Textbook in PDF format

The Clojure standard library is a treasure trove of functions and macros that have been battle-tested over the years to solve the most challenging programming problems. Knowing what's available in the standard library not only liberates programmers from mundane tasks like connecting to data sources, parsing XML, dealing with numbers but also more advanced problems like handling concurrency and parallelism. Having a deep knowledge of the Clojure standard library helps you solve problems quickly and more efficiently. Clojure, The Essential Reference is an extensive reference to the standard library but it doesn't read as a dull list of functions. In addition to providing clear explanations for each topic, this guide is full of real-world examples, links, and background information. The book approaches difficult topics by illustrating them in a readable and pleasant way, using visual structure to emphasize the essential information. The book is designed to be used as a reference, but each function provides an interesting reading on its own, offering insight into functional and general programming. By using this reference, you will be able to make the most idiomatic and efficient choice while developing a Clojure application. Each function or macro is presented with An introduction including areas of application and main goals A more rigorous contract section, including parameters and return types Real world examples of the function in action Background and conceptual information necessary to better understand the function Diagrams and comparison tables Implementation details and performance implications Preface Know your tools Know your tools Part 2. Fundamentals Creating and manipulating functions Basic constructs Creating and inspecting macros Operations on numbers Comparison and equality Reducers and transducers Part 3. Data structures Collections Sequences Sequential processing Maps Vectors Sets Part 4. Solving Specific Problems Concurrency Types, classes, hierarchies and polymorphism Vars and namespaces Evaluation Formatting and printing Strings and regular expressions Mutation and side effects Java interoperability The toolbox Dynamic variables in the standard library Appendix A. Alphabetic Index Appendix B. Glossary and recurring terminology