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From: kevin@dime.cs.umass.edu (kevin gallagher)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.lisp
Subject: Re: string to symbol conversion
Message-ID: <32436@dime.cs.umass.edu>
Date: 21 Jun 91 20:11:33 GMT
Reply-To: kevin@dime.cs.umass.edu (kevin gallagher)
Organization: University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Lines: 11


My previous note may have left an erroneous perception, namely, that
there is something wrong with READ-FROM-STRING.  The potential bug I
alluded to is due to the expectation (in the context of the original
question) that the particular use of READ-FROM-STRING will return a
symbol.  In fact, READ-FROM-STRING can return any datatype and your
program will break if you expect a symbol.  (Additionally, because of
read macros, READ-FROM-STRING can *do* anything.  It might not even
return at all.)

If you use INTERN you will be assured of getting back a symbol.