[Openmcl-devel] process-run-function and "dynamic vs lexical"

[Tim Bradshaw]

On 22 Oct 2009, at 20:27, Taoufik Dachraoui wrote:

> After defining x using defvar, the let block do not follow the specs;
> in the specs,
> let creates a new variable binding and that binding is lexical unless
> the name
> is declared special.

Yes, it does follow the spec, because DEFVAR arranges that *all*  
bindings of the variable are special.  That's what DEFVAR does, and  
that's what the spec says it does.

"defparameter and defvar establish name as a dynamic variable." and  
"dynamic variable n. a variable the binding for which is in the  
dynamic environment. See special."

Yes, this is confusing because you can't tell easily whether a binding  
is lexical or dynamic: that is arguably a deficiency in CL, although  
it could probably not have been avoided given the behaviours of the  
Lisps with which CL needed to be compatible.

The *x* convention is how one works around this issue.

The behaviour with regards to threads is obviously not defined in the  
spec, but CCL does the common thing: special bindings are per-thread.

--tim