@c This file is part of the MIT/GNU Scheme Reference Manual.
@c $Id: overview.texi,v 1.4 2007/01/05 21:48:32 cph Exp $

@c Copyright (C) 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994,
@c     1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004,
@c     2005, 2006, 2007 Massachusetts Institute of Technology
@c See file scheme.texinfo for copying conditions.

@node Overview, Special Forms, Acknowledgements, Top
@chapter Overview

@cindex runtime system
This manual is a detailed description of the MIT/GNU Scheme runtime system.
It is intended to be a reference document for programmers.  It does not
describe how to run Scheme or how to interact with it --- that is the
subject of the @cite{MIT/GNU Scheme User's Manual}.

This chapter summarizes the semantics of Scheme, briefly describes the
MIT/GNU Scheme programming environment, and explains the syntactic and
lexical conventions of the language.  Subsequent chapters describe
special forms, numerous data abstractions, and facilities for input and
output.

@cindex standard Scheme (defn)
@cindex Scheme standard
@cindex R4RS
Throughout this manual, we will make frequent references to
@dfn{standard Scheme}, which is the language defined by the document
@cite{Revised^4 Report on the Algorithmic Language Scheme}, by William
Clinger, Jonathan Rees, et al.@:, or by @sc{ieee} Std.@: 1178-1990,
@cite{IEEE Standard for the Scheme Programming Language} (in fact,
several parts of this document are copied from the @cite{Revised
Report}).  MIT/GNU Scheme is an extension of standard Scheme.

These are the significant semantic characteristics of the Scheme
language:

@table @asis
@item Variables are statically scoped
@cindex static scoping (defn)
@cindex scope (see region)
Scheme is a @dfn{statically scoped} programming language, which means that
each use of a variable is associated with a lexically apparent binding
of that variable.  Algol is another statically scoped language.

@item Types are latent
@cindex latent types (defn)
@cindex manifest types (defn)
@cindex weak types (defn)
@cindex strong types (defn)
@cindex dynamic types (defn)
@cindex static types (defn)
@cindex types, latent (defn)
@cindex types, manifest (defn)
Scheme has @dfn{latent} types as opposed to @dfn{manifest} types, which
means that Scheme associates types with values (or objects) rather than
with variables.  Other languages with latent types (also referred to as
@dfn{weakly} typed or @dfn{dynamically} typed languages) include APL,
Snobol, and other dialects of Lisp.  Languages with manifest types
(sometimes referred to as @dfn{strongly} typed or @dfn{statically} typed
languages) include Algol 60, Pascal, and C.

@item Objects have unlimited extent
@cindex extent, of objects
All objects created during a Scheme computation, including procedures
and continuations, have unlimited extent; no Scheme object is ever
destroyed.  The system doesn't run out of memory because the garbage
collector reclaims the storage occupied by an object when the object
cannot possibly be needed by a future computation.  Other languages in
which most objects have unlimited extent include APL and other Lisp
dialects.

@item Proper tail recursion
@cindex proper tail recursion (defn)
@cindex tail recursion (defn)
@cindex recursion (see tail recursion)
Scheme is @dfn{properly tail-recursive}, which means that iterative
computation can occur in constant space, even if the iterative
computation is described by a syntactically recursive procedure.  With a
tail-recursive implementation, you can express iteration using the
ordinary procedure-call mechanics; special iteration expressions are
provided only for syntactic convenience.

@item Procedures are objects
Scheme procedures are objects, which means that you can create them
dynamically, store them in data structures, return them as the results
of other procedures, and so on.  Other languages with such procedure
objects include Common Lisp and ML.

@item Continuations are explicit
In most other languages, continuations operate behind the scenes.  In
Scheme, continuations are objects; you can use continuations for
implementing a variety of advanced control constructs, including
non-local exits, backtracking, and coroutines.

@item Arguments are passed by value
Arguments to Scheme procedures are passed by value, which means that
Scheme evaluates the argument expressions before the procedure gains
control, whether or not the procedure needs the result of the
evaluations.  ML, C, and APL are three other languages that pass
arguments by value.  In languages such as SASL and Algol 60, argument
expressions are not evaluated unless the values are needed by the
procedure.
@end table

@findex read
Scheme uses a parenthesized-list Polish notation to describe programs
and (other) data.  The syntax of Scheme, like that of most Lisp
dialects, provides for great expressive power, largely due to its
simplicity.  An important consequence of this simplicity is the
susceptibility of Scheme programs and data to uniform treatment by other
Scheme programs.  As with other Lisp dialects, the @code{read} primitive
parses its input; that is, it performs syntactic as well as lexical
decomposition of what it reads.

