[r6rs-discuss] [Formal] Reduce over-specification as well as under-specification.

From: AndrevanTonder <andre>
Date: Wed Nov 15 10:04:02 2006

On Mon, 13 Nov 2006, William D Clinger wrote:

> Script syntax (section 7.1.1).
>
> As things stand, the most important role of the formal
> syntax is to define what is meant by "the first line."

I believe there is an easy out here. The draft says that

   "A script is a delimited piece of text"

It does not specify that the Scheme script is the /whole/ file.
In a Unix-script file, the #! line is obviously a delimiter, and the
rest of the file is obviously the Scheme-script. In this case
The first line of the Scheme-script is obviously whatever
comes /after/ the #! delimiter line.

The draft errs in including the delimiter with "that which is
being delimited", a case of subject-object confusion,
and tries to specify the delimiter, which is
outside of its purview. It also errs in confusing
Scheme-script = whole unix-script file.

Andre
Received on Wed Nov 15 2006 - 09:59:58 UTC