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Re: C as target platform?
Daniel Jacobowitz wrote:
On Fri, Aug 23, 2002 at 09:03:05AM +0200, Helmut Zeisel wrote:
Could C (or even KR-C) as a supported target platform solve
many of the problems with respect to a front-end
written in C++ or any other language?
In that case, one would have not only a Fortran to C
(similar to the existing F2C), but also an ADA2C, C++2C etc.
For bootstrapping (and maybe for the distribution) of GCC,
one could use the C-"compiled" version of GCC,
although the real source is written in some other language.
Code to compile to C has been repeatedly declined, at RMS's request.
It makes using GCC as a frontend for a proprietary compiler too
attractive.
I'd think the only reason you'd want to run the C code through a
compiler other than GCC would only be because it optimized
better, or that there wasn't a back-end for the desired machine.
My opinion is that either case should be handled by improving
GCC to add the desired optimizations/back-ends, not by
artificially limiting the capabilities of the compiler. You should
eliminate the competition by having a better compiler.