Packages

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

    Date: Tue, 18 Nov 86 15:49:29 MST
    From: shebs%utah-orion@utah-cs.arpa (Stanley T. Shebs)

			      Somehow, I don't see it ever getting into the
    present form of CL.  (Strange how CL is starting to look a little dated
    here and there...)

Certainly.  CL is an attempt to unify and codify a set of dialects that existed
and were well-tested and understood as of a few years ago.  The idea was to do
basic cleanups, resolve differences between similar dialects into one large
Common subset, and codify it and make it stable.  That's what Common Lisp is all
about.

There are lots of exciting new ideas in Lisp that are being worked on, including
locales and a lot of other things.  To take every good new idea as it comes
along, and "add it to" Common Lisp, will destroy the stabilty of the language and
the confidence of the users outside the inner circle of Lisp innovators.  These
new ideas are great things, but the reaction to them should not be to "add them
to the standard".  A standard is useless if it isn't extremely stable.  Common
Lisp's purpose in life is to be a standard, and so stability is of paramount
importance.  Experimentation and new ideas in Lisp should continue, I hope in
great quantity and strength, and there should always be new dialects.  But it's
not necessary to first "add it to Common Lisp".