Franz documentation for MIT LM code

[Steven M. Haflich <smh@mit-eddie>]

Sorry to report that there really is no official documentation for the
several Franz lisplib modules which implement a measure of compatibility
with Zetalisp, the dialect running on MIT Lisp Machines (and, more or
less, on Symbolics and LMI machines).  The Franz source code was adapted
from the MIT Lisp machine code several years ago; there is still
approximate compatibility, although new features and certain semantic
subtleties have diverged.  Driven partially by natural evolution and
partially by the standardization efforts of Common Lisp, Lisp Machine
compatibility is something of a moving target.

But do not despair; there are two standardly available sources for
documentation.  Reading them will give a very usable idea about the
packages.  Unfortunately, a few unimplemented features and semantic
differences will have to be discovered by experimentation or examination
of the source code.  (What do you want for free? :-)

(1) If you have available a MIT Lisp Machine Manual, the sections on
defstruct, flavors, format, hash, and loop output are still reasonable
approximations of documentation for the Franz versions.  Incidentally,
the `Blue' MIT Lisp Machine Manual circa 1981 corresponds most closely
with the Franz inplementation, although a few more recent features have
been retrofitted.  If available, Symbolics documentation is probably
only very slightly less good -- the older, the better.

(2) For defstruct, hash, and format the Guy Steele <Common Lisp: The
Language>, published by Digital Press (a branch of DEC), is usefully
close to the existing Franz code.  Again, experimentation and
examination of the source code will resolve the details.  Unfortunately,
Flavors and the loop macro are not (yet) part of the Common Lisp
specification, and may well be very different when they are.

Unofficially, there is another even better hope.  The MIT Athena project
will be `releasing' these packages into their standard Franz system this
in another month or two.  They are commencing a quick effort to edit
Lisp Machine documentation into proper format for inclusion as
appendixes in the Franz manual.  If at all possible, I will attempt to
get the results publically distributed.  (Translation:  My assistance is
essential to this documentation, so I am in position to insist they be
`reasonable' about it...)  But no promises just yet.

Steve Haflich
MIT