Re: Issue PROCLAIM-ETC-IN-COMPILE-FILE

["Steve Bacher (Batchman)" <SEB1525@draper.com>]

> I don't like this name because the convention is that macros with names
> beginning with DEF... are used to define things, with the name of the
> thing being defined appearing as the first argument or as part of the
> first argument.  DEFPROCLAIM doesn't define anything.  I think this
> would also confuse users because it has the same syntax as DECLARE, but
> the two can't be used interchangeably.  It makes me wonder whether we
> should just permit top-level DECLAREs, but then _it_ would need special
> handling by the compiler since a macro definition would confuse the
> semantics of local declarations, so you don't win.

I don't understand the last sentence.  What kind of macro definition?
Can you give an example? 
 
I never understood why PROCLAIM was created in the first place, and why
it was decided ages ago that top-level DECLARE was no good.  Since DECLARE
is a special form, the compiler is free to do anything at all with it, and
we don't have to treat any functions specially at top level.  Who does
(PROCLAIM <function-call-or-variable>) anyway?