DMD Backend Long-term

[BCS]

Hello Robert,

> On 21/06/10 16:07, dsimcha wrote:
> 
>> What is the long-term plan for the current DMD backend?  I've noticed
>> the
>> first steps towards 64-bit support were just checked in today
>> (excitement to
>> the extreme).  However, the backend is under such a restrictive
>> license (which
>> I understand Walter is not free to change) that it has a "bus factor"
>> of 1.
>> If Walter were to stop maintaining it, noone else would be able to,
>> if I
>> understand the licensing issues correctly.
>> Is there a chance of these licensing issues being cleared up so that
>> the backend can be released under a more permissive license?  If not,
>> while I understand Walter's decision to use a backend he was familiar
>> with in the beginning, it seems like we should abandon such a heavily
>> encumbered backend now that it needs serious work.
>> 
> Perhaps the 64bit backend could be written in such a way that it
> doesn't have the licensing issues? I have no idea what the specifics
> are to say if this is possible, it'd be good to not have the 64 bit
> backend under the current backend license though.

I'm going to guess that about half of the object file generator and nearly 
100% of everything before the code generator will be the same for 32 and 
64 bit. And at a wild guess I'm going to say that's much more than half the 
code in the back end. Add an error factor for me guessing and you can do 
the math. :(

> 
-- 
... <IXOYE><