Re: Native code FUD

faq
flatforty
contribute
subscribe
configure
search
rdf

main
parent
thread

Re: Native code FUD
by Tim Jansen on Sunday 08/Aug/2004, @15:46

"Good static compilers have no such boundries either --- LLVM will do inter-library optimization at link time."

Hmm? I don't know LLVM very well, but I'd call LLVM a dynamic compiler with managed code (their virtual instruction set).

"<i>A static compiler can't do optimizations like this, it always has to optimize for the worst case.</i>
No it doesn't. The capability to do optimization in the precense of dynamic code has nothing to do with native code and everything to do with having a compiler available at runtime."

If they can compile at runtime, I would call them dynamic compilers with managed code. The only difference may be that they don't use an intermediate language, but work directly on the source code.

Related Links

·   Articles on Community and Events
·   Also by Tim Jansen
·   Contact author

The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whomever posted them.
( Reply )

Re: Native code FUD
by Rayiner Hashem on Sunday 08/Aug/2004, @18:19

"Managed code" and "native code" have rather precise definitions. Managed code is stored as an abstract bytecode, and compiled *on-the-fly* to machine code. Native code is stored as machine code, and executed directly. JIT's and compilers available at runtime blur the lines, but the fundemental distinction is still that JIT's compile on the fly by default, and cache native code as an optimization, while native compilers use native code by default, but make it possible to regenerate that code. Certainly, using the accepted definitions of "native code compiler" and "managed code compiler," Java/C# are managed code platforms, while LLVM/CMUCL/etc are native code platforms.

[ Reply To This | View ]

The Fine Print: The previous comments are owned by whomever posted them.
( Reply )


		"I'd like to turn all users into developers." -- Ralf Nolden
KDE®, "K Desktop Environment", "KDE Dot News", "got the dot?" and the KDE Logo® are trademarks or registered trademarks of KDE e.V. in the European Union, the United States and other countries. All other trademarks and copyrights on this page are owned by their respective owners. Comments are owned by the poster. The rest: Copyright © 2000-2008 KDE e.V. for The KDE Project. For further information or comments on this site, please contact the Webmaster.