# Using begin ... end in Julia

**URL:** <https://discourse.julialang.org/t/using-begin-end-in-julia/138963>\
**Category:** General Usage\
**Tags:** package, julia, block\
**Created:** [August 21, 2026, 2:43am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/using-begin-end-in-julia/138963 "2026-08-21T02:43:48Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![haroldnick0](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/0ea827/32.png) [@haroldnick0](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/haroldnick0)\
**Post date:** [August 21, 2026, 2:43am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/using-begin-end-in-julia/138963/1 "2026-08-21T02:43:48Z")

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**Hello everyone,**

My name is Harold Castro, and I am a monitor at the Faculty of Communication and Language. I am participating in the Archivo 90 project, where we use Julia to process data and publish it in TiddlyHost.

I have a question about the Julia code: **How can we group the individual instructions inside a `begin ... end` block so that, with a single execution, we can update the wiki, select and reassign the Tiddlers we need, and export them to the hard drive?**

Thank you!

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**Author:** ![Benny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/49beb7/32.png) [@Benny](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/Benny)\
**Post date:** [August 21, 2026, 3:50am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/using-begin-end-in-julia/138963/2 "2026-08-21T03:50:53Z")

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There isn’t really a “how” to writing a `begin` block, it’s fairly straightforward after making sure all called macros were defined beforehand. Could you perhaps elaborate on the exact issue you have and why you thought a `begin` block is a solution?

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**Author:** ![haroldnick0](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/0ea827/32.png) [@haroldnick0](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/haroldnick0)\
**Post date:** [August 24, 2026, 6:31pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/using-begin-end-in-julia/138963/3 "2026-08-24T18:31:20Z")

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Thank you for your response. Let me explain the issue in more detail.

I am working on the Archivo 90 project, where I am using Julia and TiddlyWiki to process and publish information. Currently, I have several instructions that I need to execute separately. For example, I need to update the wiki, retrieve the Tiddlers, select the Tiddlers I need, reassign them to a variable, and finally export them to the hard drive.

My goal is to execute these steps together as a single workflow, rather than running each instruction separately in different cells. I thought that a `begin ... end` block could be a way to group these instructions and execute them together.

For example, conceptually, I would like to do something like:

```julia-auto
julia

begin
    update_wiki(...)
    tiddlers = ...
    selected_tiddlers = ...
    export_tiddlers(...)
end

```

The main question is whether this is the appropriate way to group these operations in a Pluto notebook, or if there is another recommended approach for executing the entire workflow with a single execution.

I would also appreciate an example using the functions from `tiddlywiki.jl`, since I am still learning how to structure this workflow in Julia.

Thank you!

---

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**Author:** ![Benny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/49beb7/32.png) [@Benny](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/Benny)\
**Post date:** [August 24, 2026, 11:19pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/using-begin-end-in-julia/138963/4 "2026-08-24T23:19:54Z")

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> [@haroldnick0](#):
>
> whether this is the appropriate way to group these operations in a Pluto notebook

Grouping things into one `begin` expression is a Pluto cell technique, but it’s also a common sign that Pluto isn’t the proper tool. Its distinctive reactivity comes with limitations that you wouldn’t need for the simple sequence of instructions you’re describing. Is there another reason you need a Pluto notebook as opposed to a plain .jl script?

> [@haroldnick0](#):
>
> I would also appreciate an example using the functions from `tiddlywiki.jl`

If you prefer other people to write programs for your project, consider hiring a professional who 1) has experience in both Julia and TiddlyWiki, and 2) you can trust to handle your information. Sorry to say, volunteers can’t do this for you when you won’t provide the mentioned source code or input data, specify much detail of the program, or compensate people for doing your work. This forum is also typically about small, contained problems, and there is no expectation that the volunteered opinions and advice from programmers of various backgrounds will resolve the problem, let alone provide free production-ready code.
