; Comments start with semicolons. ; Clojure is written in "forms", which are just ; lists of things inside parentheses, separated by whitespace. ; ; The clojure reader assumes that the first thing is a ; function or macro to call, and the rest are arguments. ; The first call in a file should be ns, to set the namespace (ns learnclojure) ; More basic examples: ; str will create a string out of all its arguments (str "Hello" " " "World") ; => "Hello World" ; Math is straightforward (+ 1 1) ; => 2 (- 2 1) ; => 1 (* 1 2) ; => 2 (/ 2 1) ; => 2 ; Equality is = (= 1 1) ; => true (= 2 1) ; => false ; You need not for logic, too (not true) ; => false ; Nesting forms works as you expect (+ 1 (- 3 2)) ; = 1 + (3 - 2) => 2 ; Types ;;;;;;;;;;;;; ; Clojure uses Java's object types for booleans, strings and numbers. ; Use `class` to inspect them. (class 1) ; Integer literals are java.lang.Long by default (class 1.); Float literals are java.lang.Double (class ""); Strings always double-quoted, and are java.lang.String (class false) ; Booleans are java.lang.Boolean (class nil); The "null" value is called nil ; If you want to create a literal list of data, use ' to stop it from ; being evaluated '(+ 1 2) ; => (+ 1 2) ; (shorthand for (quote (+ 1 2))) ; You can eval a quoted list (eval '(+ 1 2)) ; => 3 ; Collections & Sequences ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; ; Lists are linked-list data structures, while Vectors are array-backed. ; Vectors and Lists are java classes too! (class [1 2 3]); => clojure.lang.PersistentVector (class '(1 2 3)); => clojure.lang.PersistentList ; A list would be written as just (1 2 3), but we have to quote ; it to stop the reader thinking it's a function. ; Also, (list 1 2 3) is the same as '(1 2 3) ; "Collections" are just groups of data ; Both lists and vectors are collections: (coll? '(1 2 3)) ; => true (coll? [1 2 3]) ; => true ; "Sequences" (seqs) are abstract descriptions of lists of data. ; Only lists are seqs. (seq? '(1 2 3)) ; => true (seq? [1 2 3]) ; => false ; A seq need only provide an entry when it is accessed. ; So, seqs which can be lazy -- they can define infinite series: (range 4) ; => (0 1 2 3) (range) ; => (0 1 2 3 4 ...) (an infinite series) (take 4 (range)) ; (0 1 2 3) ; Use cons to add an item to the beginning of a list or vector (cons 4 [1 2 3]) ; => (4 1 2 3) (cons 4 '(1 2 3)) ; => (4 1 2 3) ; Conj will add an item to a collection in the most efficient way. ; For lists, they insert at the beginning. For vectors, they insert at the end. (conj [1 2 3] 4) ; => [1 2 3 4] (conj '(1 2 3) 4) ; => (4 1 2 3) ; Use concat to add lists or vectors together (concat [1 2] '(3 4)) ; => (1 2 3 4) ; Use filter, map to interact with collections (map inc [1 2 3]) ; => (2 3 4) (filter even? [1 2 3]) ; => (2) ; Use reduce to reduce them (reduce + [1 2 3 4]) ; = (+ (+ (+ 1 2) 3) 4) ; => 10 ; Reduce can take an initial-value argument too (reduce conj [] '(3 2 1)) ; = (conj (conj (conj [] 3) 2) 1) ; => [3 2 1] ; Functions ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; ; Use fn to create new functions. A function always returns ; its last statement. (fn [] "Hello World") ; => fn ; (You need extra parens to call it) ((fn [] "Hello World")) ; => "Hello World" ; You can create a var using def (def x 1) x ; => 1 ; Assign a function to a var (def hello-world (fn [] "Hello World")) (hello-world) ; => "Hello World" ; You can shorten this process by using defn (defn hello-world [] "Hello World") ; The [] is the list of arguments for the function. (defn hello [name] (str "Hello " name)) (hello "Steve") ; => "Hello Steve" ; You