2.3 Dynamic Binding

standard special form: parameterize ((parameter value) …) expr expr … ¶

Note that both parameter and value are expressions. It is an error if the value of any parameter expression is not a parameter object.

A parameterize expression is used to change the values of specified parameter objects during the evaluation of the body expressions.

The parameter and value expressions are evaluated in an unspecified order. The body is evaluated in a dynamic environment in which each parameter is bound to the converted value—the result of passing value to the conversion procedure specified when the parameter was created. Then the previous value of parameter is restored without passing it to the conversion procedure. The value of the parameterize expression is the value of the last body expr.

The parameterize special form is standardized by SRFI 39 and by R7RS.

Parameter objects can be used to specify configurable settings for a computation without the need to pass the value to every procedure in the call chain explicitly.

(define radix
  (make-parameter
   10
   (lambda (x)
     (if (and (exact-integer?  x) (<= 2 x 16))
         x
         (error "invalid radix")))))

(define (f n) (number->string n (radix)))

(f 12)                                  ⇒ "12"
(parameterize ((radix 2))
  (f 12))                               ⇒ "1100"
(f 12)                                  ⇒ "12"
(radix 16)                              error→ Wrong number of arguments
(parameterize ((radix 0))
  (f 12))                               error→ invalid radix

A dynamic binding changes the value of a parameter (see Parameters) object temporarily, for a dynamic extent. The set of all dynamic bindings at a given time is called the dynamic environment. The new values are only accessible to the thread that constructed the dynamic environment, and any threads created within that environment.

The extent of a dynamic binding is defined to be the time period during which calling the parameter returns the new value. Normally this time period begins when the body is entered and ends when it is exited, a contiguous time period. However Scheme has first-class continuations by which it is possible to leave the body and reenter it many times. In this situation, the extent is non-contiguous.

When the body is exited by invoking a continuation, the current dynamic environment is unwound until it can be re-wound to the environment captured by the continuation. When the continuation returns, the process is reversed, restoring the original dynamic environment.

The following example shows the interaction between dynamic binding and continuations. Side effects to the binding that occur both inside and outside of the body are preserved, even if continuations are used to jump in and out of the body repeatedly.

(define (complicated-dynamic-parameter)
  (let ((variable (make-settable-parameter 1))
        (inside-continuation))
    (write-line (variable))
    (call-with-current-continuation
     (lambda (outside-continuation)
       (parameterize ((variable 2))
         (write-line (variable))
         (variable 3)
         (call-with-current-continuation
          (lambda (k)
            (set! inside-continuation k)
            (outside-continuation #t)))
         (write-line (variable))
         (set! inside-continuation #f))))
    (write-line (variable))
    (if inside-continuation
        (begin
          (variable 4)
          (inside-continuation #f)))))

Evaluating ‘(complicated-dynamic-binding)’ writes the following on the console:

1
2
1
3
4

Commentary: the first two values written are the initial binding of variable and its new binding inside parameterize’s body. Immediately after they are written, the binding visible in the body is set to ‘3’, and outside-continuation is invoked, exiting the body. At this point, ‘1’ is written, demonstrating that the original binding of variable is still visible outside the body. Then we set variable to ‘4’ and reenter the body by invoking inside-continuation. At this point, ‘3’ is written, indicating that the binding modified in the body is still the binding visible in the body. Finally, we exit the body normally, and write ‘4’, demonstrating that the binding modified outside of the body was also preserved.

• Fluid-Let