Phel has three mutable datastructures. An array is an indexed sequential datastructure, a table is an associative datastructure and a set is a unsorted sequential data structure that cannot contain twice the same value. While PHP has one single datastructure to represents arrays and hash tables, Phel splits them into individual datastructures.
An array can be created using the @[ reader macro or the array function.
@["a" "b" "c"]
(array "a" "b" "c")
A table can be created using the @{ reader macro or the table function.
@{:key1 "value1" :key2 "value2"}
(table :key1 "value1" :key2 "value2")
A set is can be created using the set function.
(set 1 2 3)
(set 1 2 3 1 2 3) # Evaluates to (set 1 2 3)
Similar to tuples, the functions get, first, second, next and rest can be used to get values of an array.
(get @[1 2 3] 2) # Evaluates to 3
(get @[] 2) # Evaluates to nil
(first @[1 2 3]) # Evaluates to 1
(first @[]) # Evaluates to nil
(second @[1 2 3]) # Evaluates to 2
(second @[]) # Evaluates to nil
(rest @[1 2 3]) # Evaluates to [2 3]
(rest @[]) # Evaluates to []
(next @[1 2 3]) # Evaluates to [2 3]
(next @[]) # Evaluates to nil
The get function can also be used on tables.
(get @{:a 1 :b 2} :a) # Evaluates to 1
(get @{:a 1 :b 2} :b) # Evaluates to 2
(get @{:a 1 :b 2} :c) # Evaluates to nil
For the function calls above Phel provides a nice shorthand. The Keyword can be used as a function to access the data.
(:a @{:a 1 :b 2}) # Evaluates to 1
(:b @{:a 1 :b 2}) # Evaluates to 2
(:c @{:a 1 :b 2}) # Evaluates to nil
The function first, next and rest can be used on sets, too. However, next and rest return an array and not a set.
(first (set 1 2 3)) # Evaluates to 1
(next (set 1 2 3)) # Evaluates to @[2 3]
(rest (set 1 2 3)) # Evaluates to @[2 3]
To set a value on an array or a table, use the put function. If the given index is greater than the length of the array, the array is padded with nil.
(let [a @[]]
(put a 0 :hello) # @[:hello]
(put a 2 :world)) # @[:hello nil :world]
(let [a @{}]
(put a :a "hello") # @{:a "hello"}
(put a :b "world")) # @{:a "hello" :b "world"}
It is not possible to set values on a set.
Values can be added to a set with the push function. This function can also be used on arrays but is described in section Array as a Stack with mode details.
(push (set 1 2) 3) # Evaluates to (set 1 2 3)
To remove a single value from an array or table the unset function can be used.
(unset @[:a :b :c :d] 1) # @[:a :c :d]
(unset @{:a 1 :b 2} :a) # @{:b 2}
To remove multiple values from arrays, the remove and slice functions can be used. The function remove removes the values from the data structures and returns the removed values. The slice function on the other hand, returns a copy of the array with only the sliced elements. The original data structure is left untouched.
(let [xs @[1 2 3 4]]
(remove xs 2)) # Evaluates to @[3 4], xs is now @[1 2]
(let [xs @[1 2 3 4]]
(remove xs 2 1)) # Evaluates to @[3], xs is now @[1 2 4]
(slice @[1 2 3 4] 2) # Evaluates to @[3 4]
(slice @[1 2 3 4] 2 1) # Evaluates to @[3]
It is not possible to remove values from a set.
To count the number of element of an array, a table or a set, the count function can be used.
(count @[1 2 3]) # Evaluates to 3
(count @[]) # Evaluates to 0
(count @{:a 1 :b 2}) # Evaluates to 2
(count @{}) # Evaluates to 0
(count (set 1 2 3)) # Evaluates to 3
(count (set)) # Evaluates to 0
An array can also be used as a stack. Therefore, the push, peek and pop functions can be used. The push function add a new value to the stack. The peek function returns the last element on the stack but does not remove it. The pop function returns the last element on the stack and removes it.
(let [arr @[]]
(push arr 1) # -> @[1]
(peek arr) # Evaluates to 1, arr is unchanged
(pop arr)) # Evaluates to 1, arr is empty @[]
A set provides very specific functions that are described in set theory. These are union, intersection, difference and symmetric-difference.
The union of a collection of sets is the set of all elements in the collection.
(union) # Evaluates to (set)
(union (set 1 2)) # Evaluates to (set 1 2)
(union (set 1 2) (set 0 3)) # Evaluates to (set 0 1 2 3)
The intersection of two sets or more is the set containing all elements shared between those sets.
(intersection (set 1 2) (set 0 3)) # Evaluates to (set)
(intersection (set 1 2) (set 0 1 2 3)) # Evaluates to (set 1 2)
The difference of two sets or more is the set containing all elements in the first set that aren't in the other sets.
(difference (set 1 2) (set 0 3)) # Evaluates to (set 1 2)
(difference (set 1 2) (set 0 1 2 3)) # Evaluates to (set)
(difference (set 0 1 2 3) (set 1 2)) # Evaluates to (set 0 3)
The symmetric difference of two sets or more is the set of elements which are in either of the sets and not in their intersection.
(symmetric-difference (set 1 2) (set 0 3)) # Evaluates to (set 0 1 2 3)
(symmetric-difference (set 1 2) (set 0 1 2 3)) # Evaluates to (set 0 3)
A struct is a special kind of table. It only supports a predefined number of keys and is associated to a global name. The struct not only defines itself but also a predicate function.
(defstruct my-struct [a b c]) # Defines the struct
(let [x (my-struct 1 2 3)] # Create a new struct
(my-struct? x) # Evaluates to true
(get x :a) # Evaluates to 1
(put x :a 12) # Evaluates to (my-struct 12 2 3)