Number: 1816

Date: 10-Aug-84 16':39':41

Submitter: Sannella.PA

Source: Acuff.pa

Subject: EVAL-format input doesn''t work as documented if function is LAMBDA

Assigned To: 

Attn: Documentation

Status: Open

In/By: 

Problem Type: Documentation

Impact: Annoying

Difficulty: 

Frequency: 

Priority: Perhaps

System: Programming Environment

Subsystem: DWIM

Machine: 

Disk: 

Lisp Version: 

Source Files: 

Microcode Version: 

Memory Size: 

File Server: 

Server Software Version: 

Disposition: '
["acuff" "14-Aug-84 15':45':12" Attn': Status':(Declined->Open) Problem% Type':(Bug->Documentation) Description':]'
["Sannella.PA" "14-Aug-84 16':28':46" Description':]

Description: '
Date': 23 Jul 84 17':04 PDT'
From': Acuff.pa'
Subject': Lisp': EVAL-format input doesn''t work according to doc'
To': LispSupport.pa'
cc': Acuff.pa, Masinter'
'
Lisp System Date': 22-Jul-84 00':27':49'
Machine': Dandelion (131#66#)'
Microcode version': 24,4'
Memory size': 5777'
Frequency': Always'
Impact': Annoying'
'
   Typing a form to the PA without the outer set of parens is apparently supposed to work just as if one had typed the parens.  It does when CAR is defined as an NLAMBDA (eg. DF), but for LAMBDAs, the evaluation gets screwed up.  To reproduce, try the example from the manual on pg. 8.2':'
'
←PLUS (TIMES 2 3) <cr>'
'
produces '
'
NON-NUMERIC ARG'
TIMES'
'
rather than the "..." that the manual shows.'
'
	-- Rich'
'
  This appears to be a result of using TTYIN instead of READ.'
'
-----'
'
Date': 14 Aug 84 14':46':33 PDT (Tuesday)'
From': Masinter.PA'
Subject': AR#1816, EVAL-format input'
To': Acuff'
cc': Sannella'
'
PLUS (TIMES 2 3)'
'
is supposed to work as an "evalquote" format input, not an EVAL format input. If you can find where the documentation doesn''t explain this, we can fix the documentation. Where does the manual show it?'
'
As it stands, I''ve declined the AR. If this is still a problem, I''d suggest remarking it Open, with Problem Type ': Documentation, Attn': Documentation.'
'
-----'
'
Date': 14 Aug 84 15':39 PDT'
From': acuff.pa'
Subject': Re': AR#1816, EVAL-format input'
In-reply-to': Masinter.PA''s message of 14 Aug 84 14':46':33 PDT (Tuesday)'
To': Masinter.PA'
cc': Acuff.PA, Sannella.PA'
'
   The Oct. ''83 manual (on pg. 8.2) talks about 3 types of typein format': EVALV, APPLY, and EVAL.  There is no mention of "evalquote", so I don''t know what you mean.  You''re observation that the documentation is invalidated because of TTYIN being used rather than READ is correct.  The rules that are used for reading need to be stated somewhere.  As it stands, things are needlessly confusing for (and not only for novices ).  For instace, if GOO is bound to FOO, and I type "PRINT GOO" it prints NIL.  I think this is because someone is trying to think I''m doing APPLY fmt input, and interpret my GOO as a list, but who can be sure?  So in order not to be a novice I suppose I must do what all the "old timers" do, and just ignore this potentially helpful feature, and type all my parens (or write my own top level).  I will re-open the AR as a documentation problem.'
'
	-- Rich'
'


Workaround: 

Test Case: 

Edit-By: Sannella.PA

Edit-Date: 14-Aug-84 16':28':48