>From 81e7d7f111872c9f2aaf8885db50a22ed746d7b5 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Paul Eggert Date: Sun, 19 Apr 2020 09:37:51 -0700 Subject: [PATCH] Document that quoting yields constants * doc/lispref/eval.texi (Quoting, Backquote): Mention that quoted expressions yield a constant (Bug#40693). --- doc/lispref/eval.texi | 8 +++++++- 1 file changed, 7 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-) diff --git a/doc/lispref/eval.texi b/doc/lispref/eval.texi index f6f36ed342..46cfab164b 100644 --- a/doc/lispref/eval.texi +++ b/doc/lispref/eval.texi @@ -558,6 +558,7 @@ and vectors.) @defspec quote object This special form returns @var{object}, without evaluating it. +The returned value is a constant, and should not be modified. @end defspec @cindex @samp{'} for quoting @@ -612,10 +613,12 @@ only part of a list, while computing and substituting other parts. @dfn{Backquote constructs} allow you to quote a list, but selectively evaluate elements of that list. In the simplest case, it -is identical to the special form @code{quote} +is identical to the special form @iftex +@code{quote}. @end iftex @ifnottex +@code{quote} (described in the previous section; @pxref{Quoting}). @end ifnottex For example, these two forms yield identical results: @@ -693,6 +696,9 @@ Here are some examples: @end group @end example +If a subexpression of a backquote construct has no substitutions or +splices, it acts like @code{quote} in that it yields a constant that +should not be modified. @node Eval @section Eval -- 2.17.1