
3568 leftmost match, relative to the start of @var{seq2}, or @code{nil}
3569 if no matches were found. If @code{:from-end} is true, the
3570 function finds the @emph{rightmost} matching subsequence.
3571 @end defun
3572
3573 @node Sorting Sequences
3574 @section Sorting Sequences
3575
3576 @defun cl-sort seq predicate @t{&key :key}
3577 This function sorts @var{seq} into increasing order as determined
3578 by using @var{predicate} to compare pairs of elements. @var{predicate}
3579 should return true (non-@code{nil}) if and only if its first argument
3580 is less than (not equal to) its second argument. For example,
3581 @code{<} and @code{string-lessp} are suitable predicate functions
3582 for sorting numbers and strings, respectively; @code{>} would sort
3583 numbers into decreasing rather than increasing order.
3584
3585 This function differs from Emacs's built-in @code{sort} in that it
3586 can operate on any type of sequence, not just lists. Also, it
3587 accepts a @code{:key} argument, which is used to preprocess data
3588 fed to the @var{predicate} function. For example,
3589
3590 @example
3591 (setq data (cl-sort data 'string-lessp :key 'downcase))
3592 @end example
3593
3594 @noindent
3595 sorts @var{data}, a sequence of strings, into increasing alphabetical
3596 order without regard to case. A @code{:key} function of @code{car}
3597 would be useful for sorting association lists. It should only be a
3598 simple accessor though, since it's used heavily in the current
3599 implementation.
3600
3601 The @code{cl-sort} function is destructive; it sorts lists by actually
3602 rearranging the @sc{cdr} pointers in suitable fashion.
3603 @end defun
3604
3605 @defun cl-stable-sort seq predicate @t{&key :key}
3606 This function sorts @var{seq} @dfn{stably}, meaning two elements
3607 which are equal in terms of @var{predicate} are guaranteed not to
3608 be rearranged out of their original order by the sort.
3609
3610 In practice, @code{cl-sort} and @code{cl-stable-sort} are equivalent
3611 in Emacs Lisp because the underlying @code{sort} function is
3612 stable by default. However, this package reserves the right to
3613 use non-stable methods for @code{cl-sort} in the future.
3614 @end defun
3615
3616 @defun cl-merge type seq1 seq2 predicate @t{&key :key}
3617 This function merges two sequences @var{seq1} and @var{seq2} by
3618 interleaving their elements. The result sequence, of type @var{type}
3619 (in the sense of @code{cl-concatenate}), has length equal to the sum
3620 of the lengths of the two input sequences. The sequences may be
3621 modified destructively. Order of elements within @var{seq1} and
3622 @var{seq2} is preserved in the interleaving; elements of the two
3623 sequences are compared by @var{predicate} (in the sense of
3624 @code{sort}) and the lesser element goes first in the result.
3625 When elements are equal, those from @var{seq1} precede those from
3626 @var{seq2} in the result. Thus, if @var{seq1} and @var{seq2} are
3627 both sorted according to @var{predicate}, then the result will be
3628 a merged sequence which is (stably) sorted according to
3629 @var{predicate}.
3630 @end defun
3631
3632 @node Lists
3633 @chapter Lists
3634
3635 @noindent
3636 The functions described here operate on lists.
3637
3638 @menu
3639 * List Functions:: @code{cl-caddr}, @code{cl-first}, @code{cl-list*}, etc.
3640 * Substitution of Expressions:: @code{cl-subst}, @code{cl-sublis}, etc.
3641 * Lists as Sets:: @code{cl-member}, @code{cl-adjoin}, @code{cl-union}, etc.
3642 * Association Lists:: @code{cl-assoc}, @code{cl-acons}, @code{cl-pairlis}, etc.
3643 @end menu
3644
3645 @node List Functions
3646 @section List Functions
3647
3648 @noindent
3649 This section describes a number of simple operations on lists,
3650 i.e., chains of cons cells.
3651
3652 @defun cl-caddr x
3653 This function is equivalent to @code{(car (cdr (cdr @var{x})))}.
3654 Likewise, this package defines all 24 @code{c@var{xxx}r} functions
3655 where @var{xxx} is up to four @samp{a}s and/or @samp{d}s.
3656 All of these functions are @code{setf}-able, and calls to them
3657 are expanded inline by the byte-compiler for maximum efficiency.
3658 @end defun
3659
3660 @defun cl-first x
3661 This function is a synonym for @code{(car @var{x})}. Likewise,
3662 the functions @code{cl-second}, @code{cl-third}, @dots{}, through
3663 @code{cl-tenth} return the given element of the list @var{x}.
3664 @end defun
3665
3666 @defun cl-rest x
3667 This function is a synonym for @code{(cdr @var{x})}.
3668 @end defun
3669
3670 @defun cl-endp x
3671 Common Lisp defines this function to act like @code{null}, but
3672 signaling an error if @code{x} is neither a @code{nil} nor a
3673 cons cell. This package simply defines @code{cl-endp} as a synonym
3674 for @code{null}.
3675 @end defun
3676
3677 @defun cl-list-length x
3678 This function returns the length of list @var{x}, exactly like
3679 @code{(length @var{x})}, except that if @var{x} is a circular
3680 list (where the @sc{cdr}-chain forms a loop rather than terminating
3681 with @code{nil}), this function returns @code{nil}. (The regular
3682 @code{length} function would get stuck if given a circular list.
3683 See also the @code{safe-length} function.)
3684 @end defun
3685
3686 @defun cl-list* arg &rest others
3687 This function constructs a list of its arguments. The final
3688 argument becomes the @sc{cdr} of the last cell constructed.
3689 Thus, @code{(cl-list* @var{a} @var{b} @var{c})} is equivalent to
3690 @code{(cons @var{a} (cons @var{b} @var{c}))}, and
3691 @code{(cl-list* @var{a} @var{b} nil)} is equivalent to
3692 @code{(list @var{a} @var{b})}.
3693 @end defun
3694
3695 @defun cl-ldiff list sublist
3696 If @var{sublist} is a sublist of @var{list}, i.e., is @code{eq} to
3697 one of the cons cells of @var{list}, then this function returns
3698 a copy of the part of @var{list} up to but not including
3699 @var{sublist}. For example, @code{(cl-ldiff x (cddr x))} returns
3700 the first two elements of the list @code{x}. The result is a
3701 copy; the original @var{list} is not modified. If @var{sublist}
3702 is not a sublist of @var{list}, a copy of the entire @var{list}
3703 is returned.
3704 @end defun
3705
3706 @defun cl-copy-list list
3707 This function returns a copy of the list @var{list}. It copies
3708 dotted lists like @code{(1 2 . 3)} correctly.
3709 @end defun
3710
3711 @defun cl-tree-equal x y @t{&key :test :test-not :key}
3712 This function compares two trees of cons cells. If @var{x} and
3713 @var{y} are both cons cells, their @sc{car}s and @sc{cdr}s are
3714 compared recursively. If neither @var{x} nor @var{y} is a cons
3715 cell, they are compared by @code{eql}, or according to the
3716 specified test. The @code{:key} function, if specified, is
3717 applied to the elements of both trees. @xref{Sequences}.
3718 @end defun
3719
3720 @node Substitution of Expressions
3721 @section Substitution of Expressions
3722
3723 @noindent
3724 These functions substitute elements throughout a tree of cons
3725 cells. (@xref{Sequence Functions}, for the @code{cl-substitute}
3726 function, which works on just the top-level elements of a list.)
3727
3728 @defun cl-subst new old tree @t{&key :test :test-not :key}
3729 This function substitutes occurrences of @var{old} with @var{new}
3730 in @var{tree}, a tree of cons cells. It returns a substituted
3731 tree, which will be a copy except that it may share storage with
3732 the argument @var{tree} in parts where no substitutions occurred.
3733 The original @var{tree} is not modified. This function recurses
3734 on, and compares against @var{old}, both @sc{car}s and @sc{cdr}s
3735 of the component cons cells. If @var{old} is itself a cons cell,
3736 then matching cells in the tree are substituted as usual without
3737 recursively substituting in that cell. Comparisons with @var{old}
3738 are done according to the specified test (@code{eql} by default).
3739 The @code{:key} function is applied to the elements of the tree
3740 but not to @var{old}.
3741 @end defun
3742
3743 @defun cl-nsubst new old tree @t{&key :test :test-not :key}
3744 This function is like @code{cl-subst}, except that it works by
3745 destructive modification (by @code{setcar} or @code{setcdr})
3746 rather than copying.
