Part IV. Reference · this page as markdown

Other spellings

The reader takes more forms than the table lists, each read as one the table has. These are the same table the language's own page shows:

Written	Read as
`(when t a b)`	`(if t (do a b) nil)`
`(when-not t a)`, `(if-not t a b)`	`(if (not t) …)`
`(if-let [x e] a b)`, `(when-let …)`, `(if-some …)`	`(let [x e] (if x a b))`
`(-> x (f a))`, `(->> x (f a))`, `(as-> …)`	`(f x a)`, `(f a x)`, a `let`
`(some-> …)`, `(cond-> …)`	`let` and `if`
`#(+ % 1)`	`(fn [p1] (+ p1 1))`
`(:k m)`	`(get m :k)`
`(#{"a" "b"} x)`	`(get #{"a" "b"} x)`
`(let [[a b] l] …)`, `{:keys [a]}`	`(nth l 0 nil)`, `(get m :a)`
`(doseq [x l] …)`, `(dotimes [i n] …)`	`(run! (fn [x] …) l)`
`(for [x l] e)`	`(map (fn [x] e) l)`
`(condp = x 1 a b)`	`(let […] (cond (= 1 x) a :else b))`
`'(1 2)`	`(list 1 2)`

A worked-out step #

The home's words, and design and defdance, take their values written out. To work one out, the form is:

#spelling-check

(apply roof (check "a label" :roof {:pitch (+ 30 10)}))

check takes a label (any short text), the step's own name as a keyword, and a map of its fields; it holds the fields to the same rules as when they're written out, and answers what the word takes. The steps and their fields: :roof (:type, :pitch, :overhang, :mass), :floor (:room, :material, :colour), :window_box (:side, :colours), :paint (:what, :shade), :room (:name, :x, :z, :width, :depth, :level), :porch (:porch_depth), :draw_design (:name, :palette, :rows) and :make_dance (:name, :moves, :title). Chapter 15 has it at work.

What comes back when a toy is read #

A toy is kept as Lisp written in the plainest spelling of each form, so a toy read back with check (what toy_lisp) may be spelt differently from how it was sent, and means the same:

(:k m) comes back (get m :k).
when comes back as an if with nil for otherwise, and when-not as an if of not.
A verb's body of several forms comes back with each in a (do …).
#(…) comes back as a fn, its % named.
Taking apart ([a b], {:keys [k]}) comes back as the gets and nths it stands for.
Notes after ; are gone; the layout is a part a line.

Sent back unchanged, the text makes the same toy.