Re: What is the smallest self-hosting language?

ed_davis2@yahoo.com (Ed Davis)
29 Jan 2003 23:43:01 -0500

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From: ed_davis2@yahoo.com (Ed Davis)
Newsgroups: comp.compilers
Date: 29 Jan 2003 23:43:01 -0500
Organization: http://groups.google.com/
References: 03-01-013 03-01-106 03-01-133
Keywords: practice
Posted-Date: 29 Jan 2003 23:43:01 EST

Carl Cerecke <cdc@maxnet.co.nz> wrote in message news:03-01-133...
> I found myself wondering what the smallest self-hosting language would
> look like. In the same way that programmers find it fun to write the
> smallest self-reproducing programs, it might be fun to try and write
> the smallest self-hosting language.


A couple of interesting links regarding self-compiling or self-hosting
compilers:


Bootstrapping a simple compiler from nothing:
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/edmund.grimley-evans/bcompiler.html


Very interesting. He starts from scratch and goes from there!


Also, a very good book on the web, "Symbolic Processing in Pascal" has
a interesting chapter called "Self-compiling Compilers":
http://www.latrobe.edu.au/www/philosophy/phimvt/sympas/s49hiteco.html


And finally:
http://fabrice.bellard.free.fr/otcc/


claims to be the "The smallest self compiling pseudo C compiler".


It is only 446 lines (only 1 statement per line), with no blank lines
or comments. Generates code for i386 on Linux.


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