Newsgroups: comp.lang.dylan
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From: davis@ilog.fr (Harley Davis)
Subject: Re: Two Dylan Questions
In-Reply-To: carroll@quadriga.cis.udel.edu's message of 17 Jan 1995 16:19:21 GMT
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References: <rloD1tKCG.7D6@netcom.com> <MARCOXA.95Jan12085834@mosaic.nyu.edu>
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Date: 18 Jan 1995 11:28:17 GMT


In article <CARROLL.95Jan17111921@quadriga.cis.udel.edu> carroll@quadriga.cis.udel.edu (Mark C. Chu-Carroll) writes:

   But for Chimp, I mostly just import the low-level, and export it
   under my high level names:

   define module chimp-MPI
     use chimp-low-level, 
	 rename:{ %chp-recv => MPI-Receive, 
		  %chp-recv-nb => MPI-NB-Receive, ... }
	 export: all;
   end module chimp-MPI;

   So what do you gain if you disable this feature? You don't have to
   read the module declarations. I don't see that as being a terrific
   benefit.

Another question you can ask is, "What do you lose if you disable this
feature?"  There already is a way to do what you're doing in Dylan:
Just define a new variable which has the value of the previous one.

For instance (excuse any syntax errors):

  define variable MBI-Receive %chp-recv;
  define variable MBI-NB-Receive %chp-recv-nb;

So I don't see that this particular feature gives Dylan any extra
power.  It just complicates the life of the implementors, making
development environments and automatic module processing tools a pain
in the butt to write, and means that users have to choose between
different mechanisms to accomplish the same end.

-- Harley
-- 

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