Re: [Scheme-reports] 6.3.3 symbols
Andre van Tonder 19 May 2011 17:12 UTC
On Thu, 19 May 2011, Andy Wingo wrote:
> The text states:
>
> Symbols are objects whose usefulness rests on the fact that two
> symbols are identical (in the sense of `eqv?') if and only if their
> names are spelled the same way. This is exactly the property needed
> to represent identifiers in programs, and so most implementations of
> Scheme use the internally for that purpose. Symbols are useful for
> many other applications; for instance, they may be used the way
> enumerated values are used in Pascal.
>
> I think this editorializing is misleading (for example, macros introduce
> identifiers not simply by name but also with hygiene info) and
> unnecessary.
>
> Suggestion: elide the second and possibly third sentences. Also elide
> the following note about uninterned symbols, which doesn't clarify
> anything.
Agreed. The second sentence has been untrue ever since hygienic macros
came into Scheme.
_______________________________________________
Scheme-reports mailing list
Scheme-reports@scheme-reports.org
http://lists.scheme-reports.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/scheme-reports