CR in LISP

[Robert W. Kerns <RWK at MIT-MC>]

From:     Date:
Date: Sun, 22 Oct 79 15:33:26 GMT
Original-Date: 10/22/79 11:33:26 EDT
Subject:
    From: RBRN at MIT-AI
    To:   (BUG LISP) at MIT-AI, rwk
    Re:   CR in LISP

    Although there probably are not many programs that depend on CR being ignored, there are
    (or at least historically were) several programs that groveled over LISP code,
    and introduced CRs where none were before. For this
    reason the syntax of CR should be left alone.
    	Besides, what would be the purpose of such a change? 
    	Anyway, for your own use you could probably just modify the syntax via your
    own LISP init file.

What programs are these?  Are there any still in use?  If you mean GRIND,
it hasn't done that in many years.  I can't think of any reason why a
reasonable program would introduce CR's in the middle of an atom.  The purpose
of the change is to make things more compatible with the rest of the world.
Currently, ITS MACLISP is incompatible with Multics MacLisp even.  The LISP
Machine already does things this way; wouldn't you like your code to be
compatible between it and ITS?

Obviously, this has nothing to do with my own use.  It would be a mistake
for me to set it this way in my init file, since then I would be incompatible
with everybody else.  I think most people do want it changed.