Re: Issue DEFCONSTANT-VALUE (V2)

[David N Gray <Gray@DSG.csc.ti.com>]

>     It is implementation dependent whether or not the symbol value is
>     actually set at compile time or whether COMPILE-FILE temporarily
>     remembers the value in some other way.
>     ...
> 
> However, I a couple of major problems with this...
> 
> It implies that you can't use the variable FOO in either
> a macro or an (EVAL-WHEN (COMPILE) ...). That seems unfortunate.
> 
> Not only is it sad, but it is sad for no apparent good reason.
> There's no efficiency reason that I can think of for not pinning
> this down and just saying it will be available at compile time.

I fully intend it to be available at compile time.  I just want to
permit implementations to make it available on a temporary basis during
COMPILE-FILE instead of as a permanent side-effect.  Setting the
symbol's value cell is just one possible implementation technique.
Evidently some clearer wording is needed.