SWI-Prolog 10.1.6 Reference Manual: Section A.60

## A.60 library(terms): Term manipulation

Compatibility
  YAP, SICStus, Quintus. Not all versions of this library define exactly the same set of predicates, but defined predicates are compatible.

Compatibility library for term manipulation predicates. Most predicates in this library are provided as SWI-Prolog built-ins.

[det]term_size(@Term, -Size)
  True if Size is the size in cells occupied by Term on the global (term) stack. A cell is 8 bytes. The calculation does take sharing into account and handles cycles correctly. For example:

      ?- A = a(1,2,3), term_size(A,S).
      S = 4.
      ?- A = a(1,2,3), term_size(a(A,A),S).
      S = 7.
      ?- term_size(a(a(1,2,3), a(1,2,3)), S).
      S = 11.

  Note that small objects such as atoms and small integers have a size 0. Space is allocated for floats, large integers, strings and compound terms.

[semidet]variant(@Term1, @Term2)
  Same as SWI-Prolog `Term1 =@= Term2`.
subsumes_chk(@Generic, @Specific)
  True if Generic can be made equivalent to Specific without changing Specific.
  deprecated
    Replace by subsumes_term/2.
subsumes(+Generic, @Specific)
  True if Generic is unified to Specific without changing Specific.
  deprecated
    It turns out that calls to this predicate almost always should have used subsumes_term/2. Also the name is misleading. In case this is really needed, one is adviced to follow subsumes_term/2 with an explicit unification.
[det]term_subsumer(+Special1, +Special2, -General)
  General is the most specific term that is a generalisation of Special1 and Special2. The implementation can handle cyclic terms.
  author
    Inspired by LOGIC.PRO by Stephen Muggleton
  Compatibility
    SICStus
term_factorized(+Term, -Skeleton, -Substiution)
  Is true when Skeleton is Term where all subterms that appear multiple times are replaced by a variable and Substitution is a list of Var=Value that provides the subterm at the location Var. I.e., After unifying all substitutions in Substiutions, Term `==` Skeleton. Term may be cyclic. For example:

      ?- X = a(X), term_factorized(b(X,X), Y, S).
      Y = b(_G255, _G255),
      S = [_G255=a(_G255)].

mapargs(:Goal, ?Term1, ?Term2)
  Term1 and Term2 have the same functor (name/arity) and for each matching pair of arguments `call(Goal, A1, A2)` is true.
[det]mapsubterms(:Goal, +Term1, -Term2)
[det]mapsubterms_var(:Goal, +Term1, -Term2)
  Recursively map sub terms of Term1 into subterms of Term2 for every pair for which `call(Goal, ST1, ST2)` succeeds. Procedurably, the mapping for each (sub) term pair `T1/T2` is defined as:

  - If T1 is a variable

    - mapsubterms/3 unifies T2 with T1.
    - mapsubterms_var/3 treats variables as other terms.

  - If `call(Goal, T1, T2)` succeeds we are done. Note that the mapping does not continue in T2. If this is desired, Goal must call mapsubterms/3 explicitly as part of its conversion.
  - If T1 is a dict, map all values, i.e., the tag and keys are left untouched.
  - If T1 is a list, map all elements, i.e., the list structure is left untouched.
  - If T1 is a compound, use same_functor/3 to instantiate T2 and recurse over the term arguments left to right.
  - Otherwise T2 is unified with T1.

  Both predicates are implemented using foldsubterms/5.

[semidet]foldsubterms(:Goal3, +Term1, +State0, -State)
[semidet]foldsubterms(:Goal4, +Term1, ?Term2, +State0, -State)
  The predicate foldsubterms/5 calls `call(Goal4, SubTerm1, SubTerm2, StateIn, StateOut)` for each subterm, including variables, in Term1. If this call fails, StateIn and StateOut are the same. This predicate may be used to map subterms in a term while collecting state about the mapped subterms. The foldsubterms/4 variant does not map the term.
[semidet]same_functor(?Term1, ?Term2)
[semidet]same_functor(?Term1, ?Term2, -Arity)
[semidet]same_functor(?Term1, ?Term2, ?Name, ?Arity)
  True when Term1 and Term2 are terms that have the same functor (Name/Arity). The arguments must be sufficiently instantiated, which means either Term1 or Term2 must be bound or both Name and Arity must be bound.

  If Arity is 0, Term1 and Term2 are unified with Name for compatibility.

  Compatibility
    SICStus