Re: 1.5.6: (bound? ) missing from optargs.scm

[Thien-Thi Nguyen]

   From: Steve Tell <address@hidden>
   Date: Fri, 29 Mar 2002 01:40:57 -0500 (EST)

   [removing bound? makes lambda*/define* less useful]

this change breaks code that relies on def/undef as "valid bit".
programs that model and/or use such communication channels (e.g.,
hardware simulators) now need to implement that protocol.  if the
program already uses #f (the "obvious logical" fix) now it needs to
additionally define "my-undef".  otherwise it can use #f.

THUD author seethes inside (wtf! what a PITA), but i think i can see how
this change supports encapsulation, and so "re-layering" of the API
using some other out-of-band object is possible.  (we can bring `bound?'
back.  we just need to finish this iso-API change in the right way, or
justify in NEWS the new API.)

wrt other woes, when i took guile-snarf off of noinst_ i did not take
advantage of the dist-hook to modify already-distributed guile-snarf to
emit warnings when run, even though i thought about it.  my bad.

the story is that what we discussed and i implemented, mvo munged so
that SCM_MAGIC_SNARFER is now exposed/required/forgotten/fubared and
documented.  from no design to bad design, IMO.

   Anyway, I am now successfuly building on 1.4 and 1.5.6, with 1.3.4
   testing still remaining.  I feel like I have to support 1.3.4 until
   more of the major linux distributions start shipping with 1.4 or
   later.

some upgrade policies have proven difficult to foresee by guile
maintainers.  maybe someone will fork guile and merge it w/ chicken.
(this is how you trick distributors into upgrading. ;-)

actually, this reminds me i need to get 1.4.1 out.

thi