4 ms·

Your questions don't make sense. LLVM is a framework for building compilers and tools. C is a language specification.

latenightcoding 3y ago
It does make sense, your language can target C or LLVM. each option comes with pros and cons e.g: C is more familiar, LLVM has better support for JIT compilation.
- halayli 3y ago
  No it doesn't. Ignoring the fact that you incorrectly refer to LLVM IR as LLVM, C is a language spec and LLVM IR is a dialect. LLVM IR dialect doesn't mean much outside LLVM framework and are constantly expanded upon and improved via no attributes and ops and abstractions to help trickle down context coming from levels above to be used for optimizations and making valid assumptions down the line. Comparing the 2 is nonsensical to say the least.
  - twic 3y ago
    I know what you mean. But the fact is that there are compiler front-ends which produce LLVM IR, and there are compiler front-ends which produce C, so they alternatives to each other in that context.
    - halayli 3y ago
      And what do you do with that produced C program?
  - pizlonator 3y ago
    Both C and llvm have been used as backends for other language implementations so it makes sense to compare them for that use case.
  - latenightcoding 3y ago
    >> Ignoring the fact that you incorrectly refer to LLVM IR as LLVM I also "incorrectly" wrote "target C" instead of "target C code". It's obvious what I meant. >> Comparing the 2 is nonsensical to say the least. You could have easily googled "C vs LLVM as a backend" to find a lot of interesting discussions comparing both before being so confidently incorrect
silisili 3y ago
Thank you. I'm thoroughly confused not only by the question, but by the amount of replies treating this as a valid question. Maybe I'm misinterpreting something here...
- MarkSweep 3y ago
  I agree the question is not well formed, but it’s easier to understand if you read this story (OP mentioned but did not link): https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36529456 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36529456 Basically the Zig language is moving away from using LLVM in its backend. One backend they are adding is one that generates C. I guess if I had to restate the OP’s question, I would say: What are the trade offs in making a compiler target LLVM versus C in its backend.

It does make sense, your language can target C or LLVM. each option comes with pros and cons e.g: C is more familiar, LLVM has better support for JIT compilation.

halayli 3y ago
No it doesn't. Ignoring the fact that you incorrectly refer to LLVM IR as LLVM, C is a language spec and LLVM IR is a dialect. LLVM IR dialect doesn't mean much outside LLVM framework and are constantly expanded upon and improved via no attributes and ops and abstractions to help trickle down context coming from levels above to be used for optimizations and making valid assumptions down the line. Comparing the 2 is nonsensical to say the least.
- twic 3y ago
  I know what you mean. But the fact is that there are compiler front-ends which produce LLVM IR, and there are compiler front-ends which produce C, so they alternatives to each other in that context.
  - halayli 3y ago
    And what do you do with that produced C program?
- pizlonator 3y ago
  Both C and llvm have been used as backends for other language implementations so it makes sense to compare them for that use case.
- latenightcoding 3y ago
  >> Ignoring the fact that you incorrectly refer to LLVM IR as LLVM I also "incorrectly" wrote "target C" instead of "target C code". It's obvious what I meant. >> Comparing the 2 is nonsensical to say the least. You could have easily googled "C vs LLVM as a backend" to find a lot of interesting discussions comparing both before being so confidently incorrect

silisili 3y ago

Thank you. I'm thoroughly confused not only by the question, but by the amount of replies treating this as a valid question. Maybe I'm misinterpreting something here...

MarkSweep 3y ago
I agree the question is not well formed, but it’s easier to understand if you read this story (OP mentioned but did not link): https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36529456 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36529456 Basically the Zig language is moving away from using LLVM in its backend. One backend they are adding is one that generates C. I guess if I had to restate the OP’s question, I would say: What are the trade offs in making a compiler target LLVM versus C in its backend.