R. P. Dillon <usenet.rpdillon@xoxy.net> wrote:
+---------------
| ... I was even more ecstatic to find that SBCL compiles to 
| native code, though it seems only at run-time.
+---------------

What do you mean "only at run-time?!?  Yes, you *can* compile
code at run-time, but for both SBCL and CMUCL [and most other
Common Lisps with native compilers] you can also -- and it is
more common to do so -- COMPILE-FILE the code and produce an
external FASL file containing native code, which can either be
LOAD'd at some later time.

Or for maximum application startup speed[1], one can LOAD all
of the (compiled) components of a large system and then save
the heap as an "image" file, which can be used to initialize
the Lisp system later.


-Rob

[1] Even though it is rare to optimize for this case, since
    the usual mode of operation for a large Lisp application
    is to leave it running "forever", which makes the startup
    time of little consequence.

-----
Rob Warnock			<rpw3@rpw3.org>
627 26th Avenue			<URL:http://rpw3.org/>
San Mateo, CA 94403		(650)572-2607