TutorialSpecialVariables

Mini Tutorial Special Variables

A global (and special) variable is created with defvar or defparameter:

(defvar *global-var-1*) (defvar *global-var-2* 42 "With an initial value if it doesn't already have one and a docstring.") (defparameter *global-var-3* 33 "Defparameter always assigns the value to the variables.")

To use them, just reference them in code:

(defun g () (list *global-var-1* *global-var-2* *global-var-3*)) (defun f () (setf *global-var-1* 1) ; set its value (print *global-var-2*) ; get its value (let ((*global-var-3* 0)) ; dynamically bind it (shadowing the global for the TIME being): (g))) (f) ;; prints: 42 ;; returns: (1 42 0) (let ((*global-var-2* 22)) (f)) ;; prints: 22 ;; returns: (1 22 0)

But you can also have non-global dynamic variables:

(defun h () (declare (special zz)) (list zz)) (h) ;; error: Unbound variable: zz (defun i () (let ((zz 42)) (declare (special zz)) (h))) (i) ;; returns: (42) (let ((zz 33)) (declare (special zz)) (h)) ;; returns: (33)

defvar or defparameter have both compilation-time effects and load-time/execution effects. For their compilation-time effects to be visible, they must be written before the functions that use the variables, otherwise the compiler will signal a warning.


Categories: Online Tutorial Keywords: special variable dynamic binding