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From: Zefram <zefram@fysh.org>
To: 21915@debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: bug#21915: write inconsistent about #nil
Date: Sat, 14 Nov 2015 01:46:56 +0000	[thread overview]
Message-ID: <20151114014656.GT13455@fysh.org> (raw)

The write function is inconsistent about whether it distinguishes between
#nil and ():

scheme@(guile-user)> '(#nil . a)
$1 = (#nil . a)
scheme@(guile-user)> '(a . #nil)
$2 = (a)

Thee latter behaviour, emitting #nil as if it were (), breaks the usual
write/read round-tripping, and the traditional correspondence between
equal? and matching of written representation.  Admittedly those standards
are not absolute, nor is the extent to which they're expected to hold
documented, but #nil is clearly sufficiently atomic to be the kind of
value to which one would expect them to apply.  For these reasons,
if a consistent behaviour is to be chosen, I think it should be to
consistently distinguish the values.

I think the behaviour should be consistent.  The values should be
distinguished or not without regard to the context in which they arise
within an s-expression.

Whatever is done, even if it's to endorse the inconsistency, the behaviour
should be documented, with rationale.

-zefram





             reply	other threads:[~2015-11-14  1:46 UTC|newest]

Thread overview: 3+ messages / expand[flat|nested]  mbox.gz  Atom feed  top
2015-11-14  1:46 Zefram [this message]
2021-05-14 13:34 ` bug#21915: write inconsistent about #nil Taylan Kammer
2021-05-14 21:31   ` Taylan Kammer

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