[Info-vax] The (now lost) future of Alpha.

[invalid]

On 2018-08-01, Simon Clubley <clubley at remove_me.eisner.decus.org-Earth.UFP> wrote:
> On 2018-07-31, Tim Sneddon <tsneddon at panix.com> wrote:
>> invalid <address at is.invalid> wrote:
>>> On 2018-07-29, Simon Clubley <clubley at remove_me.eisner.decus.org-Earth.UFP> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> It may just be me, but I don't fancy the idea of writing a LL(1) parser
>>>> (assuming the language is suitable for LL(1) parsing), an optimiser or
>>>> a code generator in assembly language. :-)
>>> 
>>> Once you've done it, you mostly don't have to do it again.
>>> 
>>> The PL/I compiler had over 200 passes at one time. That's a lot scarier than
>>> writing any parser in any language ;)
>>
>> What? 200 passes? As someone who is likely more knowledgable than most in
>> this particular arena, just what are you talking about?  Please, site
>> examples and references, I'm very interested.
>>
>
> I would be interested in an answer to this question as well.
>
>>> 
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> High level languages were a _lot_ simpler back in those days. :-)
>>> 
>>> Maybe, but the point was there was no other choice of implementation
>>> language in those days. And 50+ years later  we're still using those
>>> languages (except for IBM FORTRAN, which is sadly lost in time at F77+)
>>> now. Which is why the compilers are still mostly assembler. Except maybe for
>>> C/C++ which may be heading towards self-hosting.
>>
>> Okay, I haven't paid a lot of attention to this thread, but what you seem
>> to be asserting here is that compilers are still (as now, 2018) written in
>> assembler.  If that is the case, I think you really need to reconsider
>> your statement.
>>
>
> I can believe it for a compiler written decades ago that is still in
> active use - look at the amount of Macro-32 code in VMS for example.

This is what I said. Evolution, not revolution... since 1964.

>
> However, I find it hard to believe for any newly created compilers.

There aren't any. It does not make any sense to throw away 50 years of
development to rewrite something in an inferior language with no OS
interface just to say you did so.