[Maxima-commits] Maxima, A Computer Algebra System branch master updated. branch-5_27-base-72-g5287650

>>>>> "Raymond" == Raymond Toy <toy.raymond at gmail.com> writes:

    Raymond> On Wed, May 23, 2012 at 8:31 AM, Robert Dodier

    >> commit 0917e90a6f760a7bb8b93002e67728b4a572b502
    >> Author: robert_dodier <robert_dodier at users.sourceforge.net>
    >> Date:   Tue May 22 08:02:08 2012 -0600
    >> 
    >> Clean up duplicate special variables.
    >> 
    >> * src/macsys.lisp: replace DEFVAR by (DECLARE-TOP (SPECIAL ...))
    >> * src/nparse.lisp: replace DEFVAR by (DECLARE (SPECIAL ...))
    >> * src/plot.lisp: replace DEFVAR by (DECLARE-TOP (SPECIAL ...))
    >> * src/rat3e.lisp: replace DEFVAR by (DECLARE (SPECIAL ...))
    >> * src/simp.lisp: cut out DEFVAR (variable not used in src/simp.lisp)
    >> * src/simp.lisp: replace DEFMVAR by (DECLARE-TOP (SPECIAL ...))
    >> * src/spgcd.lisp: cut out DEFVAR (variable already declared special)
    >> * src/trigi.lisp: replace DEFVAR by (DECLARE-TOP (SPECIAL ...))
    >> 

    Raymond> Do we really want to replace defvars with declare-top special?  My actual
    Raymond> (unstated) goal was to get rid of declare-top as much as possible and use
    Raymond> defvar/defmvar isntead and  try to use *earmuffs* for all speical variables
    Raymond> when possible.

    Raymond> declare-top has certain semantics, including being able to declare
    Raymond> something as not special.  This currently works for most lisps we support,
    Raymond> but it looks like ccl and abcl have no support for this, so this could be
    Raymond> great source of bugs when running maxima with ccl.  (There are quite a few
    Raymond> places with declare-top unspecial.)

I'm also much in favour of eliminating any use of 'declare-top'. It does
not have consistent semantics over all supported lisps and overall make
the code a lot harder to understand.
I am with Raymond here. We should try to go in the other direction and
replace all uses of 'declare-top' with 'defvar' and use *earmuffs*
whenever possible.

Andreas
-- 
ceterum censeo redmondinem esse delendam.