Where do extensions go?

["BACH::GREEK" <greek%bach.decnet@hudson.dec.com>]

I agree that different implementations might have lots of packages with 
different extensions in them (e.g., debugger, editor).  It just seems
a pain if you don't import all of these into one extensions package and 
then make them public from there.  Otherwise the user has to use all 
sorts of packages or put package prefixes everywhere.

In particular, Common LISP says that there will probably be a debugger 
(for example), but doesn't talk about the interface.  So the user says 
"I want to use the debugger, where the hell is it?  Which packages do I 
have to use so that any symbols that are part of the debugger will show 
up?  Do I need to use more than one package?"  It seems we could avoid 
some of this annoyance if we just said that all such public symbols are 
in some standard package.

Of course there might be confusion between two implementations.  But 
that isn't any worse or better if we agree on the name of the extensions 
package.  Also, by agreeing on one name, we only reserve that one name, 
and we don't potentially have a bunch of names that layered product 
developers have to avoid.  This is particularly important if we refuse 
to register package names, which we probably will.

- Paul

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