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From: Erik Naggum <erik@naggum.no>
Subject: Re: strings and characters
Date: 2000/03/18
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* Tim Bradshaw <tfb@cley.com>
| This doesn't work (unless I've misunderstood you) because I can't use
| it for the string->unsigned-byte-array case, because the strings might
| have big characters in them.

  sigh.  so read (unsigned-byte 8), smash the type code so it's a string of
  non-big characters, and do _whatever_ you need to do with the string,
  then smash the type code and write (unsigned-byte 8) to whatever.

| It looks to me like the outcome of all this is that there isn't a
| portable CL way of ensuring what I need to be true is true, and that I
| need to ask vendors for per-implementation answers, and meantime punt on
| the issue until my code is more stable.  Which are fine answers from my
| point of view, in case anyone thinks I'm making the standard `lisp won't
| let me do x' complaint.

  portable languages are for portable problems.  conversely, non-portable
  problems may require non-portable solutions.  I don't have a problem with
  that, but many seem to have.

#:Erik