🚀 go-pugleaf

> I've seen a few posts here [...] I have doubts to their dedication
> to the project.

Well, "dedication"...  I've been writing a free C compiler as a
hobby.  I can't guarantee eternal "dedication"; so far I've stuck
with it.  It really is an interesting and challenging project.

The front end is 95% done (doesn't it always seem like your programs
are 95% finished?); a back end is early stages of construction.

(With suitable definitions of "back end" & "front end".)

An ANSI C test suite (way over 50% of my effort so far) is shaping
up very nicely.

If you want a compiler in a shiny plastic wrapper, a glossy
manual with pictures of cute furry animals explaining its use,
delivered to your door by Federal Express -- shop elsewhere.

> Writing a compiler is a daunting project

"Daunting" is a bit strong; it's not _that_ difficult.  Depends;
if you want to put in every conceivable optimization and port
it to everything from vector processors to toasters...

A reasonably reliable (better than what you usually get in UN*X)
compiler with a couple of back ends is certainly doable.

> Writing a portable compiler, even more so.

This isn't *too* bad either.  Depends on the machine specific
optimizations you want to do; code generation is not that
difficult given the research that has been published over the
last 10..15 years.

Debugging information is a pain.  I don't think I'll be able
to do that for more than a few machines by myself.

Otherwise, I'd venture to guess that the portability problems
of e.g. tcsh are far greater than those of a well written compiler.

> it becomes quite a logistic problem to try to incorporate changes
> into the original compiler in a coherent manner.

Depends...  If you just want to merge machine dependent changes (code
generator generator descriptions etc) it isn't too bad.  If you
incorporate optimizations and language extensions you'll have more
work.

Incorporating changes you can't test is a lot of work but others
seem to be coping (tcsh? elm?)  I'm looking forward to it if I
ever get there.

You know, there is a theory that says that free software tends to be
easy to maintain because there are so many people who can help with it.
If the original authors can't continue working on it, the theory says
someone else can adopt it.  Maybe that is even true!

> I just really doubt one person could do it and remain sane

Thanks a lot, sunshine :-)  I've always been halfway over the hill
so this doesn't bother me.
									++sja