Re: NIHIL EX NIHIL - DON'T SETQ NIL

[willc%tekchips%tektronix.csnet@CSNET-RELAY.ARPA]

An additional argument for making the initial value of NIL be #!false
instead of the empty list:  The Second Edition of The Little LISPer
by Dan Friedman and Matthias Felliesen uses NIL as the expression
that evaluates to #!false and () [not '(), unfortunately] as the
expression that evaluates to the empty list.  Aside from the use
of square brackets instead of parentheses and the missing quote
before (), the Second Edition looks like straight Scheme to me.
If SRA would market that book right, it would introduce more people
to Scheme than has S&ICP.

In other words:  Don't SETQ NIL, (SET! NIL #!FALSE) instead.

Peace, Will