[pro] Keyword arguments and compiler macros

[Juan Jose Garcia-Ripoll]

[Sorry for possible duplicates]

I just realized that compiler macros might be too restrictive in some
implementations. Take for instance

(define-compiler-macro foo (a &key key-arg) ...)

This is assuming that FOO is only going to be invoked with _constant_
keyword arguments. I know, I know, most uses will have always one argument
or :KEY-ARG, but suppose you want to call (FOO some-value
a-non-constant-expression some-other-value)... What is the compiler to do?

I _now_ think that the compiler macro processor should simply recognize the
failure to parse the form and return the original form, unprocessed, but
the implementations I have at hand do not do that. ECL to begin with, but
also CCL and SBCL.

Any opinions on this?

Juanjo

-- 
Instituto de Física Fundamental, CSIC
c/ Serrano, 113b, Madrid 28006 (Spain)
http://juanjose.garciaripoll.googlepages.com
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