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<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><title>6 What's the point of splicing-let?</title><link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="scribble.css" title="default" /><link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="racket.css" title="default" /><link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="scribble-style.css" title="default" /><link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="gh.css" title="default" /><script type="text/javascript" src="scribble-common.js"></script><!--[if IE 6]><style type="text/css">.SIEHidden { overflow: hidden; }</style><![endif]--><meta name="keywords" content="Racket,macros,Scheme"><meta name="description" content="Practical Racket macros"><meta name="author" content="Greg Hendershott"><meta name="charset" content="utf-8"><link href='http://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Fenix' rel='stylesheet' type='text/css'><script type="text/javascript">var _gaq = _gaq || [];_gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-29709446-1']);_gaq.push(['_setDomainName', 'greghendershott.com']);_gaq.push(['_trackPageview']);(function() {var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true;ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js';var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s);})();</script></head><body id="scribble-racket-lang-org"><div class="tocset"><div class="tocview"><div class="tocviewlist" style="margin-bottom: 1em;"><div class="tocviewtitle"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tr><td style="width: 1em;"><a href="javascript:void(0);" title="Expand/Collapse" class="tocviewtoggle" onclick="TocviewToggle(this,"tocview_0");">▼</a></td><td></td><td><a href="index.html" class="tocviewlink" data-pltdoc="x">Fear of Macros</a></td></tr></table></div><div class="tocviewsublistonly" style="display: block;" id="tocview_0"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tr><td align="right">1 </td><td><a href="Preface.html" class="tocviewlink" data-pltdoc="x">Preface</a></td></tr><tr><td align="right">2 </td><td><a href="Our_plan_of_attack.html" class="tocviewlink" data-pltdoc="x">Our plan of attack</a></td></tr><tr><td align="right">3 </td><td><a href="Transform_.html" class="tocviewlink" data-pltdoc="x">Transform!</a></td></tr><tr><td align="right">4 </td><td><a href="pattern-matching.html" class="tocviewlink" data-pltdoc="x">Pattern matching:<span class="mywbr"> </span> syntax-<wbr></wbr>case and syntax-<wbr></wbr>rules</a></td></tr><tr><td align="right">5 </td><td><a href="Syntax_parameters.html" class="tocviewlink" data-pltdoc="x">Syntax parameters</a></td></tr><tr><td align="right">6 </td><td><a href="" class="tocviewselflink" data-pltdoc="x">What’s the point of <span class="RktSym"><span class="RktStxLink">splicing-<wbr></wbr>let</span></span>?</a></td></tr><tr><td align="right">7 </td><td><a href="Robust_macros__syntax-parse.html" class="tocviewlink" data-pltdoc="x">Robust macros:<span class="mywbr"> </span> syntax-<wbr></wbr>parse</a></td></tr><tr><td align="right">8 </td><td><a href="References_and_Acknowledgments.html" class="tocviewlink" data-pltdoc="x">References and Acknowledgments</a></td></tr><tr><td align="right">9 </td><td><a href="Epilogue.html" class="tocviewlink" data-pltdoc="x">Epilogue</a></td></tr></table></div></div></div></div><div class="maincolumn"><div class="main"><div class="navsettop"><span class="navleft"> </span><span class="navright"> <a href="Syntax_parameters.html" title="backward to "5 Syntax parameters"" data-pltdoc="x">← prev</a> <a href="index.html" title="up to "Fear of Macros"" data-pltdoc="x">up</a> <a href="Robust_macros__syntax-parse.html" title="forward to "7 Robust macros: syntax-parse"" data-pltdoc="x">next →</a></span> </div><h3>6<tt> </tt><a name="(part._.What_s_the_point_of_splicing-let_)"></a>What’s the point of <span class="RktSym"><a href="http://docs.racket-lang.org/reference/splicing.html#%28form._%28%28lib._racket%2Fsplicing..rkt%29._splicing-let%29%29" class="RktStxLink" data-pltdoc="x">splicing-let</a></span>?</h3><p>I stared at <span class="RktSym">racket/splicing</span> for the longest time. What does
