Info Catalog eintr: Names & Definitions eintr: List Processing eintr: Evaluation

eintr: Lisp Interpreter

 
 1.5 The Lisp Interpreter
 ========================
 
 Based on what we have seen, we can now start to figure out what the Lisp
 interpreter does when we command it to evaluate a list.  First, it looks
 to see whether there is a quote before the list; if there is, the
 interpreter just gives us the list.  On the other hand, if there is no
 quote, the interpreter looks at the first element in the list and sees
 whether it has a function definition.  If it does, the interpreter
 carries out the instructions in the function definition.  Otherwise, the
 interpreter prints an error message.
 
    This is how Lisp works.  Simple.  There are added complications which
 we will get to in a minute, but these are the fundamentals.  Of course,
 to write Lisp programs, you need to know how to write function
 definitions and attach them to names, and how to do this without
 confusing either yourself or the computer.
 

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· Complications               Variables, Special forms, Lists within.
· Byte Compiling              Specially processing code for speed.
 

Info Catalog eintr: Names & Definitions eintr: List Processing eintr: Evaluation