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arocc
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no more bit fiddling (and introducing bilge)
Possible reference as it requires to use the compiler as part of language abi: https://github.com/Vexu/arocc/issues/178 Not sure, where a better thread with explanations of the flaws is.
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Zig Build System
Zig calls clang to compile C code. This doesn't add a new dependency since Zig already depends on LLVM. In the future when Zig doesn't depend as much on LLVM, there might be a reason to use a C compiler written in Zig (e.g. https://github.com/Vexu/arocc)
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Embedded C Coding Standard
Bit field rules are underspecified or plain wrongly implemented, because in their edge cases clang and GCC differ in semantics. See https://github.com/Vexu/arocc/issues/178 This should be further restricted with static asserts as compiler semantics even changed with versions and doing this manually/doing code review is error prone.
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How much better is Zig's "no-FFI" C interop compared to FFIs in other languages?
You might want to contribute or look into https://github.com/Vexu/arocc, which is planned to be eventually an alternative frontend. Is arocc able to handle your use cases?
- Aro: A C compiler written in Zig
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Zig 0.9.0
> Does this mean that y'all are open to the self-hosted compiler supporting CPU architectures unlikely to ever have LLVM support?
Yes! We won't block 1.0 on the quality of the less mainstream targets, but that's what the tier system is for - to ship a compiler that has varying levels of quality for various targets, while communicating clearly to users what kind of experience they can expect for each one.
SuperH patches are absolutely welcome.
> how is zig cc anticipated to work with a self-hosted Zig? Will there be a dependency on clang [...]?
The main distribution of Zig will be LLVM/Clang-enabled. However it is already possible to build a version of Zig that does not have these features enabled. In such case, compiling C, C++, and Objective-C code will result in an error.
However, the arocc project[1] is emerging, which, depending on a combination of how much funding ZSF gets and how much enthusiasm the unpaid contributors working in their spare time have, is looking like a promising C frontend that would be available even without LLVM/Clang. It is C only, however, with no intention of compiling C++ or Objective-C.
> would zig cc support the planned C backend?
As it is currently implemented: no. Zig invokes clang to turn C source code into object files.
However, with the arocc frontend above, this would be converting the C source code into ZIR (or perhaps AIR), which could then be lowered with any of the backends, including the (partially complete) C backend. In such case, the C output would look drastically different than the input. It would look more like an IR than natural C code that a human would write.
[1]: https://github.com/Vexu/arocc
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[Rust advocates] demean software that's not memory safe the way that politicians use their words to sow anger. C has won, and Rust blew it's shot aiming at C++ instead.
Implementing only the language part takes like 10k LOC.
- Maintain It with Zig
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Adding ANSI C11 C compiler to D so it can import and compile C files directly
> 9. Without a C compiler, we're stuck with, wedded to, and beholden to libclang.
> I wouldn't be surprised that the eventual cost of adapting ourselves to
> libclang will exceed the cost of doing our own C compiler.
This is a really insightful point. I had to learn this the hard way :)
We might follow your lead on this, as we have done with so many other great ideas implemented in D.
Ironically, Vexu started from the other side as you, with the preprocessor mostly done, but the backend left to-do: https://github.com/Vexu/arocc
One thing that might make libclang worth the cost, however, is its ability to compile C++ code as well. On Zig's end of things, all we have to do is provide libcxx, libcxxabi, libunwind, compiler-rt, and linking, and then libclang is really pulling a lot of weight by compiling C++ code into object files. Sadly this ability is just too useful in practice to ignore. For example, LLVM itself is C++ so if Zig wants to be able to bootstrap itself, it needs this capability.
Still, I think your maneuver here is the best long-term approach to tackle this problem, and I imagine as time goes on we'll start to migrate towards D's solution here. Maybe someday the Zig distribution that does not have LLVM extensions enabled will be the more popular one!
I'll be watching the evolution of this new feature in D with great interest!
RIIR
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First Rust Code Shows Up in the Windows 11 Kernel
It was, imo, inflated by the comments pointing to the RiiR sentiments, not the comments to that effect itself. Even repositories 'collecting' such instances (e.g. https://github.com/ansuz/RIIR) are largely not collections of making anyone to change their own software but just projects that happen to be written in Rust. (these out-of-scope issues are not being tagged appropriately). Overhyped controversy by all sides.
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Stroustrup: “C++ is bigger than ever”
Dunno what news you have missed but there's entire internet brigades dedicated sorely to spam projects with "rewrite it in rust". There's even a repo documenting this.
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Fish (shell) porting to Rust from C++
The OP post in the link references https://transitiontech.ca/random/RIIR (Rewrite it in Rust) as a meme.
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Ruff: A new, fast and correct Python checker/linter
Yes, one can hope, but I wouldn't bet on it and I wouldn't suggest to RIIR. I don't want to be that person that pops up uncalled for and asks to Rewrite It In Rust. One might think "Oh it is just one additional issue to the ~2.2k already opened mypy issues" if they have at all realized that there are that many open issues.
- NVIDIA Security Team: "What if we just stopped using C?" (This is not about Rust)
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Linus Torvalds: Rust will go into Linux 6.1
It's died down a bit now, but there is/was a non-trivial amount of stupidity from Rust advocates whenever someone ran into a memory problem with C/C++ to "re-write it in rust" or to just rewrite things in general. (IE https://transitiontech.ca/random/RIIR)
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Τι γλώσσες ξέρετε; Πως τις μάθατε;
Or even better, RIIR the Windows kernel!
- Rust is blazingly fast and memory-efficient: with no runtime or garbage collector, it can power performance-critical services, run on embedded devices, and easily integrate with other languages. Rust’s rich type system and ownership model guarantee memory-safety and thread-safety — enabling you to e
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Would a rust rewrite solve the security issues of x.org?
What is it with people asking for rust rewrites of Xorg this week? https://github.com/ansuz/RIIR/issues/83
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I’m waiting.
The second language is Rust, and I went with that partly because rewriting C in Rust is a meme in itself, and in part because it was much easier to think of how to nicely fix that bug in Rust than it was in C (just add a = to the range to be end-inclusive).
What are some alternatives?
stage0 - A set of minimal dependency bootstrap binaries
rust-learning - A bunch of links to blog posts, articles, videos, etc for learning Rust
mach - zig game engine & graphics toolkit
ziglyph - Unicode text processing for the Zig programming language.
zig-riscv-embedded - Experimental Zig-based CoAP node for the HiFive1 RISC-V board
wtfiles - Files that make you go WTF!
bzflag - 3D multi-player tank battle game
awesome-embedded-rust - Curated list of resources for Embedded and Low-level development in the Rust programming language
dstep - A tool for converting C and Objective-C headers to D modules
cc-rs - Rust library for build scripts to compile C/C++ code into a Rust library
zig - General-purpose programming language and toolchain for maintaining robust, optimal, and reusable software.