Re: package frenzy

Hi Peter,

For starters, presumably you're using READ not READ-LINE as the latter
returns a string, not a symbol. Or you're using READ-LINE and then
INTERN to create a symbol, which is arguably a better plan that using
READ so you don't have to worry about READ reading some other kind of
object.

Actually I'm using (read-from-string "COMMAND extra stuff which ain't important" NIL NIL) which returns COMMAND as a symbol. I initially mispelled this as I thought this was not of major influence on my problem at hand).

At any rate, the problem you're having is that READ and INTERN
both use the runtime value of *PACKAGE* to determine how to
find/intern symbols. So it doesn't matter that ep-internal-fn happens
to be defined in a file that is read with a particular *PACKAGE*--what
matters is what *PACKAGE* is when it is called.

Ok, I agree to you this indeed is the problem and the solution. I just find it a bit difficult for a programmer to make sure symbols are created in the right package. I wonder when calling an internal function, the *package* is not automatically changed to the package to the one in which it was defined.

Thanks for your help!

Joris

.

Relevant Pages

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