Joe Corneli <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote on Tue, 23 Aug 2005 23:50:46 -0500:
> Why is it that > (setq a (gensym)) ;=> G2007 > a ;=> G2007 > (equal a 'G2007) ;=> nil > while > (setq a 'foo) ;=> foo > a ;=> foo > (equal a 'foo) ;=> t > ? This is because your gensymmed symbol, 'G2007, has only been "half-created". It hasn't been "interned" in the "obarray", the structure which holds (almost) all symbols - that 'G2007 is a free-floating symbol. When you do (equal a 'G2007), this _creates_ a full-bloodied industrial-strength NEW _interned_ symbol G2007, since there wasn't already such a symbol in the obarray. This is distinct from your gensymmed one. That is, in fact, the whole point of gensym - to create a symbol distinct from any other symbol which ever has been or ever will be. You asked for it, you got it! If you want to actually _use_ it, you'll need something like (symbol-value a) Look up `gensym' in the CL manual, and `intern' in the Elisp manual. -- Alan Mackenzie (Munich, Germany) Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; to decode, wherever there is a repeated letter (like "aa"), remove half of them (leaving, say, "a"). _______________________________________________ Help-gnu-emacs mailing list Help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org http://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/help-gnu-emacs
