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Wet Dream--python to native compiler

Dave Reed dreed at capital.edu
Sat Dec 14 12:31:20 EST 2002 
On Saturday 14 December 2002 11:04, Steve wrote:
> Laura Creighton <lac at strakt.com> wrote in message 
news:<mailman.1039843279.31621.python-list at python.org>...
> > > Laura Creighton <lac at strakt.com> wrote in message 
> > > 
> > > > As I recall, last time we discussed this, we decided that the 
lack of
> > > > an army of grad students at a time when it was possible to get a
> > > > Masters or a Phd for writing a compiler was responsible.  
> > > 
> > > Why isn't that possible anymore?
> > > 
> > > Steve
> > > -- 
> >  
> > 1. Universities aren't impressed by Compiler Writing any more. (Been
> >    done before, they say).
> 
> I don't understand that.  That is like not allowing a book to be
> written for a thesis because other PhD students have written books
> before.  A book?  been there. done that :).


That's not the same thing. A Ph.D. dissertation is supposed to advanced 
the knowledge of the field. Writing a compiler for a language using 
existing concepts from the compiler wrtiting body of knowledge doesn't 
really do that. 

Having said that, from what other people have been indicating are the 
issues with writing a good Python compiler, it's possible that solving 
these problems could be a thesis/dissertation. Compiler writing is not 
my area so I can't really make that call.

<snip>

Dave
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