[virtmach] Virtual Machines and Code Representation

[btanksley@hifn.com]

From: Peter_Murray@allegiance.com.au

>But can this be taken even further?  The more information that 
>is available
>to a sufficiently smart compiler, the better, and even a 
>parse-tree throws
>away information.  Would a theoretically smart compiler be able to
>determine the intent of the programmer from such things as 
>code comments,
>design documentation, and any other information that may have 
>been captured
>in the development process, and from this information produce 
>machine-level
>code way beyond what could be produced from a simple parse-tree?

In fact, such a change would result in the comments becoming part of the
language; it wouldn't really change the situation (except perhaps to make
people comment less, since they wouldn't want to be redundant and possibly
contradictory).

There are people working on compiling specifications directly.  I don't find
that field very interesting.  At any rate, you don't want to compile BOTH
the specs and the code, because odds are almost 100% that they contradict
each other in a million places.

>- Peter M.

-Billy