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Scheme / Macros

define-syntax

Learn define-syntax in Scheme with a construct-specific explanation, unique example, engineering boundary, and mastery check.

10 min read • Advanced

define-syntax is a focused Scheme topic inside Macros. This lesson explains the construct itself, the state or value it operates on, and the observable result it produces.

Read the example as a small executable experiment. Identify the exact syntax that belongs to define-syntax, then change one input and predict the result before running it.

Topic-specific example

scheme-07-01-define-syntax.scm
scheme Try It Live
(define-syntax-rule (inc! x) (set! x (+ x 1)))
(define n 2)
(inc! n)
Edge case / engineering note

define-syntax has rules that are easy to miss when the example is copied mechanically. Check the feature-specific boundary shown by this construct: scope, mutability, evaluation order, type constraints, lifetime, error behavior, compile-time restrictions, or resource cleanup where applicable.

Content source & attribution
Original Syntaxis Content · Original Syntaxis Content