Re: sxhash, Franz function info and the maclisp-style array package.

[CSVAX.jkf at Berkeley]

    From: FININ@WHARTON-10
    Subject: sxhash, Franz function info and the maclisp-style array package.

    [1] Does Franz have a hashing function like maclisp's SXHASH?
	If not, has anyone written one?
There isn't a distributed version of sxhash.  We wrote one for use in Vax
Macsyma but it isn't any better than something you could write in a minute.

    [2] For a compiled function or a built-in system function, is there any
	way to get its type and the number of arguments it requires?

You get get the type of function using the function 'getdisc' (get discipline)
on the binary object which is stored in the function cell [getd] of a symbol.
You can't determine the number of arguments.

    [3] We've been having problems with the MacLisp compatable array
	package - it doesn't work!  Does anyone have a debugged version?

Can you be more specific? We use it in Vax Macsyma without any problems.
Personally I feel that Maclisp arrays were invented by a madman and no new
code should be written using them.  


-- john foderaro