private void initializeConstants()
  {
    try
    {
      if (SYMTAB == null) {
        System.err.println("In LispValue, symtab is null!");
        throw new Exception("In LispValue init, symtab is null!");
      }
    } catch (Exception e) {
      System.out.println(e);
      e.printStackTrace();
    }

	// this functions must be registered as symbols:
    intern("BACKQUOTE",    BACKQUOTE); // this is a function, must be registered as symbol
	
    intern("COMMA",        COMMA_FN);
    intern("COMMA-ATSIGN", COMMA_ATSIGN_FN);
    intern("COMMA-DOT",    COMMA_DOT_FN);

//    symbol("T", T);

//    E    = StandardLispValue.real(StrictMath.E);
//    PI   = StandardLispValue.real(StrictMath.PI);

    intern("MACRO",     MACRO);
//    intern("PRIMITIVE", PRIMITIVE);
  }