Flang: The Fortran frontend of LLVM [video]
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Re: Flang: The Fortran frontend of LLVM [video]
#2On one hand this is a great news and as Fortran user pretty happy about it.
On the other I’m a bit worried that once LLVM backend will take off for real, so much focus will concentrate on it, that other compilers (PGI, gfortran, Intel Fortran) development will finally stall or even get dropped and we will wake up in future where LLVM behemoth swallowed all the competition.
This concern is not only limited to Fortran, but also other languages to be clear. Of course I’m very grateful for LLVM project, it’s absolutely great. I think that the idea to focus talent pool from many languages is brilliant and beneficial for everyone. The only problem is when it becomes so focused that it becomes only option. I am very happy for variety and options for compilers and backends we have now.
Re: Flang: The Fortran frontend of LLVM [video]
#3I'm thrilled about a Fortran front-end so I can run Fortran on the JVM via Sulong.
Re: Flang: The Fortran frontend of LLVM [video]
#4On one hand this is a great news and as Fortran user pretty happy about it. On the other I’m a bit worried that once LLVM backend will take off for real, so much focus will concentrate on it, that other compilers (PGI, gfortran, Intel Fortran) development will finally stall or even get dropped and we will wake up in future where LLVM behemoth swallowed all the competition. This concern is not only limited to Fortran,…
The great thing is anyone could take the output of the Fortran LLVM front-end, and then compile that however they wanted with their own compiler technology. LLVM doesn't need to mean consolidation of backends. It can just mean you get a front-end for free, if that's all you want.
Re: Flang: The Fortran frontend of LLVM [video]
#5On one hand this is a great news and as Fortran user pretty happy about it. On the other I’m a bit worried that once LLVM backend will take off for real, so much focus will concentrate on it, that other compilers (PGI, gfortran, Intel Fortran) development will finally stall or even get dropped and we will wake up in future where LLVM behemoth swallowed all the competition. This concern is not only limited to Fortran,…
I'm hoping for Cranelift (https://github.com/bytecodealliance/cranelift) to deliver a more JIT-friendly alternative to LLVM (Though it can do AOT compilation too).
Another very interesting project, even if it is slightly intimidating in scope, is GraalVM (https://www.graalvm.org).
Re: Flang: The Fortran frontend of LLVM [video]
#6On one hand this is a great news and as Fortran user pretty happy about it. On the other I’m a bit worried that once LLVM backend will take off for real, so much focus will concentrate on it, that other compilers (PGI, gfortran, Intel Fortran) development will finally stall or even get dropped and we will wake up in future where LLVM behemoth swallowed all the competition. This concern is not only limited to Fortran,…
The great thing is anyone could take the output of the Fortran LLVM front-end, and then compile that however they wanted with their own compiler technology. LLVM doesn't need to mean consolidation of backends. It can just mean you get a front-end for free, if that's all you want.
Oh maybe I missed it.
Is there a way to compile LLVM IR with something other than LLVM? Is this what you mean by output of LLVM front-end output?
Re: Flang: The Fortran frontend of LLVM [video]
#7Earlier quoted context omitted.
The great thing is anyone could take the output of the Fortran LLVM front-end, and then compile that however they wanted with their own compiler technology. LLVM doesn't need to mean consolidation of backends. It can just mean you get a front-end for free, if that's all you want.
Oh maybe I missed it. Is there a way to compile LLVM IR with something other than LLVM? Is this what you mean by output of LLVM front-end output?
I do believe this is what OP meant. The LLVM IR is very well documented, and can in theory be plugged into a back-end that supports it.
Re: Flang: The Fortran frontend of LLVM [video]
#8I would call it "Jortran". It's much less generic and with a little luck even convey what kind of language it is.
Re: Flang: The Fortran frontend of LLVM [video]
#9On one hand this is a great news and as Fortran user pretty happy about it. On the other I’m a bit worried that once LLVM backend will take off for real, so much focus will concentrate on it, that other compilers (PGI, gfortran, Intel Fortran) development will finally stall or even get dropped and we will wake up in future where LLVM behemoth swallowed all the competition. This concern is not only limited to Fortran,…
I am not a compiler expert but I wonder if FORTRAN will lose its speed advantages it still supposedly has if it goes through LLVM.
Re: Flang: The Fortran frontend of LLVM [video]
#10Earlier quoted context omitted.
Oh maybe I missed it. Is there a way to compile LLVM IR with something other than LLVM? Is this what you mean by output of LLVM front-end output?
I do believe this is what OP meant. The LLVM IR is very well documented, and can in theory be plugged into a back-end that supports it.
Ah, ok yes. But in my OP I didn’t really mean technical problems, rather organisational/social.
I mean that if all top-class talents in compilers technology focuses on llvm there probably wouldn’t be a lot people to be both willing and able to write alternative backends.