[Chicken-janitors] Re: #114: Improvements to tinyclos

[Chicken Trac]

#114: Improvements to tinyclos
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 Reporter:  tonysidaway    |       Owner:  tonysidaway
     Type:  task           |      Status:  new        
 Priority:  major          |   Milestone:             
Component:  extensions     |     Version:  4.2.x      
 Keywords:  tinyclos clos  |  
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Comment(by felix):

 Replying to [ticket:114 tonysidaway]:
 >
 > 3. '''Usability'''. The programmer interface shows signs of convergence
 with that of Common Lisp.  While this could be useful for software
 portability and to enable Common Lisp programmers to import their CLOS-
 programming skills to Scheme, it hampers full exploitation of the
 programming environment.  The interface should be extended so as to enable
 more natural use in Scheme's Algol-like block structure.  The programmer
 should be encouraged to treat generics as classes, classes as objects, and
 all of them as Scheme objects subject to Scheme's lexical scoping rules.

 I would suggest to add `let[rec]-generic` and `let[rec]-method`, for
 example, but the implementation may be non-trivial.

 > 4. '''Swig support'''. Tinyclos forms an important part of Swig's
 support for Chicken Scheme, being essential for wrapping C++ classes.
 This functionality should be tested and, if necessary, fixed.

 This also applies to `easyffi`, which desperately needs a working
 tinyclos.
 I will try to look how well it works now, but that may take some time.

 > 5. '''Performance'''. The software should be profiled and improved where
 possible.  Lessons learned from other implementations of tinyclos, such as
 the hybrid C/Scheme implementation of STKlos, should be applied where
 appropriate.

 As can be seen from the state of the code, quite some effort has been put
 into improving performance. What hasn't been tried yet is using some form
 of inline-caching. Chicken's (undocumented) support for compiler-syntax
 may also be useful here.

-- 
Ticket URL: <http://www.irp.oist.jp/trac/chicken/ticket/114#comment:1>
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