Sunday, June 6, 2010

Geeks crazed over news that LLVM's Clang will be a compiler

After being able to compile itself, as well as the Boost libraries, used by many C++ programmers, the programmer community was thrilled today by news that Clang will soon be a compiler, that can compile standard software like the Linux kernel and GNU Emacs (a FSF black op).

"I'm so thrilled. I mean look at that: they are creating a compiler. You know, it takes source code and produces native target objects. And soon, I will be able to compile real programs with it. You know how cool that is?" one commenter on the venerable Hacker News newsboard wrote.

Producing a compiler is considered no small feat in tech circles – in fact, compilers are among the most central and difficult programs in all of IT. The technology underlying Clang, called LLVM, has garnered critical acclaim as a new breed of unusual and far-reaching software by twits and pundits.

A spokesman from Apple, now the home of the project, said that "LLVM must be one of the hottest pieces of open source software available today. Mac OS X, the best platform for running Java, already uses the exciting LLVM technology for rendering some of the lickable designs and glorious effects in our WWDC-award-winning graphical user interface, which provides us with a whole lot of differentiation from Microsoft Windows."

Apple's Chief Apology Officer John Gruber was quoted as saying "Face it, Gnutards, LLVM is god. I'm letting Clang compile itself right now (which is kinda mind-blowing in itself) in my transparent Aqua terminal. Isn't it gorgeous to watch the Profont lines scroll over the lush background image? The spinning beachball gives me an opportunity to watch my reflection in the 30" glossy display browse the Wired iPad app. As you sure know, that app loves the freedom of Cocoa and InDesign, and shows what can be done without Flash, which is threatening the stability of our iHomeland."

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