Subject: Re: First-class symbols (Re: Why is Scheme not a Lisp?) From: Erik Naggum <erik@naggum.net> Date: Fri, 15 Mar 2002 22:51:44 GMT Newsgroups: comp.lang.lisp Message-ID: <3225221516192724@naggum.net> * Erann Gat | I think I really don't understand what he means by "first class symbols." | The phrase "first-class function" usually means that functions can be | passed as arugments and returned as values. Scheme symbols have those | properties as well. So one of us is obviously missing something, and I'm | pretty sure it's me. But what can you do with a symbol in Scheme? Can you read and write its value? At least you can call a (first-class) function that has been pased to you. Can you call a symbol in Scheme if its global value is a function? If symbols are _only_ interned constant strings, I do not see the value of calling them "symbols" in the Lisp sense of the word. This is one of the cost of flirting too much with the Algol family. /// -- In a fight against something, the fight has value, victory has none. In a fight for something, the fight is a loss, victory merely relief.