Compilation and package system, an addendum

[Daniel L. Weinreb <DLW@TENEX.SCRC.Symbolics.COM>]

    Date: Thu,18 Apr 85 01:22:26 EST
    From: Tim McNerney <TIM@MIT-MC>

    Yes, there could be an arbitrary amount of hair, but there is a big
    difference between assuming that an entire file will be read in the
    package declared by the -*- line and supporting lusers who want to
    generate the screw cases you allude to above.  Once the package
    environment is established, simply having the ZMACS keep a package
    attribute for each section will support editing files like patch files
    which need to be read in a number of different packages.

You seem to be saying that the high cost can be avoided by not
supporting "lusers" who generate the "screw cases".  In other words, the
editor should not actually parse the entire file, because that costs too
much, and it's OK if it does the wrong thing for the screw cases.  I
could be convinced of that principle.  So, what is your counterproposal?
Exactly what will the editor do when a file is read in, such that it
does all the right things except in "screw cases"?  How does it know
where to stop parsing?

And if you expect the editor to work correctly on files like patch
files, with different package environments in each section, then you
certainly do need to scan the entire file.  If you disagree, what's
your countersuggestion?