Re: Emacs Lisp's future

[Georges Ko]

Richard Stallman <address@hidden> writes:

> Namespace systems do not fit well into Lisp.  Common Lisp's is a total
> mess.  It is better to use name prefixes.

A first step could be to provide some simple prefix support for users,
not stuff that comes with Emacs.

Example:

Let's say I want to write some code in sqlited.el to edit SQLite
files. Instead of prefixing everything with sqlited- in sqlited.el, I
would add this to the top of the file:

(set-current-prefix 'sqlited-)

and "magically", everything that is defined (functions, variables,
...) in this file are prefixed with "sqlited-" from the Emacs Lisp
reader point of view: 

(defun file-header (file) ...) 

is read by the reader as:

(defun sqlited-file-header (file) ...)

When looking up for functions, variables, etc., in this file,
the reader would first search with the sqlited- prefix, then the
version without prefix.

"Global" elements (without prefix) can be defined and used through
some virtual prefix such as "emacs:":

(defvar emacs:sqlited-load-hook nil)
(defun emacs:sqlited-edit-file (...) (interactive) ...)

Or it could be defined that anything starting with the prefix means
global, like now:

(defvar sqlited-load-hook nil)
(defun sqlited-edit-file (...) (interactive) ...)

Or the user can set it explicitely:

(set-global-prefix 'g:)
...
(defvar g:sqlited-load-hook nil)
(defun g:sqlited-edit-file (...) (interactive) ...)

When accessing elements using other prefixes:

(require "sqlited-viewer")
(set-prefix-map 'v: 'sqlited-viewer-)
(v:view-file "...")

v:view-file would be read as sqlited-viewer-view-file.
-- 
 Georges Ko                     address@hidden                      2016-10-10