optional parameters

Stefan Monnier <stefan.monnier@epfl.ch>
Sun, 6 Aug 1995 13:23:39 GMT

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Newsgroups: comp.compilers
From: Stefan Monnier <stefan.monnier@epfl.ch>
Keywords: C++, design, Lisp, question, comment
Organization: Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne
Date: Sun, 6 Aug 1995 13:23:39 GMT

How are optional parameters implemented ? I'm sure the technique is
not the same for C++ than for CommonLisp (and, for CommonLisp
&optional are probably not handled the same as &key and as &rest).


Is some special calling-convention used (with an arg count, for
instance) or are the missing optional parameters added by the
compiler thanks to prototype declarations ? How does it all fit with
the usual calling conventions ?


Stefan
[In C++ it's easy, since the compiler can tell what missing parameters to
add. Life in Lisp is more complex, since Lisp calls usually have to handle
closures and the like anyway. -John]
--


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