Re: case-table functions clobbering extra slots

[Richard Stallman]

    > Just install that case table and do (upcase ?a).
    > Won't that do the job?

    In set-case- functions, we don't know where to install
    TABLE.  It may be a standard case table or a case table for
    a specific buffer.

It does not make any difference.
You only need to install it temporarily,
so that your call to `upcase' will use it.

    So, I suggest to have something like setup-upcase-table.

No, it is not necessary.

    Does "a new function" mean a single new function for both
    upcase only and downcase only with an additional arg
    specifing which of them?

I am not sure what those words mean.