Re: Issue: READ-CASE-SENSITIVITY (Version 1)

[masinter.pa@Xerox.COM]

I have 15 replies to version 1, but no version 2.

Personally, I think adding a character translation table is overkill if all
that's wanted is case sensitive or no, and the performance cost unwieldy.
"Gilding the lilly."

Why not just (READTABLE-CASE <readtable>) that accepts/returns :UPCASE (the
default) or :DOWNCASE.

Note that the setting of the READTABLE-CASE in *READTABLE* should affect
printing: if (READTABLE-CASE *READTABLE*) is :DOWNCASE, then *PRINT-CASE*
is ignored; symbols should be printed with the same case as their internal
name.

This is effectively what Medley does; it was necessary to support
readtables with a case sensitive "bit" so that the same environment could
simultaneously support Interlisp (which is case sensitive) and Common Lisp.


If this is going to go anywhere, we'll need a version 2. If you want to
proceed with just the READTABLE-CHARACTER-TRANSLATION, I won't squawk too
loudly (but I think I would vote against all of the proposals, even the one
I outline above, on the grounds that they are 'unnecessary' complications.)