Re: quasiquote limit cases

[Jonathan A Rees <jar@martigny.ai.mit.edu>]

   Date: Fri, 20 Mar 1998 13:45:17 -0500 (EST)
   From: Aubrey Jaffer <jaffer@colorage.com>

   R5RS says:
     ... If no commas appear within the <template>, the result of
     evaluating `<template> is equivalent to the result of evaluating
     '<template>.

   The words EQUIVALENT and EQUIVALENCE appear in the specification of
   EQV?, but not EQUAL? or EQ?.

The intent is a common sense interpretation of "equivalent," as in

     ... If no commas appear within the <template>,
    the expression `<template> means the same as the expression
    '<template>.

or

     ... If no commas appear within the <template>,
    then you might as well write '<template> instead of `<template>,
    since they'll do the same thing.

Obviously text like the above is unacceptable, because the words
"mean," "appear," "same," "thing," "interpret", "the," etc. aren't
defined.  I'm sure the editor of R6RS will find a clever way to patch
the prose in this case, but with every improvement in the precision of
the prose, ten new opportunities for misunderstanding seem to sprout
up -- a classic arms race.


When goodwill and common sense fail, use mathematics.
When mathematics fails, try to intimidate.
When intimidation fails, hire a lawyer.

Jonathan