Xoc, an extension-oriented compiler for systems programming

Today's system programmers go to great lengths to extend the languages in which they program. For instance, system-specific compilers find errors in Linux and other systems, and add support for specialized control flow to Qt and event-based programs. These compilers are difficult to build and cannot always understand each other's language changes. However, they can greatly improve code understandability and correctness, advantages that should be accessible to all programmers. We describe an extension-oriented compiler for C called xoc. An extension-oriented compiler, unlike a conventional extensible compiler, implements new features via many small extensions that are loaded together as needed. Xoc gives extension writers full control over program syntax and semantics while hiding many compiler internals. Xoc programmers concisely define powerful compiler extensions that, by construction, can be combined; even some parts of the base compiler, such as GNU C compatibility, are ...

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2008
• Where: ASPLOS
• Authors: Russ Cox, Tom Bergan, Austin T. Clements, M. Frans Kaashoek, Eddie Kohler
• Keywords: ASPLOS 2008, Compilers, Conventional Extensible Compilers, Extension-oriented Compilers, Programming Languages