Using AND with the apply function in Scheme

Question

Why doesn\'t the following work?

(apply and (list #t #t #f))

While the following works just fine.

(apply + (list 1 3 2))
         


        

Answer 1

I also bump into this problem playing with PLT-Scheme 372, I have digged into the behavior of and-syntax, and figure out the follow code which works just as if one would intuitively expect (apply and lst) to return, but I haven't done exaustive test.

(define (list-and lst) 
  (cond 
    ((null? lst) '())
    ((not (pair? lst)) (and lst)) 
    ((eq? (length lst) 1) (car lst))
    (else
     (and (car lst)
          (list-and (cdr lst))))
    )
  )

Welcome to DrScheme, version 372 [3m].
Language: Textual (MzScheme, includes R5RS).

> (eq? (and '()) (list-and '()))
#t
> (eq? (and '#f) (list-and (list '#f)))
#t
> (eq? (and 'a) (list-and (list 'a)))
#t
> (eq? (and 'a 'b) (list-and (list 'a 'b)))
#t
> (eq? (and 'a 'b '()) (list-and (list 'a 'b '())))
#t
> (eq? (and 'a 'b '#t) (list-and (list 'a 'b '#t)))
#t
> (eq? (and 'a 'b '#f) (list-and (list 'a 'b '#f)))
#t

I've also figured out another mind-trapping workaround. I call it mind-trapping because at first I don't know how to turn it into a function... Here it is (only a demo of my intuitive idea):

Welcome to DrScheme, version 372 [3m].
Language: Textual (MzScheme, includes R5RS).
> (eval (cons 'and (list ''#f ''#f ''#t)))
#f
> (eval (cons 'and (list ''a ''b ''c)))
c

But later I asked a question and got the answer here: Is it possible to generate (quote (quote var)) or ''var dynamically? . With this answer one can easily turn the above idea into a function.

(define (my-quote lst)
  (map (lambda (x) `'',x) lst))

(cons 'and (my-quote (list 'a 'b 'c)))
=> '(and ''a ''b ''c)