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it do? Why would I use it? Why is it in the Macros section of the
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reference?</p><p>Step one, <span class="strike">cut a hole in the box</span>
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de-mythologize it. For example, using <span class="RktSym"><a href="http://docs.racket-lang.org/reference/splicing.html#%28form._%28%28lib._racket%2Fsplicing..rkt%29._splicing-let%29%29" class="RktStxLink" data-pltdoc="x">splicing-let</a></span> like this:</p><blockquote class="SCodeFlow"><table cellspacing="0" class="RktBlk"><tr><td><span class="stt">> </span><span class="RktPn">(</span><span class="RktSym"><a href="http://docs.racket-lang.org/reference/require.html#%28form._%28%28lib._racket%2Fprivate%2Fbase..rkt%29._require%29%29" class="RktStxLink" data-pltdoc="x">require</a></span><span class="hspace"> </span><span class="RktSym">racket/splicing</span><span class="RktPn">)</span></td></tr><tr><td><table cellspacing="0" class="RktBlk"><tr><td><span class="stt">> </span><span class="RktPn">(</span><span class="RktSym"><a href="http://docs.racket-lang.org/reference/splicing.html#%28form._%28%28lib._racket%2Fsplicing..rkt%29._splicing-let%29%29" class="RktStxLink" data-pltdoc="x">splicing-let</a></span><span class="hspace"> </span><span class="RktPn">(</span><span class="RktPn">[</span><span class="RktSym">x</span><span class="hspace"> </span><span class="RktVal">0</span><span class="RktPn">]</span><span class="RktPn">)</span></td></tr><tr><td><span class="RktPlain"><span class="hspace"> </span></span><span class="hspace"> </span><span class="RktPn">(</span><span class="RktSym"><a href="http://docs.racket-lang.org/reference/define.html#%28form._%28%28lib._racket%2Fprivate%2Fbase..rkt%29._define%29%29" class="RktStxLink" data-pltdoc="x">define</a></span><span class="hspace"> </span><span class="RktPn">(</span><span class="RktSym">get-x</span><span class="RktPn">)</span></td></tr><tr><td><span class="RktPlain"><span class="hspace"> </span></span><span class="hspace"> </span><span class="RktSym">x</span><span class="RktPn">)</span><span class="RktPn">)</span></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td><span class="RktCmt">;</span><span class="RktCmt"> </span><span class="RktCmt">get-x is visible out here:</span></td></tr><tr><td><span class="stt">> </span><span class="RktPn">(</span><span class="RktSym">get-x</span><span class="RktPn">)</span></td></tr><tr><td><p><span class="RktRes">0</span></p></td></tr><tr><td><span class="RktCmt">;</span><span class="RktCmt"> </span><span class="RktCmt">but x is not:</span></td></tr><tr><td><span class="stt">> </span><span class="RktSym">x</span></td></tr><tr><td><p><span class="RktErr">x: undefined;</span></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><span class="RktErr"></span><span class="hspace"> </span><span class="RktErr">cannot reference an identifier before its definition</span></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><span class="RktErr"></span><span class="hspace"> </span><span class="RktErr">in module: 'program</span></p></td></tr></table></blockquote><p>is equivalent to:</p><blockquote class="SCodeFlow"><table cellspacing="0" class="RktBlk"><tr><td><table cellspacing="0" class="RktBlk"><tr><td><span class="stt">> </span><span class="RktPn">(</span><span class="RktSym"><a href="http://docs.racket-lang.org/reference/define.html#%28form._%28%28lib._racket%2Fprivate%2Fbase..rkt%29._define%29%29" class="RktStxLink" data-pltdoc="x">define</a></span><span class="hspace"> </span><span class="RktSym">get-y</span></td></tr><tr><td><span class="RktPlain"><span class="hspace"> </span></span><span class="hspace"> </span><span class="RktPn">(</span><span class="RktSym"><a href="http://docs.racket-lang.org/reference/let.html#%28form._%28%28lib._racket%2Fprivate%2Fletstx-scheme..rkt%29._let%29%29" class="RktStxLink" data-pltdoc="x">let</a></span><span class="hspace"> </span><span class="RktPn">(</span><span class="RktPn">[</span><span class="RktSym">y</span><span