RE: stream-access background information

["AITG::VANROGGEN" <vanroggen%aitg.decnet@hudson.dec.com>]

I just presented the types and functions we've publicized; it doesn't
mean they all have to be part of Common Lisp.  I'd be quite happy if
they weren't part of any cleanup proposal; but I did want to make sure
that if people did want certain functionality, that the names agree
with what we chose (unless there's a good reason to the contrary).

I believe "end-of-file" for LISTEN2 is defined the same way as for
other input functions which deal with "end-of-file".

The need for OPEN-STREAM-P is because there's no way in Common Lisp
to tell if it's OK to do I/O to a stream; i.e., there's no way to tell
if a stream has been CLOSEd already.  If your question was would
(open-stream-p (make-string-output-stream)) be true, then yes, for
any stream that hadn't been CLOSEd.

Which reminds me of another issue I don't recall having seen recently.
What does CLOSE do on compound streams?  I believe we close that stream
and don't do anything with the component streams.

			---Walter
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