Re: [Axiom-developer] Literated VMLISP.LISP.PAMPHLET

[root]

The VMLISP file exists because the original sources were in MACLISP
and were ported to VMLISP. Eventually they were ported to an early
version of common lisp. 

The basic strategy was to leave the sources unchanged and write
common lisp equivalents for the maclisp and vmlisp functions were
possible. Many functions like EvalAndFileACTQ were possible to 
emulate closely enough that "it works for axiom". We were not
trying for generality. When we couldn't write the equivalent
function we rewrote the code.

This work was done in parallel with the development of AKCL.
Bill Schelter developed AKCL under contract to IBM and I helped
with some of that developement. Not all of the functions in 
common lisp existed or worked at the time.

Macros were used instead of 'Inline' because macro-expanded code
could be better optimized than 'inline' directive code. Many
tests were made by using the disassemble function and counting
actual machine instructions generated. In theory the two are
equivalent but in practice they are not.

t