The R Project SVN R

\name{bindenv}
\title{Binding and Environment Adjustments}
\usage{
lockEnvironment(env, bindings = FALSE)
environmentIsLocked(env)
lockBinding(sym, env)
unlockBinding(sym, env)
bindingIsLocked(sym, env)
makeActiveBinding(sym, fun, env)
bindingIsActive(sym, env)
}
\alias{bindenv}
\alias{lockEnvironment}
\alias{environmentIsLocked}
\alias{lockBinding}
\alias{unlockBinding}
\alias{makeActiveBinding}
\alias{bindingIsLocked}
\alias{bindingIsActive}
\arguments{
  \item{env}{an environment.}
  \item{bindings}{logical specifying whether bindings should be locked.}
  \item{sym}{a name object or character string}
  \item{fun}{a function taking zero or one arguments}
}
\description{
  These functions represent an experimental interface for adjustments
  to environments and bindings within environments.  They allow for
  locking environments as well as individual bindings, and for linking
  a variable to a function.
}
\details{
  The function \code{lockEnvironment} locks its environment argument,
  which must be a normal environment (not base).  (Locking the base
  environment and namespace may be supported later.)  Locking the
  environment prevents adding or removing variable bindings from the
  environment. Changing the value of a variable is still possible unless
  the binding has been locked.  The namespace environments of packages
  with namespaces are locked when loaded.

  \code{lockBinding} locks individual bindings in the specified
  environment.  The value of a locked binding cannot be changed. Locked
  bindings may be removed from an environment unless the environment is
  locked.

  \code{makeActiveBinding} installs \code{fun} so that getting the value
  of \code{sym} calls \code{fun} with no arguments, and assigning to
  \code{sym} calls \code{fun} with one argument, the value to be
  assigned.  This allows the implementation of things like C variables
  linked to \R variables and variables linked to databases.  It may also
  be useful for making thread-safe versions of some system globals.
}
\examples{
# locking environments
e <- new.env()
assign("x", 1, env = e)
get("x", env = e)
lockEnvironment(e)
get("x", env = e)
assign("x", 2, env = e)
try(assign("y", 2, env = e)) # error

# locking bindings
e <- new.env()
assign("x", 1, env = e)
get("x", env = e)
lockBinding("x", e)
try(assign("x", 2, env = e)) # error
unlockBinding("x", e)
assign("x", 2, env = e)
get("x", env = e)

# active bindings
f <- local( {
    x <- 1
    function(v) {
       if (missing(v))
           cat("get\n")
       else {
           cat("set\n")
           x <<- v
       }
       x
    }
})
makeActiveBinding("fred", f, .GlobalEnv)
bindingIsActive("fred", .GlobalEnv)
fred
fred <- 2
fred
}
\keyword{internal}
\author{Luke Tierney}