[racket-dev] raco make cannot marshal value error

From: Matthias Felleisen (matthias at ccs.neu.edu)
Date: Fri Jul 27 08:56:27 EDT 2012

I am almost sure there are additional explanations of 3d syntax and its problems between then and now. 

When we (re)discovered 3d syntax at IU in 1984, we thought it was better than sliced bread. So it is natural that many other people re-discover it and want to use it in Racket. 



On Jul 27, 2012, at 5:35 AM, Tobias Hammer wrote:

> Thanks for the explanation. I think i understand now what i did wrong.
> The 3D syntax was a good hint for further reading. I digged up a thread*
> where you already had to explain it 10 years ago :)
> 
> Tobias
> 
> * http://www.cs.utah.edu/plt/mailarch/plt-scheme-2002/msg00111.html
> 
> 
> On Thu, 26 Jul 2012 15:36:44 +0200, Matthew Flatt <mflatt at cs.utah.edu> wrote:
> 
>> I agree that it's a bug, in a sense, that your program runs even though
>> it cannot be compiled.
>> 
>> This is an example of "3-D syntax": you're embedding a value (i.e., an
>> instance of `s') that you can't write as a literal into the result of a
>> macro expansion. I think 3-D syntax probably should not be allowed, but
>> the macro system currently allows it.
>> 
>> Most likely, using 3-D syntax is a bad idea. It's possible that you
>> want to replace `#:transparent' with `#:prefab' in your example, since
>> a prefab structure can be written as a literal. More likely, I think
>> you want to generate an expression that constructs an `s' instead of
>> generating an `s' instance in the macro expansion.
>> 
>> At Thu, 26 Jul 2012 14:59:41 +0200, Tobias Hammer wrote:
>>> Hi,
>>> 
>>> i have the following two files, one that only requires the other and
>>> calls a macro and the other one that defines that macro:
>>> 
>>> === main.rkt
>>> #lang racket
>>> 
>>> (require "err.rkt")
>>> (a)
>>> 
>>> === err.rkt
>>> #lang racket
>>> 
>>> (begin-for-syntax
>>>  (struct s (arg) #:transparent)
>>> 
>>>  (define (fun arg)
>>>    (printf "arg: ~a\n" arg)))
>>> 
>>> (define-syntax (a stx)
>>>   (syntax-case stx ()
>>>     [(_)
>>>      (with-syntax ([v #`#,(s 123)])
>>>        #'(begin
>>>            (begin-for-syntax
>>>             (fun v))))]))
>>> 
>>> (provide a)
>>> 
>>> When executing 'racket main.rkt' directly i get the expected output
>>> arg: #(struct:s 123)
>>> but when i try to call 'raco make main.rkt' instead, i get this strange
>>> error:
>>> 
>>> arg: #(struct:s 123)
>>> write: cannot marshal value that is embedded in compiled code
>>>   value: (s 123)
>>>   context...:
>>>    /home_local/hamm_to/racket/racket-5.3.0.16/collects/compiler/cm.rkt:388:6
>>> 
>>> /home_local/hamm_to/racket/racket-5.3.0.16/collects/racket/private/more-scheme.r
>>> kt:151:2:
>>> call-with-break-parameterization
>>>    /home_local/hamm_to/racket/racket-5.3.0.16/collects/compiler/cm.rkt:188:5
>>>    /home_local/hamm_to/racket/racket-5.3.0.16/collects/compiler/cm.rkt:508:26
>>>    /home_local/hamm_to/racket/racket-5.3.0.16/collects/compiler/cm.rkt:501:42
>>>    /home_local/hamm_to/racket/racket-5.3.0.16/collects/compiler/cm.rkt:466:0:
>>> maybe-compile-zo
>>>    /home_local/hamm_to/racket/racket-5.3.0.16/collects/compiler/cm.rkt:579:2:
>>> do-check
>>>    /home_local/hamm_to/racket/racket-5.3.0.16/collects/compiler/cm.rkt:653:4
>>> 
>>> /home_local/hamm_to/racket/racket-5.3.0.16/collects/compiler/commands/make.rkt:7
>>> 7:8:
>>> for-loop
>>> 
>>> /home_local/hamm_to/racket/racket-5.3.0.16/collects/compiler/commands/make.rkt:
>>> 
>>> [running body]
>>>    /home_local/hamm_to/racket/racket-5.3.0.16/collects/raco/raco.rkt:
>>> [running body]
>>>    /home_local/hamm_to/racket/racket-5.3.0.16/collects/raco/main.rkt:
>>> [running body]
>>> 
>>> I think i need a little help to understand what is happening here
>>> and what i am doing wrong. I had expected that running and compiling
>>> works on the same set of programs.
>>> 
>>> Thanks for any clarification.
>>> 
>>> Tobias
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> --
>>> ---------------------------------------------------------
>>> Tobias Hammer
>>> DLR / Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics
>>> Tel.: 08153/28-1487
>>> Mail: tobias.hammer at dlr.de
>>> _________________________
>>>  Racket Developers list:
>>>  http://lists.racket-lang.org/dev
> _________________________
> Racket Developers list:
> http://lists.racket-lang.org/dev



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