\Header{name}{Variable Names or Symbols, respectively}
\alias{as.name}{name}
\alias{as.symbol}{name}
\alias{is.name}{name}
\alias{is.symbol}{name}
\keyword{programming}{name}
\keyword{attribute}{name}
\begin{Description}\relax
\code{as.symbol} coerces its argument to be a \emph{symbol}, or
equivalently, a \emph{name}.  The argument must
be of mode \code{"character"}.  \code{as.name} is a
\code{\Link{.Alias}} for \code{as.symbol}.

\code{is.symbol} (and \code{is.name} equivalently) returns \code{TRUE}
or \code{FALSE} depending on whether its argument is a symbol
(i.e. name) or not.\end{Description}
\begin{Usage}
\begin{verbatim}
as.symbol(x)
is.symbol(y)

as.name(x)
is.name(y)
\end{verbatim}
\end{Usage}
\begin{Note}\relax
The term ``symbol'' is from the lisp background of \R, whereas ``name''
has been the standard S term for this.\end{Note}
\begin{SeeAlso}\relax
\code{\Link{call}}, \code{\Link{is.language}}. For the internal
object mode, \code{\Link{typeof}}.\end{SeeAlso}
\begin{Examples}
\begin{ExampleCode}
an <- as.name("arrg")
is.name(an) # TRUE
str(an)# symbol
\end{ExampleCode}
\end{Examples}

