From owner-freebsd-chat@FreeBSD.ORG  Fri Mar  5 15:40:30 2004
Return-Path: <owner-freebsd-chat@FreeBSD.ORG>
Delivered-To: freebsd-chat@freebsd.org
Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125])
	by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 90D3016A4DD
	for <freebsd-chat@freebsd.org>; Fri,  5 Mar 2004 15:40:30 -0800 (PST)
Received: from haldjas.folklore.ee (Haldjas.folklore.ee [193.40.6.121])
	by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id B19C843D4C
	for <freebsd-chat@freebsd.org>; Fri,  5 Mar 2004 15:40:29 -0800 (PST)
	(envelope-from narvi@haldjas.folklore.ee)
Received: from haldjas.folklore.ee (localhost [127.0.0.1])
	by haldjas.folklore.ee (8.12.10/8.12.10) with ESMTP id i25NdkUA038251;
	Sat, 6 Mar 2004 01:39:46 +0200 (EET)
	(envelope-from narvi@haldjas.folklore.ee)
Received: from localhost (narvi@localhost)i25Ndkpb038248;
	Sat, 6 Mar 2004 01:39:46 +0200 (EET)
	(envelope-from narvi@haldjas.folklore.ee)
Date: Sat, 6 Mar 2004 01:39:46 +0200 (EET)
From: Narvi <narvi@haldjas.folklore.ee>
To: Chris Pressey <cpressey@catseye.mine.nu>
In-Reply-To: <20040305153505.74061868.cpressey@catseye.mine.nu>
Message-ID: <20040306013914.D38020@haldjas.folklore.ee>
References: <Pine.LNX.4.43.0403011839470.3269-100000@pilchuck.reedmedia.net>
	<EABDE846-6EF2-11D8-AE09-000A95DA58FE@jimz.net>
	<20040306005744.T38020@haldjas.folklore.ee>
	<20040305153505.74061868.cpressey@catseye.mine.nu>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
X-Spam-Status: No, hits=0.0 required=8.0 tests=none autolearn=no version=2.63
X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 2.63 (2004-01-11) on haldjas.folklore.ee
cc: dgw@liwest.at
cc: freebsd-chat@freebsd.org
Subject: Re: FreeBSD Most wanted
X-BeenThere: freebsd-chat@freebsd.org
X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.1
Precedence: list
List-Id: Non technical items related to the community
	<freebsd-chat.freebsd.org>
List-Unsubscribe: <http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-chat>,
	<mailto:freebsd-chat-request@freebsd.org?subject=unsubscribe>
List-Archive: <http://lists.freebsd.org/pipermail/freebsd-chat>
List-Post: <mailto:freebsd-chat@freebsd.org>
List-Help: <mailto:freebsd-chat-request@freebsd.org?subject=help>
List-Subscribe: <http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-chat>,
	<mailto:freebsd-chat-request@freebsd.org?subject=subscribe>
X-List-Received-Date: Fri, 05 Mar 2004 23:40:30 -0000


On Fri, 5 Mar 2004, Chris Pressey wrote:

> On Sat, 6 Mar 2004 01:02:14 +0200 (EET)
> Narvi <narvi@haldjas.folklore.ee> wrote:
>
> >
> > On Fri, 5 Mar 2004, Chris Pressey wrote:
> >
> > > On Fri, 5 Mar 2004 17:17:40 -0500
> > > Jim Zajkowski <jim@jimz.net> wrote:
> > >
> > > > On Mar 5, 2004, at 6:02 PM, Daniela wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > But I'm so into low-level programming, that it's (sometimes)
> > > > > easier for me to code in ASM than in C.
> > > >
> > > > Like I said, may you have a long and successful career in writing
> > > > device drivers and firmware.
> > >
> > > Or compilers.
> >
> > The majority of speed in compilers does not come from assembler
> > tricks.
>
> I know.  I was merely pointing out that firmware programming is not the
> only career path for someone who specializes in assembly.
>
> > [...]
> > Pick up a compiler book - any compiler book - and you will see
> > relatively little about ASM.
>
> I don't think that's because it's unimportant.  To the contrary:
>
> "Familiarity with the target machine and its instruction set is a
> prerequisite for designing a good code generator.  Unfortunately, in a
> general discussion of code generation it is not possible to describe
> the nuances of any target machine in sufficient detail to be able to
> generate good code for a complete language on that machine."
>   -- The "Dragon" Book, pp 519
>

Sure - but code generation is but one part of the compiler and usualy not
the largest.

> -Chris
>