Show HN: Optimizing compiler for a large subset of C, written in Rust

Show HN: Optimizing compiler for a large subset of C, written in Rust(github.com)

11 points by xqb64 1 year ago | 6 comments

Hello.

I wanted to share what I had been working on for the past couple of months or so. It's an optimizing C compiler for a large subset of the C programming language written in Rust. It's basically a Rust implementation of the C compiler from Nora Sandler's book[1].

It has been a great educational exercise and I wholeheartedly recommend it to everyone.

[1]: https://nostarch.com/writing-c-compiler

lutusp 1 year ago |

It's my hope that people will take the hint: "Wait ... if Rust is a better way to compile C than C itself, maybe I should learn Rust."

unclad5968 1 year ago | |

Rust itself is compiled with LLVM which is millions of lines of C++. Does that mean that C++ is better than rust?

yjftsjthsd-h 1 year ago | |

What makes you think Rust is a better way to compile C than C?

fanf2 1 year ago | | |

Algebraic data types

hu3 1 year ago | |

Currently, that would be Zig.

kif 1 year ago | |

I've tried Rust, and it's just too much cognitive overhead. C is simple, and that simplicity is hard to beat. Go on the other hand is more like C in that regard.