4 ms·

I don't have a source, and maybe I'm misremembering, but I think compilers (for software) and CPU production tooling (for hardware) both bootstrap off their own

I don't have a source, and maybe I'm misremembering, but I think compilers (for software) and CPU production tooling (for hardware) both bootstrap off their own performance. A better compiler can compile itself more efficiently, same for CPU/chip layout systems.

tomstuart 7y ago
You’re exactly right about this. Of course compilers which compile themselves come with their own risks! https://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=358210 https://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=358210
- dllthomas 7y ago
  Risks which can be ameliorated: https://dwheeler.com/trusting-trust https://dwheeler.com/trusting-trust
richev 7y ago
The original version of the C# compiler was written in C and C++, but today's version is indeed itself written in C#! https://stackoverflow.com/questions/27513234/in-which-language-is-the-c-sharp-compiler-written https://stackoverflow.com/questions/27513234/in-which-langua...
- hermitdev 7y ago
  Often, the first bootstrapped is the bare minimum to get basic functionality available, to then build upon what features you can support. Its been a while, and I think it was gcc 7.x timeframe, and IIRC, you had to have at a min, gcc 4.x available to bootstrap, and it took something like 3 separate bootstrap iterations to get the final compilers was like 4-6 hours if memory serves.
erklik 7y ago
> compilers Absolutely. Otherwise, all compilers would be written in Assmebly. Most compilers used today are written in C and the compiler for C (GCC) is written in C itself. The C language was also written by Ken Thomson, because he was unhappy with the BCPL language, so the compiler for C was originally written in B. So on and So forth. More Recently, the initial compiler for Rust was written in OCaml but is now written in Rust itself.
- umanwizard 7y ago
  Slight nit: GCC has been written in C++ (not C) for several years now.
Vi0 7y ago
This is accurate, but compiler runtime efficiency and compiler effectiveness at producing efficient programs are inherently orthogonal. There is certainly a major milestone in each new language though, when it becomes feature complete enough to write its own compiler.

tomstuart 7y ago

You’re exactly right about this. Of course compilers which compile themselves come with their own risks! https://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=358210 https://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=358210

dllthomas 7y ago
Risks which can be ameliorated: https://dwheeler.com/trusting-trust https://dwheeler.com/trusting-trust

richev 7y ago

The original version of the C# compiler was written in C and C++, but today's version is indeed itself written in C#! https://stackoverflow.com/questions/27513234/in-which-language-is-the-c-sharp-compiler-written https://stackoverflow.com/questions/27513234/in-which-langua...

hermitdev 7y ago
Often, the first bootstrapped is the bare minimum to get basic functionality available, to then build upon what features you can support. Its been a while, and I think it was gcc 7.x timeframe, and IIRC, you had to have at a min, gcc 4.x available to bootstrap, and it took something like 3 separate bootstrap iterations to get the final compilers was like 4-6 hours if memory serves.

erklik 7y ago

> compilers Absolutely. Otherwise, all compilers would be written in Assmebly. Most compilers used today are written in C and the compiler for C (GCC) is written in C itself. The C language was also written by Ken Thomson, because he was unhappy with the BCPL language, so the compiler for C was originally written in B. So on and So forth. More Recently, the initial compiler for Rust was written in OCaml but is now written in Rust itself.

umanwizard 7y ago
Slight nit: GCC has been written in C++ (not C) for several years now.

Vi0 7y ago

This is accurate, but compiler runtime efficiency and compiler effectiveness at producing efficient programs are inherently orthogonal. There is certainly a major milestone in each new language though, when it becomes feature complete enough to write its own compiler.