Appendix D: Glossary of Terms

In this section

• D.1 Key Concepts in Clojure
  • D.1.1 Immutable Data Structures
    Learn about the immutable nature of Clojure's data structures, their impact on concurrency, code reasoning, and side effect prevention.
  • D.1.2 Namespaces
    Learn how Clojure namespaces organize code, prevent naming conflicts, and facilitate code referencing through aliases and namespace hygiene best practices.
  • D.1.3 Vars and Bindings
    Understand vars and bindings in Clojure and how they manage scope and namespaces efficiently.
• D.2 Functional Programming Terminology
  • D.2.1 Higher-Order Functions
    Explore the concept of higher-order functions in Clojure and their role in functional programming. Learn through examples like `map`, `filter`, and custom implementations to create abstract, reusable code.
  • D.2.2 Destructuring
    Explore destructuring as a technique in Clojure for simplifying data extraction within complex data structures, with examples in functions and let bindings.
  • D.2.3 Currying and Partial Application
    Understand currying and partial application in Clojure to create flexible and reusable functions. Definition, examples, and practical usage of partial functions.
• D.3 Concurrency Terms
  • D.3.1 Concurrency vs. Parallelism
    Explore the distinction between concurrency and parallelism, and how Clojure supports both through its powerful primitives and multi-core capabilities.
  • D.3.2 Deadlocks and Race Conditions
    Explore deadlocks, race conditions, and how Clojure's concurrency model and immutable data structures prevent these concurrency issues on the JVM.
  • D.3.3 Software Transactional Memory (STM)
    Explore Software Transactional Memory in Clojure, focusing on coordinated, atomic updates to shared state using refs for simplified concurrent programming.
• D.4 Miscellaneous Terms
  • D.4.1 Homoiconicity
    Explore the concept of homoiconicity in Clojure where code and data share the same structure, enhancing metaprogramming and flexibility.
  • D.4.2 Macros and Macro Expansion
    Understand how macros enable compile-time code manipulation in Clojure, allowing language extension and providing powerful metaprogramming capabilities.
  • D.4.3 Lazy Evaluation
    Understand lazy evaluation in Clojure and its performance benefits for managing infinite data structures.