Autoload

[Mark L. Miller <MILLER at MIT-AI>]

    It seems to me that there is very little conceptual difference between
AUTOLOADable functions and macros.  Indeed it might be preferable to have
the value of the AUTOLOAD property BE a macro definition which would
receive the calling form as its one input, and return a revised form for
further evaluation.  A built-in function AUTOLOAD would be the usual body,
e.g.,:
       (defun GRIND macro (form) (autoload form '((com) grindef fasl))).
where autoload was defined as something like:
       (defun AUTOLOAD (form file)
              (load file) (comment possibly remprop the macro defn here)
              form)
 -- just to make the current behavior trivial to implement; but one could
then also do cleverer things instead.
  Would this sort of thing solve the problem?  Has this sort of idea been
considered and rejected already?  Regards, Mark