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∂20-Oct-87  1353	Moon@STONY-BROOK.SCRC.Symbolics.COM 	documentation documentation 
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Date: Tue, 20 Oct 87 16:54 EDT
From: SKeene@STONY-BROOK.SCRC.Symbolics.COM, Moon@STONY-BROOK.SCRC.Symbolics.COM
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Subject: documentation documentation
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\begincom{documentation}\ftype{Generic Function}

\label Purpose:

The Common Lisp function {\bf documentation} is replaced by a generic
function.  The generic function {\bf documentation} returns the
documentation string associated with the given object if it is
available; otherwise it returns {\bf nil}.

\label Syntax:

\Defgen documentation {x {\opt} doc-type}

\label Arguments:

The first argument is either a symbol, a list such as {\tt (setf {\it
symbol\/})}, a method object, a class object, or a generic function
object.

If the first argument is a method object, a class object, or a generic
function object, the second argument must not be supplied.  {\bf
documentation} returns the documentation string of that object.
 
If the first argument is a symbol or a list, the second argument must be
supplied.   The {\it doc-type\/} argument is a symbol.  It can be one
of the following types: {\bf variable}, {\bf function}, {\bf structure},
{\bf type}, {\bf setf}, and {\bf method-combination}.  The generic
function {\bf documentation} returns the documentation string of the
given type.

{\tt (documentation {\it symbol\/} 'type)} returns the documentation
string of the class object named by the symbol, if there is such a
class.   Otherwise it returns the documentation string of the type
specifier named by the symbol. 

{\tt (documentation {\it symbol-or-list\/} 'function)} returns the
documentation string of the function, generic function, special form, or
macro named by the symbol or list.

{\tt (documentation {\it symbol\/} 'method-combination)} returns the
documentation string of the method combination type named by the
symbol.  

{\tt (documentation {\it symbol\/} 'setf)} returns the documentation
string of the {\bf defsetf} or {\bf define-setf-method} associated with
the symbol.
  
\label Values:

The documentation string associated with the given object is returned
unless none is available, in which case {\bf documentation} returns
{\bf nil}.

\label Remarks:

The macro {\bf setf} can be used with {\bf documentation} to update the
documentation. 

\endcom