Re: [Axiom-developer] Literated VMLISP.LISP.PAMPHLET

[Ralf Hemmecke]

> Not quite. This whole BL*H thing is thoroughly confusing. I'll just
> give you the real code (kind of).
>
> File1:
>
> (defmacro alias-for-foo (...)
>   [code generating code calling foo])
>
> (defun bar (...)
>   ...)
>
> (defun define-function (alias function)
>   (setf (symbol-function alias) function))
>
> (define-function alias-for-bob #'bob)
>
> End of File1
>
> FOO and BOB are functions defined elsewhere. Now I wanted to put all
> (most) aliases in a single chunk since they don't deserve individual
> documentation. Hence the first and last forms above go into a single
> chunk:
>
> <<aliases>>=
> (defmacro alias-for-foo (...)
>   [code generating code calling foo])
>
> (define-function alias-for-bob #'bob)
> @

Hmmm, I am not sure I can support that approach. For two reasons.

1) Most probably the aliases come in the documentation without links to 
the code they refer to. (Though that can be done.)

2) You separate code that belongs together. Don't you think?

Why would it make sense to list all the abbreviations on one section 
(even without documenation)?

> Thanks for taking the time to discuss - admittedly boring - details.

I don't think that it is "boring". I am sure that most of us have no 
real experience what the best LP style in Axiom would be. Otherwise I 
would have seen a "Conventions" page that explains how to write good 
literate programs. It's not totally clear, at least not for me.

But all our experiences must be collected some day on the wiki or 
another document to help newcomers with this LP style in Axiom. It's 
important.

Ralf