[plt-scheme] Apparent inconsistencies between original spirit of RnRS and R6RS [Fw: Ann: Sketchy LISP, Third Edition]

> According to the following document, the community standards document
> for R5RS Scheme used to fit in fifty pages:

An appropriate comparison is between the R5RS and the R6RS Language  
document. Ignoring the formal semantics (sorry, Robby), appendices,  
and references, the former runs to 37 pages and the latter to 60  
pages. The extra 23 pages gets you a module system, a means to compose  
modules into programs, a foot in the door of an exception system, and  
in many cases a clearer specification of the semantics of Scheme and  
its standard procedures. I think the R6RS would have been considered a  
failure if it had not attempted to include these features.

The R6RS, like any standard, is not perfect, but I think criticism  
that it is too long is fairly wide of the mark.

Regards,

Alan
-- 
Alan Watson
http://www.alan-watson.org/