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#%top

2.5 Variable References and #%top

id
Refers to a module-level or local binding, when id is not bound as a transformer (see Expansion (Parsing)). At run-time, the reference evaluates to the value in the location associated with the binding.

When the expander encounters an id that is not bound by a module-level or local binding, it converts the expression to (#%top . id) giving #%top the lexical context of the id; typically, that context refers to #%top. See also Expansion Steps.

Examples:

  > (define x 10)
  > x

  10

  > (let ([x 5]) x)

  5

  > ((lambda (x) x) 2)

  2

(#%top . id)
Refers to a top-level definition that could bind id, even if id has a local binding in its context. Such references are disallowed anywhere within a module form. See also Expansion Steps for information on how the expander introduces #%top identifiers.

Examples:

  > (define x 12)
  > (let ([x 5]) (#%top . x))

  12