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> Copilot 3.9, a stream-based DSL for writing and monitoring embedded C programs, with an emphasis on correctness and hard realtime requirements. I hate to say

by urthor 4y ago

> Copilot 3.9, a stream-based DSL for writing and monitoring embedded C programs, with an emphasis on correctness and hard realtime requirements. I hate to say it. This is something that actually, genuinely should, be re-written in Rust.

wudangmonk 4y ago
Rust, the one true programming language that will save us all. Repent! and confess your sins so that Rust may have mercy upon your soul.
- adamnemecek 4y ago
  Rust is the legit the best thing that has happened to the industry in the last 30 years.
  - Bellend 4y ago
    - looks for rust jobs - finds none
GuB-42 4y ago
The software is written in Haskell. I don't know much about it but it doesn't look like a bad choice. Remember that it is just a compiler / test tool, it is not the embedded part, that would be the target. I don't think Rust brings much to the table here. It uses C as a back end, which is a sensible thing to do since it is the default in embedded software development, few embedded toolchains support Rust. And it is just a backend, they could have output machine code directly, but C is more universal and you can take advantage of all the C compiler optimizations. Using Rust for this would get you all of the disadvantages and none of the advantages that Rust has over C. Now, maybe you mean writing embedded code in Rust instead of C, at least, now you have a point, Rust has features that I think would be well suited for critical embedded software. But that's also what Copilot tries to do, if anything, Copilot competes against Rust (and ADA). I say that in the sense that they all address the same problem (safety) and you have to choose one solution, not that they are enemies.
- urthor 4y ago
  I meant the embedded C back-end, yes. Rewriting the Haskell DSL doesn't really make sense.
UncleEntity 4y ago
Don’t think anyone would stop you…
rzzzt 4y ago
This alternative Rust compiler's intermediate representation is C code, which is then run through another compiler to produce the final output: https://github.com/thepowersgang/mrustc https://github.com/thepowersgang/mrustc Should its author generate Rust from Rust? Would it be better if Copilot produced object files or executables directly, or used eg. LLVM IR?

by urthor 4y ago

wudangmonk 4y ago

Rust, the one true programming language that will save us all. Repent! and confess your sins so that Rust may have mercy upon your soul.

adamnemecek 4y ago
Rust is the legit the best thing that has happened to the industry in the last 30 years.
- Bellend 4y ago
  - looks for rust jobs - finds none

GuB-42 4y ago

The software is written in Haskell. I don't know much about it but it doesn't look like a bad choice. Remember that it is just a compiler / test tool, it is not the embedded part, that would be the target. I don't think Rust brings much to the table here. It uses C as a back end, which is a sensible thing to do since it is the default in embedded software development, few embedded toolchains support Rust. And it is just a backend, they could have output machine code directly, but C is more universal and you can take advantage of all the C compiler optimizations. Using Rust for this would get you all of the disadvantages and none of the advantages that Rust has over C. Now, maybe you mean writing embedded code in Rust instead of C, at least, now you have a point, Rust has features that I think would be well suited for critical embedded software. But that's also what Copilot tries to do, if anything, Copilot competes against Rust (and ADA). I say that in the sense that they all address the same problem (safety) and you have to choose one solution, not that they are enemies.

urthor 4y ago
I meant the embedded C back-end, yes. Rewriting the Haskell DSL doesn't really make sense.

UncleEntity 4y ago

Don’t think anyone would stop you…

rzzzt 4y ago

This alternative Rust compiler's intermediate representation is C code, which is then run through another compiler to produce the final output: https://github.com/thepowersgang/mrustc https://github.com/thepowersgang/mrustc Should its author generate Rust from Rust? Would it be better if Copilot produced object files or executables directly, or used eg. LLVM IR?