Arrays and vectors (again)

[Scott E. Fahlman <Fahlman at Cmu-20c>]

The "RPG memorial" proposal contains almost exactly the same machinery
as the "simple-switch" proposal; only the names have been changed to
protect the simple.  With regard to strings, the difference is that
asking for a "string" gets you what was previously called a simple
string -- no fill pointer.  You can still get a string-like object with
a fill pointer, but you have to get it via MAKE-ARRAY.  The "string"
functions still work on it, and it still prints out with the
double-quote syntax.  On read-in of a "..." form, you end up with a
simple string, but everyone agreed to that earlier, I believe.  It would
be very awkward, and not too useful, to have a printing syntax that
preserved the fill pointer and the characters beyond it.

While I agree that "strings with fill pointers" are essential things to
have around, I think that they are needed in relatively few places, so
a name-change to favor the more common simple case should not be too
difficult to live with.  Am I missing something here?

-- Scott