The COMMON-LISP Package (ANSI and GNU Common Lisp Document)

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#### 11.1.2.1 The COMMON-LISP Package

The `COMMON-LISP` package contains the primitives of the Common Lisp system as defined by this specification. Its external symbols include all of the defined names (except for defined names in the `KEYWORD` package) that are present in the Common Lisp system, such as car, cdr, *package*, etc. The `COMMON-LISP` package has the nickname `CL`.

The `COMMON-LISP` package has as external symbols those symbols enumerated in the figures in Symbols in the COMMON-LISP Package, and no others. These external symbols are present in the `COMMON-LISP` package but their home package need not be the `COMMON-LISP` package.

For example, the symbol `HELP` cannot be an external symbol of the `COMMON-LISP` package because it is not mentioned in Symbols in the COMMON-LISP Package. In contrast, the symbol variable must be an external symbol of the `COMMON-LISP` package even though it has no definition because it is listed in that section (to support its use as a valid second argument to the function documentation).

The `COMMON-LISP` package can have additional internal symbols.