+SCM parse_symbol_list (char const *);
+
+inline SCM ly_cdr (SCM x) { return SCM_CDR (x); }
+inline SCM ly_car (SCM x) { return SCM_CAR (x); }
+inline SCM ly_caar (SCM x) { return SCM_CAAR (x); }
+inline SCM ly_cdar (SCM x) { return SCM_CDAR (x); }
+inline SCM ly_cadr (SCM x) { return SCM_CADR (x); }
+inline SCM ly_cddr (SCM x) { return SCM_CDDR (x); }
+inline SCM ly_caddr (SCM x) { return SCM_CADDR (x); }
+inline SCM ly_cdadr (SCM x) { return SCM_CDADR (x); }
+inline SCM ly_caadr (SCM x) { return SCM_CAADR (x); }
+/* inserts at front, removing dublicates */
+inline SCM ly_assoc_front_x(SCM alist, SCM key, SCM val)
+{
+ return scm_acons(key, val, scm_assoc_remove_x (alist, key));
+}
+#ifdef PARANOID
+#define gh_pair_p ly_pair_p
+bool ly_pair_p (SCM x);
+#else
+inline bool ly_pair_p (SCM x) { return SCM_NFALSEP (scm_pair_p (x)); }
+#endif
+inline bool ly_symbol_p (SCM x) { return SCM_SYMBOLP (x); }
+inline bool ly_number_p (SCM x) { return SCM_NUMBERP (x); }
+inline bool ly_procedure_p (SCM x) { return SCM_NFALSEP (scm_procedure_p(x)); }
+