From ...
From: Erik Naggum <erik@naggum.net>
Subject: Re: basic question on lambda
Date: 2000/10/24
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* Nils Goesche <nils.goesche@anylinx.de>
| What is this all about?  Why do all Lisp books put #' in front of a
| lambda expression?  And why does it work with #' and a lambda
| expression but not with #' and a ``curry'' expression?

  #'x is actually short for (function x), which quotes x in a
  functional context, like 'x is short for (quote x), which quotes x
  in data/variable context.  Look up the special operator function and
  quote in your friendly standard reference material for the whole
  story.

  Specifically, (function (lambda ...)) causes interpretation of the
  (lambda ...) as a function (which means it may be funcalled, and
  will be compiled), which (quote (lambda ...)) does not.

  Why would you want to quote (curry ...) in a functional context?

| BTW, if it has to do with `read macros', note that I don't know what
| a read macro actually is :-(

  It has nothing to do with reader macros.  A reader macro is a
  function called by the reader to return a Lisp object from parsing
  or otherwise processing the input stream.  There's a reader macro
  for the character ( which causes the elements up to the matching )
  to be returned as a list, for instance.  The reader macro for '
  returns a list with quote as the first element and the next element
  taken directly from the input stream.  #' does the same, only with
  function instead of quote.  Lack of understanding of reader macros
  should not impact your appreciation of the full form they return.
  If you are not comfortable with reader macros, write things out in
  full, instead, thus encouraging your appreciation of the shorthand
  when you understand exactly what it does.  In other words: Write
  (function x) where your textbooks write #'x.

  Note that you don't need to write (function (lambda ...)) because
  (lambda ...) is a macro that expands to (function (lambda ...)).  I
  think it helps understanding Common Lisp's evaluation to think of
  lambda as returning an anonymous function, and to disregard the
  sometimes confusing #' or function special form.  Consequently, I
  never quote lambda forms and consider it redundant to do so.

#:Erik
-- 
  I agree with everything you say, but I would
  attack to death your right to say it.
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