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#compilers — Public Fediverse posts

Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #compilers, aggregated by home.social.

  1. Turns out the "spent all day looking for a bug in my code and it was a compiler bug" works both ways around. Spent ages looking for a bug in my compiler to realise it was a bug in the code being compiled!

    #compilers

  2. Running Code in a Programming Language Nobody Knows

    programming,#lisp,#LanguageDesign,#compilers

    Last month, I ran code in a programming language that nobody knew.

    I'm not the first to do a thing like that. Ben Olmstead created Malbolge in 1998. It's a deliberately incomprehensible programming language that's likely impossible for anyone to really know; it took a search algorithm to generate the first program for it. Finding examples of an old, obscure language with no surviving practitioners is another potential method I imagine has been done a few times.

    Nobody had ever known Nucleus when its compiler bootstrapped. Since it's 2026, I imagine many readers have already guessed large language models were involved. I gave a sample program and output to an LLM tool and told it to write a compiler in C. I then told the tool to add features to the language until it could rewrite the Nucleus compiler in Nucleus, resulting in a language that I did not know. LLMs do not "know" things and aren't somebody, so at that point, nobody knew Nucleus, yet there were about 4000 lines of it running in the compiler, able to produce real binaries that run on real computers.

    Someone I mentioned this to asked why I would want to design a programming language without designing a programming language. I don't actually want to do that, but just as the compiler needed an initial implementation in another language in order to bootstrap, I found it much easier to work from a minimal working language than a blank slate. I had the idea for Nucleus for a long time and have not yet read the Dragon Book and written a compiler from scratch like I told myself I was going to.

    As for the language itself, the basic idea is a language for manipulating memory at a low level like C, but with Lisp-like syntax and structural macros providing compile-time abstractions and safety-enhancing constructs with no runtime overhead. By the time it hits 1.0, Nucleus should be usable as a drop-in replacement for C anywhere C is used. I'm not the first to do a thing like that either, but other implementations I've seen actually compile a Lisp-like language to C. Nucleus targets LLVM directly.

    @programming

    @[email protected]


    #lisp #LanguageDesign #compilers
  3. Running Code in a Programming Language Nobody Knows

    Last month, I ran code in a programming language that nobody knew.

    I'm not the first to do a thing like that. Ben Olmstead created Malbolge in 1998. It's a deliberately incomprehensible programming language that's likely impossible for anyone to really know; it took a search algorithm to generate the first program for it. Finding examples of an old, obscure language with no surviving practitioners is another potential method I imagine has been done a few times.

    Nobody had ever known Nucleus when its compiler bootstrapped. Since it's 2026, I imagine many readers have already guessed large language models were involved. I gave a sample program and output to an LLM tool and told it to write a compiler in C. I then told the tool to add features to the language until it could rewrite the Nucleus compiler in Nucleus, resulting in a language that I did not know. LLMs do not "know" things and aren't somebody, so at that point, nobody knew Nucleus, yet there were about 4000 lines of it running in the compiler, able to produce real binaries that run on real computers.

    Someone I mentioned this to asked why I would want to design a programming language without designing a programming language. I don't actually want to do that, but just as the compiler needed an initial implementation in another language in order to bootstrap, I found it much easier to work from a minimal working language than a blank slate. I had the idea for Nucleus for a long time and have not yet read the Dragon Book and written a compiler from scratch like I told myself I was going to.

    As for the language itself, the basic idea is a language for manipulating memory at a low level like C, but with Lisp-like syntax and structural macros providing compile-time abstractions and safety-enhancing constructs with no runtime overhead. By the time it hits 1.0, Nucleus should be usable as a drop-in replacement for C anywhere C is used. I'm not the first to do a thing like that either, but other implementations I've seen actually compile a Lisp-like language to C. Nucleus targets LLVM directly.

    @programming

    @[email protected]


    #lisp #LanguageDesign #compilers
  4. New instance, new #introduction, right?

