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Re: Target-specific Front-Ends? (Was: front end changes for altivec)
- From: Dale Johannesen <dalej at apple dot com>
- To: Stan Shebs <shebs at apple dot com>
- Cc: Dale Johannesen <dalej at apple dot com>, Mark Mitchell <mark at codesourcery dot com>, Per Bothner <per at bothner dot com>, Ziemowit Laski <zlaski at apple dot com>, Ira Ruben <ira at apple dot com>, "gcc at gcc dot gnu dot org" <gcc at gcc dot gnu dot org>, compiler_group at group dot apple dot com
- Date: Wed, 28 Nov 2001 11:44:52 -0800
- Subject: Re: Target-specific Front-Ends? (Was: front end changes for altivec)
> Now I believe that we do have some leeway to update the AltiVec
> extension syntax, based on what I know of the size of our installed
> base and how the code is written. If there is a compromise that
> allows us to have one version of GCC instead of three, and requires
> only minor edits of source (such as {} instead of () for constants),
> I think we will be able to get our users to adopt it.
I think the only way our users will adopt a change is if they have no
choice, and then they will resent it. I haven't asked them, and neither
has Stan, I don't think, but from what I've seen they are not much
interested in issues of language theory. They just want their code to
work, and will regard a necessary change to working code as a big minus
with no perceptible benefit to them. I even sympathize; they do have
schedules and limited resources.