CLCS
Special Operator

progv

progv symbols values {form}*{result}*

Arguments and Values

symbolsa list of symbols; evaluated.
valuesa list of objects; evaluated.
formsan implicit progn.
resultsthe values returned by the forms.

Description

progv creates new dynamic variable bindings and executes each form using those bindings. Each form is evaluated in order.

progv allows binding one or more dynamic variables whose names may be determined at run time. Each form is evaluated in order with the dynamic variables whose names are in symbols bound to corresponding values. If too few values are supplied, the remaining symbols are bound and then made to have no value. If too many values are supplied, the excess values are ignored. The bindings of the dynamic variables are undone on exit from progv.

Examples

 (setq *x* 1) ⇒  1
 (progv '(*x*) '(2) *x*) ⇒  2
 *x* ⇒  1

Assuming *x* is not globally special,

 (let ((*x* 3)) 
    (progv '(*x*) '(4) 
      (list *x* (symbol-value '*x*)))) ⇒  (3 4)

See Also

let; let*, Evaluation

Notes

Among other things, progv is useful when writing interpreters for languages embedded in Lisp; it provides a handle on the mechanism for binding dynamic variables.