The hottest Compiler Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Technology Topics

Rust: enum, boxed error and stack size mystery

Art’s Substack • 19 implied HN points • 15 May 24
🕹 Technology Programming Software Compiler Error Handling
  1. In Rust, errors are typically modeled using enums and can be streamlined using libraries like `thiserror` to reduce boilerplate.
  2. Boxing error types in Rust enums can help limit the maximum size of `Result<T>` and affect stack space usage, as illustrated in the example provided.
  3. Compiler optimizations and versions can significantly impact stack allocation for Rust functions, as seen in the comparison between Rust 1.74.0 and 1.75.0.

Adding a new RISC-V instruction (to LLVM)

Fprox’s Substack • 20 implied HN points • 05 May 23
🕹 Technology Compiler Simulation
  1. Extending LLVM to support new RISC-V instructions involves modifying source files and declarations in LLVM's target description files
  2. Testing the generated binary involves building LLVM with RISC-V support, enabling experimental extensions, and linking the binary with the GNU toolchain
  3. This process allows programmers to utilize new RISC-V extensions and instructions efficiently

A Deep Dive into the Underlying Architecture of Groq's LPU

Confessions of a Code Addict • 4 HN points • 01 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Hardware Compiler Distributed Systems Scalability Reliability
  1. Groq's LPU showcases an innovative design departing from traditional architectures, focusing on deterministic execution for enhanced performance.
  2. The TSP architecture achieves determinism through a simplified hardware design, enabling precise scheduling by compilers for predictable performance.
  3. Groq's approach to creating a distributed multi-TSP system eliminates non-determinism typical in networked systems, with the compiler efficiently managing data movement.
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The "I'm making a new programming language" checklist

derw • 0 implied HN points • 10 Oct 23
🕹 Technology Programming Languages Compiler Tokenization
  1. When creating a new programming language, start by making examples to define how it will look and function.
  2. Select a language for your compiler that you are comfortable with, and consider libraries to simplify parsing and generating output.
  3. Include key components like a tokenizer, parser, and generator in your compiler, and focus on type checking and editor tooling for a better user experience.