class="hspace"> </span><span class="RktVal">0</span><span class="RktPn">]</span><span class="RktPn">)</span></td></tr><tr><td><span class="RktPlain"><span class="hspace"> </span></span><span class="hspace"> </span><span class="RktPn">(</span><span class="RktSym"><a href="http://docs.racket-lang.org/reference/lambda.html#%28form._%28%28lib._racket%2Fprivate%2Fbase..rkt%29._lambda%29%29" class="RktStxLink" data-pltdoc="x">lambda</a></span><span class="hspace"> </span><span class="RktPn">(</span><span class="RktPn">)</span></td></tr><tr><td><span class="RktPlain"><span class="hspace"> </span></span><span class="hspace"> </span><span class="RktSym">y</span><span class="RktPn">)</span><span class="RktPn">)</span><span class="RktPn">)</span></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td><span class="RktCmt">;</span><span class="RktCmt"> </span><span class="RktCmt">get-y is visible out here:</span></td></tr><tr><td><span class="stt">> </span><span class="RktPn">(</span><span class="RktSym">get-y</span><span class="RktPn">)</span></td></tr><tr><td><p><span class="RktRes">0</span></p></td></tr><tr><td><span class="RktCmt">;</span><span class="RktCmt"> </span><span class="RktCmt">but y is not:</span></td></tr><tr><td><span class="stt">> </span><span class="RktSym">y</span></td></tr><tr><td><p><span class="RktErr">y: undefined;</span></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><span class="RktErr"></span><span class="hspace"> </span><span class="RktErr">cannot reference an identifier before its definition</span></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><span class="RktErr"></span><span class="hspace"> </span><span class="RktErr">in module: 'program</span></p></td></tr></table></blockquote><p>This is the classic Lisp/Scheme/Racket idiom sometimes called "let
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over lambda". <span class="refelem"><span class="refcolumn"><span class="refcontent">A
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<a href="http://people.csail.mit.edu/gregs/ll1-discuss-archive-html/msg03277.html">koan</a>
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about closures and objects.</span></span></span> A closure hides <span class="RktSym">y</span>, which can
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only be accessed via <span class="RktSym">get-y</span>.</p><p>So why would we care about the splicing forms? They can be more
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concise, especially when there are multiple body forms:</p><blockquote class="SCodeFlow"><table cellspacing="0" class="RktBlk"><tr><td><span class="stt">> </span><span class="RktPn">(</span><span class="RktSym"><a href="http://docs.racket-lang.org/reference/require.html#%28form._%28%28lib._racket%2Fprivate%2Fbase..rkt%29._require%29%29" class="RktStxLink" data-pltdoc="x">require</a></span><span class="hspace"> </span><span class="RktSym">racket/splicing</span><span class="RktPn">)</span></td></tr><tr><td><table cellspacing="0" class="RktBlk"><tr><td><span class="stt">> </span><span class="RktPn">(</span><span class="RktSym"><a href="http://docs.racket-lang.org/reference/splicing.html#%28form._%28%28lib._racket%2Fsplicing..rkt%29._splicing-let%29%29" class="RktStxLink" data-pltdoc="x">splicing-let</a></span><span class="hspace"> </span><span class="RktPn">(</span><span class="RktPn">[</span><span class="RktSym">x</span><span class="hspace"> </span><span class="RktVal">0</span><span class="RktPn">]</span><span class="RktPn">)</span></td></tr><tr><td><span class="RktPlain"><span class="hspace"> </span></span><span class="hspace"> </span><span class="RktPn">(</span><span class="RktSym"><a href="http://docs.racket-lang.org/reference/define.html#%28form._%28%28lib._racket%2Fprivate%2Fbase..rkt%29._define%29%29" class="RktStxLink" data-pltdoc="x">define</a></span><span class="hspace"> </span><span class="RktPn">(</span><span class="RktSym">inc</span><span class="RktPn">)</span></td></tr><tr><td><span class="RktPlain"><span class="hspace"> </span></span><span class="hspace"> </span><span class="RktPn">(</span><span class="RktSym"><a href="http://docs.racket-lang.org/reference/set_.html#%28form._%28%28quote._~23~25kernel%29._set%21%29%29" class="RktStxLink" data-pltdoc="x">set!