CTFE ^^ (pow)

[Walter Bright]

On 3/23/2018 11:09 AM, Manu wrote:
> Like, in this particular project, being able to generate all tables at
> compile time is the thing that distinguishes the D code from the C++
> code; it's the *whole point*... If I have to continue to generate
> tables offline and paste big tables of data in the source code (and
> then re-generate them manually when I change something); then
> situation is identical to C++, therefore, stick with C++.\

This file:

   https://github.com/dlang/dmd/blob/master/src/dmd/backend/optabgen.c

computes tables, and writes several tables out to several .c files, which are 
then #include'd into the main build. It all happens automagically using the 
makefile:

   https://github.com/dlang/dmd/blob/master/src/win32.mak#L420

I've been using this technique continually since the early 1980's :-)

Some IDEs have problems with it, because they cannot support layered builds like 
this, but good old make does it just fine.

I can't recall ever seeing anyone else use this technique (other than Nick!), 
but it works and isn't that bad.

The dmd front end used to do this as well, but that has since been replaced with 
CTFE since it was converted to D.