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Re: manual terminology: `procedure', `function' etc.


What is the point of distinguishing between primitive and non-primitive
procedures?  This seems like an implementation detail that most programmers
should NOT depend on, and which you want to be able to change.  For
example, if you get a decent compiler and simplify the system to have
fewer primitives, your documentation will be out of date.

Under normal circumstances, programmers have no business depending
on how a procedure is constructed.  Is documenting the difference
a hint about performance, or a guide to people looking for source,
or what?

BTW, I agree that "procedure" is the right general term for procedures
and true functions.  It could be useful to document what's a (pure,
side-effect free) function, but it's probably not necessary.