@menu
* Notational Conventions::      
* Scheme Concepts::             
* Lexical Conventions::         
* Expressions::                 
@end menu

@node Notational Conventions, Scheme Concepts, Overview, Overview
@section Notational Conventions
@cindex notational conventions
@cindex conventions, notational

This section details the notational conventions used throughout the rest
of this document.

@menu
* Errors::                      
* Examples::                    
* Entry Format::                
@end menu

@node Errors, Examples, Notational Conventions, Notational Conventions
@subsection Errors
@cindex errors, notational conventions

@cindex signal an error (defn)
@cindex must be, notational convention
@findex error
When this manual uses the phrase ``an error will be signalled,'' it
means that Scheme will call @code{error}, which normally halts execution
of the program and prints an error message.

When this manual uses the phrase ``it is an error,'' it means that the
specified action is not valid in Scheme, but the system may or may not
signal the error.  When this manual says that something ``must be,'' it
means that violating the requirement is an error.

@node Examples, Entry Format, Errors, Notational Conventions
@subsection Examples
@cindex examples

@cindex => notational convention
@cindex result of evaluation, in examples
@cindex evaluation, in examples
@cindex specified result, in examples
This manual gives many examples showing the evaluation of expressions.
The examples have a common format that shows the expression being
evaluated on the left hand side, an ``arrow'' in the middle, and the
value of the expression written on the right.  For example:

@example
(+ 1 2)          @result{}  3
@end example

Sometimes the arrow and value will be moved under the expression, due to
lack of space.  Occasionally we will not care what the value is, in
which case both the arrow and the value are omitted.

@cindex error--> notational convention
@cindex error, in examples
If an example shows an evaluation that results in an error, an error
message is shown, prefaced by @samp{@error{}}:

@example
(+ 1 'foo)                      @error{} Illegal datum
@end example

@cindex -| notational convention
@cindex printed output, in examples
An example that shows printed output marks it with @samp{@print{}}:

@example
@group
(begin (write 'foo) 'bar)
     @print{} foo
     @result{} bar
@end group
@end example

@cindex unspecified result (defn)
@cindex result, unspecified (defn)
When this manual indicates that the value returned by some expression is
@dfn{unspecified}, it means that the expression will evaluate to some
object without signalling an error, but that programs should not depend
on the value in any way.

@node Entry Format,  , Examples, Notational Conventions
@subsection Entry Format
@cindex entry format
@cindex format, entry

Each description of an MIT/GNU Scheme variable, special form, or
procedure begins with one or more header lines in this format:

@deffn @var{category} @var{template}
@end deffn

@noindent
where @var{category} specifies the kind of item (``variable'',
``special form'', or ``procedure'').  The form of @var{template} is
interpreted depending on @var{category}.

@table @asis
@item Variable
@var{Template} consists of the variable's name.
@cindex variable, entry category

@item Special Form
@var{Template} starts with the syntactic keyword of the special form,
followed by a description of the special form's syntax.  The description
is written using the following conventions.
@cindex special form, entry category

@findex else
@findex cond
Named components are italicized in the printed manual, and uppercase in
the Info file.  ``Noise'' keywords, such as the @code{else} keyword in
the @code{cond} special form, are set in a fixed width font in the
printed manual; in the Info file they are not distinguished.
Parentheses indicate themselves.

@cindex ellipsis, in entries
@cindex ... in entries
A horizontal ellipsis (@dots{}) is describes repeated components.
Specifically,

@display
@var{thing} @dots{}
@end display

@noindent
indicates @emph{zero} or more occurrences of @var{thing}, while

@display
@var{thing} @var{thing} @dots{}
@end display

@noindent
indicates @emph{one} or more occurrences of @var{thing}.

@cindex bracket, in entries
@cindex [ in entries
@cindex ] in entries
@cindex optional component, in entries
Brackets, @code{[ ]}, enclose optional components.

@cindex body, of special form (defn)
@findex lambda
Several special forms (e.g.@: @code{lambda}) have an internal component
consisting of a series of expressions; usually these expressions are
evaluated sequentially under conditions that are specified in the
description of the special form.  This sequence of expressions is commonly
referred to as the @dfn{body} of the special form.

