quote

quote Special Operator

Syntax:

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:

Section 3.1 (Evaluation), Section 2.4.3 (Single-Quote), Section 3.2.1 (Compiler Terminology)

Notes:

The textual notation ’object is equivalent to (quote object); see Section 3.2.1 (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.

Expanded Reference: quote

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