Subject: Re: (read-from-string "#.(values) 42")
From: rpw3@rpw3.org (Rob Warnock)
Date: Fri, 22 Sep 2006 00:32:03 -0500
Newsgroups: comp.lang.lisp
Message-ID: <Kc6dnSryRfrO6I7YnZ2dnUVZ_vednZ2d@speakeasy.net>
Kalle Olavi Niemitalo  <kon@iki.fi> wrote:
+---------------
| Possibly no real program cares what #.(values) does.
+---------------

No, but it certainly cares what "#-(and) (dont read me)" does, e.g.:

    cmu> (read-from-string "#-(and) (dont read me) :read-me")

    :READ-ME
    31
    cmu> 

It was my understanding that the whole "#.(values)" functionality
is there specifically so feature expressions will work [or at least
was put there with them in mind].

Or said another way, given that you have to have a way for "#+" and
"#-" to suppress things, the principle of orthogonal design suggests
allowing *all* readmacros to use the same mechanism, if they so choose.


-Rob

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