RE: [External] : Re: Names to defun, defvar, defconst

[Drew Adams <drew.adams@oracle.com>]

> > So these are all valid names
> > (defun func1
> > (defvar var2
> > (defconst const3
>
> Of course they are, I believe these kind of names
> are valid in almost every single programming language.

You can use pretty much any chars.  Some chars
(e.g. SPC) you need to escape, with \.  E.g.

 (defun \;not\ a\ comment ()
   (message "A function.")
   42)

This prints "A function." and returns 42:

 (\;not\ a\ comment)

You can't use a keyword name (e.g. `:foo')
with defconst.

You _can_ use a keyword name with defvar, but
it doesn't do anything.  Symbols with keyword
names as their `symbol-name' always evaluate
to themselves.

To me, using defvar with a keyword name should
be a BUG, just as it is with defconst.

(defvar :foo 42 "101010") raises no error, and
evaluating `:foo' as a variable returns `:foo',
not 42, because it's a keyword, i.e., a constant.