--- /dev/null
+# Notes on the mal implementation in Perl5.
+
+This implementation should work in any perl from 5.19.3 onwards.
+Earlier versions are likely to work too as long as you install a new
+List::Util. The implementation uses the experimental `switch`
+feature, which may make it vulnerable to future changes in perl.
+
+Mal objects are all in subclasses of `Mal::Type`, and can be treated
+as scalar, array, or hash references as appropriate.
+
+Metadata support uses `Hash::Util::FieldHash` to attach external
+metadata to objects. This means that in the metadata system imposes
+no overhead on the normal use of objects.
+
+Hash-maps are slightly magical. They're keyed by the stringified
+versions of mal objects, and `Mal::Scalar` overloads stringification
+so that this works properly.
+
+Tail-call optimisation uses Perl's built-in `goto &NAME` syntax for
+explicit tail calls. This allows functions defined by `fn*` to be
+implemented as functions at the Perl layer.
+
+Perl's garbage-collection is based on reference counting. This means
+that reference loops will cause memory leaks, and in particular using
+`def!` to define a function will cause that function to have a
+reference to the environment it's defined in, making a small reference
+loop and hence a memory leak. This can be avoided by carefully
+undefining any function before it goes out of scope.