104 lines
5.4 KiB
HTML
104 lines
5.4 KiB
HTML
<!-- Common Lisp HyperSpec (TM), version 7.0 generated by Kent M. Pitman on Mon, 11-Apr-2005 2:31am EDT -->
|
|
<HTML>
|
|
<HEAD>
|
|
<TITLE>CLHS: Issue SPECIAL-FORM-P-MISNOMER Writeup</TITLE>
|
|
<LINK HREF="../Data/clhs.css" REL="stylesheet" TYPE="text/css" />
|
|
<META HTTP-EQUIV="Author" CONTENT="Kent M. Pitman">
|
|
<META HTTP-EQUIV="Organization" CONTENT="LispWorks Ltd.">
|
|
<LINK REL=TOP HREF="../Front/index.htm">
|
|
<LINK REL=COPYRIGHT HREF="../Front/Help.htm#Legal">
|
|
<LINK REL=DISCLAIMER HREF="../Front/Help.htm#Disclaimer">
|
|
<LINK REL=PREV HREF="../Issues/iss320_w.htm">
|
|
<LINK REL=UP HREF="../Issues/iss321.htm">
|
|
<LINK REL=NEXT HREF="../Issues/iss322_w.htm">
|
|
</HEAD>
|
|
<BODY>
|
|
<H1><A REV=MADE HREF="http://www.lispworks.com/"><IMG WIDTH=80 HEIGHT=65 ALT="[LISPWORKS]" SRC="../Graphics/LWSmall.gif" ALIGN=Bottom></A><A REL=TOP HREF="../Front/index.htm"><IMG WIDTH=237 HEIGHT=65 ALT="[Common Lisp HyperSpec (TM)]" SRC="../Graphics/CLHS_Sm.gif" ALIGN=Bottom></A> <A REL=PREV HREF="../Issues/iss320_w.htm"><IMG WIDTH=40 HEIGHT=40 ALT="[Previous]" SRC="../Graphics/Prev.gif" ALIGN=Bottom></A><A REL=UP HREF="../Issues/iss321.htm"><IMG WIDTH=40 HEIGHT=40 ALT="[Up]" SRC="../Graphics/Up.gif" ALIGN=Bottom></A><A REL=NEXT HREF="../Issues/iss322_w.htm"><IMG WIDTH=40 HEIGHT=40 ALT="[Next]" SRC="../Graphics/Next.gif" ALIGN=Bottom></A></H1>
|
|
|
|
<HR>
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
<H2>Issue SPECIAL-FORM-P-MISNOMER Writeup</H2>
|
|
|
|
<PRE><B>Issue:</B> <A HREF="iss321.htm">SPECIAL-FORM-P-MISNOMER</A><P>
|
|
<B>Forum:</B> Cleanup<P>
|
|
<B>References:</B> SPECIAL-FORM-P (p91)<P>
|
|
<B>Category:</B> CHANGE<P>
|
|
<B>Edit history:</B> 05-Oct-90, Version 1 by Pitman (internal Symbolics draft)<P>
|
|
05-Oct-90, Version 2 by Pitman (mostly add endorsements)<P>
|
|
<B>Status:</B> For Internal Discussion<P>
|
|
<P>
|
|
<B>Problem Description:<P>
|
|
</B><P>
|
|
The thing for which SPECIAL-FORM-P returns true is not a form.<P>
|
|
This complicates the terminology used in the specification and<P>
|
|
is a nuisance to those trying to teach the language.<P>
|
|
<P>
|
|
<B>Proposal (SPECIAL-FORM-P-MISNOMER:RENAME):<P>
|
|
</B><P>
|
|
Rename the function named SPECIAL-FORM-P to <A REL=DEFINITION HREF="../Body/f_specia.htm#special-operator-p"><B>SPECIAL-OPERATOR-P</B></A>.<P>
|
|
<P>
|
|
<B>Test Case:<P>
|
|
</B><P>
|
|
1. (<A REL=DEFINITION HREF="../Body/f_find_s.htm#find-symbol"><B>FIND-SYMBOL</B></A> "SPECIAL-FORM-P" "COMMON-LISP")<P>
|
|
=> <A REL=DEFINITION HREF="../Body/a_nil.htm#nil"><B>NIL</B></A>, <A REL=DEFINITION HREF="../Body/a_nil.htm#nil"><B>NIL</B></A><P>
|
|
<P>
|
|
2. (<A REL=DEFINITION HREF="../Body/f_find_s.htm#find-symbol"><B>FIND-SYMBOL</B></A> "SPECIAL-OPERATOR-P" "COMMON-LISP")<P>
|
|
=> <A REL=DEFINITION HREF="../Body/f_specia.htm#special-operator-p"><B>SPECIAL-OPERATOR-P</B></A>, :EXTERNAL<P>
