Syntax:

funcall function &rest args => result*

Arguments and Values:

function---a function designator.

args---arguments to the function.

results---the values returned by the function.

Description:

funcall applies function to args. If function is a symbol, it is coerced to a function as if by finding its functional value in the global environment.

Examples:

 (funcall #'+ 1 2 3) =>  6
 (funcall 'car '(1 2 3)) =>  1
 (funcall 'position 1 '(1 2 3 2 1) :start 1) =>  4
 (cons 1 2) =>  (1 . 2)
 (flet ((cons (x y) `(kons ,x ,y)))
   (let ((cons (symbol-function '+)))
     (funcall #'cons
              (funcall 'cons 1 2)
              (funcall cons 1 2))))
=>  (KONS (1 . 2) 3)

Affected By: None.

Exceptional Situations:

An error of type undefined-function should be signaled if function is a symbol that does not have a global definition as a function or that has a global definition as a macro or a special operator.

See Also:

apply, function, Section 3.1 (Evaluation)

Notes:

 (funcall function arg1 arg2 ...)
 ==  (apply function arg1 arg2 ... nil)
 ==  (apply function (list arg1 arg2 ...))

The difference between funcall and an ordinary function call is that in the former case the function is obtained by ordinary evaluation of a form, and in the latter case it is obtained by the special interpretation of the function position that normally occurs.

• FUNCTION-TYPE:X3J13-MARCH-88