@item Procedure
@var{Template} starts with the name of the variable to which the
procedure is bound, followed by a description of the procedure's
arguments.  The arguments are described using ``lambda list'' notation
(@pxref{Lambda Expressions}), except that brackets are used to denote
optional arguments, and ellipses are used to denote ``rest'' arguments.
@cindex procedure, entry format

The names of the procedure's arguments are italicized in the printed
manual, and uppercase in the Info file.

When an argument names a Scheme data type, it indicates that the
argument must be that type of data object.  For example,

@deffn procedure cdr pair
@end deffn

@noindent
indicates that the standard Scheme procedure @code{cdr} takes one argument,
which must be a pair.

Many procedures signal an error when an argument is of the wrong type;
usually this error is a condition of type
@code{condition-type:wrong-type-argument}.
@findex condition-type:wrong-type-argument

In addition to the standard data-type names (@var{pair}, @var{list},
@var{boolean}, @var{string}, etc.), the following names as arguments
also imply type restrictions:

@itemize @bullet
@item
@var{object}: any object
@item
@var{thunk}: a procedure of no arguments
@item
@var{x}, @var{y}: real numbers
@item
@var{q}, @var{n}: integers
@item
@var{k}: an exact non-negative integer
@end itemize
@end table

Some examples:

@deffn procedure list object @dots{}
@end deffn

@noindent
indicates that the standard Scheme procedure @code{list} takes zero or
more arguments, each of which may be any Scheme object.

@deffn procedure write-char char [output-port]
@end deffn

@noindent
indicates that the standard Scheme procedure @code{write-char} must be
called with a character, @var{char}, and may also be called with a
character and an output port.

@node Scheme Concepts, Lexical Conventions, Notational Conventions, Overview
@section Scheme Concepts
@cindex scheme concepts

@menu
* Variable Bindings::           
* Environment Concepts::        
* Initial and Current Environments::  
* Static Scoping::              
* True and False::              
* External Representations::    
* Disjointness of Types::       
* Storage Model::               
@end menu

@node Variable Bindings, Environment Concepts, Scheme Concepts, Scheme Concepts
@subsection Variable Bindings
@cindex variable binding
@cindex binding, of variable

@cindex bound variable (defn)
@cindex value, of variable (defn)
@cindex name, of value (defn)
@cindex location, of variable
Any identifier that is not a syntactic keyword may be used as a variable
(@pxref{Identifiers}).  A variable may name a location where a value can
be stored.  A variable that does so is said to be @dfn{bound} to the
location.  The value stored in the location to which a variable is bound
is called the variable's @dfn{value}.  (The variable is sometimes said
to @dfn{name} the value or to be @dfn{bound to} the value.)

@cindex unassigned variable (defn)
@cindex error, unassigned variable
A variable may be bound but still not have a value; such a variable is
said to be @dfn{unassigned}.  Referencing an unassigned variable is an
error.  When this error is signalled, it is a condition of type
@code{condition-type:unassigned-variable}; sometimes the compiler does
not generate code to signal the error.  Unassigned variables are useful
only in combination with side effects (@pxref{Assignments}).
@findex condition-type:unassigned-variable

@node Environment Concepts, Initial and Current Environments, Variable Bindings, Scheme Concepts
@subsection Environment Concepts

@cindex environment (defn)
@cindex unbound variable (defn)
@cindex error, unbound variable (defn)
An @dfn{environment} is a set of variable bindings.  If an environment
has no binding for a variable, that variable is said to be @dfn{unbound}
in that environment.  Referencing an unbound variable signals a
condition of type @code{condition-type:unbound-variable}.
@findex condition-type:unbound-variable

@cindex extension, of environment (defn)
@cindex environment, extension (defn)
@cindex shadowing, of variable binding (defn)
@cindex parent, of environment (defn)
@cindex child, of environment (defn)
@cindex inheritance, of environment bindings (defn)
A new environment can be created by @dfn{extending} an existing
environment with a set of new bindings.  Note that ``extending an
environment'' does @strong{not} modify the environment; rather, it
creates a new environment that contains the new bindings and the old
ones.  The new bindings @dfn{shadow} the old ones; that is, if an
environment that contains a binding for @code{x} is extended with a new
binding for @code{x}, then only the new binding is seen when @code{x} is
looked up in the extended environment.  Sometimes we say that the
original environment is the @dfn{parent} of the new one, or that the new
environment is a @dfn{child} of the old one, or that the new environment
@dfn{inherits} the bindings in the old one.

