Re: gcc 3.5 integration branch proposal

[Paul Koning <pkoning at equallogic dot com>]

 >> * Correct code generation * Fewer ICEs * Standards conformance *
 >> Compilation speed * Performance * Features * Release frequency *
 >> Release timeliness
 >> 
 >> We need to figure out how to balance those goals better without
 >> losing ground in areas where we recently have been improving.

I can see why some of this ordering would be subject to disagreement,
but I would hope that there also are partial orderings that are NOT
debatable. 

The general rule of software engineering is that correctness comes
first, performance and schedule after that.

In the list above, "correctness" covers the first three, but they are
not all the same.  In my view, correct code generation is vastly more
important than anything else.  After that comes fewer ICEs.  (ICEs are
a pain but if there's a workaround, you can still get your job done.
Bad code is much nastier because you may not realize you have a
problem to work around.)  As for standards conformance, I'm not sure
I'd even that high enough to have it trump some of the performance
things, but then again I'm not a language lawyer.

In any case, is there any disagreement that correct code generation is
absolutely the most important concern?  If so, why?

	   paul