defvar

[Gerald R. Barber <JerryB at MIT-AI>]

    dlw at SCRC-TENEX

    Date: 14 February 1982 20:37-EST
    From: Andrew L. Ressler <ALR at MIT-ML>
    To:   JerryB
    cc:   dlw at SCRC-TENEX, BUG-LISPM, BUG-ZWEI, DCB
    Re:   defvar

	I can hardly consider this a feature.  It may be convenient to have this
	capability somewhere but its behavior is too unexpected for it to be
	on vanilla flavored Compile Defun or Eval Defun.  I expect you will get
	bug messages about this from confused users until it is changed.
    What would you suggest to replace this behavior.  I think it is consistent
    and easy to use.  I admit documentation would help, but I don't think its
    behavior should be changed.

I don't think it is consistent with the notion of evaluation or
compilation as it is used in most other contexts.  Until a better
solution is found Eval Defun and Compile Defun should at least print a
message in the echo area that the DEFVAR is being treated specially.