[plt-dev] some Racket proposals & implementation

At Tue, 6 Apr 2010 14:12:35 -0400, Carl Eastlund wrote:
> Can we inspect all ! names in our base and consider deleting the ! part?
> Can we inspect all % names in our base and consider deleting the % part?
> Can we... yeah, yeah.  My point is, naming conventions can be
> important, let's not abandon them lightly.

Your point could also be that conventions are merely guidelines, and
not hard rules. We definitely don't put `!' on the end of every
function or method name that modifies state.

> I like being able to read something and know whether it is (a) a
> definition form and (b) introducing new bindings into the current
> scope.  If we changed, for instance, define-signature to simply
> signature, there would be nothing to indicate to a user of both units
> and classes that signature is a definition, whereas interface is
> merely a value constructor, despite the two otherwise performing very
> similar roles.

Along the lines of my other message, I agree that we shouldn't change
`define-signature'. It binds the name that appears right after the
`define-signature', so the `define-' is a strong and appropriate
signal.

But `require' and `open-package' also bind in the enclosing scope. So
do `init' and `field'. I expect that there are more examples.
Meanwhile, local-binding forms are considerably more varied: `let',
`syntax-case', `match', etc.

I think `struct' is prominent enough that it will stand out, if we go
with it, much as `require' does.

> My vote is against (struct posn [x y]) as a definition form.

Fair enough, and it may come down to a vote. I'm currently in favor of
Robby's proposal.

In any case, the only suggests we have so far are the ones from Robby
(`struct') and Eli (just `define').