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From: kentb@uo-vax1.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.emacs
Subject: Parameters and recursion
Message-ID: <10200002@uo-vax1.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 8-Apr-84 13:08:00 EST
Article-I.D.: uo-vax1.10200002
Posted: Sun Apr  8 13:08:00 1984
Date-Received: Wed, 11-Apr-84 05:29:55 EST
Organization: Univ of Oregon - Eugene, OR
Lines: 23
Nf-ID: #N:uo-vax1:10200002:000:546
Nf-From: uo-vax1!kentb    Apr  8 10:08:00 1984

Could someone please explain the following strangeness in passing parameters
to recursive mlisp functions?  Here is an example:

(defun
    (foo bar
      (setq bar (arg 1 "bar? "))
      (message (concat "foo of " bar)) 
      (sit-for 20)
      (if (> bar 0)
	(progn
	  (message (concat "(- bar 1) is " (- bar 1))) 
	  (sit-for 20)
	  (foo (- bar 1))))))

Calling foo with 4 as an argument produces the messages-
  foo of 4
  (- bar 1) is 3  
  foo of -1

Help!!!!
(tektronix | hp-pcd)!uoregon!uo-vax1!kentb

Kent L. Beck, baffled mlisp hack...