n.
a list which can be used in place of a function name in
certain contexts to denote a function by directly describing its
behavior rather than indirectly by referring to the name of an
establishedfunction; its name derives from the fact that its
first element is the symbollambda.
See lambda.
n.scope that is limited to a spatial or textual region within the
establishing form.
The names of parameters to a function normally are lexically scoped.
n. a running instantiation of a Common Lispimplementation.
A Lisp image is characterized by a single address space in which any
object can directly refer to any another in conformance with this specification,
and by a single, common, global environment.
(External operating systems sometimes call this a
"core image,"
"fork,"
"incarnation,"
"job,"
or "process." Note however, that the issue of a "process" in such
an operating system is technically orthogonal to the issue of a Lisp image
being defined here. Depending on the operating system, a single "process"
might have multiple Lisp images, and multiple "processes" might reside
in a single Lisp image. Hence, it is the idea of a fully shared address
space for direct reference among all objects which is the defining
characteristic. Note, too, that two "processes" which have a communication
area that permits the sharing of some but not all objects are considered
to be distinct Lisp images.)
n. (of a list)
the set of conses that make up the list.
Note that while the car1b component of each such cons
is part of the list structure,
the objects that are elements of the list
(i.e., the objects that are the cars2 of each cons
in the list)
are not themselves part of its list structure,
even if they are conses,
except in the (circular2)
case where the list
actually contains one of its tails as an element.
(The list structure of a list is sometimes redundantly
referred to as its "top-level list structure" in order to emphasize
that any conses that are elements of the list
are not involved.)
adj. (of an object)
referenced directly in a program rather than being computed by the program;
that is,
appearing as data in a quoteform,
or, if the object is a self-evaluating object,
appearing as unquoted data.
In the form (cons "one" '("two")),
the expressions "one", ("two"), and "two"
are literal objects.
n.
an expression which may appear only in specially designated
positions of certain forms, and which provides information about
the code contained within the containing form;
that is, a declareexpression.