When a generic function is called, multiple-dispatch will determine the correct method to use.

Additionally special generic functions can be defined to write or read values of slots.

Many scholars take the name of the poet to be indicative of a generic function.

Define a generic function with two parameters object-1 and object-2.

Methods belonging to the generic function are defined outside of classes.

Common Lisp can also retrieve individual methods from the generic function.

New Flavors also provided generic functions, but only single dispatch.

A generic function acts differently depending on the type of arguments passed to it.

Linking a particular generic function to a method in a class is accomplished this way:

New Flavors replaced message sending with calling generic functions.