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No change needed for name-domains in package-name space
- To: Rem%imss@SU-SCORE.ARPA
- Subject: No change needed for name-domains in package-name space
- From: "Scott E. Fahlman" <Fahlman@CMU-CS-C.ARPA>
- Date: Tue, 18 Jun 1985 14:33:00 -0000
- Cc: COMMON-LISP@SU-AI.ARPA
- Sender: FAHLMAN@CMU-CS-C.ARPA
The point of a hierarchical package space, instead of simply
using hierarchical conventions for the names themselves, is that if I
already have a package named FOO (a shorthand, perhaps, for
PACKAGE-NAME-ROOT:FOO) and I get a distinct package named FOO, I can
with proper care make the latter into PACKAGE-ROOT:IMPORTS:FOO just by
loading it right, and not by going in and editing anythign within the
package. Again, the analogy to a tree-structured directory is useful in
understanding this: in most decent operating systems I can make
/usr/mystuff be the default, and then operate as though there were no
other directories around; I never have to worry about stuff in
/usr/yourstuff unless I explicitly ask for that.
Please note that I am NOT advocating any changes to Common Lisp here. A
tree structured package system would have both benefits and costs (in
greater complexity), and I like the tradeoff we currently hae in the
language.
-- Scott