bytecode interpreter + dynamic compilation

[Doug Evans <dje at transmeta dot com>]

Here's a wild half-baked thought.

Suppose Guile used a bytecode interpreter and used dynamic compilation
for speed when needed?  A dynamic compiler for Scheme doesn't appear
to require any rocket science, and I think the speed up would be substantial.

No claim is made that this is a new idea.  It's old (if not ancient).
The "wild half-baked" part comes from suggesting Guile do this
instead of using SCM.

One downside of dynamic compilation is of course the host dependence.
I can see the GNU project having a need for a general dynamic
compilation toolkit (and Guile would be just another user of it).  If
this toolkit was generally useful I think it would attract more apps
and more ports.  In time any platform on which Guile users wanted
dynamic compilation would have it.