How does a language compile itself?

J KILLEA <crp333@worldnet.att.net>
17 May 1997 00:06:42 -0400

          From comp.compilers
Related articles
How does a language compile itself? crp333@worldnet.att.net (J KILLEA) (1997-05-17)
Re: How does a language compile itself? dwight@pentasoft.com (Dwight VandenBerghe) (1997-05-22)
Re: How does a language compile itself? pardo@cs.washington.edu (1997-05-22)
Re: How does a language compile itself? walter@bytecraft.com (Walter Banks) (1997-05-25)
Re: How does a language compile itself? dgay@barnowl.CS.Berkeley.EDU (1997-05-30)
Re: How does a language compile itself? cliffc@risc.sps.mot.com (Cliff Click) (1997-06-02)
Re: How does a language compile itself? mark@omnifest.uwm.edu (1997-06-04)
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From: J KILLEA <crp333@worldnet.att.net>
Newsgroups: comp.compilers
Date: 17 May 1997 00:06:42 -0400
Organization: AT&T WorldNet Services
Keywords: question, practice

At the "java.sun.com" Web site I noted the statement that the compiler
for Oak (now evolved into Java) was written in Oak. Not being a CS
person, I do not understand how this can be. The working version of
the compiler for Oak must be in binary form (i.e., already compiled).
But if the source code for the first Oak compiler was also written in
Oak, how did the compiler source code get compiled??


I believe Aristotle had this problem when trying to figure out if there
is a God.


Thanks in advance, and sorry about such a basic question in an otherwise
rarified newsgroup.


- Jay Killea
[It's called bootstrapping. You generally hand-compile a tiny first
version or do a tiny cross-compiler in some other language, then keep
feeding improved and expanded version N through version N-1. -John]


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