====== Function FUNCALL ====== ====Syntax==== * **funcall** //function ''&rest'' args// → //result''*''// ====Arguments and Values==== * //function// - a //[[CL:Glossary:function designator]]//. * //args// - //[[CL:Glossary:arguments]]// to the //function//. * //results// - the //[[CL:Glossary:value|values]]// returned by the //function//. ====Description==== **funcall** applies //function// to //args//. If //function// is a //[[CL:Glossary:symbol]]//, it is coerced to a //[[CL:Glossary:function]]// as if by finding its //[[CL:Glossary:functional value]]// in the //[[CL:Glossary:global environment]]//. ====Examples==== <blockquote> (funcall #'+ 1 2 3) <r>6</r> (funcall 'car '(1 2 3)) <r>1</r> (funcall 'position 1 '(1 2 3 2 1) :start 1) <r>4</r> (cons 1 2) <r>(1 . 2)</r> (flet ((cons (x y) `(kons ,x ,y))) (let ((cons (symbol-function '+))) (funcall #'cons (funcall 'cons 1 2) (funcall cons 1 2)))) <r>(KONS (1 . 2) 3)</r> </blockquote> ====Affected By==== None. ====Exceptional Situations==== An error of type **[[CL:Types:undefined-function]]** should be signaled if //function// is a //[[CL:Glossary:symbol]]// that does not have a global definition as a //[[CL:Glossary:function]]// or that has a global definition as a //[[CL:Glossary:macro]]// or a //[[CL:Glossary:special operator]]//. ====See Also==== * **[[CL:Functions:apply|Function APPLY]]** * **[[CL:Special Operators:function|Special Operator FUNCTION]]** * {\secref\Evaluation} ====Notes==== <blockquote> (funcall //function// //arg1// //arg2// ...) ≡ (apply //function// //arg1// //arg2// ... nil) ≡ (apply //function// (list //arg1// //arg2// ...)) </blockquote> The difference between **funcall** and an ordinary function call is that in the former case the //function// is obtained by ordinary //[[CL:Glossary:evaluation]]// of a //[[CL:Glossary:form]]//, and in the latter case it is obtained by the special interpretation of the function position that normally occurs. \issue{FUNCTION-TYPE:X3J13-MARCH-88}