Re: [Scheme-reports] 6.3.3 symbols

[Andre van Tonder <andre@x>]

On Thu, 19 May 2011, Andy Wingo wrote:

> The text states:
>
>  Symbols are objects whose usefulness rests on the fact that two
>  symbols are identical (in the sense of `eqv?') if and only if their
>  names are spelled the same way.  This is exactly the property needed
>  to represent identifiers in programs, and so most implementations of
>  Scheme use the internally for that purpose.  Symbols are useful for
>  many other applications; for instance, they may be used the way
>  enumerated values are used in Pascal.
>
> I think this editorializing is misleading (for example, macros introduce
> identifiers not simply by name but also with hygiene info) and
> unnecessary.
>
> Suggestion: elide the second and possibly third sentences.  Also elide
> the following note about uninterned symbols, which doesn't clarify
> anything.

Agreed.  The second sentence has been untrue ever since hygienic macros
came into Scheme.

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