Using a variable to represent arguments?

Question

If I have a massive argument list like:

program :-
    function(bxcjhbxhcbdbhbxzhbfhxhfbghfghjdfhgxfh),
    another_function(bxcjhbxhcbdbhbxzhbfhxhfbghfghjdfhgxfh).

can i do something like:

program :-
    var = bxcjhbxhcbdbhbxzhbfhxhfbghfghjdfhgxfh
    function(var),
    another_function(var).

?

m09 · Accepted Answer · 2012-08-15 20:52:05Z

3

Yes, you could do that in Prolog.

But you need to

add a , at the end of the var = .... line).
use Capital First Letters for variable names.

This works:

function([1, 2]).
another_function([1, 2]).

program :-
    Var = bxcjhbxhcbdbhbxzhbfhxhfbghfghjdfhgxfh,
    function(Var),
    another_function(Var).

edited Aug 15, 2012 at 20:52

m09

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answered Aug 11, 2012 at 21:35

aioobe

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5 Comments

peroni_santo Over a year ago

its the exact syntax i used in my question??

aioobe Over a year ago

Yes, but you need to add a , at the end of the var = ... line.

CapelliC Over a year ago

a typo: Bxcjhbxhcbdbhbxzhbfhxhfbghfghjdfhgxfh is a singleton variable now

Will Ness Over a year ago

@peroni_santo no, it is very important that Var starts with a capital (upper case) letter as any logical variable must. Var = data is not a declaration, it is a unification of logical variable named Var, and data. The comma , after it signifies an AND; you could also have ; there, which stands for OR. Logvars exist in their own right, and can be uninstantiated as well as instantiated. Just by writing X=1 we create a logvar X and unify it with ("instantiate it as") 1. We could write X=Y which would create two uninstantiated logvars X and Y.

klausnrooster Over a year ago

Is the use of [1,2] in the initial definitions of function and another_function significant or necessary? To me it looks like the functions are defined for lists, then you pass them the Var which is unified to the long, tedious-to-type atom.

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