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Issue: DESCRIBE-INTERACTIVE (Version 3)
- To: Dan L. Pierson <pierson%mist@MULTIMAX.ARPA>
- Subject: Issue: DESCRIBE-INTERACTIVE (Version 3)
- From: David A. Moon <Moon@STONY-BROOK.SCRC.Symbolics.COM>
- Date: Wed, 26 Oct 88 22:45 EDT
- Cc: cl-cleanup@sail.stanford.edu
- In-reply-to: <8810191935.AA14702@mist.UUCP>
I oppose DESCRIBE-INTERACTIVE:NO on the grounds that it creates
extra work for implementors and users of at least one implementation,
for no compelling reason.
Instead of eliminating functionality from DESCRIBE, it would be better
to suggest that DESCRIBE methods (and any other programs that ask
questions of the user) should call the recently added
STREAM-INTERACTIVE-P function (I'm not sure I've got the right name) so
as to avoid asking questions when there is no one to answer them. This
would address the stated goal "to call DESCRIBE in a batch applications
without hanging the application" without requiring incompatible changes
to current practice.