[LLVMdev] Re: [llvm-commits] CVS: */Makefile.am

[Chris Lattner]

On Tue, 12 Oct 2004, Jeff Cohen wrote:
> On Mon, 11 Oct 2004 08:08:56 -0700
> Reid Spencer <reid at x10sys.com> wrote:
>
> > FWIW, I agree that the current situation with llvm-gcc is not ideal, but
> > most of us just build llvm-gcc once and forget about it. The real
> > solution here is to endow LLVM with its own C/C++ compiler and bootstap,
> > but that's a longer strategy.
> >
> > Reid.
>
> While I agree this would be the best solution, realistically I'm not
> sure it will ever happen.  Writing a fully ANSI compliant C/C++ FE might
> well be harder than the rest of LLVM combined.  "Full compliance" is the
> operative phrase.  Coming up with something that mostly complies is much
> easier, but pointless.  Look at how many years it has taken the major
> C++ compilers to be as compliant as they are, and they're still not
> perfect (not even g++).

I agree, but I see the problem slightly differently.  C++ *is* a complex
language, and implementing it is certainly not something to be taken
lightly.  The bigger problem in my mind is that it's a moving target:
there are continuing revisions (TC1 is one part of it, there are more
revisions for C++0x), and the standard library takes a lot of effort to
implement efficiently.

If someone was interested in doing this, it would probably take a small
team of people a couple of years to get something useful.  That said, if
someone seriously wants to do this, let me know. :)

-Chris

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