functions that return nonstandard extra values

[David C. Plummer <DCP@SCRC-QUABBIN.ARPA>]

    Date: Mon 4 Nov 85 09:43:53-PST
    From: Alan Snyder <AS%hplabs.csnet@CSNET-RELAY.ARPA>

    Why not use the traditional solution of giving these
    nonstandard functions different names?  Then you don't
    have to worry about them becoming incompatible should
    the standard be extended to have more return values.

Because code that does a GETHASH but wants an extra value will have a
wart called GETHASH-MAGIC (or whatever, but not GETHASH), which could
conceivably double the number of functions in the superset.  If CL
changes, and it does so slowly because it is a standard, extensions are
expected to become compatible with the new standard and applications
that used the old extensions must be modified.  Note they would have to
be modified anyway in order to take advantage of the change to CL.