3747 @end defun
3748
3749 @findex cl-subst-if
3750 @findex cl-subst-if-not
3751 @findex cl-nsubst-if
3752 @findex cl-nsubst-if-not
3753 The @code{cl-subst-if}, @code{cl-subst-if-not}, @code{cl-nsubst-if}, and
3754 @code{cl-nsubst-if-not} functions are defined similarly.
3755
3756 @defun cl-sublis alist tree @t{&key :test :test-not :key}
3757 This function is like @code{cl-subst}, except that it takes an
3758 association list @var{alist} of @var{old}-@var{new} pairs.
3759 Each element of the tree (after applying the @code{:key}
3760 function, if any), is compared with the @sc{car}s of
3761 @var{alist}; if it matches, it is replaced by the corresponding
3762 @sc{cdr}.
3763 @end defun
3764
3765 @defun cl-nsublis alist tree @t{&key :test :test-not :key}
3766 This is a destructive version of @code{cl-sublis}.
3767 @end defun
3768
3769 @node Lists as Sets
3770 @section Lists as Sets
3771
3772 @noindent
3773 These functions perform operations on lists that represent sets
3774 of elements.
3775
3776 @defun cl-member item list @t{&key :test :test-not :key}
3777 This function searches @var{list} for an element matching @var{item}.
3778 If a match is found, it returns the cons cell whose @sc{car} was
3779 the matching element. Otherwise, it returns @code{nil}. Elements
3780 are compared by @code{eql} by default; you can use the @code{:test},
3781 @code{:test-not}, and @code{:key} arguments to modify this behavior.
3782 @xref{Sequences}.
3783
3784 The standard Emacs lisp function @code{member} uses @code{equal} for
3785 comparisons; it is equivalent to @code{(cl-member @var{item} @var{list}
3786 :test 'equal)}. With no keyword arguments, @code{cl-member} is
3787 equivalent to @code{memq}.
3788 @end defun
3789
3790 @findex cl-member-if
3791 @findex cl-member-if-not
3792 The @code{cl-member-if} and @code{cl-member-if-not} functions
3793 analogously search for elements that satisfy a given predicate.
3794
3795 @defun cl-tailp sublist list
3796 This function returns @code{t} if @var{sublist} is a sublist of
3797 @var{list}, i.e., if @var{sublist} is @code{eql} to @var{list} or to
3798 any of its @sc{cdr}s.
3799 @end defun
3800
3801 @defun cl-adjoin item list @t{&key :test :test-not :key}
3802 This function conses @var{item} onto the front of @var{list},
3803 like @code{(cons @var{item} @var{list})}, but only if @var{item}
3804 is not already present on the list (as determined by @code{cl-member}).
3805 If a @code{:key} argument is specified, it is applied to
3806 @var{item} as well as to the elements of @var{list} during
3807 the search, on the reasoning that @var{item} is ``about'' to
3808 become part of the list.
3809 @end defun
3810
3811 @defun cl-union list1 list2 @t{&key :test :test-not :key}
3812 This function combines two lists that represent sets of items,
3813 returning a list that represents the union of those two sets.
3814 The resulting list contains all items that appear in @var{list1}
3815 or @var{list2}, and no others. If an item appears in both
3816 @var{list1} and @var{list2} it is copied only once. If
3817 an item is duplicated in @var{list1} or @var{list2}, it is
3818 undefined whether or not that duplication will survive in the
3819 result list. The order of elements in the result list is also
3820 undefined.
3821 @end defun
3822
3823 @defun cl-nunion list1 list2 @t{&key :test :test-not :key}
3824 This is a destructive version of @code{cl-union}; rather than copying,
3825 it tries to reuse the storage of the argument lists if possible.
3826 @end defun
3827
3828 @defun cl-intersection list1 list2 @t{&key :test :test-not :key}
3829 This function computes the intersection of the sets represented
3830 by @var{list1} and @var{list2}. It returns the list of items
3831 that appear in both @var{list1} and @var{list2}.
3832 @end defun
3833
3834 @defun cl-nintersection list1 list2 @t{&key :test :test-not :key}
3835 This is a destructive version of @code{cl-intersection}. It
3836 tries to reuse storage of @var{list1} rather than copying.
3837 It does @emph{not} reuse the storage of @var{list2}.
3838 @end defun
3839
3840 @defun cl-set-difference list1 list2 @t{&key :test :test-not :key}
3841 This function computes the ``set difference'' of @var{list1}
3842 and @var{list2}, i.e., the set of elements that appear in
3843 @var{list1} but @emph{not} in @var{list2}.
3844 @end defun
3845
3846 @defun cl-nset-difference list1 list2 @t{&key :test :test-not :key}
3847 This is a destructive @code{cl-set-difference}, which will try
3848 to reuse @var{list1} if possible.
3849 @end defun
3850
3851 @defun cl-set-exclusive-or list1 list2 @t{&key :test :test-not :key}
3852 This function computes the ``set exclusive or'' of @var{list1}
3853 and @var{list2}, i.e., the set of elements that appear in
3854 exactly one of @var{list1} and @var{list2}.
3855 @end defun
3856
3857 @defun cl-nset-exclusive-or list1 list2 @t{&key :test :test-not :key}
3858 This is a destructive @code{cl-set-exclusive-or}, which will try
3859 to reuse @var{list1} and @var{list2} if possible.
3860 @end defun
3861
3862 @defun cl-subsetp list1 list2 @t{&key :test :test-not :key}
3863 This function checks whether @var{list1} represents a subset
3864 of @var{list2}, i.e., whether every element of @var{list1}
3865 also appears in @var{list2}.
3866 @end defun
3867
3868 @node Association Lists
3869 @section Association Lists
3870
3871 @noindent
3872 An @dfn{association list} is a list representing a mapping from
3873 one set of values to another; any list whose elements are cons
3874 cells is an association list.
3875
3876 @defun cl-assoc item a-list @t{&key :test :test-not :key}
3877 This function searches the association list @var{a-list} for an
3878 element whose @sc{car} matches (in the sense of @code{:test},
3879 @code{:test-not}, and @code{:key}, or by comparison with @code{eql})
3880 a given @var{item}. It returns the matching element, if any,
3881 otherwise @code{nil}. It ignores elements of @var{a-list} that
3882 are not cons cells. (This corresponds to the behavior of
3883 @code{assq} and @code{assoc} in Emacs Lisp; Common Lisp's
3884 @code{assoc} ignores @code{nil}s but considers any other non-cons
3885 elements of @var{a-list} to be an error.)
3886 @end defun
3887
3888 @defun cl-rassoc item a-list @t{&key :test :test-not :key}
3889 This function searches for an element whose @sc{cdr} matches
3890 @var{item}. If @var{a-list} represents a mapping, this applies
3891 the inverse of the mapping to @var{item}.
3892 @end defun
3893
3894 @findex cl-assoc-if
3895 @findex cl-assoc-if-not
3896 @findex cl-rassoc-if
3897 @findex cl-rassoc-if-not
3898 The @code{cl-assoc-if}, @code{cl-assoc-if-not}, @code{cl-rassoc-if},
3899 and @code{cl-rassoc-if-not} functions are defined similarly.
3900
3901 Two simple functions for constructing association lists are:
3902
3903 @defun cl-acons key value alist
3904 This is equivalent to @code{(cons (cons @var{key} @var{value}) @var{alist})}.
3905 @end defun
3906
3907 @defun cl-pairlis keys values &optional alist
3908 This is equivalent to @code{(nconc (cl-mapcar 'cons @var{keys} @var{values})
3909 @var{alist})}.
3910 @end defun
3911
3912 @node Structures
3913 @chapter Structures
3914
3915 @noindent
3916 The Common Lisp @dfn{structure} mechanism provides a general way
3917 to define data types similar to C's @code{struct} types. A
3918 structure is a Lisp object containing some number of @dfn{slots},
3919 each of which can hold any Lisp data object. Functions are
3920 provided for accessing and setting the slots, creating or copying
3921 structure objects, and recognizing objects of a particular structure
3922 type.
3923
3924 In true Common Lisp, each structure type is a new type distinct
3925 from all existing Lisp types. Since the underlying Emacs Lisp
3926 system provides no way to create new distinct types, this package
3927 implements structures as vectors (or lists upon request) with a
3928 special ``tag'' symbol to identify them.
3929
3930 @defmac cl-defstruct name slots@dots{}
3931 The @code{cl-defstruct} form defines a new structure type called
3932 @var{name}, with the specified @var{slots}. (The @var{slots}
3933 may begin with a string which documents the structure type.)
