Use and abuse of dynamic loading RE: Getting dynamic loading to work on cygwin

["Andrej Borsenkow" <Andrej.Borsenkow@mow.siemens.ru>]

This is not directly related to Cygwin; I just use the occasion.

What are plans for dynamic loading future in Zsh? This feature as it
currently is may be interesting, but ...

- it does not save disk space. Modules take up at least the same amount
of disk space (and even more due to symbol tables).

- it does not save memory at runtime. Most modern systems share code in
any case; actually, dynamic loading requires slightly more memory for
houskeeping (and then, this memory really per process)

- it is usually slower because of indirection.

So, the sole advantage IMHO is the ability to extend main program
on-the-fly. Consider Perl or Tcl where you compile and install modules
independently of main program. But this is exactly what Zsh lacks (just
think about autoloading - all information is compiled into main
executable, so if I want another module be autoloaded I need to
recompile zsh).

Sorry, if it obvious, but I thought I ask anyway.

-andrej