what is var in Clojure
In Clojure, var
is a special construct used to refer to a named value or function in the current namespace. It is used to hold the reference to a symbol, which can be thought of as a name in the code. The var
construct is used to access and manipulate the value or behavior associated with that name.
In Clojure, variables are immutable by default, meaning their value cannot be changed once assigned. However, the var
construct provides a way to associate a new value with a symbol, effectively redefining the variable. This is done using the def
special form, which creates a new var or updates an existing one.
The var
construct is commonly used to define and refer to functions and global values in Clojure. It allows you to access and manipulate these values dynamically, providing a flexible way to work with code and data.
Here's an example:
(def x 10) ; define a variable x with the value 10
(println x) ; prints the value of x
(defn add [a b] (+ a b)) ; define a function add
(println (var add)) ; prints the var associated with the add function
(def add (var add)) ; redefine the add var with a new value
(println (var add)) ; prints the updated var associated with the add function
In the example above, the def
form is used to define a variable x
with the value 10. The println
function is then used to print the value of x
. Similarly, the defn
form is used to define a function add
, and the var
construct is used to access and manipulate the var associated with the add
function.
By using the var
construct, you can dynamically redefine and access functions and values in Clojure, providing a powerful mechanism for code manipulation and flexibility.