    Hi there! I'm Vito! 30-something self-taught computer #engineer
    I currently live in São Paulo, Brazil, with plans to move to Italy some time in the future. Maybe.

    I have a reeeally deep interest in #parsers, #interpreters & #compilers, but I'm also using my free time to build computers from scratch based on architectures from the 70's, 80's, and 90's, and some other projects, sometimes around #retrocomputing.

    I'm usually using Macs (#Mac Studio Ultra/M4 #MacBook Pro <3) I also have a large #ESXi host hosting a lot of VMs and a "bare-metal" K8s cluster, but I've been a long-time user of #BSD and #Linux! <3

    If I follow you, I will end up interacting with your toots in some way! Either boosting, replying, or favouriting them! Please do let me know in case any of that makes you uncomfortable!

    Also feel free to let me know in case I missed a CW, Alt, or said something wrong or technically incorrect!

    I think that's about it! Thanks for reading! Have a nice day! 🌻 :floofHeart:

  5. New instance, new #introduction, right?

    Hi there! I'm Vito! 30-something self-taught computer #engineer
    I currently live in São Paulo, Brazil, with plans to move to Italy some time in the future. Maybe.

    I have a reeeally deep interest in #parsers, #interpreters & #compilers, but I'm also using my free time to build computers from scratch based on architectures from the 70's, 80's, and 90's, and some other projects, sometimes around #retrocomputing.

    I'm usually using Macs (#Mac Studio Ultra/M4 #MacBook Pro <3) I also have a large #ESXi host hosting a lot of VMs and a "bare-metal" K8s cluster, but I've been a long-time user of #BSD and #Linux! <3

    If I follow you, I will end up interacting with your toots in some way! Either boosting, replying, or favouriting them! Please do let me know in case any of that makes you uncomfortable!

    Also feel free to let me know in case I missed a CW, Alt, or said something wrong or technically incorrect!

    I think that's about it! Thanks for reading! Have a nice day! 🌻 :floofHeart:

  6. New instance, new #introduction, right?

    Hi there! I'm Vito! 30-something self-taught computer #engineer
    I currently live in São Paulo, Brazil, with plans to move to Italy some time in the future. Maybe.

    I have a reeeally deep interest in #parsers, #interpreters & #compilers, but I'm also using my free time to build computers from scratch based on architectures from the 70's, 80's, and 90's, and some other projects, sometimes around #retrocomputing.

    I'm usually using Macs (#Mac Studio Ultra/M4 #MacBook Pro <3) I also have a large #ESXi host hosting a lot of VMs and a "bare-metal" K8s cluster, but I've been a long-time user of #BSD and #Linux! <3

    If I follow you, I will end up interacting with your toots in some way! Either boosting, replying, or favouriting them! Please do let me know in case any of that makes you uncomfortable!

    Also feel free to let me know in case I missed a CW, Alt, or said something wrong or technically incorrect!

    I think that's about it! Thanks for reading! Have a nice day! 🌻 :floofHeart:

  7. New instance, new #introduction, right?

    Hi there! I'm Vito! 30-something self-taught computer #engineer
    I currently live in São Paulo, Brazil, with plans to move to Italy some time in the future. Maybe.

    I have a reeeally deep interest in #parsers, #interpreters & #compilers, but I'm also using my free time to build computers from scratch based on architectures from the 70's, 80's, and 90's, and some other projects, sometimes around #retrocomputing.

    I'm usually using Macs (#Mac Studio Ultra/M4 #MacBook Pro <3) I also have a large #ESXi host hosting a lot of VMs and a "bare-metal" K8s cluster, but I've been a long-time user of #BSD and #Linux! <3

    If I follow you, I will end up interacting with your toots in some way! Either boosting, replying, or favouriting them! Please do let me know in case any of that makes you uncomfortable!

    Also feel free to let me know in case I missed a CW, Alt, or said something wrong or technically incorrect!