3934 In the simplest case, @var{name} and each of the @var{slots}
3935 are symbols. For example,
3936
3937 @example
3938 (cl-defstruct person name age sex)
3939 @end example
3940
3941 @noindent
3942 defines a struct type called @code{person} that contains three
3943 slots. Given a @code{person} object @var{p}, you can access those
3944 slots by calling @code{(person-name @var{p})}, @code{(person-age @var{p})},
3945 and @code{(person-sex @var{p})}. You can also change these slots by
3946 using @code{setf} on any of these place forms, for example:
3947
3948 @example
3949 (cl-incf (person-age birthday-boy))
3950 @end example
3951
3952 You can create a new @code{person} by calling @code{make-person},
3953 which takes keyword arguments @code{:name}, @code{:age}, and
3954 @code{:sex} to specify the initial values of these slots in the
3955 new object. (Omitting any of these arguments leaves the corresponding
3956 slot ``undefined'', according to the Common Lisp standard; in Emacs
3957 Lisp, such uninitialized slots are filled with @code{nil}.)
3958
3959 Given a @code{person}, @code{(copy-person @var{p})} makes a new
3960 object of the same type whose slots are @code{eq} to those of @var{p}.
3961
3962 Given any Lisp object @var{x}, @code{(person-p @var{x})} returns
3963 true if @var{x} looks like a @code{person}, and false otherwise. (Again,
3964 in Common Lisp this predicate would be exact; in Emacs Lisp the
3965 best it can do is verify that @var{x} is a vector of the correct
3966 length that starts with the correct tag symbol.)
3967
3968 Accessors like @code{person-name} normally check their arguments
3969 (effectively using @code{person-p}) and signal an error if the
3970 argument is the wrong type. This check is affected by
3971 @code{(optimize (safety @dots{}))} declarations. Safety level 1,
3972 the default, uses a somewhat optimized check that will detect all
3973 incorrect arguments, but may use an uninformative error message
3974 (e.g., ``expected a vector'' instead of ``expected a @code{person}'').
3975 Safety level 0 omits all checks except as provided by the underlying
3976 @code{aref} call; safety levels 2 and 3 do rigorous checking that will
3977 always print a descriptive error message for incorrect inputs.
3978 @xref{Declarations}.
3979
3980 @example
3981 (setq dave (make-person :name "Dave" :sex 'male))
3982 @result{} [cl-struct-person "Dave" nil male]
3983 (setq other (copy-person dave))
3984 @result{} [cl-struct-person "Dave" nil male]
3985 (eq dave other)
3986 @result{} nil
3987 (eq (person-name dave) (person-name other))
3988 @result{} t
3989 (person-p dave)
3990 @result{} t
3991 (person-p [1 2 3 4])
3992 @result{} nil
3993 (person-p "Bogus")
3994 @result{} nil
3995 (person-p '[cl-struct-person counterfeit person object])
3996 @result{} t
3997 @end example
3998
3999 In general, @var{name} is either a name symbol or a list of a name
4000 symbol followed by any number of @dfn{struct options}; each @var{slot}
4001 is either a slot symbol or a list of the form @samp{(@var{slot-name}
4002 @var{default-value} @var{slot-options}@dots{})}. The @var{default-value}
4003 is a Lisp form that is evaluated any time an instance of the
4004 structure type is created without specifying that slot's value.
4005
4006 Common Lisp defines several slot options, but the only one
4007 implemented in this package is @code{:read-only}. A non-@code{nil}
4008 value for this option means the slot should not be @code{setf}-able;
4009 the slot's value is determined when the object is created and does
4010 not change afterward.
4011
4012 @example
4013 (cl-defstruct person
4014 (name nil :read-only t)
4015 age
4016 (sex 'unknown))
4017 @end example
4018
4019 Any slot options other than @code{:read-only} are ignored.
4020
4021 For obscure historical reasons, structure options take a different
4022 form than slot options. A structure option is either a keyword
4023 symbol, or a list beginning with a keyword symbol possibly followed
4024 by arguments. (By contrast, slot options are key-value pairs not
4025 enclosed in lists.)
4026
4027 @example
4028 (cl-defstruct (person (:constructor create-person)
4029 (:type list)
4030 :named)
4031 name age sex)
4032 @end example
4033
4034 The following structure options are recognized.
4035
4036 @table @code
4037 @item :conc-name
4038 The argument is a symbol whose print name is used as the prefix for
4039 the names of slot accessor functions. The default is the name of
4040 the struct type followed by a hyphen. The option @code{(:conc-name p-)}
4041 would change this prefix to @code{p-}. Specifying @code{nil} as an
4042 argument means no prefix, so that the slot names themselves are used
4043 to name the accessor functions.
4044
4045 @item :constructor
4046 In the simple case, this option takes one argument which is an
4047 alternate name to use for the constructor function. The default
4048 is @code{make-@var{name}}, e.g., @code{make-person}. The above
4049 example changes this to @code{create-person}. Specifying @code{nil}
4050 as an argument means that no standard constructor should be
4051 generated at all.
4052
4053 In the full form of this option, the constructor name is followed
4054 by an arbitrary argument list. @xref{Program Structure}, for a
4055 description of the format of Common Lisp argument lists. All
4056 options, such as @code{&rest} and @code{&key}, are supported.
4057 The argument names should match the slot names; each slot is
4058 initialized from the corresponding argument. Slots whose names
4059 do not appear in the argument list are initialized based on the
4060 @var{default-value} in their slot descriptor. Also, @code{&optional}
4061 and @code{&key} arguments that don't specify defaults take their
4062 defaults from the slot descriptor. It is valid to include arguments
4063 that don't correspond to slot names; these are useful if they are
4064 referred to in the defaults for optional, keyword, or @code{&aux}
4065 arguments that @emph{do} correspond to slots.
4066
4067 You can specify any number of full-format @code{:constructor}
4068 options on a structure. The default constructor is still generated
4069 as well unless you disable it with a simple-format @code{:constructor}
4070 option.
4071
4072 @example
4073 (cl-defstruct
4074 (person
4075 (:constructor nil) ; no default constructor
4076 (:constructor new-person
4077 (name sex &optional (age 0)))
4078 (:constructor new-hound (&key (name "Rover")
4079 (dog-years 0)
4080 &aux (age (* 7 dog-years))
4081 (sex 'canine))))
4082 name age sex)
4083 @end example
4084
4085 The first constructor here takes its arguments positionally rather
4086 than by keyword. (In official Common Lisp terminology, constructors
4087 that work By Order of Arguments instead of by keyword are called
4088 ``BOA constructors''. No, I'm not making this up.) For example,
4089 @code{(new-person "Jane" 'female)} generates a person whose slots
4090 are @code{"Jane"}, 0, and @code{female}, respectively.
4091
4092 The second constructor takes two keyword arguments, @code{:name},
4093 which initializes the @code{name} slot and defaults to @code{"Rover"},
4094 and @code{:dog-years}, which does not itself correspond to a slot
4095 but which is used to initialize the @code{age} slot. The @code{sex}
4096 slot is forced to the symbol @code{canine} with no syntax for
4097 overriding it.
4098
4099 @item :copier
4100 The argument is an alternate name for the copier function for
4101 this type. The default is @code{copy-@var{name}}. @code{nil}
4102 means not to generate a copier function. (In this implementation,
4103 all copier functions are simply synonyms for @code{copy-sequence}.)
4104
4105 @item :predicate
4106 The argument is an alternate name for the predicate that recognizes
4107 objects of this type. The default is @code{@var{name}-p}. @code{nil}
4108 means not to generate a predicate function. (If the @code{:type}
4109 option is used without the @code{:named} option, no predicate is
4110 ever generated.)
4111
4112 In true Common Lisp, @code{typep} is always able to recognize a
4113 structure object even if @code{:predicate} was used. In this
4114 package, @code{cl-typep} simply looks for a function called
4115 @code{@var{typename}-p}, so it will work for structure types
4116 only if they used the default predicate name.
4117
4118 @item :include
4119 This option implements a very limited form of C++-style inheritance.
4120 The argument is the name of another structure type previously
4121 created with @code{cl-defstruct}. The effect is to cause the new
4122 structure type to inherit all of the included structure's slots
4123 (plus, of course, any new slots described by this struct's slot
4124 descriptors). The new structure is considered a ``specialization''
4125 of the included one. In fact, the predicate and slot accessors
4126 for the included type will also accept objects of the new type.
