LLVM IR influence on compiler debugging

[Jonathan M Davis]

On Friday, July 06, 2012 18:07:54 Adam Wilson wrote:
> Walter can't use LLVM? Why not? He wouldn't have to work on LLVM and the
> glue code is considered front-end. I admit I am not terribly well informed
> of the legal issues here. But it seems to me that bolting the DMDFE onto a
> different back--end can't be a problem because the agreement only covers
> the DMCBE, and the DMDFE is 100% Walter owned, he can do with it what he
> pleases and all Symantec can do is pout.

Walter refuses to look at the code for any other compiler. He has been well 
served in the past by being able to say that he has never looked at the code 
of another compiler when the lawyers come knocking. So, as I understand it, 
anything that would require him to even _look_ at the backend's code, let 
alone work on it, would make it so he won't do it. And I very much doubt that 
he'd want to work on a compiler where he can't work on the backend (plus, I 
would assume that you'd have to look at the backend to work on the glue code, 
so he'd be restricted entirely to the frontend-specific portions of the 
compiler).

- Jonathan M Davis