Provided by: tcl8.5-doc_8.5.19-4_all 
NAME
set - Read and write variables
SYNOPSIS
set varName ?value? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
DESCRIPTION
Returns the value of variable varName. If value is specified, then set the value of varName to value,
creating a new variable if one does not already exist, and return its value. If varName contains an open
parenthesis and ends with a close parenthesis, then it refers to an array element: the characters before
the first open parenthesis are the name of the array, and the characters between the parentheses are the
index within the array. Otherwise varName refers to a scalar variable.
If varName includes namespace qualifiers (in the array name if it refers to an array element), or if
varName is unqualified (does not include the names of any containing namespaces) but no procedure is
active, varName refers to a namespace variable resolved according to the rules described under NAME
RESOLUTION in the namespace manual page.
If a procedure is active and varName is unqualified, then varName refers to a parameter or local variable
of the procedure, unless varName was declared to resolve differently through one of the global, variable
or upvar commands.
EXAMPLES
Store a random number in the variable r:
set r [expr {rand()}]
Store a short message in an array element:
set anAry(msg) "Hello, World!"
Store a short message in an array element specified by a variable:
set elemName "msg"
set anAry($elemName) "Hello, World!"
Copy a value into the variable out from a variable whose name is stored in the vbl (note that it is often
easier to use arrays in practice instead of doing double-dereferencing):
set in0 "small random"
set in1 "large random"
set vbl in[expr {rand() >= 0.5}]
set out [set $vbl]
SEE ALSO
expr(3tcl), global(3tcl), namespace(3tcl), proc(3tcl), trace(3tcl), unset(3tcl), upvar(3tcl), variable(3tcl)
KEYWORDS
read, write, variable