show warning message if copy-tree with non list

[knorth55]

show warning message when copy-tree is used with non list object

1.irteusgl$ (setq a  (float-vector 1 2 3))
#f(1.0 2.0 3.0)
2.irteusgl$ (setq c (copy-tree a))
copy-tree should be used with list: #f(1.0 2.0 3.0)
#f(1.0 2.0 3.0)
3.irteusgl$ (setq b (list 1 2 3))
(1 2 3)
4.irteusgl$ (copy-tree b)
(1 2 3)

related #475

[Affonso-Gui]

I am reluctant to giving this a thumbs up before having any way to suppress those warnings, since I believe that a language that emits lots of unwanted warnings is as annoying as one that emits none (personal preference at stake).

If actually solving the problem through reimplementation is not an option due to backwards compatibility, I would personally prefer to just update the jmanual entry and accept it as it is.

[knorth55]

• Update manual and jmanual
  • We should do it
• Show warning
  • Some user doesn't want it
  • Just for debugging mode?
• Raise error
  • We should not do it?
  • Backward compatibility break?

[Affonso-Gui]

I agree.

Just for debugging mode?

Printing warnings only when *debug* is true would be an option, but I honestly don't think that this feature is widespread enough for being any beneficial in this case.

Raise error

I was actually considering also returning a clone for other types of sequences as well.
This would also not be backwards-compatible, but I believe (without any evidence) that it might work just fine for our code base.

[Affonso-Gui]

@knorth55 Since we are here please also mention that copy-seq is for shallow copies and copy-object is for deep copies.

The copy-seq documentation, just for reference:

NAME
     copy-seq
TYPE
     function
SYNOPSIS
     copy-seq sequence 
DESCRIPTION
     does shallow-copying of sequence, that is,  only the top-level references in sequence are copied.
     Use copy-tree to copy a nested list, or copy-object for deep-copying of a sequence containing recursive references. 

[k-okada]

Thank you for contributing EusLisp documentation

Please check latest documents before merging

PDF version of English manual: manual.pdf
PDF version of Japanese jmanual: jmanual.pdf
HTML version of English manual: manual.html
HTML version of Japanese manual: jmanual.html
Sphinx (ReST) version of English manual: manual.rst

[k-okada]

Thank you for contributing EusLisp documentation

Please check latest documents before merging

PDF version of English manual: manual.pdf
PDF version of Japanese jmanual: jmanual.pdf
HTML version of English manual: manual.html
HTML version of Japanese manual: jmanual.html
Sphinx (ReST) version of English manual: manual.rst