Why keep the backend closed source?

[John Demme]

akcom wrote:

> Just simply out of curiosity, why keep the back-end for dmd closed
> source?  It would make life dev'ing on PowerPC linux so much nicer if I
> could just compile dmd myself instead of having to use an outdated
> version of gdc (no offense to the great job being done with gdc, it's
> just a bit dated at this point.
> 
> -Alex


As JJR said, this won't help you, since the backend doesn't do PPC code.

Walter keeps it closed since he also uses it for dmc and dmc++.  His backend
contains some very powerful tools, such as the optimizer, which he has been
developing for a very long time.  I don't expect him (or ask of him) to
open it up.  It's great that the front-end is open, though, so we have GDC.

It would be nice, however, if a compiled version of the backend could be
supplied in a statis library so that one can compile the front-end and link
it with the backend.  This way, one can experiment with the front end.  I
don't know how much more this would reveal of the back-end, however.


~John Demme