Dave Tenny <truesoft.com at dtenny> wrote to <Franz.com at Editi> on 8 Apr 1997:
: 
: ... Usually when I want to TRACE or BREAKPOINT a function,
: I'm already sitting with the point somewhere in the definition
: of the function I want to trace, as opposed to the call
: site for that function. ...

I agree this would be a useful capability (though it would require
restructuring the prefix arg structure for all of the Tools commands
in Editi 3.0).

Perhaps it would make sense to have the Tools commands (trace,
breakpoint, profile ...) select the sexp in the same manner as the 
evaluation commands, namely 

   arg = 0,  the symbol at point, e.g. C-0 C-T
   arg = 1,  the sexp containing point (or just before/after point)
   arg = 4,  the top-level form containing point (same as 'arg none')

Then the functionality you request would be simply  C-4 C-T,
or more simply  C-T.

I've cc'ed allegro-cl to obtain other opinions. So, Editi users,
which do you find more common: the need to trace the function
CALLED by the sexp containing the cursor point, or the function 
DEFINED in the top-level sexp containing the cursor point?

Choosing the latter semantics has the advantage that the trace
command  C-T  would be completely analogous to the eval command  C-E
in that no prefix arg (or arg=4) denotes the current top-level form, 
whereas  arg=1  denotes the current sexp, and arg=0 the current symbol.

-Bill Dubuque