|
|
<P>
|
|
3. (<A REL=DEFINITION HREF="../Body/f_specia.htm#special-operator-p"><B>SPECIAL-OPERATOR-P</B></A> '<A REL=DEFINITION HREF="../Body/s_setq.htm#setq"><B>SETQ</B></A>) => true<P>
|
|
(<A REL=DEFINITION HREF="../Body/f_specia.htm#special-operator-p"><B>SPECIAL-OPERATOR-P</B></A> '<A REL=DEFINITION HREF="../Body/f_car_c.htm#car"><B>CAR</B></A>) => <A REL=DEFINITION HREF="../Body/a_nil.htm#nil"><B>NIL</B></A><P>
|
|
<P>
|
|
<B>Rationale:<P>
|
|
</B><P>
|
|
This is makes the function consistent with the uses of the <P>
|
|
term "form" and "operator" throughout the spec.<P>
|
|
<P>
|
|
<B>Current Practice:<P>
|
|
</B><P>
|
|
Hopefully no one implements this yet, since it's not conforming.<P>
|
|
<P>
|
|
<B>Cost to Implementors:<P>
|
|
</B><P>
|
|
Very small.<P>
|
|
<P>
|
|
<B>Cost to Users:<P>
|
|
</B><P>
|
|
Small. Most code doesn't do meta-linguistic things that <A REL=DEFINITION HREF="../Body/f_provid.htm#require"><B>require</B></A> the use<P>
|
|
of SPECIAL-FORM-P. Code that does use it can probably be fixed by <P>
|
|
simple textual replacement.<P>
|
|
<P>
|
|
<B>Cost of Non-Adoption:<P>
|
|
</B><P>
|
|
It's nearly impossible to explain the term SPECIAL-FORM-P gracefully<P>
|
|
in the specification.<P>
|
|
<P>
|
|
<B>Benefits:<P>
|
|
</B><P>
|
|
Spec is incrementally easier to write.<P>
|
|
Language is incrementally easier to teach.<P>
|
|
<P>
|
|
<B>Aesthetics:<P>
|
|
</B><P>
|
|
A locally major improvement in aesthetics in this small corner of<P>
|
|
the language.<P>
|
|
<P>
|
|
<B>Discussion:<P>
|
|
</B><P>
|
|
Allan Wechsler, who has taught Lisp at Symbolics for several years,<P>
|
|
strongly supports this proposal. He says the existing name has<P>
|
|
been a source of confusion for students.<P>
|
|
<P>
|
|
Pitman strongly supports the proposal.<P>
|
|
<P>
|
|
Moon said "I wouldn't expect it to be controversial." Pitman couldn't<P>
|
|
figure out if that was an endorsement.<P>
|
|
</PRE>
|
|
<HR>
|
|
|
|
<A REL=NAVIGATOR HREF="../Front/StartPts.htm"><IMG WIDTH=80 HEIGHT=40 ALT="[Starting Points]" SRC="../Graphics/StartPts.gif" ALIGN=Bottom></A><A REL=TOC HREF="../Front/Contents.htm"><IMG WIDTH=80 HEIGHT=40 ALT="[Contents]" SRC="../Graphics/Contents.gif" ALIGN=Bottom></A><A REL=INDEX HREF="../Front/X_Master.htm"><IMG WIDTH=80 HEIGHT=40 ALT="[Index]" SRC="../Graphics/Index.gif" ALIGN=Bottom></A><A REL=INDEX HREF="../Front/X_Symbol.htm"><IMG WIDTH=80 HEIGHT=40 ALT="[Symbols]" SRC="../Graphics/Symbols.gif" ALIGN=Bottom></A><A REL=GLOSSARY HREF="../Body/26_a.htm"><IMG WIDTH=80 HEIGHT=40 ALT="[Glossary]" SRC="../Graphics/Glossary.gif" ALIGN=Bottom></A><A HREF="../Front/X3J13Iss.htm"><IMG WIDTH=80 HEIGHT=40 ALT="[Issues]" SRC="../Graphics/Issues.gif" ALIGN=Bottom></A><BR>
|
|
|
|
<A REL=COPYRIGHT HREF="../Front/Help.htm#Legal"><I>Copyright 1996-2005, LispWorks Ltd. All rights reserved.</I></A><P>
|
|
</BODY>
|
|
</HTML>
|