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Issue: FUNCTION-DECLARATION issues
- To: "David A. Moon" <Moon@SCRC-STONY-BROOK.ARPA>
- Subject: Issue: FUNCTION-DECLARATION issues
- From: "Scott E. Fahlman" <Fahlman@C.CS.CMU.EDU>
- Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1987 21:22 EST
- Cc: cl-cleanup@SAIL.STANFORD.EDU
- In-reply-to: Msg of 17 Dec 1987 21:05-EST from David A. Moon <Moon at STONY-BROOK.SCRC.Symbolics.COM>
- Sender: FAHLMAN@C.CS.CMU.EDU
I very strongly prefer having the thing after the &rest in a function
type-specifier refer to each remaining argument, as Steele suggested two
years ago, rather than having it refer to the value of the &rest parameter,
as you seem to be assuming. This is partly because I very strongly prefer
having the function type-specifier be a description of arguments rather
than a description of parameters.
Thus I prefer
(function + (&rest number) number)
over
(function + (&rest (list number)) number)
Hmmm...I never thought about it this way. If we look at the syntax you
prefer as a special case for talking about the elements in the rest
list, then this is a hideous kludge. On the other hand, if we look at
this as a way of talking about the type of each of the rest arguments,
then it has a certain elegance. I wouldn't object, as long as it's
explained this way.
We may still want to adopt a better type specifier for LIST, but that is
a separable issue.
-- Scott