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<TITLE>CLHS: Issue WITH-OPEN-FILE-STREAM-EXTENT Writeup</TITLE>
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<H2>Issue WITH-OPEN-FILE-STREAM-EXTENT Writeup</H2>
<PRE><B>Issue:</B> <A HREF="iss363.htm">WITH-OPEN-FILE-STREAM-EXTENT</A><P>
<B>References:</B> <A REL=DEFINITION HREF="../Body/m_w_open.htm#with-open-file"><B>WITH-OPEN-FILE</B></A><P>
<A REL=DEFINITION HREF="../Body/m_w_op_1.htm#with-open-stream"><B>WITH-OPEN-STREAM</B></A><P>
<A REL=DEFINITION HREF="../Body/m_w_in_f.htm#with-input-from-string"><B>WITH-INPUT-FROM-STRING</B></A><P>
<A REL=DEFINITION HREF="../Body/m_w_out_.htm#with-output-to-string"><B>WITH-OUTPUT-TO-STRING</B></A><P>
Related issues: <A HREF="iss362.htm">WITH-OPEN-FILE-SETQ</A><P>
<B>Category:</B> CLARIFICATION<P>
<B>Edit history:</B> v1, 13 Feb 1991, Sandra Loosemore<P>
v2, 11 Mar 1991, Sandra Loosemore (two proposals)<P>
v3, 26 Mar 1991, Sandra Loosemore (fix typos)<P>
<B>Status:</B> v3 (proposal <A REL=DEFINITION HREF="../Body/d_dynami.htm#dynamic-extent"><B>DYNAMIC-EXTENT</B></A>) accepted by X3J13, Mar 1991<P>
<P>
<B>Problem description:<P>
</B><P>
CLtL says that the streams created by <A REL=DEFINITION HREF="../Body/m_w_op_1.htm#with-open-stream"><B>WITH-OPEN-STREAM</B></A>, <P>
<A REL=DEFINITION HREF="../Body/m_w_in_f.htm#with-input-from-string"><B>WITH-INPUT-FROM-STRING</B></A>, and <A REL=DEFINITION HREF="../Body/m_w_out_.htm#with-output-to-string"><B>WITH-OUTPUT-TO-STRING</B></A> should be regarded<P>
as having dynamic extent. It is not clear whether &quot;dynamic extent&quot;<P>
is being used here in a technical sense to mean that it is valid for<P>
the expansion of these macros to include a <A REL=DEFINITION HREF="../Body/d_dynami.htm#dynamic-extent"><B>DYNAMIC-EXTENT</B></A> declaration<P>
for the variable(s) bound to the stream.<P>
<P>
The description of <A REL=DEFINITION HREF="../Body/m_w_open.htm#with-open-file"><B>WITH-OPEN-FILE</B></A> says nothing about whether the<P>
stream it creates has dynamic extent. It probably should inherit<P>
whatever restrictions are placed on <A REL=DEFINITION HREF="../Body/m_w_op_1.htm#with-open-stream"><B>WITH-OPEN-STREAM</B></A>, so you can <P>
implement it that way.<P>
<P>
There are two proposals, <A REL=DEFINITION HREF="../Body/d_dynami.htm#dynamic-extent"><B>DYNAMIC-EXTENT</B></A> and INDEFINITE-EXTENT.<P>
<P>
<B>Proposal (WITH-OPEN-FILE-STREAM-EXTENT:DYNAMIC-EXTENT):<P>
</B><P>
Clarify that the streams created by <A REL=DEFINITION HREF="../Body/m_w_op_1.htm#with-open-stream"><B>WITH-OPEN-STREAM</B></A>,<P>
<A REL=DEFINITION HREF="../Body/m_w_in_f.htm#with-input-from-string"><B>WITH-INPUT-FROM-STRING</B></A>, <A REL=DEFINITION HREF="../Body/m_w_out_.htm#with-output-to-string"><B>WITH-OUTPUT-TO-STRING</B></A>, and <A REL=DEFINITION HREF="../Body/m_w_open.htm#with-open-file"><B>WITH-OPEN-FILE</B></A><P>
