LLVM-based compiler for toy Lisp in 8 hours with AI generation.

Kaz Kylheku <643-408-1753@kylheku.com>
Tue, 18 Mar 2025 16:46:08 -0000

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LLVM-based compiler for toy Lisp in 8 hours with AI generation. 643-408-1753@kylheku.com (Kaz Kylheku) (2025-03-18)
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From: Kaz Kylheku <643-408-1753@kylheku.com>
Newsgroups: comp.compilers
Date: Tue, 18 Mar 2025 16:46:08 -0000
Organization: Compilers Central
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Keywords: Lisp
Posted-Date: 18 Mar 2025 22:59:57 EDT

This GitHub user "jensb1" claims he created this in 8 hours with AI, not
having written a single line of code himself:


https://github.com/jensb1/lisp_llvm


This is jensb1's HackerNews post about it:


https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43390521


JB> Hi, always wanted to create a toy lisp compiler in LLVM for some reason,
JB> but never had the time to get it working.
JB> Took a new stab at it with Claude 3.7. Got a working version up in less
JB> than 8hrs in total with passing tests! Never wrote a single line of
JB> code. I would estimate the number of cursor iterations to about 500.
JB>
JB> Process was: 1. Ask Claude to create a boiler plate JIT in LLVM (see
JB> below shared chat) 2. Asked Claude on the architecture and what classes
JB> should be created (did this in cursor): - lexer - parser - AST - Code
JB> gen 3. Implemented each part separately, lexer, parser and AST took 1hr,
JB> codegen took ~7hrs.
JB>
JB> It can define variables, functions and do some basic stuff: try: (defn
JB> factorial [n] (if (= n 0) 1 (* n (factorial (- n 1))))) (factorial 5)
JB>
JB> Hope you like it!
JB>
JB> Here are some chats if you are interested in the first part of the
JB> coding (the rest was done in cursor):
JB>
JB> LLVM - https://claude.ai/share/3c5a1f92-389f-4274-8348-dcceaee8f140
JB>
JB> Lexer - https://claude.ai/share/fa32b8bd-0b8e-4faa-bc09-fc3dd9bb5ad3


--
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