From b77806b78f67527a3e025c6e3d8db0582cd40a63 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: "Richard M. Stallman" Date: Mon, 24 Jul 2006 17:58:11 +0000 Subject: [PATCH] (Function Type): Clarify. --- lispref/objects.texi | 19 ++++++++++--------- 1 file changed, 10 insertions(+), 9 deletions(-) diff --git a/lispref/objects.texi b/lispref/objects.texi index 0c616bb856c..cfb3864e9c9 100644 --- a/lispref/objects.texi +++ b/lispref/objects.texi @@ -1195,18 +1195,19 @@ Hash tables have no read syntax, and print using hash notation. @node Function Type @subsection Function Type - Just as functions in other programming languages are executable, -@dfn{Lisp function} objects are pieces of executable code. However, -functions in Lisp are primarily Lisp objects, and only secondarily the -text which represents them. These Lisp objects are lambda expressions: -lists whose first element is the symbol @code{lambda} (@pxref{Lambda -Expressions}). + Lisp functions are executable code, just like functions in other +programming languages. In Lisp, unlike most languages, functions are +also Lisp objects. A non-compiled function in Lisp is a lambda +expression: that is, a list whose first element is the symbol +@code{lambda} (@pxref{Lambda Expressions}). In most programming languages, it is impossible to have a function without a name. In Lisp, a function has no intrinsic name. A lambda -expression is also called an @dfn{anonymous function} (@pxref{Anonymous -Functions}). A named function in Lisp is actually a symbol with a valid -function in its function cell (@pxref{Defining Functions}). +expression can be called as a function even though it has no name; to +emphasize this, we also call it an @dfn{anonymous function} +(@pxref{Anonymous Functions}). A named function in Lisp is just a +symbol with a valid function in its function cell (@pxref{Defining +Functions}). Most of the time, functions are called when their names are written in Lisp expressions in Lisp programs. However, you can construct or obtain -- 2.39.2