Status: passed, jun87
Issue:        IMPORT-SETF-SYMBOL-PACKAGE
References:   IMPORT (CLtL p. 186)
Category:     CLARIFICATION.
Edit History: Version 2 at committee meeting 15-Mar-87 15:19:23
              Version 3 by Masinter 15-Mar-87 18:42:13
              Version 4 29-May-87 by Masinter, remove confusing
                "to further clarify".
              Version 5 to X3J13

Problem Description:

The action of IMPORT on the home package of a symbol is not described well; does it affects the "home package" of a symbol.

Proposal (IMPORT-SETF-SYMBOL-PACKAGE:YES):

IMPORT behaves as follows: if any symbol to be imported has no home package (SYMBOL-PACKAGE returns NIL), then IMPORT sets the home package of the symbol to the specified package being imported to.

Rationale:

Current practice:

Most Common Lisp implementations work this way. 

Adoption Cost:

small -- it requires a simple rewrite if not done this way.

Benefits:

Without this proposal, there is confusion about how Common Lisp works, and the risks that some new implementations will not work this way.

Conversion Cost:

None, as this describes current practice.   

Discussion: 

The cleanup committee supports this clarification.