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From: David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no>
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c
Subject: Re: Baby X is bor nagain
Date: Mon, 17 Jun 2024 15:23:55 +0200
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On 17/06/2024 09:30, Kaz Kylheku wrote:
> On 2024-06-17, James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> wrote:
>> The problem is that Bart's compiler is VERY unusual. It's customized for
>> his use, and he has lots of quirks in the way he thinks compilers should
>> work, which are very different from those of most other programmers. In
>> particular, compilation speed is very important to him, while execution
>> speed is almost completely unimportant, which is pretty much the
>> opposite of the way most programmers prioritize those things.
> 
> Most programmers use Javascript and Python, which follow Bart's
> priorities. Fast, invisible compilation to some kind of byte code (plus
> possibly later JIT), slow execution time.
> 

That is not at all why people use Javascript and/or Python.

They want fast /development/ time - compilation speed, to the extent 
that such languages have a compilation speed - is a minor issue.  I know 
that it would not bother me in the slightest if my Python code took some 
small but non-zero compilation time for "real" programs (as distinct 
from small scripts).  I use Python rather than C because for PC code, 
that can often involve files, text manipulation, networking, and various 
data structures, the Python code is at least an order of magnitude 
shorter and faster to write.  When I see the amount of faffing around in 
order to read and parse a file consisting of a list of integers, I find 
it amazing that anyone would actively choose C for the task (unless it 
is for the fun of it).

And people who use these languages - indeed any languages - want their 
code to be /fast enough/.  Faster than that should not be a priority.

Bart's priorities in his C compiler do not match those of Python or 
Javascript programmers.  (His scripting language might be closer.) 
Development time with his C compiler will be significantly worse than 
normal C with a quality C compiler - you might save a second or two on 
compilation time, but the lack of features, compatibility, modern 
standards, and static checking could cost you hours, days, or months. 
And the fact that it does not produce as efficient results as tools like 
gcc and clang make it less useful - one of the prime motivations for 
using C is to get high speed code.

His C compiler might have use as a companion tool to his other language 
tools that generate C, and it could also be seen as a testbed for 
playing with new potential features in C as it is easier to modify than, 
say, gcc or clang.  But it is not a tool that matches the priorities of 
languages such as Javascript or Python.