CLHS: Issue SPECIAL-FORM-P-MISNOMER Writeup

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## Issue SPECIAL-FORM-P-MISNOMER Writeup

    Issue:        SPECIAL-FORM-P-MISNOMER
    Forum:	      Cleanup
    References:   SPECIAL-FORM-P (p91)
    Category:     CHANGE
    Edit history: 05-Oct-90, Version 1 by Pitman (internal Symbolics draft)
    	      05-Oct-90, Version 2 by Pitman (mostly add endorsements)
    Status:	      For Internal Discussion

    Problem Description:

      The thing for which SPECIAL-FORM-P returns true is not a form.
      This complicates the terminology used in the specification and
      is a nuisance to those trying to teach the language.

    Proposal (SPECIAL-FORM-P-MISNOMER:RENAME):

      Rename the function named SPECIAL-FORM-P to SPECIAL-OPERATOR-P.

    Test Case:

      1. (FIND-SYMBOL "SPECIAL-FORM-P" "COMMON-LISP")
         => NIL, NIL

      2. (FIND-SYMBOL "SPECIAL-OPERATOR-P" "COMMON-LISP")
         => SPECIAL-OPERATOR-P, :EXTERNAL

      3. (SPECIAL-OPERATOR-P 'SETQ) => true
         (SPECIAL-OPERATOR-P 'CAR)  => NIL

    Rationale:

      This is makes the function consistent with the uses of the
      term "form" and "operator" throughout the spec.

    Current Practice:

      Hopefully no one implements this yet, since it's not conforming.

    Cost to Implementors:

      Very small.

    Cost to Users:

      Small.  Most code doesn't do meta-linguistic things that require the use
      of SPECIAL-FORM-P.  Code that does use it can probably be fixed by
      simple textual replacement.

    Cost of Non-Adoption:

      It's nearly impossible to explain the term SPECIAL-FORM-P gracefully
      in the specification.

    Benefits:

      Spec is incrementally easier to write.
      Language is incrementally easier to teach.

    Aesthetics:

      A locally major improvement in aesthetics in this small corner of
      the language.

    Discussion:

      Allan Wechsler, who has taught Lisp at Symbolics for several years,
      strongly supports this proposal.  He says the existing name has
      been a source of confusion for students.

      Pitman strongly supports the proposal.

      Moon said "I wouldn't expect it to be controversial." Pitman couldn't
      figure out if that was an endorsement.

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