> In the context of ELisp, for example, we wouldn't an incorrect type
declaration to risk crashing your editor, which limits significantly
what can be done and how we can do it.

I do not get your point.  Errors are a horrible problem we face in every
part of all the code we run.  Software that catches errors is a necessity,
but it does not work perfectly.  I get blown away many times a day and have
to reboot my Chromebook. I cannot easily list all of the things I am
constantly watching out for:  network service disconnection, spilling my
drink on my keyboard, power failures ..., relatives dying, doctors
appointments, ...

I regard errors from declarations as wonderful reports that usually show up
during SBCL compilation.

Bob

On Mon, Feb 19, 2024 at 8:51 PM Stefan Monnier <monnier@iro.umontreal.ca>
wrote:

> > However, I have been hacking Lisp hard since 1967, and to me the
> assertion
> > that a Lisp must support THE and DECLARE is about as obvious as the
> > assertion that doctors must wash their hands.  An untold number of
> infants'
>
> There are several subtly different ways to interpret that assertion,
> actually, when you're working on the actual implementation of
> a compiler.
>
> In the context of ELisp, for example, we wouldn't an incorrect type
> declaration to risk crashing your editor, which limits significantly
> what can be done and how we can do it.
>
>
>         Stefan
>
>

-- 
Anything I seem to state should be taken as a question.  I am at least 77
and feeble.