Variables

In LFE, variables are implemented with atoms. Atoms are used in the language for such things as naming functions and macros, use as keywords and in data structures. As you'll find out when reading about atoms, they are evaluated as simply themselves. However, when they are used as variable names, they evaulate to the value of which they were assigned.

There are two contexts for setting variables:

• in the LFE REPL
• in LFE modules

This distinction is important, not only because the contexts use different forms, but because like Erlang, LFE does not support global variables.

This chpater will also introduce the reader to pattern-matching in LFE, as it applies to variable assignment; a fuller discussion is presented in a dedicated chapter as well in the chapters that cover forms which support pattern-matching (i.e., compound data types, functions, etc.).

Lastly we'll talk more about some of the LFE nuances around global variables.