Common Lisp the Language, 2nd Edition

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# 16.2. Primitive Hash Function

The function `sxhash` is a convenient tool for the user who needs to create more complicated hashed data structures than are provided by `hash-table` objects.

[Function]
`sxhash object`

`sxhash` computes a hash code for an object and returns the hash code as a non-negative fixnum. A property of `sxhash` is that `(equal x y)` implies `(= (sxhash x) (sxhash y))`.

The manner in which the hash code is computed is implementation-dependent but independent of the particular ``incarnation'' or ``core image.'' Hash values produced by `sxhash` may be written out to files, for example, and meaningfully read in again into an instance of the same implementation.