Re: Access to documentation strings

[JonL at PARC-MAXC]

I think you've got your hand on something bigger than merely documentation
strings; the question of "object types", or "definition type" if you will, 
parallels the InterLisp "file package" facility.  Despite the name "file pkg", 
this facililty is really about a coordinated database for user code ("user"
can include the system, since most of it is written in Lisp now).  I wouldn't
want to see progress on documentation held up at all, but it might be wise
to consider DOCUMENTATION in the light of such a coordinated facility.

File Pkg allows user-extensions to the "types" in a uniform way;  it interfaces
not only to file manipulation commands, but also with MasterScope comands.
Only recently (sadly) did InterLisp correctly separate out the multiple
definitions, e.g. some name being both a Global variable (a VARS type) and
also a function name (a FNS type), but this is a must. 

On the other hand, I'm not sure I see any value to the generalization of names
from symbols to any lisp object -- can you provide any motivation for this?