[plt-scheme] horay(?) to me!

On Sun, 11 Jun 2006, Danny Yoo might have said:

> 
> >Ok, so many people here have been doing this a long time.
> >I'm starting to understand scheme, loops, and quasiquoting.
> >For no practical purpose at all I submit the following.
> 
> Hi Mike,
> 
> 
> Small comments on the toy code:
> 
> >(let loop ((running #t))
> > (let ((r (random 20)))
> >	(set! running (< r 17))
> 
> The *running* variable here doesn't have to be part of the loop's 
> iteration.  In fact, the code recomputes it anyway!  A slightly cleaner 
> version of the above might look something like this:
> 
> ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
> (let loop ()
>   (let* ([r (random 20)]
>          [running (< r 17)])
>     ...))
> ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
> 
> We use the let* form to tell people reading the code that *running* will 
> be influenced by *r*.  We can avoid the use of set! altogether.

I was using a lot of (let* and recently have tried only using (let instead.

> I'm also using boxy brackets to visually set off the let-values a little 
> better, plus it appears to help catch off-by-one paren-balancing bugs in 
> my own code.  It's the style advocated by the HTDP folks, and I'm liking 
> it a lot.
 
I still prefer the multiple ('s from my earlier attempts with other lisps.
 
> >	(printf "r=~a running=~a~%" (number->string r) (if running "true" 
> >	"false"))
> >	(printf "thread=~a~%"
> >	        (thread
> >			  (eval
> >			  `(lambda () (sleep (random 4))
> >                                    (printf "thread count=~a~%" ,r)))))
> >	;(sleep 2)
> 
> 
> The eval/quasiquotation here is unnecessary, but you know that already. 
> *wink*
 
Ok, here you lost me. I am trying to get the value of 'r' into the thread
for delayed printing. The quasiquote is the only way I found to make this
happen. Please, do tell, how is it unnecessary? That part I've not learned
yet. :(
 
> >	(if running
> >	  (begin
> >		;(sleep 2)
> >		(loop running)))))
> 
> A "one-armed" if like this can be written using the *when* form:
> 
>     (when running
>       ; (sleep 2)
>       (loop running))
> 
> This *when* form comes with an implicit *begin*, so it's a little cleaner 
> in situations like this.  It also hints to the reader that what's inside 
> is being done for side-effects rather than for its value.

See, from the other languages I've used I much prefer to have a (while
than a (let loop. I can easily deal with the (if, though from PERL I would
like to have an (unless.

Mike