Re: [Gcl-devel] generic function performance

[Paul F. Dietz]

Peter Wood wrote:
> Hi
>
> In another post, I showed how we can make some functions (like typep,
> subtypep and coerce) be generic, using #'pcl::make-specializable.  It
> is really a big advantage to be able to use this technique since we
> can automatically reuse the present code, with small modifications,
> and build some fancy-ansi stuff on top.  However, I suggested that it
> might have negative performance implications.
>
> Well I've been doing some informal testing, and I'm not sure that the
> performance impact is very significant.


I most often see TYPEP in form where the type is a constant form.
TYPEP should specialize that at compile time (perhaps using a compiler
macro?).

Anyway, GCL's performance is (IMO) secondary at this point vs. correctness
and spec compliance.  Make it right, then make it fast.

        Paul