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User & Date: leon 2018-12-13 13:37:27.049
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2018-12-14
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Edited tip/530.md check-in: cecc0dd69e user: leon tags: trunk
2018-12-13
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New TIP 530 check-in: 99daffc5b5 user: leon tags: trunk
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# TIP 530: Control over performance impact of TIP 280
	Author:         Leon Manukyan <[email protected]>
	State:          Draft
	Type:           Project
	Vote:           Pending
	Created:        13-Dec-2018
	Tcl-Version:	8.6, 8.7
	Post-History:
	Tcl-Ticket:     a09031e288
-----

# Abstract

A compile-time macro and an environment variable are introduced which enable a
user of Tcl to trade some functionality brought by [[280]](280.md) for better
performance.

# Background and Motivation

[[280]](280.md) extended Tcl's abilities for introspection with the **info frame**
command able to determine the location of its call, i.e., the name of the file
the code is in, and the absolute line number in that file.

Though that functionality is very useful while debugging Tcl scripts it hardly
has any other use, while at the same, due to the peculiarity of its
implementation, negatively impacting the performance of Tcl code. The issue has
first been discussed at [comp.lang.tcl](https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/comp.lang.tcl/Qd0Q11CxjgQ).

This TIP now proposes to put the execution of some part of [[280]](280.md)'s
implementation under user control, allowing them to trade **info
frame**-exactness for speed, and vice versa.

# Run-time control

The environment variable `TCL_INFO_FRAME_ENABLE_ACCURATE_LINE_NUMBERS` is
checked during the startup of the main Tcl interpreter and handling of line
continuations is fixed till the end of execution as follows:

* If the value of that environment variable is 0, then line continuations
  (backslash+newline) sequences are not tracked (thus resulting in improved
  performance) and the line numbers returned by `info frame` may be wrong.

* For any other value of that environment variable the line continuations are
  tracked and correct line numbers are reported by `info frame`.

# Build-time control

The default value assumed for the environment variable
`TCL_INFO_FRAME_ENABLE_ACCURATE_LINE_NUMBERS` when it is unset is defined by the
compilation macro of the same name. That is a Tcl interpreter built with
`-DTCL_INFO_FRAME_ENABLE_ACCURATE_LINE_NUMBERS=X` will behave by default
as if the env var `TCL_INFO_FRAME_ENABLE_ACCURATE_LINE_NUMBERS` is set to `X`
(but the actual value of that variable, if it is set, will be respected).

## Default Setting

Unless users don't take any deliberate action (assuming that they didn't use
the said compilation macro in their build processes or the environment
variable in their flows) they won't notice any change in behavior.

# Reference Implementation

A reference implementation is provided at
<https://core.tcl.tk/tcl/artifact/3b68b7cd8131a42a> .

# Copyright

This document has been placed in the public domain.