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#### 3.8.7 quote [Special Operator]

`quote` object ⇒ object

#### 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::

Evaluation, Single-Quote,

Compiler Terminology

#### Notes::

The textual notation `'object` is equivalent to `(quote object)`; see 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.