@findex let
@findex let*
@findex letrec
@findex do
@findex define
Procedure calls extend an environment, as do @code{let}, @code{let*},
@code{letrec}, and @code{do} expressions.  Internal definitions
(@pxref{Internal Definitions}) also extend an environment.  (Actually,
all the constructs that extend environments can be expressed in terms of
procedure calls, so there is really just one fundamental mechanism for
environment extension.)  A top-level definition (@pxref{Top-Level
Definitions}) may add a binding to an existing environment.

@node Initial and Current Environments, Static Scoping, Environment Concepts, Scheme Concepts
@subsection Initial and Current Environments

@cindex initial environment (defn)
@cindex environment, initial (defn)
MIT/GNU Scheme provides an @dfn{initial environment} that contains all
of the variable bindings described in this manual.  Most environments
are ultimately extensions of this initial environment.  In Scheme, the
environment in which your programs execute is actually a child
(extension) of the environment containing the system's bindings.  Thus,
system names are visible to your programs, but your names do not
interfere with system programs.

@cindex current environment (defn)
@cindex environment, current (defn)
@cindex REP loop (defn)
@cindex REP loop, environment of
@findex user-initial-environment
@findex ge
The environment in effect at some point in a program is called the
@dfn{current environment} at that point.  In particular, every
@acronym{REP} loop has a current environment.  (@acronym{REP} stands for
``read-eval-print''; the @acronym{REP} loop is the Scheme program that
reads your input, evaluates it, and prints the result.)  The environment
of the top-level @acronym{REP} loop (the one you are in when Scheme
starts up) starts as @code{user-initial-environment}, although it can be
changed by the @code{ge} procedure.  When a new @acronym{REP} loop is
created, its environment is determined by the program that creates it.

@node Static Scoping, True and False, Initial and Current Environments, Scheme Concepts
@subsection Static Scoping
@cindex scoping, static
@cindex static scoping

@cindex dynamic binding, versus static scoping
Scheme is a statically scoped language with block structure.  In this
respect, it is like Algol and Pascal, and unlike most other dialects of
Lisp except for Common Lisp.

@cindex binding expression (defn)
@cindex expression, binding (defn)
The fact that Scheme is statically scoped (rather than
dynamically bound) means that the environment that is extended (and
becomes current) when a procedure is called is the environment in which
the procedure was created (i.e.@: in which the procedure's defining
lambda expression was evaluated), not the environment in which the
procedure is called.  Because all the other Scheme @dfn{binding
expressions} can be expressed in terms of procedures, this determines
how all bindings behave.

Consider the following definitions, made at the top-level @acronym{REP}
loop (in the initial environment):

@example
@group
(define x 1)
(define (f x) (g 2))
(define (g y) (+ x y))
(f 5)                                       @result{}  3 @r{; not} 7
@end group
@end example

Here @code{f} and @code{g} are bound to procedures created in the
initial environment.  Because Scheme is statically scoped, the call to
@code{g} from @code{f} extends the initial environment (the one in which
@code{g} was created) with a binding of @code{y} to @code{2}.  In this
extended environment, @code{y} is @code{2} and @code{x} is @code{1}.
(In a dynamically bound Lisp, the call to @code{g} would extend the
environment in effect during the call to @code{f}, in which @code{x} is
bound to @code{5} by the call to @code{f}, and the answer would be
@code{7}.)

@cindex lexical scoping (defn)
@cindex scoping, lexical (defn)
@cindex region, of variable binding (defn)
@cindex variable, binding region (defn)
@findex lambda
Note that with static scoping, you can tell what binding a variable
reference refers to just from looking at the text of the program; the
referenced binding cannot depend on how the program is used.  That is,
the nesting of environments (their parent-child relationship)
corresponds to the nesting of binding expressions in program text.
(Because of this connection to the text of the program, static scoping
is also called @dfn{lexical} scoping.)  For each place where a variable
is bound in a program there is a corresponding @dfn{region} of the
program text within which the binding is effective.  For example, the
region of a binding established by a @code{lambda} expression is the
entire body of the @code{lambda} expression.  The documentation of each
binding expression explains what the region of the bindings it makes is.
A use of a variable (that is, a reference to or assignment of a
variable) refers to the innermost binding of that variable whose region
contains the variable use.  If there is no such region, the use refers
to the binding of the variable in the global environment (which is an
ancestor of all other environments, and can be thought of as a region in
which all your programs are contained).

