====== Function LAST ====== ====Syntax==== * **last** //list ''&optional'' n// → //tail// ====Arguments and Values==== * //list// - a //[[CL:Glossary:list]]//, which might be a //[[CL:Glossary:dotted list]]// but must not be a //[[CL:Glossary:circular list]]//. * //n// - a non-negative //[[CL:Glossary:integer]]//. The default is ''1.'' * //tail// - an //[[CL:Glossary:object]]//. ====Description==== **last** returns the last //n// //[[CL:Glossary:cons|conses]]// (not the last //n// elements) of //list//). If //list// is **[[CL:Constant Variables:nil]]**, **last** returns **[[CL:Constant Variables:nil]]**. If //n// is zero, the atom that terminates //list// is returned. If //n// is greater than or equal to the number of //[[CL:Glossary:cons]]// cells in //list//, the result is //list//. ====Examples==== <blockquote> (last nil) <r>[[CL:Constant Variable:nil|NIL]]</r> (last '(1 2 3)) <r>(3)</r> (last '(1 2 . 3)) <r>(2 . 3)</r> ([[CL:Macros:defparameter]] *x* (list 'a 'b 'c 'd)) <r>*X*</r> (last *x*) <r>(D)</r> ([[CL:Functions:rplacd]] (last *x*) (list 'e 'f)) <r>(D E F)</r> *x* <r>(A B C D E F)</r> (last *x*) <r>(F)</r> (last '(a b c)) <r>(C)</r> (last '(a b c) 0) <r>[[CL:Constant Variable:nil|NIL]]</r> (last '(a b c) 1) <r>(C)</r> (last '(a b c) 2) <r>(B C)</r> (last '(a b c) 3) <r>(A B C)</r> (last '(a b c) 4) <r>(A B C)</r> (last '(a . b) 0) <r>B</r> (last '(a . b) 1) <r>(A . B)</r> (last '(a . b) 2) <r>(A . B)</r> </blockquote> ====Side Effects==== None. ====Affected By==== None. ====Exceptional Situations==== The consequences are undefined if //list// is a //[[CL:Glossary:circular list]]//. Should signal an error of type type-error if //n// is not a non-negative //[[CL:Glossary:integer]]//. ====See Also==== **[[CL:Functions:butlast|Function BUTLAST]]**, **[[CL:Functions:nth|Function NTH]]** ====Example Implementation==== The following code could be used to define **last**. <blockquote> ([[CL:Macros:defun]] last (list &optional (n 1)) ([[CL:Macros:check-type]] n ([[CL:Types:integer]] 0)) ([[CL:Macros:do]] ((l list ([[CL:Functions:cdr]] l)) (r list) (i 0 ([[CL:Functionc:1-plus|1+]] i))) (([[CL:Functions:atom]] l) r) ([[CL:Special Operators:if]] ([[CL:Functions:greater-equal|>=]] i n) ([[CL:Macros:pop]] r)))) </blockquote> ====Notes==== None. \issue{LAST-N} \issue{DOTTED-LIST-ARGUMENTS:CLARIFY}