Re: LIST* and `

[KLE@MIT-AI]

I am not sure about the LISPM approach but I believe it is the case that at
least in the version of backquote which I use in Maclisp, that coma and @ are
defined in such a way that they only have thier magic effect when found within
backquoted expressions.  That is '(2 , 4 , 3) still returns (2 4 3) and
'(3 ,@ 4) still returns (3 @4) since neither of these expressions backquoted.
I think that if this is also done I would not be unhappy with the LISPM
approach of having ` defined in the standard readtable.  Making all three
chars reader macros however, with , and @ returning error messages if not used
within a backquote I would consider an ursurping of too many valuable
characters.