Re: Question with binding

[Andre van Meulebrouck <vanMeule@ALLEGHENY.SCRC.Symbolics.COM>]

    Date: 20 Apr 89 18:49:34 GMT
    From: titan!dorai@rice.edu  (Dorai Sitaram)
    Subject: Re: Question with binding
    Message-Id: <3131@kalliope.rice.edu>

[. . .]

    I agree with Andre that redefinition of system-defined functions could
    infringe upon the integrity of the system. In the old Chez, one needed
    to just type (set! cons 0) to have the whole session come tumbling
    down like a house of cards. But then, I don't think the guy who said
    "Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty" meant it as an argument
    _against_ liberty.

Okay.  All the zeal and arguments shown for allowing the redefinition of car to
garbage sound pretty good.  And, I'm NOT religious or dogmatic about not
allowing redefinition.  (In fact, I'm religious about NOT being religious.)   I
just enjoyed the feature in MacScheme because of all those sleepless nights that
it saved me from lots of potential inadvertent mistakes that could have made
already sleepless nights more sleepless.

Recall also, that MacScheme is a "micro" computer implementation.  Perhaps what
might be nice for "PC"s might not be universally acceptable for "large scale"
systems.

I just have one question for anyone that's in favor of redefinition.

Are you saying you want redefinition-with-wild-abandon?  I.e. do you NOT want
the system to warn you and ask you: "Are you sure?"?  (Admittedly there could be
a hackerish thrill in living dangerously....safety is wimps. :-)

Or, do you want the system to ask you?  (Which could be annoying, especially for
loading files.)

Or, do you want the system to warn you by default, unless you set a
global-dont-warn-me-about-redefinitions flag appropriately?  (And if the latter,
are you prepared to have zillions of such global variables for similar things in
a BIG MOBY system?)

Just curious (And by NO means intending raging controvery and/or heated
religious debates.  If I'm espousing unpopular ideas, well, I derived them from
reading Salmon Rushdie--so he's to blame!)

<Happy trails>  =:0)

    --dorai
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    We must believe in free will. We have no choice.       --Isaac Bashevis Singer
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