Compiled code storage for Scheme48                   Taylor R. Campbell

This library for Scheme48 implements storage of compiled code on the
disk in two different formats, and a fast-loader for them, to elide
unnecessary compilation of code every time Scheme48 loads a library.

Taylor R. Campbell wrote this code and its associated documentation,
which are placed in the Public Domain.  All warranties are disclaimed.

This library uses TRC's s48-fasl library for the actual storage
facility, available at <http://mumble.net/~campbell/darcs/s48-fasl/>.

Packages are stored in three parts: early bindings, template, and debug
data.  The early bindings of a package are enough to compile any other
packages; most importantly, they include macro definitions.  The
template is the compiled code; theoretically, if the compiler were
slow, the template could be generated and dumped in parallel with the
rest of the compilation process, since it requires only early bindings
of other packages.  Debug data is dumped separately from templates in
the interest of storage efficiency.

Bundles are collections of definitions to be loaded into the config
packages of Scheme48 systems, and associated packages to be loaded.
They can be used to collect libraries into easily distributable
individual files, for example.

[Better and more comprehensive documentation to be written.]

The files in which all these are stored is completely customizable.
See the PACKAGE-FILENAMES structure for details; it exports a number of
fluid-bound cells for controlling this.

The BUNDLE-FASDUMPER and BUNDLE-FASLOADER structures export procedures
for dumping and loading bundles.

The PACKAGE-FASDUMPER and PACKAGE-FASLOADER structures export
procedures for dumping and loading individual packages.

The PACKAGE-PHASES structure exports procedures for operating on the
different phases of a package's life -- early-binding (including macro
expansion), compilation, and execution.  It can be used to provide a
suitable substitute for the ENSURE-LOADED procedure from the structure
ENSURES-LOADED.

The PACKAGE-STATE structure exists to glue extra information onto
package objects.  It involves space leaks; this will be fixed at some
point.