[avr-gcc-list] Re: char to int promotion in bitwise operators

[David Brown]

Weddington, Eric wrote:
> > -----Original Message----- From: 
> > address@hidden 
> > [mailto:address@hidden org]
> > On Behalf Of David Brown Sent: Monday, August 24, 2009 7:04 AM To:
> > address@hidden Subject: [avr-gcc-list] Re: char to int
> > promotion in bitwise operators
>
> > Has anyone versed in avr-gcc development looked at the new plugin 
> > architecture in gcc 4.5 ?
>
> Yes. IMHO, it's a waste of time.

That's a pity.  It looked like a good idea - it's certainly something 
many other gcc developers have been asking for for years.  But it 
certainly seems that most discussion about plugins has been somewhat 
paranoid concern about people being able to use then to get around the 
GPL, rather than actually getting them working as well as possible.

> <snip>
>
> > I would hope it is also possible to use plugins to allow extra
> > peephole optimisations to be written and tested externally to gcc,
> >  allowing much easier and faster testing than rebuilding gcc for
> > each change. Well-proven peepholes could then be moved back into
> > the main gcc code for efficiency.
>
> The issue has nothing to do with how fast or slow it is to write gcc
> code. The issue is having people willing to take the time to actually
> do anything.

I had hoped that plugins might lower the bar for people getting 
involved, by making it possible for people to look at a smaller piece of 
code at first rather than facing the whole gcc source tree.  But maybe 
plugins just add another layer of complexity without actually helping.

mvh.,

David