CLHS: Function CHAR-NAME

#

Function CHAR-NAME

Syntax:

char-name character => name

Arguments and Values:

character---a character.

name---a string or nil.

Description:

Returns a string that is the name of the character, or nil if the character has no name.

All non-graphic characters are required to have names unless they have some implementation-defined attribute which is not null. Whether or not other characters have names is implementation-dependent.

The standard characters <Newline> and <Space> have the respective names `"Newline"` and `"Space"`. The semi-standard characters <Tab>, <Page>, <Rubout>, <Linefeed>, <Return>, and <Backspace> (if they are supported by the implementation) have the respective names `"Tab"`, `"Page"`, `"Rubout"`, `"Linefeed"`, `"Return"`, and `"Backspace"` (in the indicated case, even though name lookup by ```#\`'' and by the function name-char is not case sensitive).

Examples:

     (char-name #\ ) =>  "Space"
     (char-name #\Space) =>  "Space"
     (char-name #\Page) =>  "Page"

     (char-name #\a)
    =>  NIL
    OR=>  "LOWERCASE-a"
    OR=>  "Small-A"
    OR=>  "LA01"

     (char-name #\A)
    =>  NIL
    OR=>  "UPPERCASE-A"
    OR=>  "Capital-A"
    OR=>  "LA02"

     ;; Even though its CHAR-NAME can vary, #\A prints as #\A
     (prin1-to-string (read-from-string (format nil "#\\~A" (or (char-name #\A) "A"))))
    =>  "#\\A"

Affected By: None.

Exceptional Situations:

Should signal an error of type type-error if character is not a character.

See Also:

name-char, Section 22.1.3.2 (Printing Characters)

Notes:

Non-graphic characters having names are written by the Lisp printer as ```#\`'' followed by the their name; see Section 22.1.3.2 (Printing Characters).

The following X3J13 cleanup issue, not part of the specification, applies to this section:

- CHAR-NAME-CASE:X3J13-MAR-91

Copyright 1996-2001, Xanalys Inc. All rights reserved.