;;; -*- Mode:Lisp; IBase:10. -*-

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

This is called a "File property list", and is a general mechanism for
storing facts about the file that are needed by various programs.  For example,
the Mode:LISP; is understood by various editors (EMACS, ZWEI, at least) to
mean that this file should be edited in LISP mode.  The IBase:10. is
understood by the LOAD function in the LISP Machine currently, to mean
that IBASE should be bound to 10. while loading the file.  Other things can
also appear there, such as Package:.

Obviously, to implement this there would also have to be a FILE-SETQ
function to SETQ variables in such a way that they would be unbound when
the file is finished loading (or the loading is aborted....)