Path: utzoo!mnetor!tmsoft!torsqnt!lethe!yunexus!ists!helios.physics.utoronto.ca!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!spool.mu.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!bloom-beacon!dont-send-mail-to-path-lines
From: mkatz@garlic.stanford.EDU (Morris Katz)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.scheme
Subject: open-{input,output}-file
Message-ID: <9102191642.AA03171@garlic.Stanford.EDU>
Date: 19 Feb 91 16:42:48 GMT
References: <CARLTON.91Feb15122708@husc10.harvard.edu>
Sender: daemon@athena.mit.edu (Mr Background)
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 19


   Date: 15 Feb 91 17:27:08 GMT
   From: david carlton <carlton@husc10.harvard.edu>
   Organization: Citizens for Boysenberry Jam

   Why does the scheme standard require that open-{input,output}-file
   signal an error if the file can't be opened?  As far as i can tell, it
   makes it impossible to write (portable) programs which can deal with
   the non-existence of files.  wouldn't returning #f, say, make a lot
   more sense?

Your suggestion was discussed at the last Scheme Meeting and was rejected for
reasons which I cannot remember at this time.  As I remember, one of the
overriding considerations was that someone presented a portable alternative.
Could someone refresh my memory as to the details of this discussion.
--------------------
Morry Katz
katz@cs.stanford.edu
--------------------