Hi,
HYPERSPEC-LOOKUP from slime's hyperspec.el copies the emacs text properties when getting the symbol to lookup. When called at a new slime-repl prompt, the prompt is taken as symbol to lookup (since there is nothing else).
But the slime-repl prompt has property read-only and thus it cannot be edited at the HYPERSPEC-LOOKUP prompt in the minibuffer, to enter the right symbol for lookup.
* to reproduce:
M-x slime M-x hyperspec-lookup ; try to edit the "CL-USER>", emacs will beep and whine that it is ; read-only.
* software: + Latest SLIME + GNU/Emacs 21.3.50.1
* fix: Drop text-properties when getting symbol at point.
Ideally, thingatpt would provide such functionality, but it does not, currently.
Patch for hyperspec.el attached.
Cheers, Michael