Re: CLOS defining macros & compilation

[sandra%defun@cs.utah.edu (Sandra J Loosemore)]

> Date: Thu, 23 Feb 89 20:23 PST
> From: Gregor.pa@Xerox.COM
> 
> My belief is that resolution of this issue cannot proceed until the
> EVAL-WHEN issue has been resolved.  I have been waiting to see what the
> resolution would be on the Symbolics EVAL-WHEN proposal.  I haven't said
> anything about it before, but that proposal looks right to me.  I
> believe it has what it would take to implement any of the CLOS behaviors
> I outlined to the CLOS group.  I don't understand how to provide
> reasonable CLOS semantics with the previous propsal.
> 
> Once the status of EVAL-WHEN is clear, and I get some more feedback
> about the message I sent, I will be able to rewrite the relevant part of
> Chapter 3.  That rewrite will cover more than what we want to put in the
> standard just now, but it will make it clear exactly what the behavior
> should be.  It will give us a precise model with which to decide exactly
> what how much to put in the standard.  Then it should be easy to reduce
> it to what the compiler committee report should say.

I think you should go ahead and assume that the Symbolics EVAL-WHEN
proposal, or something very much like it, will be accepted.  I believe
we are all pretty much in agreement with the goals Kent set out.  I
may still put together an alternate proposal but the changes would be
more in the way it's presented than in the semantics. 

Do you have any idea how long it will take you to do this revision to
Chapter 3?  My understanding is that it will require truly exceptional
circumstances to get anything into the standard after the upcoming
meeting.  We may need to do this all in parallel instead of series to
get things done in time.

Thanks for keeping us updated on this.

-Sandra
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