CLHS: Special Operator QUOTE

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Special Operator QUOTE

Syntax:

quote object => object

Arguments and Values:

object---an object; not evaluated.

Description:

The quote special operator just returns object.

The consequences are undefined if literal objects (including quoted objects) are destructively modified.

Examples:

     (setq a 1) =>  1
     (quote (setq a 3)) =>  (SETQ A 3)
     a =>  1
     'a =>  A
     ''a =>  (QUOTE A)
     '''a =>  (QUOTE (QUOTE A))
     (setq a 43) =>  43
     (list a (cons a 3)) =>  (43 (43 . 3))
     (list (quote a) (quote (cons a 3))) =>  (A (CONS A 3))
     1 =>  1
     '1 =>  1
     "foo" =>  "foo"
     '"foo" =>  "foo"
     (car '(a b)) =>  A
     '(car '(a b)) =>  (CAR (QUOTE (A B)))
     #(car '(a b)) =>  #(CAR (QUOTE (A B)))
     '#(car '(a b)) =>  #(CAR (QUOTE (A B)))

Affected By: None.

Exceptional Situations: None.

See Also:

Section 3.1 (Evaluation), Section 2.4.3 (Single-Quote), Section 3.2.1 (Compiler Terminology)

Notes:

The textual notation `'`object`` is equivalent to `(quote` object`)`; see Section 3.2.1 (Compiler Terminology).

Some objects, called self-evaluating objects, do not require quotation by quote. However, symbols and lists are used to represent parts of programs, and so would not be useable as constant data in a program without quote. Since quote suppresses the evaluation of these objects, they become data rather than program.

The following X3J13 cleanup issue, not part of the specification, applies to this section:

- CONSTANT-MODIFICATION:DISALLOW

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