% File src/library/base/man/bindenv.Rd
% Part of the R package, http://www.R-project.org
% Copyright 1995-2007 R Core Development Team
% Distributed under GPL 2 or later

\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 name space 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 name space environments of packages
  with name spaces 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, envir = e)
get("x", envir = e)
lockEnvironment(e)
get("x", envir = e)
assign("x", 2, envir = e)
try(assign("y", 2, envir = e)) # error

# locking bindings
e <- new.env()
assign("x", 1, envir = e)
get("x", envir = e)
lockBinding("x", e)
try(assign("x", 2, envir = e)) # error
unlockBinding("x", e)
assign("x", 2, envir = e)
get("x", envir = 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{utilities}
\author{Luke Tierney}