Tamas, I like your ideas on general array views, it seems very standard; I think what we're all talking about is array slicing http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Array_slicing. I understand and support the desire to take advantage of everything Lisp has to offer, however, I would like to maintain compatibility with GSL and other foreign code to the extent possible where there is an analogous concept implemented, so we can take advantage of their functions (that's the idea behind GSLL after all). It seems to me that FFA should work just fine. Perhaps Zach can confirm that GSL's views work the way I expect in matching your general array views description, then your scheme should map into GSL's views. I think your general array views will give CL access to an underlying "full" array, and GSL's view can be made to match, and FFA can provide the option that the underlying full array is one and the same (on SBCL) or properly copied (everywhere else). As far as the aref issue goes, I don't see it as a problem. I currently define #'maref which could be used as is, or #'aref could be shadowed out of the CL package if the user desires. You could even do this in CL code written by someone else by putting the shadow in the package definition. Does this make sense? Liam