    I think that's about it! Thanks for reading! Have a nice day! 🌻 :floofHeart:

  8. New instance, new #introduction, right?

    Hi there! I'm Vito! 30-something self-taught computer #engineer
    I currently live in São Paulo, Brazil, with plans to move to Italy some time in the future. Maybe.

    I have a reeeally deep interest in #parsers, #interpreters & #compilers, but I'm also using my free time to build computers from scratch based on architectures from the 70's, 80's, and 90's, and some other projects, sometimes around #retrocomputing.

    I'm usually using Macs (#Mac Studio Ultra/M4 #MacBook Pro <3) I also have a large #ESXi host hosting a lot of VMs and a "bare-metal" K8s cluster, but I've been a long-time user of #BSD and #Linux! <3

    If I follow you, I will end up interacting with your toots in some way! Either boosting, replying, or favouriting them! Please do let me know in case any of that makes you uncomfortable!

    Also feel free to let me know in case I missed a CW, Alt, or said something wrong or technically incorrect!

    I think that's about it! Thanks for reading! Have a nice day! 🌻 :floofHeart:

  9. AsmX с движком Raptor: Архитектура абсолютного контроля

    Raptor Engine: Как 30 000 строк кода на TypeScript вдохнули жизнь в компилятор AsmX Можно ли объединить абсолютный контроль низкоуровневого ассемблера x86-64 с изяществом ООП, шаблонов и безопасных абстракций в духе C++? Разбираем масштабное обновление отечественного компилятора AsmX. Под капотом — честные 30 тысяч строк хардкорной архитектуры: от прямого доступа к аппаратной SIB-адресации CPU и хитрых махинаций с регистрами при вызове знаковых movsx / imul / idiv , до разбора анатомии новой стандартной библиотеки ( std::optional и std::pair ), работающей по принципу Zero-Cost Abstractions. Узнайте, как мономорфизация AST-деревьев и System V ABI позволяют выжимать максимум из кремния без единого байта накладных расходов.

    habr.com/ru/articles/1037472/

    #compilers #innovations #asmx #asmxzgen_compiler #asmx_compiler #2026

  10. AsmX с движком Raptor: Архитектура абсолютного контроля

    Raptor Engine: Как 30 000 строк кода на TypeScript вдохнули жизнь в компилятор AsmX Можно ли объединить абсолютный контроль низкоуровневого ассемблера x86-64 с изяществом ООП, шаблонов и безопасных абстракций в духе C++? Разбираем масштабное обновление отечественного компилятора AsmX. Под капотом — честные 30 тысяч строк хардкорной архитектуры: от прямого доступа к аппаратной SIB-адресации CPU и хитрых махинаций с регистрами при вызове знаковых movsx / imul / idiv , до разбора анатомии новой стандартной библиотеки ( std::optional и std::pair ), работающей по принципу Zero-Cost Abstractions. Узнайте, как мономорфизация AST-деревьев и System V ABI позволяют выжимать максимум из кремния без единого байта накладных расходов.

    habr.com/ru/articles/1037472/

    #compilers #innovations #asmx #asmxzgen_compiler #asmx_compiler #2026

  11. AsmX с движком Raptor: Архитектура абсолютного контроля

    Raptor Engine: Как 30 000 строк кода на TypeScript вдохнули жизнь в компилятор AsmX Можно ли объединить абсолютный контроль низкоуровневого ассемблера x86-64 с изяществом ООП, шаблонов и безопасных абстракций в духе C++? Разбираем масштабное обновление отечественного компилятора AsmX. Под капотом — честные 30 тысяч строк хардкорной архитектуры: от прямого доступа к аппаратной SIB-адресации CPU и хитрых махинаций с регистрами при вызове знаковых movsx / imul / idiv , до разбора анатомии новой стандартной библиотеки ( std::optional и std::pair ), работающей по принципу Zero-Cost Abstractions. Узнайте, как мономорфизация AST-деревьев и System V ABI позволяют выжимать максимум из кремния без единого байта накладных расходов.

