The error is valid, because you are attempting to mutate a program
literal.  Scheme makes that an error, and Guile enforces it (though many
Schemes do not).

On Tue, Sep 25, 2018 at 4:41 PM Hood, Christopher L. <
Christopher.Hood@gtri.gatech.edu> wrote:

> This fails with code pulled straight out of the Guile manual example
> (section 6.6.20.6).
>
>
>
> (define capitals '(("New York" . "Albany")
>
>                    ("Oregon"   . "Salem")
>
>                    ("Florida"  . "Miami")))
>
>
>
> Okay, that works define to define alist capitals. Now let’s try another
> part of the example:
>
>
>
> (set! capitals
>
>       (assoc-set! capitals "Florida" "Tallahassee"))
>
>
>
> This yields the error:
>
>
>
> ERROR: In procedure assoc-set!:
>
> In procedure set-cdr!: Wrong type argument in position 1 (expecting
> mutable pair): ("Florida" . "Miami")
>
>
>
> I’ve experienced this behavior with builds of both Guile 2.2.2 and Guile
> 2.2.4.
>
>
>
> I’ll note that if you define the alist so its initial contents are defined
> using a quasiquote and the cons form instead of dot notation, this error is
> not reached. I’m not sure if the error is valid or not, but in any case,
> the code that produces is listed as an valid example in the manual, so that
> doesn’t seem right.
>
>
>
> chris
>