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(librep.info)List Forms

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Next: Self-Evaluating Forms Prev: Symbol Forms Up: Evaluation

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Enter node , (file) or (file)node

List Forms
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   Forms which are lists are used to invoke a subroutine. The first
element of the list defines the subroutine to be called; all further
elements are arguments to be applied to that subroutine invocation.

   There are several different types of subroutines available:
functions, macros, special forms and autoloads. When the evaluator
finds a form which is a list it tries to classify the form into one of
these four types.

   First of all it evaluates the first element of the list; the computed
value of this element decides how the rest of the elements in the list
are treated. For example, if the first element is a symbol whose value
is a function, then that function is called with the other values in
the list.

Function Call Forms

`Normal' subroutines

Macro Call Forms

Source code expansions

Special Forms

Abnormal control structures

Autoload Forms

Loading subroutines from files on the fly