This module specifies, together with dcg.pl, the transformation of terms as they are read from a file before they are processed by the compiler.

The toplevel is expand_term/2. This uses three other translators:

• Conditional compilation
• term_expansion/2 rules provided by the user
• DCG expansion

Note that this ordering implies that conditional compilation directives cannot be generated by term_expansion/2 rules: they must literally appear in the source-code.

Term-expansion may choose to overrule DCG expansion. If the result of term-expansion is a DCG rule, the rule is subject to translation into a predicate.

Next, the result is passed to expand_bodies/2, which performs goal expansion.

 expand_term(+Input, -Output) is det

 expand_term(+Input, +Pos0, -Output, -Pos) is det

This predicate is used to translate terms as they are read from a source-file before they are added to the Prolog database.

 var_property(+Var, ?Property)

True when Var has a property Key with Value. Defined properties are:

fresh(Fresh)

Variable is first introduced in this goal and thus guaranteed to be unbound. This property is always present.

singleton(Bool)

It true indicate that the variable appears once in the source. Note this doesn't mean it is a semantic singleton.

name(-Name)

True when Name is the name of the variable.

 expand_goal(+BodyTerm, +Pos0, -Out, -Pos) is det

 expand_goal(+BodyTerm, -Out) is det

Perform macro-expansion on body terms by calling goal_expansion/2.

 $expand_closure(+BodyIn, +ExtraArgs, -BodyOut) is semidet

 $expand_closure(+BodyIn, +PIn, +ExtraArgs, -BodyOut, -POut) is semidet

Expand a closure using goal expansion for some extra arguments. Note that the extra argument must remain at the end. If this is not the case, '$expand_closure'/3,5 fail.

 function(?Term, +Context)[multifile]

True if function expansion needs to be applied for the given term.

Undocumented predicates

The following predicates are exported, but not or incorrectly documented.

 $including

 expand_goal(Arg1, Arg2)

 expand_term(Arg1, Arg2, Arg3, Arg4)