Re: Issue: TRACE-FUNCTION-ONLY (Version 5)

[David A. Moon <Moon@STONY-BROOK.SCRC.Symbolics.COM>]

    Date: Wed, 11 Nov 87 09:37:06 MST
    From: kempf%hplabsz@hplabs.HP.COM

    > I don't know why the fact that this is a part of the environment rather
    > than the language makes the burden of adoption cost any less.
    > ("However, compatibility  with existing implementations seems less of an
    > issue here, since TRACE is more a part of the environment.")

    This was in response to a suggestion by Dave Moon, but I have no objection
    if it is removed.

That's conversion cost.  There is less burden on users when we incompatibly
change something that they (relatively rarely) type in by hand, than when we
incompatibly change something that appears in their programs.  I hope everyone
agrees with this, once they understand what it says, it's not a profound point.