4127
4128 If there are extra arguments to the @code{:include} option after
4129 the included-structure name, these options are treated as replacement
4130 slot descriptors for slots in the included structure, possibly with
4131 modified default values. Borrowing an example from Steele:
4132
4133 @example
4134 (cl-defstruct person name (age 0) sex)
4135 @result{} person
4136 (cl-defstruct (astronaut (:include person (age 45)))
4137 helmet-size
4138 (favorite-beverage 'tang))
4139 @result{} astronaut
4140
4141 (setq joe (make-person :name "Joe"))
4142 @result{} [cl-struct-person "Joe" 0 nil]
4143 (setq buzz (make-astronaut :name "Buzz"))
4144 @result{} [cl-struct-astronaut "Buzz" 45 nil nil tang]
4145
4146 (list (person-p joe) (person-p buzz))
4147 @result{} (t t)
4148 (list (astronaut-p joe) (astronaut-p buzz))
4149 @result{} (nil t)
4150
4151 (person-name buzz)
4152 @result{} "Buzz"
4153 (astronaut-name joe)
4154 @result{} error: "astronaut-name accessing a non-astronaut"
4155 @end example
4156
4157 Thus, if @code{astronaut} is a specialization of @code{person},
4158 then every @code{astronaut} is also a @code{person} (but not the
4159 other way around). Every @code{astronaut} includes all the slots
4160 of a @code{person}, plus extra slots that are specific to
4161 astronauts. Operations that work on people (like @code{person-name})
4162 work on astronauts just like other people.
4163
4164 @item :print-function
4165 In full Common Lisp, this option allows you to specify a function
4166 that is called to print an instance of the structure type. The
4167 Emacs Lisp system offers no hooks into the Lisp printer which would
4168 allow for such a feature, so this package simply ignores
4169 @code{:print-function}.
4170
4171 @item :type
4172 The argument should be one of the symbols @code{vector} or @code{list}.
4173 This tells which underlying Lisp data type should be used to implement
4174 the new structure type. Vectors are used by default, but
4175 @code{(:type list)} will cause structure objects to be stored as
4176 lists instead.
4177
4178 The vector representation for structure objects has the advantage
4179 that all structure slots can be accessed quickly, although creating
4180 vectors is a bit slower in Emacs Lisp. Lists are easier to create,
4181 but take a relatively long time accessing the later slots.
4182
4183 @item :named
4184 This option, which takes no arguments, causes a characteristic ``tag''
4185 symbol to be stored at the front of the structure object. Using
4186 @code{:type} without also using @code{:named} will result in a
4187 structure type stored as plain vectors or lists with no identifying
4188 features.
4189
4190 The default, if you don't specify @code{:type} explicitly, is to
4191 use named vectors. Therefore, @code{:named} is only useful in
4192 conjunction with @code{:type}.
4193
4194 @example
4195 (cl-defstruct (person1) name age sex)
4196 (cl-defstruct (person2 (:type list) :named) name age sex)
4197 (cl-defstruct (person3 (:type list)) name age sex)
4198
4199 (setq p1 (make-person1))
4200 @result{} [cl-struct-person1 nil nil nil]
4201 (setq p2 (make-person2))
4202 @result{} (person2 nil nil nil)
4203 (setq p3 (make-person3))
4204 @result{} (nil nil nil)
4205
4206 (person1-p p1)
4207 @result{} t
4208 (person2-p p2)
4209 @result{} t
4210 (person3-p p3)
4211 @result{} error: function person3-p undefined
4212 @end example
4213
4214 Since unnamed structures don't have tags, @code{cl-defstruct} is not
4215 able to make a useful predicate for recognizing them. Also,
4216 accessors like @code{person3-name} will be generated but they
4217 will not be able to do any type checking. The @code{person3-name}
4218 function, for example, will simply be a synonym for @code{car} in
4219 this case. By contrast, @code{person2-name} is able to verify
4220 that its argument is indeed a @code{person2} object before
4221 proceeding.
4222
4223 @item :initial-offset
4224 The argument must be a nonnegative integer. It specifies a
4225 number of slots to be left ``empty'' at the front of the
4226 structure. If the structure is named, the tag appears at the
4227 specified position in the list or vector; otherwise, the first
4228 slot appears at that position. Earlier positions are filled
4229 with @code{nil} by the constructors and ignored otherwise. If
4230 the type @code{:include}s another type, then @code{:initial-offset}
4231 specifies a number of slots to be skipped between the last slot
4232 of the included type and the first new slot.
4233 @end table
4234 @end defmac
4235
4236 Except as noted, the @code{cl-defstruct} facility of this package is
4237 entirely compatible with that of Common Lisp.
4238
4239 @node Assertions
4240 @chapter Assertions and Errors
4241
4242 @noindent
4243 This section describes two macros that test @dfn{assertions}, i.e.,
4244 conditions which must be true if the program is operating correctly.
4245 Assertions never add to the behavior of a Lisp program; they simply
4246 make ``sanity checks'' to make sure everything is as it should be.
4247
4248 If the optimization property @code{speed} has been set to 3, and
4249 @code{safety} is less than 3, then the byte-compiler will optimize
4250 away the following assertions. Because assertions might be optimized
4251 away, it is a bad idea for them to include side-effects.
4252
4253 @defmac cl-assert test-form [show-args string args@dots{}]
4254 This form verifies that @var{test-form} is true (i.e., evaluates to
4255 a non-@code{nil} value). If so, it returns @code{nil}. If the test
4256 is not satisfied, @code{cl-assert} signals an error.
4257
4258 A default error message will be supplied which includes @var{test-form}.
4259 You can specify a different error message by including a @var{string}
4260 argument plus optional extra arguments. Those arguments are simply
4261 passed to @code{error} to signal the error.
4262
4263 If the optional second argument @var{show-args} is @code{t} instead
4264 of @code{nil}, then the error message (with or without @var{string})
4265 will also include all non-constant arguments of the top-level
4266 @var{form}. For example:
4267
4268 @example
4269 (cl-assert (> x 10) t "x is too small: %d")
4270 @end example
4271
4272 This usage of @var{show-args} is an extension to Common Lisp. In
4273 true Common Lisp, the second argument gives a list of @var{places}
4274 which can be @code{setf}'d by the user before continuing from the
4275 error. Since Emacs Lisp does not support continuable errors, it
4276 makes no sense to specify @var{places}.
4277 @end defmac
4278
4279 @defmac cl-check-type form type [string]
4280 This form verifies that @var{form} evaluates to a value of type
4281 @var{type}. If so, it returns @code{nil}. If not, @code{cl-check-type}
4282 signals a @code{wrong-type-argument} error. The default error message
4283 lists the erroneous value along with @var{type} and @var{form}
4284 themselves. If @var{string} is specified, it is included in the
4285 error message in place of @var{type}. For example:
4286
4287 @example
4288 (cl-check-type x (integer 1 *) "a positive integer")
4289 @end example
4290
4291 @xref{Type Predicates}, for a description of the type specifiers
4292 that may be used for @var{type}.
4293
4294 Note that in Common Lisp, the first argument to @code{check-type}
4295 must be a @var{place} suitable for use by @code{setf}, because
4296 @code{check-type} signals a continuable error that allows the
4297 user to modify @var{place}.
4298 @end defmac
4299
4300 @node Efficiency Concerns
4301 @appendix Efficiency Concerns
4302
4303 @appendixsec Macros
4304
4305 @noindent
4306 Many of the advanced features of this package, such as @code{cl-defun},
4307 @code{cl-loop}, etc., are implemented as Lisp macros. In
4308 byte-compiled code, these complex notations will be expanded into
4309 equivalent Lisp code which is simple and efficient. For example,
4310 the form
4311
4312 @example
4313 (cl-incf i n)
4314 @end example
4315
4316 @noindent
4317 is expanded at compile-time to the Lisp form
4318
4319 @example
4320 (setq i (+ i n))
4321 @end example
4322
4323 @noindent
4324 which is the most efficient ways of doing this operation
4325 in Lisp. Thus, there is no performance penalty for using the more
4326 readable @code{cl-incf} form in your compiled code.
4327
4328 @emph{Interpreted} code, on the other hand, must expand these macros
4329 every time they are executed. For this reason it is strongly
4330 recommended that code making heavy use of macros be compiled.
4331 A loop using @code{cl-incf} a hundred times will execute considerably
4332 faster if compiled, and will also garbage-collect less because the
4333 macro expansion will not have to be generated, used, and thrown away a
4334 hundred times.
4335
4336 You can find out how a macro expands by using the
4337 @code{cl-prettyexpand} function.
