D compiler as part of GCC

[Leandro Lucarella]

Eldar Insafutdinov, el 18 de enero a las 17:33 me escribiste:
> bearophile Wrote:
> 
> > Jerry Quinn:
> > > I'm interested in creating a D front end for GCC that would be part of the GCC codebase.
> > 
> > What about helping LDC devs create a good D2 implementation instead? It's probably 1/5 or 1/10 of the work you think about, because lot of work is already done, and surely some people will help you (me too).
> > 
> > There's Dil, DMD, GDC, LDC, D#, etc, but one good, debugged and well optimizing fully open source D2 compiler is much better than ten broken and/or badly optimizing D compilers.
> > 
> > Bye,
> > bearophile
> 
> I agree that having such a good intent the author of the post should
> better concentrate his effort on helping GDC/LDC. LDC took couple of
> years to become usable, and you have to consider that they took an
> existing front-end.
> 
> Also what I think even when you complete this project, it is not only
> the licensing issues that are preventing GDC from being included into
> GCC. They will do that only if they are interested in this project, as
> it requires maintenance. They will not update GCC-D frontend with every
> release of GCC just because it is a part of it.

I agree that embarking a new front-end will be a huge effort that probably
will end up abandoned before it's completed, unless there is some economic
sponsorship or something, but having a front-end which copyright can be
given to the FSF is a necessary condition to merge GDC (or whatever it's
named) to GCC. Hitting GCC means automatic exposure to millions of people,
if more people use it, more people will be interested in maintain it, etc.
The maintain Nance cost will decrease too, as I think this works like in
the Linux kernel, where if some "back-end" changes are done, the person
who make them is responsible to update all the code relying on it. Of
course those people will not fix the front-end, but at least you don't
have to care anymore in updating the back-end glue.

I think one of the bigger problems with GDC right now is to update it to
the latest GCC version, not merging the latest DMD front-end.

Being official part of GCC is nothing but a huge win. Of course GCC guy
won't accept crap or things that won't get maintained, so it's a necessary
condition but not sufficient to have a new front-end.

-- 
Leandro Lucarella (AKA luca)                     http://llucax.com.ar/
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