kp gores wrote:
> the file has about 13000 entries and loading/evaluating takes some time.
> memory requirements are high too.
Memory requirements are high because instances (or for this matter,
structs or lists) have numerous overhead bytes, possibly making up the
bigger part of the instance. If all instances are of the same or
similar class, you may store them in an array and refer to array row
numbers in the hash table. Some "volatile array" mechanism may be
needed, analogously to what Pierre described. Use arrays if image size
really became an issue, and check out RAM prices first to see what you
gain! :-)
As for speed, try to _measure_ what takes time. My _guess_ is that the
reader consumes a lot of cycles, because it is very general and safe.
If someone can guarantee input in the correct format, you could use
functions like PARSE-INTEGER on substrings of the records.
Robert