The spec is correct; your code is wrong and I don't know how you got your expansion there.
$ lein try org.clojure/clojure 1.9.0 nREPL server started on port 55018 on host 127.0.0.1 - nrepl:// 127.0.0.1:55018 REPL-y 0.3.7, nREPL 0.2.12 Clojure 1.8.0 Java HotSpot(TM) 64-Bit Server VM 1.8.0_144-b01 Docs: (doc function-name-here) (find-doc "part-of-name-here") Source: (source function-name-here) Javadoc: (javadoc java-object-or-class-here) Exit: Control+D or (exit) or (quit) Results: Stored in vars *1, *2, *3, an exception in *e user=> (defmulti mycomp (fn [v] v)) #'user/mycomp user=> (defmacro defcomp [m] #_=> `(defmethod mycomp ~m #_=> [_] #_=> ~m #_=> ) #_=> ) #'user/defcomp user=> (defcomp :test) CompilerException java.lang.RuntimeException: Can't use qualified name as parameter: user/_, compiling:(null:1:1) user=> (macroexpand '(defcomp test)) (. user/mycomp clojure.core/addMethod test (clojure.core/fn [user/_] test)) user=> The problem is that you have not protected the _, so it gets expanded to the local namespace (user/_ in my case here, com.mxsys.psql.component/_ in yours). You want: user=> (defmacro defcomp [m] `(defmethod mycomp ~m [~'_] ~m)) #'user/defcomp user=> (defcomp :test) #multifn[mycomp 0x545609d8] user=> (macroexpand '(defcomp :test)) (. user/mycomp clojure.core/addMethod :test (clojure.core/fn [_] :test)) user=> Notice how the underscore is escaped as ~'_ to escape from the syntax quote and place a literal underscore symbol. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Clojure" group. To post to this group, send email to clojure@googlegroups.com Note that posts from new members are moderated - please be patient with your first post. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to clojure+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/clojure?hl=en --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Clojure" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to clojure+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.