</a></span><span class="hspace"> </span><span class="RktSym">x</span><span class="hspace"> </span><span class="RktPn">(</span><span class="RktSym"><a href="http://docs.racket-lang.org/reference/generic-numbers.html#%28def._%28%28quote._~23~25kernel%29._%2B%29%29" class="RktValLink" data-pltdoc="x">+</a></span><span class="hspace"> </span><span class="RktSym">x</span><span class="hspace"> </span><span class="RktVal">1</span><span class="RktPn">)</span><span class="RktPn">)</span><span class="RktPn">)</span></td></tr><tr><td><span class="RktPlain"><span class="hspace"> </span></span><span class="hspace"> </span><span class="RktPn">(</span><span class="RktSym"><a href="http://docs.racket-lang.org/reference/define.html#%28form._%28%28lib._racket%2Fprivate%2Fbase..rkt%29._define%29%29" class="RktStxLink" data-pltdoc="x">define</a></span><span class="hspace"> </span><span class="RktPn">(</span><span class="RktSym">dec</span><span class="RktPn">)</span></td></tr><tr><td><span class="RktPlain"><span class="hspace"> </span></span><span class="hspace"> </span><span class="RktPn">(</span><span class="RktSym"><a href="http://docs.racket-lang.org/reference/set_.html#%28form._%28%28quote._~23~25kernel%29._set%21%29%29" class="RktStxLink" data-pltdoc="x">set!</a></span><span class="hspace"> </span><span class="RktSym">x</span><span class="hspace"> </span><span class="RktPn">(</span><span class="RktSym"><a href="http://docs.racket-lang.org/reference/generic-numbers.html#%28def._%28%28quote._~23~25kernel%29._-%29%29" class="RktValLink" data-pltdoc="x"><span class="nobreak">-</span></a></span><span class="hspace"> </span><span class="RktSym">x</span><span class="hspace"> </span><span class="RktVal">1</span><span class="RktPn">)</span><span class="RktPn">)</span><span class="RktPn">)</span></td></tr><tr><td><span class="RktPlain"><span class="hspace"> </span></span><span class="hspace"> </span><span class="RktPn">(</span><span class="RktSym"><a href="http://docs.racket-lang.org/reference/define.html#%28form._%28%28lib._racket%2Fprivate%2Fbase..rkt%29._define%29%29" class="RktStxLink" data-pltdoc="x">define</a></span><span class="hspace"> </span><span class="RktPn">(</span><span class="RktSym">get</span><span class="RktPn">)</span></td></tr><tr><td><span class="RktPlain"><span class="hspace"> </span></span><span class="hspace"> </span><span class="RktSym">x</span><span class="RktPn">)</span><span class="RktPn">)</span></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></blockquote><p>The splicing variation is more convenient than the usual way:</p><blockquote class="SCodeFlow"><table cellspacing="0" class="RktBlk"><tr><td><table cellspacing="0" class="RktBlk"><tr><td><span class="stt">> </span><span class="RktPn">(</span><span class="RktSym"><a href="http://docs.racket-lang.org/reference/define.html#%28form._%28%28quote._~23~25kernel%29._define-values%29%29" class="RktStxLink" data-pltdoc="x">define-values</a></span><span class="hspace"> </span><span class="RktPn">(</span><span class="RktSym">inc</span><span class="hspace"> </span><span class="RktSym">dec</span><span class="hspace"> </span><span class="RktSym">get</span><span class="RktPn">)</span></td></tr><tr><td><span class="RktPlain"><span class="hspace"> </span></span><span class="hspace"> </span><span class="RktPn">(</span><span class="RktSym"><a href="http://docs.racket-lang.org/reference/let.html#%28form._%28%28lib._racket%2Fprivate%2Fletstx-scheme..rkt%29._let%29%29" class="RktStxLink" data-pltdoc="x">let</a></span><span class="hspace"> </span><span class="RktPn">(</span><span class="RktPn">[</span><span class="RktSym">x</span><span class="hspace"> </span><span class="RktVal">0</span><span class="RktPn">]</span><span class="RktPn">)</span></td></tr><tr><td><span class="RktPlain"><span class="hspace"> </span></span><span class="hspace"> </span><span class="RktPn">(</span><span class="RktSym"><a href="http://docs.racket-lang.org/reference/values.html#%28def._%28%28quote._~23~25kernel%29._values%29%29" class="RktValLink" data-pltdoc="x">values</a></span><span