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<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><title>T</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="../../jargon.css" type="text/css"/><meta name="generator" content="DocBook XSL Stylesheets V1.61.0"/><link rel="home" href="../index.html" title="The Jargon File"/><link rel="up" href="../T.html" title="T"/><link rel="previous" href="../T.html" title="T"/><link rel="next" href="tail-recursion.html" title="tail recursion"/></head><body><div class="navheader"><table width="100%" summary="Navigation header"><tr><th colspan="3" align="center">T</th></tr><tr><td width="20%" align="left"><a accesskey="p" href="../T.html">Prev</a> </td><th width="60%" align="center">T</th><td width="20%" align="right"> <a accesskey="n" href="tail-recursion.html">Next</a></td></tr></table><hr/></div><dt><a id="T"/><dt xmlns="" id="T"><b>T</b>: <span xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" class="pronunciation">/T/</span></dt></dt><dd><p> 1. [from LISP terminology for &#8216;true&#8217;] Yes. Used in
reply to a question (particularly one asked using <a href="../p-convention.html" title="The -P Convention">The -P convention</a>). In LISP, the constant T
means &#8216;true&#8217;, among other things. Some Lisp hackers use
&#8216;T&#8217; and &#8216;NIL&#8217; instead of &#8216;Yes&#8217; and
&#8216;No&#8217; almost reflexively. This sometimes causes
misunderstandings. When a waiter or flight attendant asks whether a hacker
wants coffee, he may absently respond &#8216;T&#8217;, meaning that he
wants coffee; but of course he will be brought a cup of tea instead.
Fortunately, most hackers (particularly those who frequent Chinese
restaurants) like tea at least as well as coffee &#8212; so it is not that
big a problem. </p></dd><dd><p> 2. See <a href="time-T.html"><i class="glossterm">time T</i></a> (also
<a href="../S/since-time-T-equals-minus-infinity.html"><i class="glossterm">since time T equals minus infinity</i></a>). </p></dd><dd><p> 3. [techspeak] In transaction-processing circles, an abbreviation
for the noun &#8216;transaction&#8217;. </p></dd><dd><p> 4. [Purdue] Alternate spelling of <a href="tee.html"><i class="glossterm">tee</i></a>.
</p></dd><dd><p> 5. A dialect of <a href="../L/LISP.html"><i class="glossterm">LISP</i></a> developed at
Yale. (There is an intended allusion to NIL, &#8220;<span class="quote">New Implementation of
Lisp</span>&#8221;, another dialect of Lisp developed for the
<a href="../V/VAX.html"><i class="glossterm">VAX</i></a>)</p></dd><div class="navfooter"><hr/><table width="100%" summary="Navigation footer"><tr><td width="40%" align="left"><a accesskey="p" href="../T.html">Prev</a> </td><td width="20%" align="center"><a accesskey="u" href="../T.html">Up</a></td><td width="40%" align="right"> <a accesskey="n" href="tail-recursion.html">Next</a></td></tr><tr><td width="40%" align="left" valign="top">T </td><td width="20%" align="center"><a accesskey="h" href="../index.html">Home</a></td><td width="40%" align="right" valign="top"> tail recursion</td></tr></table></div></body></html>