Matching against variable keys in `cl-case`

Question

In cl-case clauses (though naturally not the initial keyform), keys are apparently quoted:

(let ((mark ?.))
  (case mark
    (mark 'mark)
    (?. ?.))) ; 46 (?.)

(let ((mark ?.))
  (case 'mark
    (mark 'mark)
    (?. ?.))) ; mark

My reading of neither the cl-lib manual nor CLHS entry for case describe this behavior. Is this the intended behavior of cl-case? If so, is this behavior documented? Is there a succinct way to match the keyform against a variable in a cl-case (as opposed to using a cond)?

Answer 1

That behavior is actually described there, albeit in terse form:

• "Macro: cl-case keyform clause...": cl-case is a macro, macros do not evaluate their arguments.
• "This macro evaluates KEYFORM [...]": One of the arguments is evaluated, the rest aren't.
• Therefore the key forms aren't evaluated.

If you find yourself in that situation, just use cond and the appropriate equality predicate. To shorten matching for several keys, use memq, memql, member or cl-find with the :test keyword. In fact, I almost always use cond and only rarely resort to pattern matching constructs.