@node True and False, External Representations, Static Scoping, Scheme Concepts
@subsection True and False

@cindex boolean object
@cindex true, boolean object
@cindex false, boolean object
@findex #t
@findex #f
In Scheme, the boolean values true and false are denoted by @code{#t}
and @code{#f}.  However, any Scheme value can be treated as a boolean
for the purpose of a conditional test.  This manual uses the word
@dfn{true} to refer to any Scheme value that counts as true, and the
word @dfn{false} to refer to any Scheme value that counts as false.  In
conditional tests, all values count as true except for @code{#f}, which
counts as false (@pxref{Conditionals}).

@node External Representations, Disjointness of Types, True and False, Scheme Concepts
@subsection External Representations

@cindex external representation (defn)
@cindex representation, external (defn)
An important concept in Scheme is that of the
@dfn{external representation} of an object as a sequence of characters.
For example, an external representation of the integer 28 is the
sequence of characters @samp{28}, and an external representation of a
list consisting of the integers 8 and 13 is the sequence of characters
@samp{(8 13)}.

The external representation of an object is not necessarily unique.  The
integer 28 also has representations @samp{#e28.000} and @samp{#x1c}, and
the list in the previous paragraph also has the representations @samp{(
08 13 )} and @samp{(8 . (13 . ( )))}.

Many objects have standard external representations, but some, such as
procedures and circular data structures, do not have standard
representations (although particular implementations may define
representations for them).

An external representation may be written in a program to obtain the
corresponding object (@pxref{Quoting}).

@findex read
@findex write
External representations can also be used for input and output.  The
procedure @code{read} parses external representations, and the procedure
@code{write} generates them.  Together, they provide an elegant and
powerful input/output facility.

Note that the sequence of characters @samp{(+ 2 6)} is @emph{not} an
external representation of the integer 8, even though it @emph{is} an
expression that evaluates to the integer 8; rather, it is an external
representation of a three-element list, the elements of which are the
symbol @code{+} and the integers @code{2} and @code{6}.  Scheme's syntax
has the property that any sequence of characters that is an expression
is also the external representation of some object.  This can lead to
confusion, since it may not be obvious out of context whether a given
sequence of characters is intended to denote data or program, but it is
also a source of power, since it facilitates writing programs such as
interpreters and compilers that treat programs as data or data as
programs.

@node Disjointness of Types, Storage Model, External Representations, Scheme Concepts
@subsection Disjointness of Types

Every object satisfies at most one of the following predicates (but see
@ref{True and False}, for an exception):

@example
@group
bit-string?     environment?    port?           symbol?
boolean?        null?           procedure?      vector?
cell?           number?         promise?        weak-pair?
char?           pair?           string?
condition?
@end group
@end example

@node Storage Model,  , Disjointness of Types, Scheme Concepts
@subsection Storage Model

This section describes a model that can be used to understand Scheme's
use of storage.

@cindex location
@findex string-set!
Variables and objects such as pairs, vectors, and strings implicitly
denote locations or sequences of locations.  A string, for example,
denotes as many locations as there are characters in the string.  (These
locations need not correspond to a full machine word.)  A new value may
be stored into one of these locations using the @code{string-set!}
procedure, but the string continues to denote the same locations as
before.
  
@findex car
@findex vector-ref
@findex string-ref
@findex eqv?
An object fetched from a location, by a variable reference or by a
procedure such as @code{car}, @code{vector-ref}, or @code{string-ref},
is equivalent in the sense of @code{eqv?} to the object last stored in
the location before the fetch.

Every location is marked to show whether it is in use.  No variable or
object ever refers to a location that is not in use.  Whenever this
document speaks of storage being allocated for a variable or object,
what is meant is that an appropriate number of locations are chosen from
the set of locations that are not in use, and the chosen locations are
marked to indicate that they are now in use before the variable or
object is made to denote them.

@cindex constant
@cindex mutable
@cindex immutable
@findex symbol->string
In many systems it is desirable for constants (i.e.@: the values of
literal expressions) to reside in read-only memory.  To express this, it
is convenient to imagine that every object that denotes locations is
associated with a flag telling whether that object is mutable or
immutable.  The constants and the strings returned by
@code{symbol->string} are then the immutable objects, while all objects
created by other procedures are mutable.  It is an error to attempt to
store a new value into a location that is denoted by an immutable
object.  Note that the MIT/GNU Scheme compiler takes advantage of this
property to share constants, but that these constants are not immutable.
Instead, two constants that are @code{equal?} may be @code{eq?} in
compiled code.

@node Lexical Conventions, Expressions, Scheme Concepts, Overview
@section Lexical Conventions
@cindex lexical conventions
@cindex conventions, lexical

This section describes Scheme's lexical conventions.