4338
4339 @defun cl-prettyexpand form &optional full
4340 This function takes a single Lisp form as an argument and inserts
4341 a nicely formatted copy of it in the current buffer (which must be
4342 in Lisp mode so that indentation works properly). It also expands
4343 all Lisp macros that appear in the form. The easiest way to use
4344 this function is to go to the @file{*scratch*} buffer and type, say,
4345
4346 @example
4347 (cl-prettyexpand '(cl-loop for x below 10 collect x))
4348 @end example
4349
4350 @noindent
4351 and type @kbd{C-x C-e} immediately after the closing parenthesis;
4352 an expansion similar to:
4353
4354 @example
4355 (cl-block nil
4356 (let* ((x 0)
4357 (G1004 nil))
4358 (while (< x 10)
4359 (setq G1004 (cons x G1004))
4360 (setq x (+ x 1)))
4361 (nreverse G1004)))
4362 @end example
4363
4364 @noindent
4365 will be inserted into the buffer. (The @code{cl-block} macro is
4366 expanded differently in the interpreter and compiler, so
4367 @code{cl-prettyexpand} just leaves it alone. The temporary
4368 variable @code{G1004} was created by @code{cl-gensym}.)
4369
4370 If the optional argument @var{full} is true, then @emph{all}
4371 macros are expanded, including @code{cl-block}, @code{cl-eval-when},
4372 and compiler macros. Expansion is done as if @var{form} were
4373 a top-level form in a file being compiled.
4374
4375 @c FIXME none of these examples are still applicable.
4376 @ignore
4377 For example,
4378
4379 @example
4380 (cl-prettyexpand '(cl-pushnew 'x list))
4381 @print{} (setq list (cl-adjoin 'x list))
4382 (cl-prettyexpand '(cl-pushnew 'x list) t)
4383 @print{} (setq list (if (memq 'x list) list (cons 'x list)))
4384 (cl-prettyexpand '(caddr (cl-member 'a list)) t)
4385 @print{} (car (cdr (cdr (memq 'a list))))
4386 @end example
4387 @end ignore
4388
4389 Note that @code{cl-adjoin}, @code{cl-caddr}, and @code{cl-member} all
4390 have built-in compiler macros to optimize them in common cases.
4391 @end defun
4392
4393 @appendixsec Error Checking
4394
4395 @noindent
4396 Common Lisp compliance has in general not been sacrificed for the
4397 sake of efficiency. A few exceptions have been made for cases
4398 where substantial gains were possible at the expense of marginal
4399 incompatibility.
4400
4401 The Common Lisp standard (as embodied in Steele's book) uses the
4402 phrase ``it is an error if'' to indicate a situation that is not
4403 supposed to arise in complying programs; implementations are strongly
4404 encouraged but not required to signal an error in these situations.
4405 This package sometimes omits such error checking in the interest of
4406 compactness and efficiency. For example, @code{cl-do} variable
4407 specifiers are supposed to be lists of one, two, or three forms;
4408 extra forms are ignored by this package rather than signaling a
4409 syntax error. The @code{cl-endp} function is simply a synonym for
4410 @code{null} in this package. Functions taking keyword arguments
4411 will accept an odd number of arguments, treating the trailing
4412 keyword as if it were followed by the value @code{nil}.
4413
4414 Argument lists (as processed by @code{cl-defun} and friends)
4415 @emph{are} checked rigorously except for the minor point just
4416 mentioned; in particular, keyword arguments are checked for
4417 validity, and @code{&allow-other-keys} and @code{:allow-other-keys}
4418 are fully implemented. Keyword validity checking is slightly
4419 time consuming (though not too bad in byte-compiled code);
4420 you can use @code{&allow-other-keys} to omit this check. Functions
4421 defined in this package such as @code{cl-find} and @code{cl-member}
4422 do check their keyword arguments for validity.
4423
4424 @appendixsec Compiler Optimizations
4425
4426 @noindent
4427 Changing the value of @code{byte-optimize} from the default @code{t}
4428 is highly discouraged; many of the Common
4429 Lisp macros emit
4430 code that can be improved by optimization. In particular,
4431 @code{cl-block}s (whether explicit or implicit in constructs like
4432 @code{cl-defun} and @code{cl-loop}) carry a fair run-time penalty; the
4433 byte-compiler removes @code{cl-block}s that are not actually
4434 referenced by @code{cl-return} or @code{cl-return-from} inside the block.
4435
4436 @node Common Lisp Compatibility
4437 @appendix Common Lisp Compatibility
4438
4439 @noindent
4440 The following is a list of all known incompatibilities between this
4441 package and Common Lisp as documented in Steele (2nd edition).
4442
4443 The word @code{cl-defun} is required instead of @code{defun} in order
4444 to use extended Common Lisp argument lists in a function. Likewise,
4445 @code{cl-defmacro} and @code{cl-function} are versions of those forms
4446 which understand full-featured argument lists. The @code{&whole}
4447 keyword does not work in @code{cl-defmacro} argument lists (except
4448 inside recursive argument lists).
4449
4450 The @code{equal} predicate does not distinguish
4451 between IEEE floating-point plus and minus zero. The @code{cl-equalp}
4452 predicate has several differences with Common Lisp; @pxref{Predicates}.
4453
4454 The @code{cl-do-all-symbols} form is the same as @code{cl-do-symbols}
4455 with no @var{obarray} argument. In Common Lisp, this form would
4456 iterate over all symbols in all packages. Since Emacs obarrays
4457 are not a first-class package mechanism, there is no way for
4458 @code{cl-do-all-symbols} to locate any but the default obarray.
4459
4460 The @code{cl-loop} macro is complete except that @code{loop-finish}
4461 and type specifiers are unimplemented.
4462
4463 The multiple-value return facility treats lists as multiple
4464 values, since Emacs Lisp cannot support multiple return values
4465 directly. The macros will be compatible with Common Lisp if
4466 @code{cl-values} or @code{cl-values-list} is always used to return to
4467 a @code{cl-multiple-value-bind} or other multiple-value receiver;
4468 if @code{cl-values} is used without @code{cl-multiple-value-@dots{}}
4469 or vice-versa the effect will be different from Common Lisp.
4470
4471 Many Common Lisp declarations are ignored, and others match
4472 the Common Lisp standard in concept but not in detail. For
4473 example, local @code{special} declarations, which are purely
4474 advisory in Emacs Lisp, do not rigorously obey the scoping rules
4475 set down in Steele's book.
4476
4477 The variable @code{cl--gensym-counter} starts out with a pseudo-random
4478 value rather than with zero. This is to cope with the fact that
4479 generated symbols become interned when they are written to and
4480 loaded back from a file.
4481
4482 The @code{cl-defstruct} facility is compatible, except that structures
4483 are of type @code{:type vector :named} by default rather than some
4484 special, distinct type. Also, the @code{:type} slot option is ignored.
4485
4486 The second argument of @code{cl-check-type} is treated differently.
4487
4488 @node Porting Common Lisp
4489 @appendix Porting Common Lisp
4490
4491 @noindent
4492 This package is meant to be used as an extension to Emacs Lisp,
4493 not as an Emacs implementation of true Common Lisp. Some of the
4494 remaining differences between Emacs Lisp and Common Lisp make it
4495 difficult to port large Common Lisp applications to Emacs. For
4496 one, some of the features in this package are not fully compliant
4497 with ANSI or Steele; @pxref{Common Lisp Compatibility}. But there
4498 are also quite a few features that this package does not provide
4499 at all. Here are some major omissions that you will want to watch out
4500 for when bringing Common Lisp code into Emacs.
4501
4502 @itemize @bullet
4503 @item
4504 Case-insensitivity. Symbols in Common Lisp are case-insensitive
4505 by default. Some programs refer to a function or variable as
4506 @code{foo} in one place and @code{Foo} or @code{FOO} in another.
4507 Emacs Lisp will treat these as three distinct symbols.
4508
4509 Some Common Lisp code is written entirely in upper case. While Emacs
4510 is happy to let the program's own functions and variables use
4511 this convention, calls to Lisp builtins like @code{if} and
4512 @code{defun} will have to be changed to lower case.
4513
4514 @item
4515 Lexical scoping. In Common Lisp, function arguments and @code{let}
4516 bindings apply only to references physically within their bodies (or
4517 within macro expansions in their bodies). Traditionally, Emacs Lisp
4518 uses @dfn{dynamic scoping} wherein a binding to a variable is visible
4519 even inside functions called from the body.