have dynamic extent in the technical sense of the <A REL=DEFINITION HREF="../Body/d_dynami.htm#dynamic-extent"><B>DYNAMIC-EXTENT</B></A><P>
declaration. The extent of the stream ends when the form is exited.<P>
<P>
Rationale for proposal DYNAMIC-EXTENT:<P>
<P>
If we don't mean the technical definition of <A REL=DEFINITION HREF="../Body/d_dynami.htm#dynamic-extent"><B>DYNAMIC-EXTENT</B></A>, we<P>
might as well not say anything about dynamic extent.<P>
<P>
<P>
<B>Proposal (WITH-OPEN-FILE-STREAM-EXTENT:INDEFINITE-EXTENT):<P>
</B><P>
Specify that the streams created by <A REL=DEFINITION HREF="../Body/m_w_op_1.htm#with-open-stream"><B>WITH-OPEN-STREAM</B></A>,<P>
<A REL=DEFINITION HREF="../Body/m_w_in_f.htm#with-input-from-string"><B>WITH-INPUT-FROM-STRING</B></A>, <A REL=DEFINITION HREF="../Body/m_w_out_.htm#with-output-to-string"><B>WITH-OUTPUT-TO-STRING</B></A>, and <A REL=DEFINITION HREF="../Body/m_w_open.htm#with-open-file"><B>WITH-OPEN-FILE</B></A><P>
have indefinite extent.<P>
<P>
Rationale for proposal INDEFINITE-EXTENT:<P>
<P>
It has been suggested that the mention of &quot;dynamic extent&quot; in CLtL<P>
was really a sloppy way of saying that the stream would be closed<P>
after the dynamic extent of the body was exited.<P>
<P>
It is better for the language to take the conservative point of view<P>
and make objects generally have indefinite extent, leaving it up to<P>
users to declare which things they want to be more ephemeral.<P>
<P>
<P>
<B>Current Practice:<P>
</B><P>
I don't know.<P>
<P>
<B>Cost to Implementors:<P>
</B><P>
None (<A REL=DEFINITION HREF="../Body/d_dynami.htm#dynamic-extent"><B>DYNAMIC-EXTENT</B></A> declarations are optional).<P>
<P>
<B>Cost to Users:<P>
</B><P>
Probably small, for either proposal. It's possible that some people<P>
do things like:<P>
<P>
(<A REL=DEFINITION HREF="../Body/f_tn.htm#truename"><B>truename</B></A> (<A REL=DEFINITION HREF="../Body/m_w_open.htm#with-open-file"><B>with-open-file</B></A> (<A REL=DEFINITION HREF="../Body/t_stream.htm#stream"><B>stream</B></A> ...) ... <A REL=DEFINITION HREF="../Body/t_stream.htm#stream"><B>stream</B></A>))<P>
<P>
but it's not clear that these things are now portable anyway.<P>
<P>
<B>Cost of non-adoption:<P>
</B><P>
The language specification will be vague. Implementations might <P>
be prevented from making a minor optimization. Users may encounter<P>
portability problems.<P>
<P>
<B>Performance impact:<P>
</B><P>
Adoption of proposal <A REL=DEFINITION HREF="../Body/d_dynami.htm#dynamic-extent"><B>DYNAMIC-EXTENT</B></A> will permit the stream objects <P>
to be stack-allocated by default.<P>
<P>
<B>Benefits:<P>
</B><P>
The cost of non-adoption is avoided.<P>
<P>
<B>Esthetics:<P>
</B><P>
Consistent use of &quot;dynamic extent&quot; terminology is a good thing.<P>
<P>
<B>Discussion:<P>
</B><P>
Loosemore thinks either of the two proposals would be an improvement<P>
over the status quo.<P>
</PRE>
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