GNU Pascal branch

[Richard Guenther]

On 4/3/06, Waldek Hebisch <hebisch@math.uni.wroc.pl> wrote:
> Steven Bosscher wrote:
>
> > The fact is, that the GNU Pascal crew did not want integration with
> > gcc the last time this was discussed. GCC, the project, can not just
> > suck in every front end out there if the maintainers of that front end
> > do not want that.
>
> Not "did not want integration". At leat I personally would support
> integration very much. But there are practical problems:
>
> 1) When gcc releases version n gcc development works with version n+1.
>    At the same time gpc developers typically work with gcc version n-1.
>    So, there is substantial work involved to update gpc from gcc version n-1
>    to gcc version n+1
> 2) Adjusting gpc development model. In particular, gpc uses rather short
>    feedback loop: new features are released (as alphas) when they are ready.
>    This is possible because gpc uses stable backend, so that users are
>    exposed only to front end bugs. With development backends there is a
>    danger that normal user will try new front end features only after
>    full gcc release.

There's already precedent of a "somewhat different" development model - the
gfortran frontend, which usually backports a large number of non
regression-fixes
and features to gcc version n (where n+1 is current development mainline in your
numbering).  Gpc clearly would be in a similar position, same for a
different model
regarding maintainership and patch approval for the frontend parts, here again
gfortran is special.  Dot releases of stable gcc series (version n and
sometimes n-1)
are released regularly, roughly in a 3 month cycle, which should be an
acceptable
worst delay to get hands at some new nifty gpc frontend features that
got backported.

Richard.