constantp(3cl) - query whether form can be determined constant

CONSTANTP(3cl)

Common Lisp Reference

CONSTANTP(3cl)

NAME

constantp – query whether a form can be determined to be constant in the indicated environment (function)

SYNOPSIS

constantp form &optional environment
→ generalized-boolean

ARGUMENTS and VALUES

form—a form.

environment—an environment object. The default is nil.

generalized-boolean—a generalized boolean.

VALID CONTEXT

n/a

BINDING TYPES AFFECTED

n/a

DESCRIPTION

Returns true if form can be determined by the implementation to be a constant form in the indicated environment; otherwise, it returns false indicating either that the form is not a constant form or that it cannot be determined whether or not form is a constant form.

The following kinds of forms are considered constant forms:

Self-evaluating objects (such as numbers, characters, and the various kinds of arrays) are always considered constant forms and must be recognized as such by constantp.
Constant variables, such as keywords, symbols defined by Common Lisp as constant (such as nil, t, and pi), and symbols declared as constant by the user in the indicated environment using defconstant are always considered constant forms and must be recognized as such by constantp.
quote forms are always considered constant forms and must be recognized as such by constantp.
An implementation is permitted, but not required, to detect additional constant forms. If it does, it is also permitted, but not required, to make use of information in the environment. Examples of constant forms for which constantp might or might not return true are: (sqrt pi), (+ 3 2), (length ’(a b c)), and (let ((x 7)) (zerop x)).

If an implementation chooses to make use of the environment information, such actions as expanding macros or performing function inlining are permitted to be used, but not required; however, expanding compiler macros is not permitted.

AFFECTED BY

The state of the global environment (e.g., which symbols have been declared to be the names of constant variables).

EXCEPTIONAL SITUATIONS

(none)

NOTES

(none)

EXAMPLES

(constantp 1) → true
(constantp ’temp) → false
(constantp ’’temp)) → true
(defconstant this-is-a-constant ’never-changing)
→ THIS-IS-A-CONSTANT
(constantp ’this-is-a-constant) → true
(constantp "temp") → true
(setq a 6) → 6
(constantp a) → true
(constantp ’(sin pi)) → implementation-dependent
(constantp ’(car ’(x))) → implementation-dependent
(constantp ’(eql x x)) → implementation-dependent
(constantp ’(typep x ’nil)) → implementation-dependent
(constantp ’(typep x ’t)) → implementation-dependent
(constantp ’(values this-is-a-constant))
→ implementation-dependent
(constantp ’(values ’x ’y)) → implementation-dependent
(constantp ’(let ((a ’(a b c))) (+ (length a) 6)))
→ implementation-dependent