Another open-source compiler

Another open-source compiler

[gautier_niouzes]

Following some discussions here about kick-starting a new open-source compiler from scratch, it is worth mentioning that there is something already working, based on SmallAda, originally written in Pascal, later translated in Ada.
It builds correctly nested and recursive subprograms, for instance.

Check here for more:
  http://sf.net/projects/hacadacompiler/

G.

Re: Another open-source compiler

[Simon Clubley]

On 2014-04-18, gautier_niouzes@hotmail.com <gautier_niouzes@hotmail.com> wrote:
> Following some discussions here about kick-starting a new open-source compiler from scratch, it is worth mentioning that there is something already working, based on SmallAda, originally written in Pascal, later translated in Ada.
> It builds correctly nested and recursive subprograms, for instance.
>
> Check here for more:
>   http://sf.net/projects/hacadacompiler/
>

That's interesting, thanks.

Given that it's written in Ada, how would you go about solving the problem
of getting it to run on a large range of platforms (which is what would
be required for a viable C replacement) ?

Simon.

-- 
Simon Clubley, clubley@remove_me.eisner.decus.org-Earth.UFP
Microsoft: Bringing you 1980s technology to a 21st century world

Re: Another open-source compiler

[Dmitry A. Kazakov]

On Fri, 18 Apr 2014 08:55:14 +0000 (UTC), Simon Clubley wrote:

> Given that it's written in Ada, how would you go about solving the problem
> of getting it to run on a large range of platforms (which is what would
> be required for a viable C replacement) ?

As always, through bootstrapping.

The problem is not so much the compiler itself, especially because native
compilers are limited to very few platforms. Most interesting targets
rather require a cross compiler hosted under something like Windows or
Linux. There is probably no need even to bootstrap anything, just fixing
the back-end if the instruction set is different.

The actual problems are porting Ada's RTL. Putting the BSP together,
maintaining the tool chain etc.

-- 
Regards,
Dmitry A. Kazakov
http://www.dmitry-kazakov.de

Re: Another open-source compiler

[gautier_niouzes]

To complement Dmitry's answer, the point is that you need to distinguish the platform the compiler is able to run on, and where its output is able to run on. The output can be a binary machine code object file, or something with machine code and digested specification in it, or an assembler text file, and the target machine is not necessarily the one hosting the compiler.
Presently HAC is /only/ cross-compiling (to a virtual machine).
_________________________
Gautier's Ada programming
http://gautiersblog.blogspot.com/search/label/Ada
NB: follow the above link for a valid e-mail address