4520 @xref{Dynamic Binding,,,elisp,GNU Emacs Lisp Reference Manual}.
4521 Lexical binding is available since Emacs 24.1, so be sure to set
4522 @code{lexical-binding} to @code{t} if you need to emulate this aspect
4523 of Common Lisp. @xref{Lexical Binding,,,elisp,GNU Emacs Lisp Reference Manual}.
4524
4525 Here is an example of a Common Lisp code fragment that would fail in
4526 Emacs Lisp if @code{lexical-binding} were set to @code{nil}:
4527
4528 @example
4529 (defun map-odd-elements (func list)
4530 (loop for x in list
4531 for flag = t then (not flag)
4532 collect (if flag x (funcall func x))))
4533
4534 (defun add-odd-elements (list x)
4535 (map-odd-elements (lambda (a) (+ a x)) list))
4536 @end example
4537
4538 @noindent
4539 With lexical binding, the two functions' usages of @code{x} are
4540 completely independent. With dynamic binding, the binding to @code{x}
4541 made by @code{add-odd-elements} will have been hidden by the binding
4542 in @code{map-odd-elements} by the time the @code{(+ a x)} function is
4543 called.
4544
4545 Internally, this package uses lexical binding so that such problems do
4546 not occur. @xref{Obsolete Lexical Binding}, for a description of the obsolete
4547 @code{lexical-let} form that emulates a Common Lisp-style lexical
4548 binding when dynamic binding is in use.
4549
4550 @item
4551 Reader macros. Common Lisp includes a second type of macro that
4552 works at the level of individual characters. For example, Common
4553 Lisp implements the quote notation by a reader macro called @code{'},
4554 whereas Emacs Lisp's parser just treats quote as a special case.
4555 Some Lisp packages use reader macros to create special syntaxes
4556 for themselves, which the Emacs parser is incapable of reading.
4557
4558 @item
4559 Other syntactic features. Common Lisp provides a number of
4560 notations beginning with @code{#} that the Emacs Lisp parser
4561 won't understand. For example, @samp{#| @dots{} |#} is an
4562 alternate comment notation, and @samp{#+lucid (foo)} tells
4563 the parser to ignore the @code{(foo)} except in Lucid Common
4564 Lisp.
4565
4566 @item
4567 Packages. In Common Lisp, symbols are divided into @dfn{packages}.
4568 Symbols that are Lisp built-ins are typically stored in one package;
4569 symbols that are vendor extensions are put in another, and each
4570 application program would have a package for its own symbols.
4571 Certain symbols are ``exported'' by a package and others are
4572 internal; certain packages ``use'' or import the exported symbols
4573 of other packages. To access symbols that would not normally be
4574 visible due to this importing and exporting, Common Lisp provides
4575 a syntax like @code{package:symbol} or @code{package::symbol}.
4576
4577 Emacs Lisp has a single namespace for all interned symbols, and
4578 then uses a naming convention of putting a prefix like @code{cl-}
4579 in front of the name. Some Emacs packages adopt the Common Lisp-like
4580 convention of using @code{cl:} or @code{cl::} as the prefix.
4581 However, the Emacs parser does not understand colons and just
4582 treats them as part of the symbol name. Thus, while @code{mapcar}
4583 and @code{lisp:mapcar} may refer to the same symbol in Common
4584 Lisp, they are totally distinct in Emacs Lisp. Common Lisp
4585 programs that refer to a symbol by the full name sometimes
4586 and the short name other times will not port cleanly to Emacs.
4587
4588 Emacs Lisp does have a concept of ``obarrays'', which are
4589 package-like collections of symbols, but this feature is not
4590 strong enough to be used as a true package mechanism.
4591
4592 @item
4593 The @code{format} function is quite different between Common
4594 Lisp and Emacs Lisp. It takes an additional ``destination''
4595 argument before the format string. A destination of @code{nil}
4596 means to format to a string as in Emacs Lisp; a destination
4597 of @code{t} means to write to the terminal (similar to
4598 @code{message} in Emacs). Also, format control strings are
4599 utterly different; @code{~} is used instead of @code{%} to
4600 introduce format codes, and the set of available codes is
4601 much richer. There are no notations like @code{\n} for
4602 string literals; instead, @code{format} is used with the
4603 ``newline'' format code, @code{~%}. More advanced formatting
4604 codes provide such features as paragraph filling, case
4605 conversion, and even loops and conditionals.
4606
4607 While it would have been possible to implement most of Common
4608 Lisp @code{format} in this package (under the name @code{cl-format},
4609 of course), it was not deemed worthwhile. It would have required
4610 a huge amount of code to implement even a decent subset of
4611 @code{format}, yet the functionality it would provide over
4612 Emacs Lisp's @code{format} would rarely be useful.
4613
4614 @item
4615 Vector constants use square brackets in Emacs Lisp, but
4616 @code{#(a b c)} notation in Common Lisp. To further complicate
4617 matters, Emacs has its own @code{#(} notation for
4618 something entirely different---strings with properties.
4619
4620 @item
4621 Characters are distinct from integers in Common Lisp. The notation
4622 for character constants is also different: @code{#\A} in Common Lisp
4623 where Emacs Lisp uses @code{?A}. Also, @code{string=} and
4624 @code{string-equal} are synonyms in Emacs Lisp, whereas the latter is
4625 case-insensitive in Common Lisp.
4626
4627 @item
4628 Data types. Some Common Lisp data types do not exist in Emacs
4629 Lisp. Rational numbers and complex numbers are not present,
4630 nor are large integers (all integers are ``fixnums''). All
4631 arrays are one-dimensional. There are no readtables or pathnames;
4632 streams are a set of existing data types rather than a new data
4633 type of their own. Hash tables, random-states, structures, and
4634 packages (obarrays) are built from Lisp vectors or lists rather
4635 than being distinct types.
4636
4637 @item
4638 The Common Lisp Object System (CLOS) is not implemented,
4639 nor is the Common Lisp Condition System. However, the EIEIO package
4640 (@pxref{Top, , Introduction, eieio, EIEIO}) does implement some
4641 CLOS functionality.
4642
4643 @item
4644 Common Lisp features that are completely redundant with Emacs
4645 Lisp features of a different name generally have not been
4646 implemented. For example, Common Lisp writes @code{defconstant}
4647 where Emacs Lisp uses @code{defconst}. Similarly, @code{make-list}
4648 takes its arguments in different ways in the two Lisps but does
4649 exactly the same thing, so this package has not bothered to
4650 implement a Common Lisp-style @code{make-list}.
4651
4652 @item
4653 A few more notable Common Lisp features not included in this
4654 package: @code{compiler-let}, @code{tagbody}, @code{prog},
4655 @code{ldb/dpb}, @code{parse-integer}, @code{cerror}.
4656
4657 @item
4658 Recursion. While recursion works in Emacs Lisp just like it
4659 does in Common Lisp, various details of the Emacs Lisp system
4660 and compiler make recursion much less efficient than it is in
4661 most Lisps. Some schools of thought prefer to use recursion
4662 in Lisp over other techniques; they would sum a list of
4663 numbers using something like
4664
4665 @example
4666 (defun sum-list (list)
4667 (if list
4668 (+ (car list) (sum-list (cdr list)))
4669 0))
4670 @end example
4671
4672 @noindent
4673 where a more iteratively-minded programmer might write one of
4674 these forms:
4675
4676 @example
4677 (let ((total 0)) (dolist (x my-list) (incf total x)) total)
4678 (loop for x in my-list sum x)
4679 @end example
4680
4681 While this would be mainly a stylistic choice in most Common Lisps,
4682 in Emacs Lisp you should be aware that the iterative forms are
4683 much faster than recursion. Also, Lisp programmers will want to
4684 note that the current Emacs Lisp compiler does not optimize tail
4685 recursion.
4686 @end itemize
4687
4688 @node Obsolete Features
4689 @appendix Obsolete Features
4690
4691 This section describes some features of the package that are obsolete
4692 and should not be used in new code. They are either only provided by
4693 the old @file{cl.el} entry point, not by the newer @file{cl-lib.el};
4694 or where versions with a @samp{cl-} prefix do exist they do not behave
4695 in exactly the same way.
4696
4697 @menu
4698 * Obsolete Lexical Binding:: An approximation of lexical binding.
4699 * Obsolete Macros:: Obsolete macros.
4700 * Obsolete Setf Customization:: Obsolete ways to customize setf.
