It *is* possible, and not just if the private helper function is run at macroexpansion time to massage forms for the macro. The macro *can* output code that invokes the helper at runtime, but it's awkward:
user=> (ns foo) nil foo=> (defn- priv [x] (+ 2 x)) #'foo/priv foo=> (defmacro call-priv-1 [x] `(priv ~x)) #'foo/call-priv-1 foo=> (defmacro call-priv-2 [x] `((deref (var priv)) ~x)) #'foo/call-priv-2 foo=> (macroexpand-1 '(call-priv-1 3)) (foo/priv 3) foo=> (call-priv-1 3) 5 foo=> (macroexpand-1 '(call-priv-2 3)) (@#'foo/priv 3) foo=> (call-priv-2 3) 5 foo=> (in-ns 'user) #<Namespace user> user=> (foo/call-priv-1 3) #<CompilerException java.lang.IllegalStateException: var: #'foo/priv is not public (NO_SOURCE_FILE:24)> user=> (foo/call-priv-2 3) 5 user=> As expected, foo/call-priv-1 doesn't work from outside foo. But foo/call-priv-2 does. Obviously this can be made a bit nicer with another couple of macros: (defmacro pvar [sym] `(deref (var ~sym))) (defmacro pfn [sym & args] `((pvar ~sym) ~@args)) Then call-priv-2 becomes (defmacro call-priv-2 [x] `(pfn priv ~x)) which is *almost* as nice as a plain old `(priv ~x) like in call-priv-1. -- 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
