On 9/22/16 Sep 22 -2:07 PM, Stelian Ionescu wrote:
On Thu, 2016-09-22 at 14:04 -0500, Robert Goldman wrote:
On 9/22/16 Sep 22 -1:56 PM, Stelian Ionescu wrote:
The comments in the file say that we *must* use load-asdf to load a .asd file, but not *WHY* we must do so.
Why is this necessary?
Because asdf:load-asdf sets up the correct evaluation environment, including setting the correct *package*.
OK, again, if this is required, why don't we ENFORCE it?
Because in some specific cases it could be made to work without it (all ASDF symbols package-prefixed, etc...) and some old-timers complained that we're breaking their dev workflow if we make it impossible to reload an .asd using C-c C-c or cl:load
I'm one of those old-timers, TBQH. I interactively compile a lot of code, and I don't see why DEFSYSTEM forms should be different.
I'm not a big fan of making stuff that looks like CL code, but doesn't *behave* like CL code.
If we can't LOAD a file with a DEFSYSTEM form, or EVAL a DEFSYSTEM form, why do we READ them? Why don't we make DEFSYSTEM forms NOT be legal CL forms?
I don't want ASDF to turn into a minefield of assumptions that require its users to carefully read the source to use it properly, because things that are otherwise sensible cause random stupid things to happen.
So: let's either ENFORCE the use of LOAD-ASD or let's get rid of it. Not enforcing it if it needs enforcing is the bad midpoint on this continuum.