4701 @end menu
4702
4703 @node Obsolete Lexical Binding
4704 @appendixsec Obsolete Lexical Binding
4705
4706 The following macros are extensions to Common Lisp, where all bindings
4707 are lexical unless declared otherwise. These features are likewise
4708 obsolete since the introduction of true lexical binding in Emacs 24.1.
4709
4710 @defmac lexical-let (bindings@dots{}) forms@dots{}
4711 This form is exactly like @code{let} except that the bindings it
4712 establishes are purely lexical.
4713 @end defmac
4714
4715 @c FIXME remove this and refer to elisp manual.
4716 @c Maybe merge some stuff from here to there?
4717 @noindent
4718 Lexical bindings are similar to local variables in a language like C:
4719 Only the code physically within the body of the @code{lexical-let}
4720 (after macro expansion) may refer to the bound variables.
4721
4722 @example
4723 (setq a 5)
4724 (defun foo (b) (+ a b))
4725 (let ((a 2)) (foo a))
4726 @result{} 4
4727 (lexical-let ((a 2)) (foo a))
4728 @result{} 7
4729 @end example
4730
4731 @noindent
4732 In this example, a regular @code{let} binding of @code{a} actually
4733 makes a temporary change to the global variable @code{a}, so @code{foo}
4734 is able to see the binding of @code{a} to 2. But @code{lexical-let}
4735 actually creates a distinct local variable @code{a} for use within its
4736 body, without any effect on the global variable of the same name.
4737
4738 The most important use of lexical bindings is to create @dfn{closures}.
4739 A closure is a function object that refers to an outside lexical
4740 variable (@pxref{Closures,,,elisp,GNU Emacs Lisp Reference Manual}).
4741 For example:
4742
4743 @example
4744 (defun make-adder (n)
4745 (lexical-let ((n n))
4746 (function (lambda (m) (+ n m)))))
4747 (setq add17 (make-adder 17))
4748 (funcall add17 4)
4749 @result{} 21
4750 @end example
4751
4752 @noindent
4753 The call @code{(make-adder 17)} returns a function object which adds
4754 17 to its argument. If @code{let} had been used instead of
4755 @code{lexical-let}, the function object would have referred to the
4756 global @code{n}, which would have been bound to 17 only during the
4757 call to @code{make-adder} itself.
4758
4759 @example
4760 (defun make-counter ()
4761 (lexical-let ((n 0))
4762 (cl-function (lambda (&optional (m 1)) (cl-incf n m)))))
4763 (setq count-1 (make-counter))
4764 (funcall count-1 3)
4765 @result{} 3
4766 (funcall count-1 14)
4767 @result{} 17
4768 (setq count-2 (make-counter))
4769 (funcall count-2 5)
4770 @result{} 5
4771 (funcall count-1 2)
4772 @result{} 19
4773 (funcall count-2)
4774 @result{} 6
4775 @end example
4776
4777 @noindent
4778 Here we see that each call to @code{make-counter} creates a distinct
4779 local variable @code{n}, which serves as a private counter for the
4780 function object that is returned.
4781
4782 Closed-over lexical variables persist until the last reference to
4783 them goes away, just like all other Lisp objects. For example,
4784 @code{count-2} refers to a function object which refers to an
4785 instance of the variable @code{n}; this is the only reference
4786 to that variable, so after @code{(setq count-2 nil)} the garbage
4787 collector would be able to delete this instance of @code{n}.
4788 Of course, if a @code{lexical-let} does not actually create any
4789 closures, then the lexical variables are free as soon as the
4790 @code{lexical-let} returns.
4791
4792 Many closures are used only during the extent of the bindings they
4793 refer to; these are known as ``downward funargs'' in Lisp parlance.
4794 When a closure is used in this way, regular Emacs Lisp dynamic
4795 bindings suffice and will be more efficient than @code{lexical-let}
4796 closures:
4797
4798 @example
4799 (defun add-to-list (x list)
4800 (mapcar (lambda (y) (+ x y))) list)
4801 (add-to-list 7 '(1 2 5))
4802 @result{} (8 9 12)
4803 @end example
4804
4805 @noindent
4806 Since this lambda is only used while @code{x} is still bound,
4807 it is not necessary to make a true closure out of it.
4808
4809 You can use @code{defun} or @code{flet} inside a @code{lexical-let}
4810 to create a named closure. If several closures are created in the
4811 body of a single @code{lexical-let}, they all close over the same
4812 instance of the lexical variable.
4813
4814 @defmac lexical-let* (bindings@dots{}) forms@dots{}
4815 This form is just like @code{lexical-let}, except that the bindings
4816 are made sequentially in the manner of @code{let*}.
4817 @end defmac
4818
4819 @node Obsolete Macros
4820 @appendixsec Obsolete Macros
4821
4822 The following macros are obsolete, and are replaced by versions with
4823 a @samp{cl-} prefix that do not behave in exactly the same way.
4824 Consequently, the @file{cl.el} versions are not simply aliases to the
4825 @file{cl-lib.el} versions.
4826
4827 @defmac flet (bindings@dots{}) forms@dots{}
4828 This macro is replaced by @code{cl-flet} (@pxref{Function Bindings}),
4829 which behaves the same way as Common Lisp's @code{flet}.
4830 This @code{flet} takes the same arguments as @code{cl-flet}, but does
4831 not behave in precisely the same way.
4832
4833 While @code{flet} in Common Lisp establishes a lexical function
4834 binding, this @code{flet} makes a dynamic binding (it dates from a
4835 time before Emacs had lexical binding). The result is
4836 that @code{flet} affects indirect calls to a function as well as calls
4837 directly inside the @code{flet} form itself.
4838
4839 This will even work on Emacs primitives, although note that some calls
4840 to primitive functions internal to Emacs are made without going
4841 through the symbol's function cell, and so will not be affected by
4842 @code{flet}. For example,
4843
4844 @example
4845 (flet ((message (&rest args) (push args saved-msgs)))
4846 (do-something))
4847 @end example
4848
4849 This code attempts to replace the built-in function @code{message}
4850 with a function that simply saves the messages in a list rather
4851 than displaying them. The original definition of @code{message}
4852 will be restored after @code{do-something} exits. This code will
4853 work fine on messages generated by other Lisp code, but messages
4854 generated directly inside Emacs will not be caught since they make
4855 direct C-language calls to the message routines rather than going
4856 through the Lisp @code{message} function.
4857
4858 For those cases where the dynamic scoping of @code{flet} is desired,
4859 @code{cl-flet} is clearly not a substitute. The most direct replacement would
4860 be instead to use @code{cl-letf} to temporarily rebind @code{(symbol-function
4861 '@var{fun})}. But in most cases, a better substitute is to use an advice, such
4862 as:
4863
4864 @example
4865 (defvar my-fun-advice-enable nil)
4866 (add-advice '@var{fun} :around
4867 (lambda (orig &rest args)
4868 (if my-fun-advice-enable (do-something)
4869 (apply orig args))))
4870 @end example
4871
4872 so that you can then replace the @code{flet} with a simple dynamically scoped
4873 binding of @code{my-fun-advice-enable}.
4874
4875 @c Bug#411.
4876 Note that many primitives (e.g., @code{+}) have special byte-compile handling.
4877 Attempts to redefine such functions using @code{flet}, @code{cl-letf}, or an
4878 advice will fail when byte-compiled.
4879 @c Or cl-flet.
4880 @c In such cases, use @code{labels} instead.
4881 @end defmac
4882
4883 @defmac labels (bindings@dots{}) forms@dots{}
4884 This macro is replaced by @code{cl-labels} (@pxref{Function Bindings}),
4885 which behaves the same way as Common Lisp's @code{labels}.
4886 This @code{labels} takes the same arguments as @code{cl-labels}, but
4887 does not behave in precisely the same way.
4888
4889 This version of @code{labels} uses the obsolete @code{lexical-let}
4890 form (@pxref{Obsolete Lexical Binding}), rather than the true
4891 lexical binding that @code{cl-labels} uses.
4892 @end defmac
4893
4894 @node Obsolete Setf Customization
4895 @appendixsec Obsolete Ways to Customize Setf
4896
4897 Common Lisp defines three macros, @code{define-modify-macro},
4898 @code{defsetf}, and @code{define-setf-method}, that allow the
4899 user to extend generalized variables in various ways.
4900 In Emacs, these are obsolete, replaced by various features of
4901 @file{gv.el} in Emacs 24.3.
4902 @xref{Adding Generalized Variables,,,elisp,GNU Emacs Lisp Reference Manual}.
