Syntax Cheat Sheet

Literals

Type	Dylan Syntax	Learn More…
Booleans	#t // true #f // false	<boolean>
Numbers	42 // A decimal integer #b101010 // A binary integer #o52 // An octal integer #x2A // A hexadecimal integer -42.5 // A floating point number 6.02E23 // A floating point number	Numbers (syntax) <number>
Strings	'a' // A character "Hello" // A simple string "Hello\n" // An escape sequence	<string> <character>
Symbols	#"hello" // A symbol #"HELLO" // The same symbol hello: // Again, in keyword syntax	<symbol>
Collections	#(1 . "one") // A literal <pair> #(1, 2, 3) // A literal <list> #[1, 2, 3] // A literal <vector>	<pair> <list> <vector>

Naming Conventions

These are conventions only; they have no semantic value to the compiler.

Classes	Class names begin / end with angle brackets (< and >).	<float> <stretchy-vector>
Constants	Constants begin with $.	$word-size $tag-bits
Module Variables	Module variable names begin / end with *. This does not apply to local variables that have been declared with let.	*news* *command-dispatcher*
Predicate Functions	Predicate functions return #t or #f. They end in ?.	even? instance?
Getters & Setters	Getters read a value while setters write a value. Setter functions end in -setter. The compiler uses this convention to find the function to call for :=.	window.size := 3 size-setter(3, window)

Operators

Class	Dylan Syntax	Learn More…
Equality & Comparison	a < b // a less than b? a > b // a greater than b? a = b // a equal to b? a ~= b // a not equal b a == b // a identical to b a ~== b // a not identical to b ~a // logical negation	< > = ~= == ~==
Arithmetic	a + b // add a and b a * b // mulitply a and b a - b // subtract b from a a / b // divide a by b modulo(a, b) // modulus of a by b negative(a) // negative of a	+ * - / modulo negative
Collections	c[k] // elem. k of col. c c[k] := x // set elem. k of col. c c.empty? // is c empty? c.size // how big is c?	<collection> element element-setter empty? size
Sequence	add(c, x) // add x to copy of c remove(c, x) // rem x from copy of c sort(c) // copy of c, sorted reverse(c) // copy of c, reversed	<sequence> add remove sort reverse
Bitwise & Logical	a | b // Boolean OR a & b // Boolean AND logior(a, b) // Bitwise inclusive OR logxor(a, b) // Bitwise exclusive OR logand(a, b) // Bitwise AND lognot(a, b) // Bitwise NOT ash(a, b) // Shift left: a << b ash(a, -b) // Shift right: a >> b

String Formatting

Example: format(stream, "%s:%d", host, port)

Directive	Argument Type	Description
%d	<integer>	decimal number
%b	<integer>	binary number
%o	<integer>	octal number
%x	<integer>	hexadecimal number
%c	<character>	character, no quotes
%s	<object>	“pretty” format
%=	<object>	“unique” format
%%	None	literal %

Parameter Lists

This table shows what is required/allowed in method parameter lists, depending on what is specified in the generic function’s parameter list.

Generic function’s parameter list	Methods’ parameter lists
	#key	#key a, b	#all-keys	#rest
(x)	Forbidden	Forbidden	Forbidden	Forbidden
(x, #key)	Required	Allowed	Allowed	Allowed
(x, #key a, b)	Required	Required	Allowed	Allowed
(x, #key, #all-keys)	Required	Allowed	Automatic	Allowed
(x, #key a, b, #all-keys)	Required	Required	Automatic	Allowed
(x, #rest r)	Forbidden	Forbidden	Forbidden	Required

This table shows the different kinds of parameter lists that a method can have, what the r variable contains for each, and which keywords are permitted by each.

Method’s parameter list	Contents of r	Permits a: and b:	Permits other keywords
(x)	—	No	No
(x, #key)	—	If next method permits	If next method permits
(x, #key a, b)	—	Yes	If next method permits
(x, #key, #all-keys)	—	Yes	Yes
(x, #key a, b, #all-keys)	—	Yes	Yes
(x, #rest r)	Extra arguments	No	No
(x, #rest r, #key)	Keywords/values	If next method permits	If next method permits
(x, #rest r, #key a, b)	Keywords/values	Yes	If next method permits
(x, #rest r, #key, #all-keys)	Keywords/values	Yes	Yes
(x, #rest r, #key a, b, #all-keys)	Keywords/values	Yes	Yes