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authorRichard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>2006-07-24 17:58:11 +0000
committerRichard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>2006-07-24 17:58:11 +0000
commitb77806b78f67527a3e025c6e3d8db0582cd40a63 (patch)
tree3a84501acdec58cdee9b8ac25ee551413386ad78 /lispref/objects.texi
parent0931b43ed578cdbe1bbc5e79be808f40ee61d29d (diff)
downloademacs-b77806b78f67527a3e025c6e3d8db0582cd40a63.tar.gz
(Function Type): Clarify.
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1 files 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