4903
4904
4905 @defmac define-modify-macro name arglist function [doc-string]
4906 This macro defines a ``read-modify-write'' macro similar to
4907 @code{cl-incf} and @code{cl-decf}. You can replace this macro
4908 with @code{gv-letplace}.
4909
4910 The macro @var{name} is defined to take a @var{place} argument
4911 followed by additional arguments described by @var{arglist}. The call
4912
4913 @example
4914 (@var{name} @var{place} @var{args}@dots{})
4915 @end example
4916
4917 @noindent
4918 will be expanded to
4919
4920 @example
4921 (cl-callf @var{func} @var{place} @var{args}@dots{})
4922 @end example
4923
4924 @noindent
4925 which in turn is roughly equivalent to
4926
4927 @example
4928 (setf @var{place} (@var{func} @var{place} @var{args}@dots{}))
4929 @end example
4930
4931 For example:
4932
4933 @example
4934 (define-modify-macro incf (&optional (n 1)) +)
4935 (define-modify-macro concatf (&rest args) concat)
4936 @end example
4937
4938 Note that @code{&key} is not allowed in @var{arglist}, but
4939 @code{&rest} is sufficient to pass keywords on to the function.
4940
4941 Most of the modify macros defined by Common Lisp do not exactly
4942 follow the pattern of @code{define-modify-macro}. For example,
4943 @code{push} takes its arguments in the wrong order, and @code{pop}
4944 is completely irregular.
4945
4946 The above @code{incf} example could be written using
4947 @code{gv-letplace} as:
4948 @example
4949 (defmacro incf (place &optional n)
4950 (gv-letplace (getter setter) place
4951 (macroexp-let2 nil v (or n 1)
4952 (funcall setter `(+ ,v ,getter)))))
4953 @end example
4954 @ignore
4955 (defmacro concatf (place &rest args)
4956 (gv-letplace (getter setter) place
4957 (macroexp-let2 nil v (mapconcat 'identity args "")
4958 (funcall setter `(concat ,getter ,v)))))
4959 @end ignore
4960 @end defmac
4961
4962 @defmac defsetf access-fn update-fn
4963 This is the simpler of two @code{defsetf} forms, and is
4964 replaced by @code{gv-define-simple-setter}.
4965
4966 With @var{access-fn} the name of a function that accesses a place,
4967 this declares @var{update-fn} to be the corresponding store function.
4968 From now on,
4969
4970 @example
4971 (setf (@var{access-fn} @var{arg1} @var{arg2} @var{arg3}) @var{value})
4972 @end example
4973
4974 @noindent
4975 will be expanded to
4976
4977 @example
4978 (@var{update-fn} @var{arg1} @var{arg2} @var{arg3} @var{value})
4979 @end example
4980
4981 @noindent
4982 The @var{update-fn} is required to be either a true function, or
4983 a macro that evaluates its arguments in a function-like way. Also,
4984 the @var{update-fn} is expected to return @var{value} as its result.
4985 Otherwise, the above expansion would not obey the rules for the way
4986 @code{setf} is supposed to behave.
4987
4988 As a special (non-Common-Lisp) extension, a third argument of @code{t}
4989 to @code{defsetf} says that the return value of @code{update-fn} is
4990 not suitable, so that the above @code{setf} should be expanded to
4991 something more like
4992
4993 @example
4994 (let ((temp @var{value}))
4995 (@var{update-fn} @var{arg1} @var{arg2} @var{arg3} temp)
4996 temp)
4997 @end example
4998
4999 Some examples are:
5000
5001 @example
5002 (defsetf car setcar)
5003 (defsetf buffer-name rename-buffer t)
5004 @end example
5005
5006 These translate directly to @code{gv-define-simple-setter}:
5007
5008 @example
5009 (gv-define-simple-setter car setcar)
5010 (gv-define-simple-setter buffer-name rename-buffer t)
5011 @end example
5012 @end defmac
5013
5014 @defmac defsetf access-fn arglist (store-var) forms@dots{}
5015 This is the second, more complex, form of @code{defsetf}.
5016 It can be replaced by @code{gv-define-setter}.
5017
5018 This form of @code{defsetf} is rather like @code{defmacro} except for
5019 the additional @var{store-var} argument. The @var{forms} should
5020 return a Lisp form that stores the value of @var{store-var} into the
5021 generalized variable formed by a call to @var{access-fn} with
5022 arguments described by @var{arglist}. The @var{forms} may begin with
5023 a string which documents the @code{setf} method (analogous to the doc
5024 string that appears at the front of a function).
5025
5026 For example, the simple form of @code{defsetf} is shorthand for
5027
5028 @example
5029 (defsetf @var{access-fn} (&rest args) (store)
5030 (append '(@var{update-fn}) args (list store)))
5031 @end example
5032
5033 The Lisp form that is returned can access the arguments from
5034 @var{arglist} and @var{store-var} in an unrestricted fashion;
5035 macros like @code{cl-incf} that invoke this
5036 setf-method will insert temporary variables as needed to make
5037 sure the apparent order of evaluation is preserved.
5038
5039 Another standard example:
5040
5041 @example
5042 (defsetf nth (n x) (store)
5043 `(setcar (nthcdr ,n ,x) ,store))
5044 @end example
5045
5046 You could write this using @code{gv-define-setter} as:
5047
5048 @example
5049 (gv-define-setter nth (store n x)
5050 `(setcar (nthcdr ,n ,x) ,store))
5051 @end example
5052 @end defmac
5053
5054 @defmac define-setf-method access-fn arglist forms@dots{}
5055 This is the most general way to create new place forms. You can
5056 replace this by @code{gv-define-setter} or @code{gv-define-expander}.
5057
5058 When a @code{setf} to @var{access-fn} with arguments described by
5059 @var{arglist} is expanded, the @var{forms} are evaluated and must
5060 return a list of five items:
5061
5062 @enumerate
5063 @item
5064 A list of @dfn{temporary variables}.
5065
5066 @item
5067 A list of @dfn{value forms} corresponding to the temporary variables
5068 above. The temporary variables will be bound to these value forms
5069 as the first step of any operation on the generalized variable.
5070
5071 @item
5072 A list of exactly one @dfn{store variable} (generally obtained
5073 from a call to @code{gensym}).
5074
5075 @item
5076 A Lisp form that stores the contents of the store variable into
5077 the generalized variable, assuming the temporaries have been
5078 bound as described above.
5079
5080 @item
5081 A Lisp form that accesses the contents of the generalized variable,
5082 assuming the temporaries have been bound.
5083 @end enumerate
5084
5085 This is exactly like the Common Lisp macro of the same name,
5086 except that the method returns a list of five values rather
5087 than the five values themselves, since Emacs Lisp does not
5088 support Common Lisp's notion of multiple return values.
5089 (Note that the @code{setf} implementation provided by @file{gv.el}
5090 does not use this five item format. Its use here is only for
5091 backwards compatibility.)
5092
5093 Once again, the @var{forms} may begin with a documentation string.
5094
5095 A setf-method should be maximally conservative with regard to
5096 temporary variables. In the setf-methods generated by
5097 @code{defsetf}, the second return value is simply the list of
5098 arguments in the place form, and the first return value is a
5099 list of a corresponding number of temporary variables generated
5100 @c FIXME I don't think this is true anymore.
5101 by @code{cl-gensym}. Macros like @code{cl-incf} that
5102 use this setf-method will optimize away most temporaries that
5103 turn out to be unnecessary, so there is little reason for the
5104 setf-method itself to optimize.
5105 @end defmac
5106
5107 @c Removed in Emacs 24.3, not possible to make a compatible replacement.
5108 @ignore
5109 @defun get-setf-method place &optional env
5110 This function returns the setf-method for @var{place}, by
5111 invoking the definition previously recorded by @code{defsetf}
5112 or @code{define-setf-method}. The result is a list of five
5113 values as described above. You can use this function to build
5114 your own @code{cl-incf}-like modify macros.
5115
5116 The argument @var{env} specifies the ``environment'' to be
5117 passed on to @code{macroexpand} if @code{get-setf-method} should
5118 need to expand a macro in @var{place}. It should come from
5119 an @code{&environment} argument to the macro or setf-method
5120 that called @code{get-setf-method}.
5121 @end defun
5122 @end ignore
5123
5124
5125 @node GNU Free Documentation License
5126 @appendix GNU Free Documentation License
5127 @include doclicense.texi
5128
5129 @node Function Index
5130 @unnumbered Function Index
5131
5132 @printindex fn
5133
5134 @node Variable Index
5135 @unnumbered Variable Index
5136
5137 @printindex vr
5138
5139 @bye