[haskell-llvm] haskell-llvm An LLVM backend for DDC

[Erik de Castro Lopo]

Bryan O'Sullivan wrote:

> On Thu, Jun 24, 2010 at 1:02 AM, Erik de Castro Lopo
> <mle+hs at mega-nerd.com<mle%2Bhs at mega-nerd.com>
> > wrote:
> 
> > Ben's objections to Lennart's bindings are:
> >
> >  - Use of non Haskell 98 extensions which makes out bootstrapping
> >    problem more difficult.
> >
> 
> How does that difficulty arise? Bear in mind that I'm only vaguely aware of
> what DDC needs to do.

Ben is very keen on bootstrapping DDC as soon as possible
ie having the DDC compiler compile itself. Bootstrapping
becomes more difficult if more compiler features are
required.

Ben considers any compiler which can't compile itself as a
'toy compiler'.

> Different goals there, really. My goal when I wrote the LLVM bindings was to
> use the LLVM JIT, while David's was to generate LLVM bitcode files (so his
> library is not, as far as I know, really a set of bindings to the LLVM
> libraries at all).

Correct. David's code produces LLVM IR code directly and hence is
not a binding.

> The former absolutely requires an imperative interface,
> while for the latter, either functional or imperative would be fine.

I think the needs of DDC match David's code much better than theur
LLVM bindings. As you say, you're interested in JIT code generation
while David's code if for static code generation for a compiler
backend.

Cheers,
Erik
-- 
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Erik de Castro Lopo
http://www.mega-nerd.com/