<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=ANSI_X3.4-1968"><title>3.2. Functions</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="ecl.css" type="text/css"><meta name="generator" content="DocBook XSL Stylesheets V1.75.2"><link rel="home" href="index.html" title="The ECL manual"><link rel="up" href="ch03.html" title="Chapter 3. Data and control flow"><link rel="prev" href="ch03.html" title="Chapter 3. Data and control flow"><link rel="next" href="ch04.html" title="Chapter 4. Symbols"></head><body bgcolor="white" text="black" link="#0000FF" vlink="#840084" alink="#0000FF"><div class="navheader"><table width="100%" summary="Navigation header"><tr><th colspan="3" align="center">3.2. Functions</th></tr><tr><td width="20%" align="left"><a accesskey="p" href="ch03.html">Prev</a> </td><th width="60%" align="center">Chapter 3. Data and control flow</th><td width="20%" align="right"> <a accesskey="n" href="ch04.html">Next</a></td></tr></table><hr></div><div class="section" title="3.2. Functions"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="ansi.functions"></a>3.2. Functions</h2></div></div></div><p>Functions in <span class="application">ECL</span> can be of two types: they are either compiled to
bytecodes or they have been compiled to machine code using a lisp to C
translator and a C compiler. To the first category belong function loaded
from lisp source files or entered at the toplevel. To the second category
belong all functions in the <span class="application">ECL</span> core environment and functions in files
processed by <code class="function">compile</code> or
<code class="function">compile-file</code>.</p><p>The output of <code class="code">(symbol-function
<em class="replaceable"><code>fun</code></em>)</code> is a list, is either a function
object if <code class="literal">'fun</code> is has a function definition,
<code class="literal">(macro . function-object)</code> if <code class="literal">'fun</code> is
a macro, and <code class="literal">'special</code> if <code class="literal">'fun</code> is a
special form.</p><p><span class="application">ECL</span> usually drops the source code of a function unless the global
variable <code class="varname">si:*keep-definitions*</code> was true when the
function was translated into bytecodes. Therefore, if you wish to use
<code class="function">compile</code> and <code class="function">disassemble</code> on
defined functions, you should issue <code class="code">(setq si:*keep-definitions*
t)</code> at the beginning of your session.</p><p>In <a class="xref" href="ch03s02.html#table.function.constants" title="Table 3.1. Function related constants">Table 3.1</a> we list all
Common Lisp values related to the limits of functions.</p><div class="table"><a name="table.function.constants"></a><p class="title"><b>Table 3.1. Function related constants</b></p><div class="table-contents"><table summary="Function related constants" border="1"><colgroup><col><col></colgroup><tbody><tr><td><code class="constant">call-arguments-limit</code></td><td>65536</td></tr><tr><td><code class="constant">lambda-parameters-limit</code></td><td>call-arguments-limit</td></tr><tr><td><code class="constant">multiple-values-limit</code></td><td>64</td></tr><tr><td><code class="constant">lambda-list-keywords</code></td><td><code class="literal">(&optional &rest &key &allow-other-keys &aux
&whole &environment &body)</code></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br class="table-break"></div><div class="navfooter"><hr><table width="100%" summary="Navigation footer"><tr><td width="40%" align="left"><a accesskey="p" href="ch03.html">Prev</a> </td><td width="20%" align="center"><a accesskey="u" href="ch03.html">Up</a></td><td width="40%" align="right"> <a accesskey="n" href="ch04.html">Next</a></td></tr><tr><td width="40%" align="left" valign="top">Chapter 3. Data and control flow </td><td width="20%" align="center"><a accesskey="h" href="index.html">Home</a></td><td width="40%" align="right" valign="top"> Chapter 4. Symbols</td></tr></table></div></body></html>
