[no subject]

[JLK@MIT-MC]

CADR10, NWS 29.95

(1) in DIRED if you get an error because you can't connect to the specified machine,
the file device defaults is left permanently as DIR: causing all subsequent operations
such as ^F to lose (even before you specify a filename!).  Clearly an UNWIND-PROTECT
is needed somewhere, but even so, it would be nice if when the editor tries to
discover a reasonable file default to print atop the echo area, that it was a bit
more clever about the case where the defaults have gotten wedged or the default
is a non-existant file.

(2) I couldn't send this mail from the LISP machine, which I found very annoying,
because even though I was sending the mail to MC, it insisted that it had to
open a connection to AI, and died in STANDARD-ALLOCATE or whatever.

(3) In general, better handling of file errors is needed, especially in the
editor.  I don't think it is reasonable for the user to ever get a LISP error
break in the editor unless there is a bug (or you executed something like
evaluate region or M-).  The editor should give you a nice file-not-found,
or Host-down message in the echo area and leave you in the editor to try
again.  When sending mail, it should try various hosts if AI or MC are
down (maybe it does, but it never gets to the code...)