Janet 1.6.0-da93a73 Documentation
(Other Versions: 1.5.1 1.5.0 1.4.0 1.3.1)

Bindings (def and var)

Values can be bound to symbols for later use using the keyword def. Using undefined symbols will raise an error.

Hello

(def a 100)
(def b (+ 1 a))
(def c (+ b b))
(def d (- c 100))

Bindings created with def have lexical scoping. Also, bindings created with def are immutable; they cannot be changed after definition. For mutable bindings, like variables in other programming languages, use the var keyword. The assignment special form set can then be used to update a var.

(def a 100)
(var myvar 1)
(print myvar)
(set myvar 10)
(print myvar)

In the global scope, you can use the :private option on a def or var to prevent it from being exported to code that imports your current module. You can also add documentation to a function by passing a string the def or var command.

(def mydef :private "This will have private scope. My doc here." 123)
(var myvar "docstring here" 321)

Scopes

Defs and vars (collectively known as bindings) live inside what is called a scope. A scope is simply where the bindings are valid. If a binding is referenced outside of its scope, the compiler will throw an error. Scopes are useful for organizing your bindings and they can expand your programs. There are two main ways to create a scope in Janet.

The first is to use the do special form. do executes a series of statements in a scope and evaluates to the last statement. Bindings create inside the form do not escape outside of its scope.

(def a :outera)

(do
 (def a 1)
 (def b 2)
 (def c 3)
 (+ a b c)) # -> 6

a # -> :outera
b # -> compile error: "unknown symbol \"b\""
c # -> compile error: "unknown symbol \"c\""

Any attempt to reference the bindings from the do form after it has finished executing will fail. Also notice who defining a inside the do form did not overwrite the original definition of a for the global scope.

The second way to create a scope is to create a closure. The fn special form also introduces a scope just like the do special form.

There is another built in macro, let, that does multiple defs at once, and then introduces a scope. let is a wrapper around a combination of defs and dos, and is the most "functional" way of creating bindings.

(let [a 1
      b 2
      c 3]
      (+ a b c)) # -> 6

The above is equivalent to the example using do and def. This is the preferable form in most cases, but using do with multiple defs is fine as well.