Number: 1214

Date: 23-May-84 17':19':52

Submitter: Sannella.PA

Source: Dietterich.pa

Subject: Improve documentation of GETD editor command

Lisp Version: 

Description: '
Date': 20 May 84 20':30 PDT'
From': Dietterich.pa'
Subject': Lisp': GETD command in DEDIT (and tty editor)'
To': LispSupport.pa'
cc': Dietterich.pa'
Lisp-System-Date':  9-Apr-84 18':28':19'
Machine-Type': Dorado'
'
The GETD command is dumb about how it handles argument substitution.  Judging from its behavior, GETD must simply issue the equivalent of an R <formal> <actual> for each argument to the function that it is expanding.  This has the obvious bad effects': If one of the formal arguments is also a lisp function name (e.g., LIST, ATOM, ...) then each occurrence of the function name gets changed too.  I had a function with an argument named LIST, and this function also invoked LIST.  After substitution of LIST1 for LIST, it attempted to invoke the function LIST1.  Similarly, if one of the formal arguments is rebound in a PROG, the rebound atom also gets substituted.'
'
I suggest that the manual be more explicit on p 17.44 about how it performs this step (and perhaps even mention this potential bug).  I admit that overloading atom names is poor programming practice--it is probably not worth changing the editor itself.'
 '
'
--Tom'


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Attn: Sheil.pa

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Disposition: 

System: Programming Environment

Subsystem: Code Editor

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Difficulty: Moderate

Frequency: Everytime

Impact: Annoying

Priority: Perhaps

Status: Open

Problem Type: Documentation

Source Files: