Re: On uninterned symbols

[Martin Grabmueller]

> From: Michael Livshin <address@hidden>
> Date: 17 May 2001 13:31:24 +0300
> 
> Martin Grabmueller <address@hidden> writes:
> 
> > So the precise version is: string->symbol or symbol read syntax
> > produces normal symbols, whereas gensym or #~SYMBOL syntax produces
> > `uninterned' symbols.  Whether we want such a behaviour is still to be
> > discussed and decided.
> 
> ah, I see.  makes perfect sense to me, except for two things:
> 
> * there is a way to read uninterned symbols (why?  what for?)

I had to think a while, but I found an application for that ;-)

Suppose you write a translator which introduces new symbols into
Scheme source code (generated by gensym), and wish to write out the
source code to be read in by a second pass, a debugger, analyzing tool
or something.

> * that uninterned symbols are canonicalized (well, this is to support
>   the previous feature, I guess.  so one thing, after all)

What do you mean with `canonicalize'?  That they are in a hash table
so symbols with equal names are eq? ?  Then yes, that is only for
reading them in after printing.

Regards,
  'martin