From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.5-pre1 (2020-06-20) on ip-172-31-74-118.ec2.internal X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-0.9 required=3.0 tests=BAYES_00,FROM_ADDR_WS autolearn=no autolearn_force=no version=3.4.5-pre1 Date: 9 Sep 92 20:24:58 GMT From: att!cbnewse!cbnewsd!att-out!cbnewsl!willett@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU (david.c .willett) Subject: Re: Play 20K expressions again, Sam Message-ID: <1992Sep9.202458.27533@cbnewsl.cb.att.com> List-Id: >>From article <1992Sep9.180517.20788@inmet.camb.inmet.com>, by arra@orb.camb.in met.com (Arra Avakian): > In article <1992Sep9.161353.5418@seas.gwu.edu> mfeldman@seas.gwu.edu (Michael Feldman) writes: > >>A nice consequence of compiler houses writing their stuff in Ada is that >>the developers really have to know Ada! I believe that will help them >>better to understand the kinds of programs their customers will write. >>... > > Perhaps even more significant, if the developers bootstrap (compile their > compiler using their compiler), then you know that their compiler has > successfully compiled a fairly large and complex application program, > increasing the liklihood YOUR program will compile and execute without proble ms. > (As has been mentioned here before, the ACVC does not serve this purpose!) > > Real world test suites are critical to compiler quality, no matter the > language it compiles or the its implementation language. > Boostrapping puts a real world test case in the hands of the compiler develop er, > with a very desirable impact on its quality. The second paragraph isn't necessarily true. While a compiler is clearly a "large & complex" program, it is doing a simple, straightforward job. It may or may not use the features that you are trying to use. I'll concede that "bootstraping" is impressive, but not as much so as compiling a varied suite of "typical" application programs. Defining "typical" is what targets the compiler. A vendor trying to service the avionics market should put together a suite of "typical" avionics programs. One going after financial markets should use a suite of financial programs, etc. -- Dave Willett AT&T Federal Systems Advanced Technologies attmail!dwillett (AT&T FSAT) A dog is a dog until he is facing you. Then he is *MISTER* dog!