[r6rs-discuss] [Formal] Correct I/O Interface Inconsistencies

[MichaelL at frogware.com]

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This message is a formal comment which was submitted to formal-comment at r6rs.org, following the requirements described at: http://www.r6rs.org/process.html
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Name: Michael Lenaghan
Email: michaell at frogware.com
Type: Simplification
Priority: Minor
Component: I/O
Version: 5.91
Section: 15.3.5, 15.3.6, 15.4
Dependencies: None

Summary:

Correct some I/O interface inconsistencies regarding what procedures are 
available and where they're located.

Description:

There appear to be some funny inconsistencies in the I/O spec.

 * In 15.3.6 (Output ports) there's call-with-bytes-output-port and 
call-with-string-output-port, but in 15.3.5 (Input ports) there's no 
corresponding call-with-bytes-input-port and call-with-string-input-port.

 * In 15.3.6 (Output ports) and 15.3.5 (Input ports) there's no 
call-with-file-output-port or call-with-file-input-port (respectively).

 * In 15.4 (Simple I/O) there's call-with-input-file and 
call-with-output-file and with-input-from-file and with-output-to-file.

Recommendations:

 * Add call-with-input-string and call-with-output-string and 
with-input-from-string and with-output-to-string to 15.4.

 * Remove call-with-string-output-port from 15.3.6.

 * Add call-with-bytes-input-port to 15.3.5 (or, conversely, remove 
call-with-bytes-output-port from 15.3.6). 

(An alternative would be to have all appropriate call procedures for files 

and strings in 15.3.5 and 15.3.6. At least make the choices consistent.)