racket/collects/scribblings/guide/module-syntax.scrbl
2010-04-27 14:09:51 -06:00

124 lines
4.2 KiB
Racket

#lang scribble/doc
@(require scribble/manual
scribble/eval
"guide-utils.ss")
@(define cake-eval (make-base-eval))
@title{Module Syntax}
The @litchar{#lang} at the start of a module file begins a shorthand
for a @racket[module] form, much like @litchar{'} is a shorthand for a
@racket[quote] form. Unlike @litchar{'}, the @litchar{#lang}
shorthand does not work well in a @tech{REPL}, in part because it must be
terminated by an end-of-file, but also because the longhand expansion
of @litchar{#lang} depends on the name of the enclosing file.
@;------------------------------------------------------------------------
@section[#:tag "module-syntax"]{The @racket[module] Form}
The longhand form of a module declaration, which works in a
@tech{REPL} as well as a file, is
@specform[
(module name-id initial-module-path
decl ...)
]
where the @racket[_name-id] is a name for the module,
@racket[_initial-module-path] is an initial import, and each
@racket[_decl] is an import, export, definition, or expression. In
the case of a file, @racket[_name-id] must match the name of the
containing file, minus its directory path or file extension.
The @racket[_initial-module-path] is needed because even the
@racket[require] form must be imported for further use in the module
body. In other words, the @racket[_initial-module-path] import
bootstraps the syntax available in the body. The most commonly used
@racket[_initial-module-path] is @racketmodname[racket], which supplies most
of the bindings described in this guide, including @racket[require],
@racket[define], and @racket[provide]. Another commonly used
@racket[_initial-module-path] is @racketmodname[racket/base], which provides
less functionality, but still much of the most commonly needed
functions and syntax.
For example, the @filepath{cake.rkt} example of the
@seclink["module-basics"]{previous section} could be written as
@racketblock+eval[
#:eval cake-eval
(module cake racket
(provide print-cake)
(define (print-cake n)
(printf " ~a \n" (make-string n #\.))
(printf " .-~a-.\n" (make-string n #\|))
(printf " | ~a |\n" (make-string n #\space))
(printf "---~a---\n" (make-string n #\-))))
]
Furthermore, this @racket[module] form can be evaluated in a
@tech{REPL} to declare a @racket[cake] module that is not associated
with any file. To refer to such an unassociated module, quote the
module name:
@examples[
#:eval cake-eval
(require 'cake)
(eval:alts (print-cake 3) (eval '(print-cake 3)))
]
Declaring a module does not immediately evaluate the body definitions
and expressions of the module. The module must be explicitly
@racket[require]d at the top level to trigger evaluation. After
evaluation is triggered once, later @racket[require]s do not
re-evaluate the module body.
@examples[
(module hi racket
(printf "Hello\n"))
(require 'hi)
(require 'hi)
]
@;------------------------------------------------------------------------
@section[#:tag "hash-lang"]{The @racketmodfont{#lang} Shorthand}
The body of a @racketmodfont{#lang} shorthand has no specific syntax,
because the syntax is determined by the language name that follows
@racketmodfont{#lang}.
In the case of @racketmodfont{#lang} @racketmodname[racket], the syntax
is
@racketmod[
racket
_decl ...]
which reads the same as
@racketblock[
(module _name racket
_decl ...)
]
where @racket[_name] is derived from the name of the file that
contains the @racketmodfont{#lang} form.
The @racketmodfont{#lang} @racketmodname[racket/base] form has the same
syntax as @racketmodfont{#lang} @racketmodname[racket], except that
the longhand expansion uses @racketmodname[racket/base] instead of
@racketmodname[racket]. The @racketmodfont{#lang} @racket[honu] form, in
contrast, has a completely different syntax that doesn't even look
like Racket, and which we do not attempt to describe in this guide.
Unless otherwise specified, a module that is documented as a
``language'' using the @racketmodfont{#lang} notation will expand to
@racket[module] in the same way as @racketmodfont{#lang}
@racketmodname[racket]. The documented language name can be used
directly with @racket[module] or @racket[require], too.
@; ----------------------------------------------------------------------
@close-eval[cake-eval]