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-rw-r--r--doc/ref/api-procedures.texi29
1 files changed, 28 insertions, 1 deletions
diff --git a/doc/ref/api-procedures.texi b/doc/ref/api-procedures.texi
index 02889c45c..5c6d38024 100644
--- a/doc/ref/api-procedures.texi
+++ b/doc/ref/api-procedures.texi
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
@c -*-texinfo-*-
@c This is part of the GNU Guile Reference Manual.
-@c Copyright (C) 1996, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2009, 2010
+@c Copyright (C) 1996, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2009, 2010, 2011
@c Free Software Foundation, Inc.
@c See the file guile.texi for copying conditions.
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
* Higher-Order Functions:: Function that take or return functions.
* Procedure Properties:: Procedure properties and meta-information.
* Procedures with Setters:: Procedures with setters.
+* Inlinable Procedures:: Procedures that can be inlined.
@end menu
@@ -797,6 +798,32 @@ Return the setter of @var{proc}, which must be either a procedure with
setter or an operator struct.
@end deffn
+@node Inlinable Procedures
+@subsection Inlinable Procedures
+
+You can define an @dfn{inlinable procedure} by using
+@code{define-inlinable} instead of @code{define}. An inlinable
+procedure behaves the same as a regular procedure, but direct calls will
+result in the procedure body being inlined into the caller.
+
+Procedures defined with @code{define-inlinable} are @emph{always}
+inlined, at all direct call sites. This eliminates function call
+overhead at the expense of an increase in code size. Additionally, the
+caller will not transparently use the new definition if the inline
+procedure is redefined. It is not possible to trace an inlined
+procedures or install a breakpoint in it (@pxref{Traps}). For these
+reasons, you should not make a procedure inlinable unless it
+demonstrably improves performance in a crucial way.
+
+In general, only small procedures should be considered for inlining, as
+making large procedures inlinable will probably result in an increase in
+code size. Additionally, the elimination of the call overhead rarely
+matters for for large procedures.
+
+@deffn {Scheme Syntax} define-inlinable (name parameter ...) body ...
+Define @var{name} as a procedure with parameters @var{parameter}s and
+body @var{body}.
+@end deffn
@c Local Variables:
@c TeX-master: "guile.texi"