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Info Node: (elisp)Function Type

(elisp)Function Type


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Function Type
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   Just as functions in other programming languages are executable,
"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 `lambda' (Note: 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 "anonymous function" (Note: Anonymous
Functions).  A named function in Lisp is actually a symbol with a
valid function in its function cell (Note: 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 a function object at run time and then call it with the primitive
functions `funcall' and `apply'.  Note: Calling Functions.


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