You missed the point. The compiler backend is emitting assembly code, so you better have a very good understanding of the underlying hardware and the assembly language for the machine to successfully write a compiler backend for the architecture in question. Tom
On Thu, 18 June 2026, 2:15 am Mike Katz via cctalk, <[email protected]> wrote: > I'm sorry but I beg to differ with your, it is entirely possible to > write the code generator for a compiler in a high level language. Most > C-compilers are written that way. > > The initial after reset code may need to be written in assembler to > properly setup some registers prior to the run time system for the high > level language (stack, interrupt masks, cache initialization, etc.). > > On 6/17/2026 12:55 PM, Paul Koning via cctalk wrote: > > > >> On Jun 17, 2026, at 11:55 AM, Mark Green via cctalk < > [email protected]> wrote: > >> > >> I recently reviewed a college program that had a COBOL course. It’s not > quite dead in academia. > > Speaking of academia: clearly any "academic" who claims Assembler is > dead is unqualified for the job. It may be true that not very much > application code is written in assembler. But it should be obvious that > competence in assembler is absolutely necessary in order to build a > compiler -- in particular, a compiler back-end. > > > > paul > >
