Issue SPECIAL-FORM-P-MISNOMER Writeup

Issue:        SPECIAL-FORM-P-MISNOMER

Forum:	      Cleanup

References:   SPECIAL-FORM-P (p91)

Category:     CHANGE

Edit history: 05-Oct-90, Version 1 by Pitman (internal Symbolics draft)

	      05-Oct-90, Version 2 by Pitman (mostly add endorsements)

Status:	      For Internal Discussion


Problem Description:


  The thing for which SPECIAL-FORM-P returns true is not a form.

  This complicates the terminology used in the specification and

  is a nuisance to those trying to teach the language.


Proposal (SPECIAL-FORM-P-MISNOMER:RENAME):


  Rename the function named SPECIAL-FORM-P to SPECIAL-OPERATOR-P.


Test Case:


  1. (FIND-SYMBOL "SPECIAL-FORM-P" "COMMON-LISP")

     => NIL, NIL


  2. (FIND-SYMBOL "SPECIAL-OPERATOR-P" "COMMON-LISP")

     => SPECIAL-OPERATOR-P, :EXTERNAL


  3. (SPECIAL-OPERATOR-P 'SETQ) => true

     (SPECIAL-OPERATOR-P 'CAR)  => NIL


Rationale:


  This is makes the function consistent with the uses of the 

  term "form" and "operator" throughout the spec.


Current Practice:


  Hopefully no one implements this yet, since it's not conforming.


Cost to Implementors:


  Very small.


Cost to Users:


  Small.  Most code doesn't do meta-linguistic things that require the use

  of SPECIAL-FORM-P.  Code that does use it can probably be fixed by 

  simple textual replacement.


Cost of Non-Adoption:


  It's nearly impossible to explain the term SPECIAL-FORM-P gracefully

  in the specification.


Benefits:


  Spec is incrementally easier to write.

  Language is incrementally easier to teach.


Aesthetics:


  A locally major improvement in aesthetics in this small corner of

  the language.


Discussion:


  Allan Wechsler, who has taught Lisp at Symbolics for several years,

  strongly supports this proposal.  He says the existing name has

  been a source of confusion for students.


  Pitman strongly supports the proposal.


  Moon said "I wouldn't expect it to be controversial." Pitman couldn't

  figure out if that was an endorsement.