class="hspace"> </span><span class="RktPn">(</span><span class="RktSym"><a href="http://docs.racket-lang.org/reference/lambda.html#%28form._%28%28lib._racket%2Fprivate%2Fbase..rkt%29._lambda%29%29" class="RktStxLink" data-pltdoc="x">lambda</a></span><span class="hspace"> </span><span class="RktPn">(</span><span class="RktPn">)</span><span class="hspace"> </span><span class="RktCmt">;</span><span class="RktCmt"> </span><span class="RktCmt">inc</span></td></tr><tr><td><span class="RktPlain"><span class="hspace"> </span></span><span class="hspace"> </span><span class="RktPn">(</span><span class="RktSym"><a href="http://docs.racket-lang.org/reference/set_.html#%28form._%28%28quote._~23~25kernel%29._set%21%29%29" class="RktStxLink" data-pltdoc="x">set!</a></span><span class="hspace"> </span><span class="RktSym">x</span><span class="hspace"> </span><span class="RktPn">(</span><span class="RktSym"><a href="http://docs.racket-lang.org/reference/generic-numbers.html#%28def._%28%28quote._~23~25kernel%29._%2B%29%29" class="RktValLink" data-pltdoc="x">+</a></span><span class="hspace"> </span><span class="RktVal">1</span><span class="hspace"> </span><span class="RktSym">x</span><span class="RktPn">)</span><span class="RktPn">)</span><span class="RktPn">)</span></td></tr><tr><td><span class="RktPlain"><span class="hspace"> </span></span><span class="hspace"> </span><span class="RktPn">(</span><span class="RktSym"><a href="http://docs.racket-lang.org/reference/lambda.html#%28form._%28%28lib._racket%2Fprivate%2Fbase..rkt%29._lambda%29%29" class="RktStxLink" data-pltdoc="x">lambda</a></span><span class="hspace"> </span><span class="RktPn">(</span><span class="RktPn">)</span><span class="hspace"> </span><span class="RktCmt">;</span><span class="RktCmt"> </span><span class="RktCmt">dec</span></td></tr><tr><td><span class="RktPlain"><span class="hspace"> </span></span><span class="hspace"> </span><span class="RktPn">(</span><span class="RktSym"><a href="http://docs.racket-lang.org/reference/set_.html#%28form._%28%28quote._~23~25kernel%29._set%21%29%29" class="RktStxLink" data-pltdoc="x">set!</a></span><span class="hspace"> </span><span class="RktSym">x</span><span class="hspace"> </span><span class="RktPn">(</span><span class="RktSym"><a href="http://docs.racket-lang.org/reference/generic-numbers.html#%28def._%28%28quote._~23~25kernel%29._-%29%29" class="RktValLink" data-pltdoc="x"><span class="nobreak">-</span></a></span><span class="hspace"> </span><span class="RktVal">1</span><span class="hspace"> </span><span class="RktSym">x</span><span class="RktPn">)</span><span class="RktPn">)</span><span class="RktPn">)</span></td></tr><tr><td><span class="RktPlain"><span class="hspace"> </span></span><span class="hspace"> </span><span class="RktPn">(</span><span class="RktSym"><a href="http://docs.racket-lang.org/reference/lambda.html#%28form._%28%28lib._racket%2Fprivate%2Fbase..rkt%29._lambda%29%29" class="RktStxLink" data-pltdoc="x">lambda</a></span><span class="hspace"> </span><span class="RktPn">(</span><span class="RktPn">)</span><span class="hspace"> </span><span class="RktCmt">;</span><span class="RktCmt"> </span><span class="RktCmt">get</span></td></tr><tr><td><span class="RktPlain"><span class="hspace"> </span></span><span class="hspace"> </span><span class="RktSym">x</span><span class="RktPn">)</span><span class="RktPn">)</span><span class="RktPn">)</span><span class="RktPn">)</span></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></blockquote><p>When there are many body forms—<wbr></wbr>and we’re generating them in a
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macro—<wbr></wbr>the splicing variations can be much easier.</p><div class="navsetbottom"><span class="navleft"> </span><span class="navright"> <a href="Syntax_parameters.html" title="backward to "5 Syntax parameters"" data-pltdoc="x">← prev</a> <a href="index.html" title="up to "Fear of Macros"" data-pltdoc="x">up</a> <a href="Robust_macros__syntax-parse.html" title="forward to "7 Robust macros: syntax-parse"" data-pltdoc="x">next →</a></span> </div></div></div><div id="contextindicator"> </div></body></html> |