1.1 --- /dev/null Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000
1.2 +++ b/docs/native.txt Sun Jul 12 22:09:41 2009 +0200
1.3 @@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
1.4 +Native Function Definitions
1.5 +===========================
1.6 +
1.7 +Native functions are principally associated with the facilities of the
1.8 +builtins module. Although a Python module is provided to define the contents
1.9 +of this module (referenced via the __builtins__ module name in programs),
1.10 +unlike other modules, it is not generally desirable to translate the code of
1.11 +the builtins module literally; instead, native functions are provided which
1.12 +define the functionality, and these functions are invoked internally in the
1.13 +RSVP machine.
1.14 +
1.15 +However, some definitions found in the builtins module should be translated,
1.16 +since it is possible to define the behaviour of these objects efficiently in
1.17 +Python. Such definitions employ docstrings, indicating that the contents of
1.18 +the object definitions are to be traversed by the code generator.