Inheritance structure of metaobject classes

The inheritance structure of the specified metaobject classes is shown in the table below (FIXME: insert anchor).

Direct superclass relationships among the specified metaobject classes. The class of every class shown is standard-class except for the class `t` which is an instance of the class built-in-class and the classes generic-function and standard-generic-function which are instances of the class funcallable-standard-class.
	Metaobject Class	Direct Superclasses
	`standard-object`	`(t)`
	`funcallable-standard-object`	`(standard-object function)`
*	`metaobject`	`(standard-object)`
*	`generic-function`	`(metaobject funcallable-standard-object)`
	`standard-generic-function`	`(generic-function)`
*	`method`	`(metaobject)`
	`standard-method`	`(method)`
*	`standard-accessor-method`	`(standard-method)`
	`standard-reader-method`	`(standard-accessor-method)`
	`standard-writer-method`	`(standard-accessor-method)`
*	`method-combination`	`(metaobject)`
*	`slot-definition`	`(metaobject)`
*	`direct-slot-definition`	`(slot-definition)`
*	`effective-slot-definition`	`(slot-definition)`
*	`standard-slot-definition`	`(slot-definition)`
	`standard-direct-slot-definition`	`(standard-slot-definition direct-slot-definition)`
	`standard-effective-slot-definition`	`(standard-slot-definition effective-slot-definition)`
*	`specializer`	`(metaobject)`
	`eql-specializer`	`(specializer)`
*	`class`	`(specializer)`
	`built-in-class`	`(class)`
	`forward-referenced-class`	`(class)`
	`standard-class`	`(class)`
	`funcallable-standard-class`	`(class)`

Each class marked with a ``*'' is an abstract class and is not intended to be instantiated. The results are undefined if an attempt is made to make an instance of one of these classes with make-instance.

The classes standard-class, standard-direct-slot-definition, standard-effective-slot-definition, standard-method, standard-reader-method, standard-writer-method, and standard-generic-function are called standard metaobject classes. For each kind of metaobject, this is the class the user interface macros presented in the CLOS Specification use by default. These are also the classes on which user specializations are normally based.

The classes built-in-class, funcallable-standard-class and forward-referenced-class are special-purpose class metaobject classes. Built-in classes are instances of the class built-in-class. The class funcallable-standard-class provides a special kind of instances described in the section called ``Funcallable Instances.'' When the definition of a class references another class which has not yet been defined, an instance of forward-referenced-class is used as a stand-in until the class is actually defined.

The class standard-object is the default direct superclass of the class standard-class. When an instance of the class standard-class is created, and no direct superclasses are explicitly specified, it defaults to the class standard-object. In this way, any behavior associated with the class standard-object will be inherited, directly or indirectly, by all instances of the class standard-class. A subclass of standard-class may have a different class as its default direct superclass, but that class must be a subclass of the class standard-object.

The same is true for funcallable-standard-class and funcallable-standard-object.

The class specializer captures only the most basic behavior of method specializers, and is not itself intended to be instantiated. The class class is a direct subclass of specializer reflecting the property that classes by themselves can be used as method specializers. The class eql-specializer is used for eql specializers.

Implementation and user specialization.
- Restrictions on implementations
- Restrictions on portable programs

Note:

Taken literally, this page suggests that the metaclass of funcallable-standard-object is standard-class, but we think that is a mistake, and that the metaclass should be funcallable-standard-class instead.