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Minor package unclarity
- To: common-lisp@SU-AI.ARPA
- Subject: Minor package unclarity
- From: Rob MacLachlan <RAM@C.CS.CMU.EDU>
- Date: Sun, 15 Dec 1985 23:20:00 -0000
It says on 177 that "There is no way to inherit the internal
symbols of another package; to refer to an internal symbol, the user
must either make the symbol's home package current, use a qualifier,
or import that symbol into the current package." This not really
true, since a symbol may be internal in some packages and external in
others. The real vaguery is in the phrase "internal symbol"; there is
no such thing. A symbol is only internal with respect to a particular
package.
This may seem like a quibble, but it can cause confusion. Naive
users have enough problems without encouraging misconceptions. It is
a misconception that internalness or externalness is a property of a
symbol. This misconception should be thouroughly stamped out.
Rob