3.8.7 quote [Special Operator]

quote object => object

Arguments and Values::

object—an object; not evaluated.

Description::

The quote special operator just returns object.

The consequences are undefined if literal objects (including quoted objects) are destructively modified.

Examples::

      (setq a 1) =>  1
      (quote (setq a 3)) =>  (SETQ A 3)
      a =>  1
      'a =>  A
      ''a =>  (QUOTE A)
      '''a =>  (QUOTE (QUOTE A))
      (setq a 43) =>  43
      (list a (cons a 3)) =>  (43 (43 . 3))
      (list (quote a) (quote (cons a 3))) =>  (A (CONS A 3))
      1 =>  1
      '1 =>  1
      "foo" =>  "foo"
      '"foo" =>  "foo"
      (car '(a b)) =>  A
      '(car '(a b)) =>  (CAR (QUOTE (A B)))
      #(car '(a b)) =>  #(CAR (QUOTE (A B)))
      '#(car '(a b)) =>  #(CAR (QUOTE (A B)))

See Also::

Evaluation, Single-Quote,

Compiler Terminology

Notes::

The textual notation 'object is equivalent to (quote object); see Compiler Terminology.

Some objects, called self-evaluating objects, do not require quotation by quote. However, symbols and lists are used to represent parts of programs, and so would not be useable as constant data in a program without quote. Since quote suppresses the evaluation of these objects, they become data rather than program.