@menu
* Whitespace::                  
* Delimiters::                  
* Identifiers::                 
* Uppercase and Lowercase::     
* Naming Conventions::          
* Comments::                    
* Additional Notations::        
@end menu

@node Whitespace, Delimiters, Lexical Conventions, Lexical Conventions
@subsection Whitespace

@cindex whitespace, in programs (defn)
@cindex token, in programs (defn)
@dfn{Whitespace} characters are spaces, newlines, tabs, and page breaks.
Whitespace is used to improve the readability of your programs and to
separate tokens from each other, when necessary.  (A @dfn{token} is an
indivisible lexical unit such as an identifier or number.)  Whitespace
is otherwise insignificant.  Whitespace may occur between any two
tokens, but not within a token.  Whitespace may also occur inside a
string, where it is significant.

@node Delimiters, Identifiers, Whitespace, Lexical Conventions
@subsection Delimiters

@cindex delimiter, in programs (defn)
All whitespace characters are @dfn{delimiters}.  In addition, the
following characters act as delimiters:

@example
(  )  ;  "  '  `  |
@end example

Finally, these next characters act as delimiters, despite the fact that
Scheme does not define any special meaning for them:

@example
[  ]  @{  @}
@end example

For example, if the value of the variable @code{name} is
@code{"max"}:

@example
(list"Hi"name(+ 1 2))                   @result{}  ("Hi" "max" 3)
@end example

@node Identifiers, Uppercase and Lowercase, Delimiters, Lexical Conventions
@subsection Identifiers

@cindex identifier (defn)
An @dfn{identifier} is a sequence of one or more non-delimiter
characters.  Identifiers are used in several ways in Scheme
programs:

@itemize @bullet
@item
An identifier can be used as a variable or as a syntactic keyword.
@cindex variable, identifier as
@cindex syntactic keyword, identifier as

@item
When an identifier appears as a literal or within a literal, it denotes
a symbol.
@cindex literal, identifier as
@end itemize

Scheme accepts most of the identifiers that other programming languages
allow.  MIT/GNU Scheme allows all of the identifiers that standard
Scheme does, plus many more.

MIT/GNU Scheme defines a potential identifier to be a sequence of
non-delimiter characters that does not begin with either of the
characters @samp{#} or @samp{,}.  Any such sequence of characters that
is not a syntactically valid number (@pxref{Numbers}) is considered to
be a valid identifier.  Note that, although it is legal for @samp{#} and
@samp{,} to appear in an identifier (other than in the first character
position), it is poor programming practice.

Here are some examples of identifiers:

@example
@group
lambda             q
list->vector       soup
+                  V17a
<=?                a34kTMNs
the-word-recursion-has-many-meanings
@end group
@end example

@node Uppercase and Lowercase, Naming Conventions, Identifiers, Lexical Conventions
@subsection Uppercase and Lowercase
@cindex uppercase
@cindex lowercase

@cindex alphabetic case-insensitivity of programs (defn)
@cindex case-insensitivity of programs (defn)
@cindex sensitivity, to case in programs (defn)
@cindex insensitivity, to case in programs (defn)
Scheme doesn't distinguish uppercase and lowercase forms of a letter
except within character and string constants; in other words, Scheme is
@dfn{case-insensitive}.  For example, @samp{Foo} is the same identifier
as @samp{FOO}, and @samp{#x1AB} is the same number as @samp{#X1ab}.  But
@samp{#\a} and @samp{#\A} are different characters.

@node Naming Conventions, Comments, Uppercase and Lowercase, Lexical Conventions
@subsection Naming Conventions
@cindex naming conventions
@cindex conventions, naming

@cindex predicate (defn)
@cindex ? in predicate names
A @dfn{predicate} is a procedure that always returns a boolean value
(@code{#t} or @code{#f}).  By convention, predicates usually have names
that end in @samp{?}.

@cindex mutation procedure (defn)
@cindex ! in mutation procedure names
A @dfn{mutation procedure} is a procedure that alters a data structure.
By convention, mutation procedures usually have names that end in
@samp{!}.

@node Comments, Additional Notations, Naming Conventions, Lexical Conventions
@subsection Comments

@cindex comment, in programs (defn)
@cindex semicolon, as external representation
@cindex ; as external representation
The beginning of a comment is indicated with a semicolon (@code{;}).
Scheme ignores everything on a line in which a semicolon appears, from
the semicolon until the end of the line.  The entire comment, including
the newline character that terminates it, is treated as
whitespace.