can also use this shorthand to create functions: (def hello2 #(str "Hello " %1)) (hello2 "Julie") ; => "Hello Julie" ; You can have multi-variadic functions, too (defn hello3 ([] "Hello World") ([name] (str "Hello " name))) (hello3 "Jake") ; => "Hello Jake" (hello3) ; => "Hello World" ; Functions can pack extra arguments up in a seq for you (defn count-args [& args] (str "You passed " (count args) " args: " args)) (count-args 1 2 3) ; => "You passed 3 args: (1 2 3)" ; You can mix regular and packed arguments (defn hello-count [name & args] (str "Hello " name ", you passed " (count args) " extra args")) (hello-count "Finn" 1 2 3) ; => "Hello Finn, you passed 3 extra args" ; Maps ;;;;;;;;;; ; Hash maps and array maps share an interface. Hash maps have faster lookups ; but don't retain key order. (class {:a 1 :b 2 :c 3}) ; => clojure.lang.PersistentArrayMap (class (hash-map :a 1 :b 2 :c 3)) ; => clojure.lang.PersistentHashMap ; Arraymaps will automatically become hashmaps through most operations ; if they get big enough, so you don't need to worry. ; Maps can use any hashable type as a key, but usually keywords are best ; Keywords are like strings with some efficiency bonuses (class :a) ; => clojure.lang.Keyword (def stringmap {"a" 1, "b" 2, "c" 3}) stringmap ; => {"a" 1, "b" 2, "c" 3} (def keymap {:a 1, :b 2, :c 3}) keymap ; => {:a 1, :c 3, :b 2} ; By the way, commas are always treated as whitespace and do nothing. ; Retrieve a value from a map by calling it as a function (stringmap "a") ; => 1 (keymap :a) ; => 1 ; Keywords can be used to retrieve their value from a map, too! (:b keymap) ; => 2 ; Don't try this with strings. ;("a" stringmap) ; => Exception: java.lang.String cannot be cast to clojure.lang.IFn ; Retrieving a non-present key returns nil (stringmap "d") ; => nil ; Use assoc to add new keys to hash-maps (def newkeymap (assoc keymap :d 4)) newkeymap ; => {:a 1, :b 2, :c 3, :d 4} ; But remember, clojure types are immutable! keymap ; => {:a 1, :b 2, :c 3} ; Use dissoc to remove keys (dissoc keymap :a :b) ; => {:c 3} ; Sets ;;;;;; (class #{1 2 3}) ; => clojure.lang.PersistentHashSet (set [1 2 3 1 2 3 3 2 1 3 2 1]) ; => #{1 2 3} ; Add a member with conj (conj #{1 2 3} 4) ; => #{1 2 3 4} ; Remove one with disj (disj #{1 2 3} 1) ; => #{2 3} ; Test for existence by using the set as a function: (#{1 2 3} 1) ; => 1 (#{1 2 3} 4) ; => nil ; There are more functions in the clojure.sets namespace. ; Useful forms ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; ; Logic constructs in clojure are just macros, and look like ; everything else (if false "a" "b") ; => "b" (if false "a") ; => nil ; Use let to create temporary bindings (let [a 1 b 2] (> a b)) ; => false ; Group statements together with do (do (print "Hello") "World") ; => "World" (prints "Hello") ; Functions have an implicit do (defn print-and-say-hello [name] (print "Saying hello to " name) (str "Hello " name)) (print-and-say-hello "Jeff") ;=> "Hello Jeff" (prints "Saying hello to Jeff") ; So does let (let [name "Urkel"] (print "Saying hello to " name) (str "Hello " name)) ; => "Hello Urkel" (prints "Saying hello to Urkel") ; Use the threading macros (-> and ->>) to express transformations of ; data more clearly. ; The "Thread-first" macro (->) inserts into each form the result of ; the previous, as the first argument (second item) (-> {:a 1 :b 2} (assoc :c 3) ;=> (assoc {:a 1 :b 2} :c 3) (dissoc :b)) ;=> (dissoc (assoc {:a 1 :b 2} :c 3) :b) ; This expression could be written as: ; (dissoc (assoc {:a 1 :b 2} :c 3) :b) ; and evaluates to {:a 1 :c 3} ; The double arrow does the same thing, but