Re: Programs writing backquote

[perdue%hplabs.csnet@csnet-relay.arpa]

I'd like to second the proposal that Common LISP backquote "`" be
explicitly defined as expanding into a macro, and that ",", ",@", and
",." expand similarly into s-expression forms.  This makes backquote
more accessible to programs.  The point has been made that if "`"
expands into a LISP macro invokation, a conventional interpreter will
run the code relatively slowly.  This kind of objection of course
applies to use of macros in general, and I don't think we usually let
it stop us from defining macros where they are useful.
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