@cindex extended comment, in programs (defn)
@cindex comment, extended, in programs (defn)
@cindex #| as external representation
An alternative form of comment (sometimes called an @dfn{extended
comment}) begins with the characters @samp{#|} and ends with the
characters @samp{|#}.  This alternative form is an MIT/GNU Scheme extension.
As with ordinary comments, all of the characters in an extended comment,
including the leading @samp{#|} and trailing @samp{|#}, are treated as
whitespace.  Comments of this form may extend over multiple lines, and
additionally may be nested (unlike the comments of the programming
language C, which have a similar syntax).

@example
@group
;;; This is a comment about the FACT procedure.  Scheme
;;; ignores all of this comment.  The FACT procedure computes
;;; the factorial of a non-negative integer.
@end group

@group
#|
This is an extended comment.
Such comments are useful for commenting out code fragments.
|#
@end group

@group
(define fact
  (lambda (n)
    (if (= n 0)                      ;This is another comment:
        1                            ;Base case: return 1
        (* n (fact (- n 1))))))
@end group
@end example

@node Additional Notations,  , Comments, Lexical Conventions
@subsection Additional Notations

@cindex characters, special, in programs
@cindex special characters, in programs
The following list describes additional notations used in Scheme.
@xref{Numbers}, for a description of the notations used for numbers.

@table @code
@item + - .
The plus sign, minus sign, and period are used in numbers, and may also
occur in an identifier.  A delimited period (not occurring within a
number or identifier) is used in the notation for pairs and to indicate
a ``rest'' parameter in a formal parameter list
(@pxref{Lambda Expressions}).

@item ( )
Parentheses are used for grouping and to notate lists (@pxref{Lists}).

@item "
The double quote delimits strings (@pxref{Strings}).

@item \
The backslash is used in the syntax for character constants
(@pxref{Characters}) and as an escape character within string constants
(@pxref{Strings}).

@item ;
The semicolon starts a comment.

@item '
The single quote indicates literal data; it suppresses evaluation
(@pxref{Quoting}).

@item `
The backquote indicates almost-constant data (@pxref{Quoting}).

@item ,
The comma is used in conjunction with the backquote (@pxref{Quoting}).

@item ,@@
A comma followed by an at-sign is used in conjunction with the backquote
(@pxref{Quoting}).

@item #
The sharp (or pound) sign has different uses, depending on the character
that immediately follows it:

@item #t #f
These character sequences denote the boolean constants
(@pxref{Booleans}).

@item #\
This character sequence introduces a character constant
(@pxref{Characters}).

@item #(
This character sequence introduces a vector constant (@pxref{Vectors}).
A close parenthesis, @samp{)}, terminates a vector constant.

@item #e #i #b #o #d #l #s #x
These character sequences are used in the notation for numbers
(@pxref{Numbers}).

@item #|
This character sequence introduces an extended comment.  The comment is
terminated by the sequence @samp{|#}.  This notation is an MIT/GNU Scheme
extension.

@item #!
This character sequence is used to denote a small set of named
constants.  Currently there are only two of these, @code{#!optional} and
@code{#!rest}, both of which are used in the @code{lambda} special form
to mark certain parameters as being ``optional'' or ``rest'' parameters.
This notation is an MIT/GNU Scheme extension.
@findex #!optional
@findex #!rest
@findex lambda

@item #*
This character sequence introduces a bit string (@pxref{Bit Strings}).
This notation is an MIT/GNU Scheme extension.

@item #[
This character sequence is used to denote objects that do not have a
readable external representation (@pxref{Custom Output}).  A close
bracket, @samp{]}, terminates the object's notation.  This notation is
an MIT/GNU Scheme extension.

@item #@@
This character sequence is a convenient shorthand used to refer to
objects by their hash number (@pxref{Custom Output}).  This notation is
an MIT/GNU Scheme extension.

@item #=
@itemx ##
These character sequences introduce a notation used to show circular
structures in printed output, or to denote them in input.  The notation
works much like that in Common Lisp, and is an MIT/GNU Scheme extension.
@end table

@node Expressions,  , Lexical Conventions, Overview
@section Expressions

@cindex expression (defn)
A Scheme @dfn{expression} is a construct that returns a value.  An
expression may be a @emph{literal}, a @emph{variable reference}, a
@emph{special form}, or a @emph{procedure call}.

