Re: with-slots usage question

>>>>> "Marco" == Marco Baringer <[email protected]> writes:

    Marco> "Robert P. Goldman" <[email protected]> writes:
    >> I feel awfully stupid asking this, but....  Can't you just shadow
    >> LENGTH and STRING in your package if you want to override them?
    >> 
    >> So I can make a generic function for LENGTH that has as its default
    >> method (for type T) COMMON-LISP:LENGTH, and put whatever other methods
    >> I want for it.  Yes?

    Marco> yes, until you want to do that to a function with optional,
    Marco> keyword or rest args.

I think I understand and agree.  This fixes the problem of name
collision, and lets you use the built-in defuns.  But it's no help
whatsoever, if you want to have functions that are polymorphic wrt
arguments.  Then you end up with functions where you can get heinous
argument mismatch errors.  Yes?

Also, of course, the case of string shows an unpleasant case where we
are hurt by the fact that packages export symbols, willy-nilly giving
you (or taking away) type declarations and values as well as function
definitions....

I confess I don't know how to make it work, but I'd love to see CL
have real interface definitions, instead of packages...

R



    Marco> -- 
    Marco> -Marco
    Marco> Ring the bells that still can ring.
    Marco> Forget your perfect offering.
    Marco> There is a crack in everything.
    Marco> That's how the light gets in.
    Marco>      -Leonard Cohen