begin

[Guy Steele <gls@THINK-AQUINAS.ARPA>]

    Date: Wed, 2 Apr 86 13:32 EST
    From: Kent M Pitman <KMP@SCRC-STONY-BROOK.ARPA>

    ...

    I didn't realize this idea of putting definitions in BEGIN was a serious 
    suggestion. I strongly oppose having either BEGIN or LET do this. The reason
    is that it makes it impossible to write code which wants to use these 
    primitives for other things and doesn't have additional implications that
    may be unwanted or may have implications in macros or program-writing programs
    that some programmer didn't count on.

    As a counter-proposal, how about a LOCALLY special form. 
     ie, (LOCALLY <definition>* <form>*)


The Common Lisp committee went through this issue, rather painfully.  At
one point I had proposed that PROGN, and any implicit PROGN (such as
COND clauses) allow DECLARE forms at the front.  This was roundly and
soundly booed, and LOCALLY emerged from the fracas.
--Guy