What does Funcall do in Lisp?
FUNCALL function call supplied function with specified arguments. Argument list is same as in the rest of funcall call. Function designator is function itself or symbol specifying global function name.
Why is Funcall needed?
Occasionally you need to compute at run time which function to call. To do that, use the function funcall . When you also need to determine at run time how many arguments to pass, use apply . funcall calls function with arguments , and returns whatever function returns.
What is apply in Lisp?
In mathematics and computer science, apply is a function that applies a function to arguments. It is central to programming languages derived from lambda calculus, such as LISP and Scheme, and also in functional languages.
What is SETQ in Lisp?
(setq var1 form1 var2 form2 …) is the simple variable assignment statement of Lisp. First form1 is evaluated and the result is stored in the variable var1, then form2 is evaluated and the result stored in var2, and so forth. setq may be used for assignment of both lexical and dynamic variables.
Why is Lisp called Lisp?
The name LISP derives from “LISt Processor”. Linked lists are one of Lisp’s major data structures, and Lisp source code is made of lists. The interchangeability of code and data gives Lisp its instantly recognizable syntax. All program code is written as s-expressions, or parenthesized lists.
What is lambda in Lisp?
lambda is the symbol for an anonymous function, a function without a name. See Lambda Expressions in The GNU Emacs Lisp Reference Manual , for more about lambda . Lisp and lambda expressions derive from the Lambda Calculus.
What is reduce in Lisp?
Description: reduce uses a binary operation, function, to combine the elements of sequence bounded by start and end. The function must accept as arguments two elements of sequence or the results from combining those elements.
What is map in Lisp?
Mapping functions are a group of functions that could be applied successively to one or more lists of elements. The results of applying these functions to a list are placed in a new list and that new list is returned. For example, the mapcar function processes successive elements of one or more lists.
What is the difference between SETQ and Setf?
What is the difference between setf and setq? Explanation: Setq is used only for setting the values of symbols but setf can be used for anything. Explanation: Setq is used only for symbols and setf is used for any data type, so Setf can be used in place of setq but setq cannot be used in place of setf.
What does Setf do in Lisp?
setf is actually a macro that examines an access form and produces a call to the corresponding update function. Given the existence of setf in Common Lisp, it is not necessary to have setq, rplaca, and set; they are redundant. They are retained in Common Lisp because of their historical importance in Lisp.
Is lisp used today?
Even today, Common Lisp is still one of the best choices for many applications. Then why don’t people build amazing and popular things with it? I don’t mean one or two people build one or two things, but lots of people building lots of things. Nobody uses it, but it’s the best choice, can’t both be true.
What age should a lisp go away?
But if the lisp is truly developmental in nature, we expect it to disappear on its own by age 4 and a half. On the other hand, if the child is speaking with what is called a “lateral lisp,” this is not considered developmental, and this type of lisp likely won’t resolve on its own.
When do you use ” apply ” and when ” FUNCALL “?
You should use funcall if you have one or more separate arguments and apply if you have your arguments in a list apply is useful when the argument list is known only at runtime, especially when the arguments are read dynamically as a list.
How are functions called indirectly in Common Lisp?
Functions can be called indirectly using funcall: We can also use multiple-value-bind to assign each return value to a variable:
How is funcalland different from ordinary function call?
The difference between funcalland an ordinary function call is that in the former case the functionis obtained by ordinary evaluationof a form, and in the latter case it is obtained by the special interpretation of the function position that normally occurs. The following X3J13 cleanup issue, not part of the specification, applies to this section: