Vector

Vectors are an indexed sequential collections of data, basically the same as arrays in other languages. However, there are several differences. The index for a vector starts at 0, just like arrays in other languages.

Vectors are written using square brackets [] with any number of pieces of data inside them, separated by spaces.

Note Experiment with creating vectors for your data structures

(vector 1 2 3 4)
[1 2 3 4 5]
[56.9 60.2 61.8 63.1 54.3 66.4 66.5 68.1 70.2 69.2 63.1 57.1]
[]

(def pi 3.1435893)
[1 2.4 pi 11/4 5.0 6 7]
[:cat :dog :rabbit :fish]
[{:cat 1} "fish" "potatoes" "oil" (str "who ate my" "fish n chips")]

;; Include other data structures in vectors, in this example a list is an element of the vector
[1 2 3 '(4 5 6)]

;; Are duplicate elements allowed ?
[1 2 3 4 1]

Note What can you do with vectors? Vectors are easy to add more items to, delete items from, or pull arbitrary items out of. Here are some functions that operate on vectors.

(vector? [5 10 15])
(= [] [])
(= [] [1])

(first [5 10 15])
(rest [5 10 15])
(nth [5 10 15] 1)
(count [5 10 15])

(conj [5 10] 15)

Hint When a function is effectively asking if a value is true or false, its referred to as a predicate function. Its common practice in Clojure to place a ? at the end of that functions name.

Lookup data from a Vector

([1 2 3] 1)

;; ([1 2 3] 1 2)  ;; wrong number of arguments, vectors behaving as a function expect one parameter

;; ((1 2 3) 1) ;; you cant treat lists in the same way, there is another approach - assoc

Changing vectors

The next two functions are used to make new vectors. The vector function takes any number of items and puts them in a new vector.

conj takes a vector and an item and returns a new vector with that item added to the end. The function name is taken from the verb "conjugate", meaning "to join together.

Remember that collections in Clojure are immutable, so when we say that a function "adds to" or "removes from" a collection, what we mean is that the function returns a new collection with an item added or removed.

Note Using one or more vectors, create a data structure of the high temperatures for the next 7 days in your area. Use the nth function to get the high temperature for next Friday