[Gambas-user] Runtime

[Benoit Minisini]

On mercredi 21 mai 2008, Leonardo Miliani wrote:
> Kari Laine ha scritto:
> > Hi,
> >
> > I don't understand much about compilers - so I ask...
> >
> > Benoit, why you decided to use runtime instead making Gambas a "true"
> > compiler without the need for a runtime?
> >
> > Best Regards
> > Kari Laine
>
> Interesting question...
> I'm curios too ;-)

1) Writing a compiler (like gcc) is too complex for me. Well, not really, but 
I don't have the time to do that.

2) Writing an interpreter is easier, and allow more freedom. Writing its own 
interpreter is a bit like writing its own CPU. The runtime is that CPU. The 
last sentence is a shortcut, it is more complex, of course.

3) A program written in C/C++ has its "runtime" too, but you don't see it. gcc 
links it to your program by default. The only difference is that the gcc 
runtime (let's use that name for libc.so or libgcc_s.so) is always installed 
by default. Not the Gambas runtime.

4) Installing the runtime would not be a problem with binary packages 
correctly done and a modern packaging system.

Other questions?

-- 
Benoit Minisini