## Evaluation and compilation

### Declarations

#### `OPTIMIZE`

The `OPTIMIZE` declaration includes three concepts: `DEBUG`, `SPEED`, `SAFETY` and `SPACE`. Each of these declarations can take one of the integer values 0, 1, 2 and 3. According to these values, the implementation may decide how to compie or interpret a given lisp form.

&ECL; currently does not use all these declarations, but some of them definitely affect the speed and behavior of compiled functions. For instance, the `DEBUG` declaration, as shown in table.optimize.debug, if the value of debugging is zero, the function will not appear in the debugger and, if redefined, some functions might not see the redefinition.

#### Behavior for different levels of DEBUG

Behavior | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3
Compiled functions in the same source file are called directly | Y | Y | N | N
Compiled function appears in debugger backtrace | N | N | Y | Y
All functions get a global entry, that is, SI:C-LOCAL is ignored. | N | N | Y | Y

A bit more critical is the value of `SAFETY` because as shown in Table table.optimize.safety, it may affect the safety checks generated by the compiler. In particular, in some circumstances the compiler may assume that the arguments to a function are properly typed. For instance, if you compile with a low value of `SAFETY`, and invoke `RPLACA`, the consequences are unspecified.

#### Behavior for different levels of SAFETY

Behavior | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3
The compiler generates type checks for the arguments of a lambda form, thus enforcing any type declaration written by the user. | N | Y | Y | Y
The value of an expression or a variable declared by the user is assumed to be right. | Y | Y | N | N
We believe type declarations and type inference and, if the type of a form is inferred to be right for a function, slot accessor, etc, this may be inlined. Affects functions like CAR, CDR, etc | Y | Y | N | N
We believe types defined before compiling a file not change before the compiled code is loaded. | Y | Y | N | N
Arguments in a lisp form are assumed to have the appropriate types so that the form will not fail. | Y | N | N | N
The slots or fields in a lisp object are accessed directly without type checks even if the type of the object could not be inferred (see line above). Affects functions like PATHNAME-TYPE, CAR, REST, etc. | Y | N | N | N