@menu
* Literal Expressions::         
* Variable References::         
* Special Form Syntax::         
* Procedure Call Syntax::       
@end menu

@node Literal Expressions, Variable References, Expressions, Expressions
@subsection Literal Expressions

@cindex literal expression (defn)
@cindex constant expression (defn)
@cindex expression, literal (defn)
@cindex expression, constant (defn)
@dfn{Literal} constants may be written by using an external
representation of the data.  In general, the external representation
must be @emph{quoted} (@pxref{Quoting}); but some external
representations can be used without quotation.

@example
@group
"abc"                                   @result{}  "abc"
145932                                  @result{}  145932
#t                                      @result{}  #t
#\a                                     @result{}  #\a
@end group
@end example

The external representation of numeric constants, string constants,
character constants, and boolean constants evaluate to the constants
themselves.  Symbols, pairs, lists, and vectors require quoting.

@node Variable References, Special Form Syntax, Literal Expressions, Expressions
@subsection Variable References

@cindex variable reference (defn)
@cindex reference, variable (defn)
@cindex unbound variable
@cindex unassigned variable
An expression consisting of an identifier (@pxref{Identifiers}) is a
@dfn{variable reference}; the identifier is the name of the variable
being referenced.  The value of the variable reference is the value
stored in the location to which the variable is bound.  An error is
signalled if the referenced variable is unbound or unassigned.

@example
@group
(define x 28)
x                                       @result{}  28
@end group
@end example

@node Special Form Syntax, Procedure Call Syntax, Variable References, Expressions
@subsection Special Form Syntax

@example
(@var{keyword} @var{component} @dots{})
@end example

@cindex expression, special form (defn)
@cindex special form (defn)
@cindex form, special (defn)
@cindex keyword, of special form (defn)
@cindex syntactic keyword (defn)
A parenthesized expression that starts with a @dfn{syntactic keyword} is
a @dfn{special form}.  Each special form has its own syntax, which is
described later in the manual.

Note that syntactic keywords and variable bindings share the same
namespace.  A local variable binding may shadow a syntactic keyword, and
a local syntactic-keyword definition may shadow a variable binding.

The following list contains all of the syntactic keywords that are
defined when MIT/GNU Scheme is initialized:

@multitable @columnfractions .33 .33 .33
@item access
@tab and
@tab begin
@item case
@tab cond
@tab cons-stream
@item declare
@tab define
@item define-integrable
@tab define-structure
@tab define-syntax
@item delay
@tab do
@tab er-macro-transformer
@item fluid-let
@tab if
@tab lambda
@item let
@tab let*
@tab let*-syntax
@item let-syntax
@tab letrec
@tab letrec-syntax
@item local-declare
@tab named-lambda
@tab non-hygienic-macro-transformer
@item or
@tab quasiquote
@tab quote
@item rsc-macro-transformer
@tab sc-macro-transformer
@tab set!
@item syntax-rules
@tab the-environment
@end multitable

@node Procedure Call Syntax,  , Special Form Syntax, Expressions
@subsection Procedure Call Syntax

@example
(@var{operator} @var{operand} @dots{})
@end example

@cindex expression, procedure call (defn)
@cindex procedure call (defn)
@cindex operator, of procedure call (defn)
@cindex operand, of procedure call (defn)
A @dfn{procedure call} is written by simply enclosing in parentheses
expressions for the procedure to be called (the @dfn{operator}) and the
arguments to be passed to it (the @dfn{operands}).  The @var{operator}
and @var{operand} expressions are evaluated and the resulting procedure
is passed the resulting arguments.  @xref{Lambda Expressions}, for a
more complete description of this.

@cindex combination (defn)
Another name for the procedure call expression is @dfn{combination}.
This word is more specific in that it always refers to the expression;
``procedure call'' sometimes refers to the @emph{process} of calling a
procedure.

@cindex order, of argument evaluation
@cindex evaluation order, of arguments
@cindex argument evaluation order
Unlike some other dialects of Lisp, Scheme always evaluates the operator
expression and the operand expressions with the same evaluation rules,
and the order of evaluation is unspecified.

@example
@group
(+ 3 4)                                 @result{}  7
((if #f = *) 3 4)                       @result{}  12
@end group
@end example

@findex +
@findex *
@findex lambda
A number of procedures are available as the values of variables in the
initial environment; for example, the addition and multiplication
procedures in the above examples are the values of the variables
@code{+} and @code{*}.  New procedures are created by evaluating
@code{lambda} expressions.

@cindex syntactic keyword
If the @var{operator} is a syntactic keyword, then the expression is not
treated as a procedure call: it is a special form.