inserts the result of ; each line at the *end* of the form. This is useful for collection ; operations in particular: (->> (range 10) (map inc) ;=> (map inc (range 10) (filter odd?) ;=> (filter odd? (map inc (range 10)) (into [])) ;=> (into [] (filter odd? (map inc (range 10))) ; Result: [1 3 5 7 9] ; When you are in a situation where you want more freedom as where to ; put the result of previous data transformations in an ; expression, you can use the as-> macro. With it, you can assign a ; specific name to transformations' output and use it as a ; placeholder in your chained expressions: (as-> [1 2 3] input (map inc input);=> You can use last transform's output at the last position (nth input 2) ;=> and at the second position, in the same expression (conj [4 5 6] input 8 9 10)) ;=> or in the middle ! ; Result: [4 5 6 4 8 9 10] ; Modules ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; ; Use "use" to get all functions from the module (use 'clojure.set) ; Now we can use set operations (intersection #{1 2 3} #{2 3 4}) ; => #{2 3} (difference #{1 2 3} #{2 3 4}) ; => #{1} ; You can choose a subset of functions to import, too (use '[clojure.set :only [intersection]]) ; Use require to import a module (require 'clojure.string) ; Use / to call functions from a module ; Here, the module is clojure.string and the function is blank? (clojure.string/blank? "") ; => true ; You can give a module a shorter name on import (require '[clojure.string :as str]) (str/replace "This is a test." #"[a-o]" str/upper-case) ; => "THIs Is A tEst." ; (#"" denotes a regular expression literal) ; You can use require (and use, but don't) from a namespace using :require. ; You don't need to quote your modules if you do it this way. (ns test (:require [clojure.string :as str] [clojure.set :as set])) ; Java ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; ; Java has a huge and useful standard library, so ; you'll want to learn how to get at it. ; Use import to load a java module (import java.util.Date) ; You can import from an ns too. (ns test (:import java.util.Date java.util.Calendar)) ; Use the class name with a "." at the end to make a new instance (Date.) ; ; Use . to call methods. Or, use the ".method" shortcut (. (Date.) getTime) ; (.getTime (Date.)) ; exactly the same thing. ; Use / to call static methods (System/currentTimeMillis) ; (system is always present) ; Use doto to make dealing with (mutable) classes more tolerable (import java.util.Calendar) (doto (Calendar/getInstance) (.set 2000 1 1 0 0 0) .getTime) ; => A Date. set to 2000-01-01 00:00:00 ; STM ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; ; Software Transactional Memory is the mechanism clojure uses to handle ; persistent state. There are a few constructs in clojure that use this. ; An atom is the simplest. Pass it an initial value (def my-atom (atom {})) ; Update an atom with swap!. ; swap! takes a function and calls it with the current value of the atom ; as the first argument, and any trailing arguments as the second (swap! my-atom assoc :a 1) ; Sets my-atom to the result of (assoc {} :a 1) (swap! my-atom assoc :b 2) ; Sets my-atom to the result of (assoc {:a 1} :b 2) ; Use '@' to dereference the atom and get the value my-atom ;=> Atom<#...> (Returns the Atom object) @my-atom ; => {:a 1 :b 2} ; Here's a simple counter using an atom (def counter (atom 0)) (defn inc-counter [] (swap! counter inc)) (inc-counter) (inc-counter) (inc-counter) (inc-counter) (inc-counter) @counter ; => 5 ; Other STM constructs are refs and agents. ; Refs: http://clojure.org/refs ; Agents: http://clojure.org/agents