nb_setarg/3

Availability:built-in

nb_setarg(+Arg, +Term, +Value)

Assigns the Arg-th argument of the compound term Term with the given Value as setarg/3, but on backtracking the assignment is not reversed. If Value is not atomic, it is duplicated using duplicate_term/2. This predicate uses the same technique as nb_setval/2. We therefore refer to the description of nb_setval/2 for details on non-backtrackable assignment of terms. This predicate is compatible with GNU-Prolog setarg(A,T,V,false), removing the type restriction on Value. Below is an example for counting the number of solutions of a goal. Note that this implementation is thread-safe, reentrant and capable of handling exceptions. Realising these features with a traditional implementation based on assert/retract or flag/3 is much more complicated.

:- meta_predicate
        succeeds_n_times(0, -).

succeeds_n_times(Goal, Times) :-
        Counter = counter(0),
        (   Goal,
            arg(1, Counter, N0),
            N is N0 + 1,
            nb_setarg(1, Counter, N),
            fail
        ;   arg(1, Counter, Times)
        ).