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Re: What's after guile-1.4? (was: Re: Questions... I am new to scheme)



> A sealed module system would definitely help to optimize a lot, but I
> think reaching Stalin-level optimizability would require even more
> changes, some of which may be in conflict with Guile's useful dynamic
> properties. For instance, I think the feature of importing or creating
> a module at runtime is very useful - it can be used to isolate
> untrusted code for instance. But it also conflicts with some smart
> optimizations.

It might but it doesn't have to. What is necessary is that every time
you do runtime module fiddling it is visible to the compiler.

In principle, scheme supports self-modifying code by using things
such as load and eval. Languages like C say outright that they give
no support to self-modifying code (which doesn't stop people!) but
no compiler can hope to support self modification in a generic way
so any trace of self-modifying code (and I believe that this includes
creating modules at runtime) might potentially spoil compilation.

The answer is not to outlaw anything self-modifying but to ensure that
the compiler can detect it and either refuse to compile, reduce its
level of optimisation or possibly just partially compile the module.
You don't want people finding back-door ways into the module system
but there is no harm done if they march in the front door and admit
that they are doing something that might not compile.

This is another reason for my idea about a guile storage library
existing as a separate entity to the evaluator. Some programs may
compile to run without the evaluator but still make use of the storage
library. These programs would then be more ``lightweight'' and good
for distribution, quick execution, embedded systems, etc.
The compiler should be able to decide whether a given piece of code
needs to link with the evaluator library or just the storage library.

	- Tel