SHARP-DOT-READER

Major Section:  OTHER

Example:


ACL2 !>(defconst *a* '(a b c))


Summary
Form:  ( DEFCONST *A* ...)
Rules: NIL
Warnings:  None
Time:  0.00 seconds (prove: 0.00, print: 0.00, other: 0.00)
 *A*
ACL2 !>(quote (1 2 #.*a* 3 4))
(1 2 (A B C) 3 4)
ACL2 !>

The ACL2 reader supports the syntax #.*a* where *a* was defined by defconst. In this case, the reader treats #.*a* as though it were reading the value of *a*. This feature can be useful in conjunction with the use of evisc-table to abbreviate large constants, so that the abbreviation can be read back in; see evisc-table.

Note that the ACL2 reader only supports `#.' as described above, unlike Common Lisp. Older versions (preceding 3.5) used `#.' to abort, but that functionality is now carried out by (a!); see a!.