DMD back end dev-kit

[Robert Fraser]

John Reimer Wrote:

> Hello Robert,
> 
> > John Reimer Wrote:
> > 
> >> Hello Bill,
> >> 
> >>> It's been talked about before, but exactly how much money do the
> >>> people who own the copyright to DMD's backend want in order to make
> >>> it freely available freely -- as at least a lib?  It's hard to
> >>> believe anyone would appraise that thing with a high dollar value
> >>> given its less than stellar optimization abilities, and since
> >>> everyone knows you can't make much money off dev tools these days
> >>> anyway.
> >>> 
> >>> I'd happily chip in $100 US if it meant finally having an official D
> >>> compiler that anyone can recompile for themselves just by typing
> >>> "make dmd".
> >>> 
> >>> Or is it more a matter of not being able to find the copyright
> >>> holders in question to ask them?  If so, give us the names and
> >>> whatever info you have, and I bet someone will be able to track 'em
> >>> down.
> >>> 
> >>> --bb
> >>> 
> >> I'd give another $100.
> >> 
> >> -JJR
> >> 
> > "Economic Stimulus Act" FTW.
> > 
> > Seriously, though, there's GDC. Maybe LLVMDC, too. So while I wouldn't
> > say no to a compiling lib of the backend, is it really needed?
> > 
> 
> 
> LLVMDC is only partially operational.  gdc hasn't proven that it can "keep 
> up".  They are both very important projects, but having the complete dmd 
> compiler means even more potential for active fixing of elusive bugs in the 
> reference compiler, code generator optimization and updates for more recent 
> instructions sets, improved object file format support on win32 (coff), shared-lib 
> fixes for linux(?), experimentation, improved tool support, compiler embedding, 
> immediate bug hunting expeditions for library developers... and easier distribution 
> of the compiler in general -- many things that Walter doesn't have time to 
> fix.  It's not likely to happen even with the economic incentive.  But having 
> a completely open reference compiler can mean a lot when it comes to getting 
> D adopted.  This has been one of D's major handicaps, I think, for a long 
> time.
> 
> -JJR

It appears I have been officially "pwned" here. You & Bill are right; 
GDC/LLVMDC isn't sufficient.