How to populate a Clojure record from a map?
clojure, data-structures, record
Solution
It's not recommended to use records simply for "documentation" - plain old maps are more flexible, simpler, and easier. For documentation, you can merely add a docstring, or a comment, or create a function like `(defn make-whatever [thing1 thing2])`.
If you still want a record, you have a couple choices depending on whether you're using clojure version 1.3 or higher. If so, `(defrecord Whatever ...)` also defines a `map->Whatever` function, and a `->Whatever` function that takes positional args. If not, you can write `(into (Whatever. nil nil nil) some-map)` (passing the right number of nils for the record type).
Problem
Is there something like struct-map for records? If not, should I use a struct (the docs discourage use of structs)? Maybe I am doing the wrong thing completely? I have a rather complex function which currently takes a map of options. I am trying to clarify what option values are acceptable/used (by replacing it with a record). And now I want to interface that to code that has this information in maps (and which contain a superset of the data in the record).