From: Richard Shepherd
Subject: applicable-method/function
Date: 
Message-ID: <4gqido$20ui@thebes.waikato.ac.nz>
Is there a LISP equivalent of the CLOS 'compute-applicable-methods'?
I mean, is there a function which can take as arguments a function and
potential argument(s) to that function and return NIL or T depending
on whether the given arg is a suitable input to that function?

TIA,
-- 

8<--------------------------->8
Richard Shepherd. 
(···@math.waikato.ac.nz)

From: Barry Margolin
Subject: Re: applicable-method/function
Date: 
Message-ID: <4gt37j$gmm@tools.bbnplanet.com>
In article <···········@thebes.waikato.ac.nz>,
Richard Shepherd <···@waikato.ac.nz> wrote:
>Is there a LISP equivalent of the CLOS 'compute-applicable-methods'?

CLOS *is* Lisp (well, it is part of Common Lisp).

>I mean, is there a function which can take as arguments a function and
>potential argument(s) to that function and return NIL or T depending
>on whether the given arg is a suitable input to that function?

No.  Type checking is generally done by the functions themselves, there's
no database that such a validity checking function could use.
-- 
Barry Margolin
BBN PlaNET Corporation, Cambridge, MA
······@bbnplanet.com
Phone (617) 873-3126 - Fax (617) 873-6351
From: Richard Shepherd
Subject: Re: applicable-method/function
Date: 
Message-ID: <4gvra9$1hs0@thebes.waikato.ac.nz>
Barry Margolin (······@tools.bbnplanet.com) wrote:
> CLOS *is* Lisp (well, it is part of Common Lisp).

Yes, I know, I meant for functions that were not generic functions such as
LISP builtins, and user defined functions made with defun.

> No.  Type checking is generally done by the functions themselves, there's
> no database that such a validity checking function could use.

Thank you.  After a bit more thought I realised that no such function could
exist, especially for user defined functions.  Sorry for not thinking enough
b4 opening my mouth and mindlessly posting.......
-- 

8<--------------------------->8
Richard Shepherd. 
(···@math.waikato.ac.nz)
From: Marco Antoniotti
Subject: Re: applicable-method/function
Date: 
Message-ID: <s0820ngeifj.fsf@lox.ICSI.Berkeley.EDU>
In article <··········@tools.bbnplanet.com> ······@tools.bbnplanet.com (Barry Margolin) writes:

   From: ······@tools.bbnplanet.com (Barry Margolin)
   Newsgroups: comp.lang.lisp,comp.lang.clos
   Date: 26 Feb 1996 14:55:31 -0500
   Organization: BBN Planet Corp., Cambridge, MA
   Path: agate!ihnp4.ucsd.edu!swrinde!howland.reston.ans.net!newsfeed.internetmci.com!news.mathworks.com!uunet!in2.uu.net!mercury.near.net!tools.bbnplanet.com!not-for-mail
   Lines: 17
   References: <···········@thebes.waikato.ac.nz>
   Xref: agate comp.lang.lisp:21032 comp.lang.clos:3678

   In article <···········@thebes.waikato.ac.nz>,
   Richard Shepherd <···@waikato.ac.nz> wrote:
   >Is there a LISP equivalent of the CLOS 'compute-applicable-methods'?

   CLOS *is* Lisp (well, it is part of Common Lisp).

   >I mean, is there a function which can take as arguments a function and
   >potential argument(s) to that function and return NIL or T depending
   >on whether the given arg is a suitable input to that function?

   No.  Type checking is generally done by the functions themselves, there's
   no database that such a validity checking function could use.

The Python Compiler of CMUCL does a pretty good job at figuring out
(i.e. inferring - British Spelling?!?) the signatures fo functions.
However, this might not meet your requests.

Cheers

-- 
Marco Antoniotti - Resistente Umano
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