Re: [Chicken-users] ditching syntax-case modules for the utf8 egg

[Felix Winkelmann]

From: Alex Shinn <address@hidden>
Subject: Re: [Chicken-users] ditching syntax-case modules for the utf8 egg
Date: Sat, 15 Mar 2008 02:36:45 +0900

> >>>>> "Tobia" == Tobia Conforto <address@hidden> writes:
> 
>     Tobia> Alex Shinn wrote:
>     >> I'm considering changing the utf8 egg to no longer
>     >> use syntax-case modules, so that it would work like
>     >> the numbers egg.
>     >> 
>     >> The way this would work is that, naturally, if you
>     >> wanted to use utf8 semantics you'd just (use utf8),
>     >> this time with no need for syntax-case and nothing to
>     >> import.
>     >> 
>     >> External modules, by default, would integrate
>     >> standard string procedures and not be affected.
>     >> However, if you wanted to make an extension
>     >> optionally work with utf8 semantics you could compile
>     >> it with (declare (not usual-integrations))
> 
>     Tobia> This seems very straightforward and natural.
>     Tobia> What are the disadvantages, if any?  (except for
>     Tobia> compatibility, aka. tremendous breakage as Felix
>     Tobia> put it)
> 
>     Tobia> I mean, what does the syntax-case module system
>     Tobia> gives us with regard to the utf8 egg that the
>     Tobia> proposed, numbers-like system wouldn't allow?
>     Tobia> Why was it done like that in the first place?
> 
> When it was originally written, it would indeed have
> incurred tremendous breakage, because most string operations
> were not inlined.  It really wasn't even a consideration.
> 
> When Felix says it would incur tremendous breakage now, I
> believe he's referring to the fact that people who are
> currently using utf8 are all writing:
> 
> (use utf8)
> (import utf8)
> 
> and now they'll have to remove the import line from their
> existing code.  Since we've just gone 3.0, now seems like
> the ideal time to induce such breakage though.
> 

Alex, what happens if I pass string operators as first
class values? These don't get inlined. What happens now?


cheers,
felix