Kellom{ki Pertti <pk@kuovi.cs.tut.fi> wrote:
+---------------
| ... (simply emit the same code as the C compiler would). However,
| you then need to reimplement all the work that has gone into an
| optimizing C compiler for each architecture you want your system to run on.
+---------------
Not only that, but it is quite common [at least for some architectures
I'm familiar with (*cough*) (*cough*)] for the native C compiler and/or
assembler to contain bunches of "workarounds" for CPU chip bugs. So a
Lisp compiler that emits machine code directly needs to implement all
the same workarounds... (*ugh!*) for every architecture you want it
to run on... (*ugh!*) To me, that's another real advantage of using C
as the target.
-Rob
-----
Rob Warnock, 8L-855 rpw3@sgi.com
Applied Networking http://reality.sgi.com/rpw3/
Silicon Graphics, Inc. Phone: 650-933-1673
2011 N. Shoreline Blvd. FAX: 650-964-0811
Mountain View, CA 94043 PP-ASEL-IA