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at:tutorial:basic [2007/04/05 14:04] elisagat:tutorial:basic [2007/04/06 08:08] – * elisag
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 <note> <note>
-**UNDER CONSTRUCTION!!**+**IN PROGRESS!!** 
 +- TODO: Talk about methods instead of functions? Check iat chapter.
 </note> </note>
 ====== Functional and Imperative Programming ====== ====== Functional and Imperative Programming ======
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 </code> </code>
  
-Variables and functions defined locally to functions are only visible in the scope of the function where there were defined.  In the previous example, //fac// uses a local function //inner// that is only visible inside //fac// and its nested scopes, in the example //fac.inner.//+This example also illustrates how a function can be made private by means of lexical scope. Variables and functions defined locally to functions are only visible in the scope of the function where there were defined. Note that local //inner// function is only visible inside the //fac// function and its nested scopes. Thuscalling //fac.inner(2,3)// will return a lookup failure error.
    
 === Variable-Length Argument Functions === === Variable-Length Argument Functions ===
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 >>6 >>6
 </code> </code>
- 
  
 ===== Closures ===== ===== Closures =====
  
-The function name can also be used just to refer the function but without calling it. TODO!+As you have probably noticed in the previous examples,  the value returned by a function definition is a closure. Actually in AmbientTalk functions are implemented as named closures.  
 + 
 +The function name can be thus used to refer the function (without calling it). This will also return a closure to that function. 
  
 ===== Blocks ===== ===== Blocks =====
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 >>6 >>6
 </code> </code>
 +
 +This example also illustrates that blocks are also used to iterate over enumerations, such as in //foreach: {} in: table//.
 +
 AmbientTalk doesn’t support function assigment. However, one can assign blocks to variables. In order to call the block the name of the variable must be used. If the block defined parameters, these are required to the call as argument list. What follows is an example of such manipulation: AmbientTalk doesn’t support function assigment. However, one can assign blocks to variables. In order to call the block the name of the variable must be used. If the block defined parameters, these are required to the call as argument list. What follows is an example of such manipulation:
 <code> <code>
at/tutorial/basic.txt · Last modified: 2020/02/09 22:05 by elisag