Cleanup Issue CHARACTER-LOOSE-ENDS

Category
CLARIFICATION
References
CLtL p.354, pp.51-2

Problem Description

The issues passed on the character proposal did not explicitly address the following, but they no longer make sense in light of the new character scheme that has been adopted.

The #nnn\x reader syntax creates a character with font attribute nnn, but there is no longer a font attribute.

COERCE coerces an integer to a character by calling INT-CHAR, but the INT-CHAR function no longer exists.

This is Symbolics issue #26.

Proposal (FIX)

Remove the #nnn\x reader syntax; an implementation can define it as an extension.

Remove coercion from integer to character.

Rationale

Presumably the character subcommittee simply overlooked these points and the above proposal would have passed with the other character proposals if it had been proposed.

Current Practice

I don't know.

Cost to Implementors

Easy.

Cost to Users

None.

Cost of Non-Adoption

These two features will still be in the language, but their specification will not make any sense.

Performance Impact

None.

Benefits

Consistent language.

Aesthetics

Consistent language.

Discussion

None.

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