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Re: [Scheme-reports] [r6rs-discuss] redefining eqv?



On Thu, 2010-12-23 at 20:39 -0500, Eli Barzilay wrote:
> Earlier today, Peter Kourzanov wrote:
> > On Wed, 2010-12-22 at 18:36 -0500, Eli Barzilay wrote:
> > 
> > > You're confusing (or mixing) a local binding (let ((eqv? ...)) ...)
> > > with an implicit mutation (define eqv? ...).  
> > 
> > Is it?
> 
> ...an implicit muatation?  Yes.
> ...so different?  Yes.
> ...a confusion?  Thats how it seems.
> 

I don't agree. 

11.2.1: "The first from of define binds <variable> to a new location
before assigning the value of <expression> to it." 
(other forms are trivially expressed using the first)

That's exactly #1 (new location), #2 (setting the value) and #3 
(binding of the new location to the given name). I can only relate 
#3 to the meaning of eqv? (the name) before (define eqv? ...).


> > The way I read R6RS, (define) is supposed to (#1) allocate a new
> > location for this new eqv?, (#2) set! the result of the expression
> > to it and (#3) mutate the *binding* for eqv? in the environment (or
> > splice into parent environment when enclosed by begin). At least,
> > that's what it typically does for other variables. I.e.,
> 
> That's r5rs w/out any module system.  Not r6rs (in a library).
> 

Is there a difference? Let's see...

11.2: "Definitions may appear within a <top-level body> (section 8.1),
at the top of a <library body> (section 7.1), or at the top of a <body>
(section 11.3)."

8.1: "A <top-level body> is like a <library body> (see section 7.1),
except that definitions and expressions may occur in any order."

so => not this one,

> 
> > And, BTW, 11.3 says that (define) is equivalent to (letrec*). So why
> > are these cases so different then?
> 
> Because those are internal definitions.

Again, what's the difference?

Let's see...

7.1: "A <library body> is like a <body> (see section 11.3) except that a
<library body>s need not include any expressions."

so => not this one either,

Finally:

11.3: "An expanded <body> (see chapter 10) containing variable
definitions can always be converted into an equivalent letrec*
expression."

Chapter 10 goes into fine details of how to reorder according to 8.1.

> 
> 
> > I guess if R6RS enforced macro-implementation of (case), like
> > Haskell's Prelude, the problem would be solved (via syntactic
> > closures provided by hygiene & referential transparency of
> > syntax-rules).
> 
> ??

Let just prescribe the "wanted" syntax-rules implementation of case in
the standard. Then there can be no confusion about its meaning and no 
PhD required to understand what the standard intends but does not say.




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