Subject: Re: `fast' global variables (Ex: Re: ??: using * for variable ?) From: Erik Naggum <erik@naggum.no> Date: 1999/03/22 Newsgroups: comp.lang.lisp Message-ID: <3131135071149992@naggum.no> * ANSI X3.226-1994 | 3.2.2.3 Semantic Constraints | (...) | Constant variables defined in the compilation environment must have a | similar value at run time. A reference to a constant variable in source | code is equivalent to a reference to a literal object that is the value | of the constant variable. * mikemac@mikemac.com (Mike McDonald) | It says the object, not the contents of the object. I think you need to look up `literal object': literal adj. (of an object) referenced directly in a program rather than being computed by the program; that is, appearing as data in a quote form, or, if the object is a self-evaluating object, appearing as unquoted data. ``In the form (cons "one" '("two")), the expressions "one", ("two"), and "two" are literal objects.'' such objects are immutable: constant object n. an object that is constrained (e.g., by its context in a program or by the source from which it was obtained) to be immutable. ``A literal object that has been processed by compile-file is a constant object.'' #:Erik