    habr.com/ru/articles/1037472/

    #compilers #innovations #asmx #asmxzgen_compiler #asmx_compiler #2026

  12. AsmX с движком Raptor: Архитектура абсолютного контроля

    Raptor Engine: Как 30 000 строк кода на TypeScript вдохнули жизнь в компилятор AsmX Можно ли объединить абсолютный контроль низкоуровневого ассемблера x86-64 с изяществом ООП, шаблонов и безопасных абстракций в духе C++? Разбираем масштабное обновление отечественного компилятора AsmX. Под капотом — честные 30 тысяч строк хардкорной архитектуры: от прямого доступа к аппаратной SIB-адресации CPU и хитрых махинаций с регистрами при вызове знаковых movsx / imul / idiv , до разбора анатомии новой стандартной библиотеки ( std::optional и std::pair ), работающей по принципу Zero-Cost Abstractions. Узнайте, как мономорфизация AST-деревьев и System V ABI позволяют выжимать максимум из кремния без единого байта накладных расходов.

    habr.com/ru/articles/1037472/

    #compilers #innovations #asmx #asmxzgen_compiler #asmx_compiler #2026

  13. of the Week:

    The VACUUM process has been meeting 's 1944 definition of life since 1996.

    - self-maintained boundary ✓
    - internal homeostasis ✓
    - local entropy reduction ✓

    We have been living among the this whole time.

    (Also building a compiler that does this on purpose.)

  14. #Weird #FunFact of the Week:

    The #postgres VACUUM process has been meeting #Schrödinger's 1944 definition of life since 1996.

    - self-maintained boundary ✓
    - internal homeostasis ✓
    - local entropy reduction ✓

    We have been living among the #undead this whole time.

    (Also building a compiler that does this on purpose.)

    #PostgreSQL #databases #autopoiesis #compilers #philosophy

  15. #Weird #FunFact of the Week:

    The #postgres VACUUM process has been meeting #Schrödinger's 1944 definition of life since 1996.

    - self-maintained boundary ✓
    - internal homeostasis ✓
    - local entropy reduction ✓

    We have been living among the #undead this whole time.

    (Also building a compiler that does this on purpose.)

    #PostgreSQL #databases #autopoiesis #compilers #philosophy

  16. #Weird #FunFact of the Week:

    The #postgres VACUUM process has been meeting #Schrödinger's 1944 definition of life since 1996.

    - self-maintained boundary ✓
    - internal homeostasis ✓
    - local entropy reduction ✓

    We have been living among the #undead this whole time.

    (Also building a compiler that does this on purpose.)

    #PostgreSQL #databases #autopoiesis #compilers #philosophy

  17. #Weird #FunFact of the Week:

    The #postgres VACUUM process has been meeting #Schrödinger's 1944 definition of life since 1996.

    - self-maintained boundary ✓
    - internal homeostasis ✓
    - local entropy reduction ✓

    We have been living among the #undead this whole time.

    (Also building a compiler that does this on purpose.)

    #PostgreSQL #databases #autopoiesis #compilers #philosophy

  18. I tried implemented lambdas and closures for my language, it seemed alot complicated. As with the lisp fantasy I have, will probably try building a minimal parser with lambdas and closures supported.

  19. I tried implemented lambdas and closures for my language, it seemed alot complicated. As with the lisp fantasy I have, will probably try building a minimal parser with lambdas and closures supported.
    #lisp #compilers #rust

  20. I tried implemented lambdas and closures for my language, it seemed alot complicated. As with the lisp fantasy I have, will probably try building a minimal parser with lambdas and closures supported.
    #lisp #compilers #rust

  21. I tried implemented lambdas and closures for my language, it seemed alot complicated. As with the lisp fantasy I have, will probably try building a minimal parser with lambdas and closures supported.
    #lisp #compilers #rust