X-Git-Url: http://repo.macrolet.net/gitweb/?a=blobdiff_plain;f=doc%2Fmanual%2Fcompiler.texinfo;h=e9c2e822382fafebe5e07336826e09dd4b87a5e1;hb=b5c69cfe906a31ae57bb0f18c67af9d2eaa1dfef;hp=729865fb7eb7bf6c086cbdeb51947cfc49402370;hpb=58ef9d8996d4421610101b52e5a25fd2c70c4792;p=sbcl.git

diff --git a/doc/manual/compiler.texinfo b/doc/manual/compiler.texinfo
index 729865f..e9c2e82 100644
--- a/doc/manual/compiler.texinfo
+++ b/doc/manual/compiler.texinfo
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ separate that they have their own chapter, @ref{Efficiency}.
 * Compiler Policy::             
 * Compiler Errors::             
 * Open Coding and Inline Expansion::  
+* Interpreter::
 @end menu
 
 @node  Diagnostic Messages
@@ -1088,3 +1089,20 @@ open-coded. Even when not open-coded, a call to a standard function
 may be transformed into a different function call (as in the last
 example) or compiled as @emph{static call}. Static function call uses
 a more efficient calling convention that forbids redefinition.
+
+@node  Interpreter
+@comment  node-name,  next,  previous,  up
+@section Interpreter
+@cindex Interpreter
+@vindex sb-ext:*evaluator-mode*
+
+By default SBCL implements @code{eval} by calling the native code
+compiler. SBCL also includes an interpreter for use in special cases
+where using the compiler is undesireable, for example due to compilation
+overhead. Unlike in some other Lisp implementations, in SBCL interpreted
+code is not safer or more debuggable than compiled code.
+
+Switching between the compiler and the interpreter is done using the
+special variable @code{sb-ext:*evaluator-mode*}. As of 0.9.17, valid
+values for @code{sb-ext:*evaluator-mode*} are @code{:compile} and
+@code{:interpret}.