quote (Special Operator)

Syntax:

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.