Programming Performance on Symbolics

["David L. Andre" <DLA@diamond.s4cc.symbolics.com>]

    Date:    Fri, 5 Feb 88 09:45:20 PST
    From:     TAYLOR%PLU@ames-io.ARPA

    Thus, I am not aware that sufficient information is readily available
    concerning optimization of performance on the Symbolics. What I
    would like to see are:

    ...

    3) tutorials and sessions at SLUG national meetings on
       performance. Topics could include, as a start:

      1) system configuration: hardware; physical memory, virtual
	 memory. networking, file serving with multiple nodes, ...
      2) efficient use of Common Lisp functions: examples of usage
	 in appropriate situations, ...  (for portable software)
      3) efficient use of zeta-lisp, underlying Symbolics functions
	 to acheive maximum speed in e.g. managing large arays, how to
	 avoid consing, how to generate less gargage, which underlying
	 functions are faster than Common Lisp and/or Zeta Lisp,
	 .... (for non-portable software)
      4) efficient use of Symbolics Genera & TV: windows and flavors;
	 e.g. fastest pop-up windows (small & large item lists), which
	 ways of displaying object in dynamic windows are fastest to
	 generate - fastest to access with mouse handlers, ....
      5) perfomance hints on using Symbolics S- products (e.g.
	 S-Geometry). How to manage large numbers of objects, etc...

Thanks, these are good suggestions.  I will try to arrange to talk about
this at the next SLUG national meeting.  (I don't profess to be experts
on all of your topics, but I think I can be some help.)