This is the mail archive of the
gcc@gcc.gnu.org
mailing list for the GCC project.
Re: Will tree-ssa be GCC 3.5?
Scott Robert Ladd wrote:
To which I would reply: Why should the National Labs support a software
project without some sense that it is viable?
Yes, but whether it is viable depends on funding. It is a mistake to
simply go around and look at what is out there for free, and conclude
that this is a correct indicator of what might be available if a project
is funded at an appropriate level.
If there is not intention
for tree-ssa to become mainline, it would be pointless to spend money on
it, now wouldn't it?
Not at all, our customers frequently pay us to do development on
features that everyone agrees would be nice to have, but which are not
about to appear without funding. It would be even more pointless to
spend money if spending money did NOT have a useful positive effect!
Thankfully, others have indeed confirmed that
tree-ssa is destined for a public debut.
Well of course that is the intention. The people working on this
(volunteers and companies alike) are not doing it for their amusement.
They are doing it because they think it will be effective.
As I said, it is a catch-22; The folks at the national labs need
confidence in the practical reality of gfortran before being willing to
fund it
Yes, of course. That's why you negotiate a contract with specific
performance and payments.
while the GCC developers refuse to commit to gfortran's
realization without funding.
Well "the GCC developers" is a bit of an amorphous concept, but most
certainly the companies intersted will be willing to make a commitment
prior to actual funding. It's called a proposal :-)
The twain will never meet if both parties remain in their individual
corners. Thus it was my goal to nudge the two parties toward each other,
first by getting a sense of the community support for tree-ssa and
gfortran.
You are creating a conflict that simply does not exist. I really think
your "nudging" is mis-directed here. The National Lab should put out a
tender for proposals. Let those making the proposals figure out a sense
of community support, that's their job.
You are asking them to evaluate a theoretical situation (your "changed
picture") without any data to support it. How do they know that
providing money will improve gfortran development? If you don't give any
estimates or answers under current circumstances, how do they know if
their investment is effective?
No, I am asking them to evaluate (one or more) commercial proposals. In
evaluating such proposals (something that is done every day, and indeed
I cannot imagine anyone spending money without this kind of evaluation),
they will take many things into account (credibility of the company,
track record, expertise of those involved, proposed costs and time
scales etc.)
I don't see why this is such a puzzle, it is the way that projects like
this always proceed.
Robert Dewar