Issue: COPY-SYMBOL-COPY-PLIST

[Kent M Pitman <KMP@STONY-BROOK.SCRC.Symbolics.COM>]

    Date: Tue, 10 Jan 89 13:17 EST
    From: Barry Margolin <barmar@Think.COM>

    ...
    Rationale:

    COPY-LIST is the simplest list-copying primitive.
    ...

In my book it's the -only- list-copying primitive. COPY-TREE doesn't
copy lists, it copies trees. Abstractly, there is no relationship
between the two except for people who think it's a bug that
 (MEMBER 'A '(B (A) C))
doesn't find A in the given list.

I don't think there's much issue here, but I'm happy to go along with it
if you think there is.

If we do proceed, I'd go so far as to say that Kathy might want to
document that wherever in plain text the phrase "copy the list" is used,
the equivalent of COPY-LIST is intended, that wherever in plain text the
phrase "copy the tree" is used, the equivalent of COPY-TREE is intended,
and that wherever in plain text the phrase "copy the alist" is used, the
equivalent of COPY-ALIST is intended.  This would save us having 42 more
of these issues come up now that you've opened this particular box
marked "Pandora"...