Today we will look at some of the basic logic functions in the Clojure API.
There is a library for logic programming called core.logic, which you can look at here. I think that one gets into some hardcore Prolog-like stuff.
user.core=> (or (string? 1) (string? "1"))
true
user.core=> (or (string? 1) (string? 1))
false
;; it's like "or" and "||" in other languages, but you can also return values
;; returns true if first two args come out to true
user.core=> (or (string? 1) (string? "1") :a :b :c)
true
user.core=> (or (string? 4) (string? "3") false :b :c)
true
;; otherwise, if first two args come out as false, returns first true sort of value
user.core=> (or (string? 1) (string? 1) :a :b :c)
:a
user.core=> (or (string? 4) (string? 3) false :b :c)
:b
user.core=> (or (int? :a) (int? "h") false :b :c)
:b
;; so I guess that could save you an "if" call?
user.core=> (or (int? :a) (int? "h") (println "hello") false :b :c)
hello
:b
;; so it looks like everything gets executed
user.core=> (or (int? :a) (int? "h") (println "hello") false :b :c (println "goodbye"))
hello
:b
user.core=> (or (int? :a) (int? "h") false :b (println "hello") :c (println "goodbye"))
:b
;; or at least until you get to the thing that returns true
;; if the first two args of "and" return true, then it just returns the last arg
user.core=> (and (string? 1) (string? "w") :a :b :c)
false
user.core=> (and (string? "1") (string? "w") :a :b :c)
:c
user.core=> (and (string? "1") (string? "w") :a :b :c false)
false
user.core=> (and (string? 1) (string? "w") true :a :b :c)
false
user.core=> (and (string? "1") (string? "w") :a :b :c true)
true
user.core=> (and (string? "1") (string? "w") :a :b :c 2)
2
user.core=> (and (string? "1") (string? "w") :a :b :c)
:c
;; you can use it like a regular old "and" from other languages
user.core=> (and (string? "1") (string? "w"))
true
user.core=> (and (string? 1) (string? "w"))
false
;; let's try "if"
user.core=> (if (string? "1")
#_=> (str "This is the true part")
#_=> (str "This is the false part"))
"This is the true part"
user.core=> (if (string? 1)
#_=> (str "This is the true part")
#_=> (str "This is the false part"))
"This is the false part"
user.core=> (if (string? 1)
#_=> (str "this is the true part")
#_=> (str "this is the false part"))
"this is the false part"
;; to do more than one thing in a branch, use "do"
;; since each branch only gets one statement/expression
user.core=> (if (string? "1")
#_=> (do
#_=> (str "this is the first true part\n")
#_=> (str "this is the second true part"))
#_=> (do
#_=> (str "this is the first false part\n")
#_=> (str "this is the second false part")))
"this is the second true part"
;; it returns the last statement; to actually execute, in this case we need println
;; because println returns nil, and str returns a string
user.core=> (if (string? "1")
#_=> (do
#_=> (println "this is the first true part")
#_=> (str "this is the second true part"))
#_=> (do
#_=> (println "this is the first false part\n")
#_=> (str "this is the second false part")))
this is the first true part
"this is the second true part"
user.core=> (if (string? 1)
#_=> (do
#_=> (println "this is the first true part")
#_=> (str "this is the second true part"))
#_=> (do
#_=> (println "this is the first false part")
#_=> (str "this is the second false part")))
this is the first false part
"this is the second false part"
;; "when" is like if without the else
user.core=> (when (string? "1")
#_=> (str "This is what happens when....you use when"))
"This is what happens when....you use when"
user.core=> (when (string? 1)
#_=> (str "This is what happens when....you use when"))
nil
user.core=> (when (string? "1")
#_=> (println "Do these parens make my program look fat?")
#_=> (str "This is what happens when....you use when"))
Do these parens make my program look fat?
"This is what happens when....you use when"
user.core=> (when (string? 1)
#_=> (println "Do these parens make my program look fat?")
#_=> (str "This is what happens when....you use when"))
nil
;; nil? returns true if something is nil
user.core=> (nil? 1)
false
user.core=> (nil? false)
false
user.core=> (nil? (println "Hello"))
Hello
true
user.core=> (nil? (str "Is nil just a million dollar mistake?"))
false
user.core=> (nil? nil)
true
You’re welcome.