Compilers (was RE: [Bodington-developers] download this and frighten yourself)

[Peter C. <Pet...@me...>]

> From: Alistair Young [mailto:ali...@sm...]=20
> erm, sorry, I meant a real compiler, like compiled binary. I=20
> don't really class byte code as compiled ;)

Heh.  Try reverse-engineering a .class file to the corresponding Java
sometime.  Once the optimiser's been at it, the bytecodes bear little
relation to the original.  To me, that's compiling.

> how can you compile an interpreted language?

If your definition of 'compiled' is 'can be run on bare metal', check
out the Patriot PSC1000A.  Although with microcode being what it is
these days, 'bare metal' is blurring - the Crusoe's translation of X86
instructions being one example, and Transitive
(http://www.transitives.com/) another.  None of which is even new - the
ICL ME29 was emulating other processor architectures in the 1970s, and
I've no doubt it wasn't the first.

> Peter, help me here, they youngsters are rockin' me chair!

I recommend a cricket bat to keep they youngsters away, plus a periscope
so you can see out of the chair at all the amazing new-fangled
inventions out there.  Means you can also look at the scenery as it goes
past.

		- Peter