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GNU lightning

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GNU lightning
Developer(s)GNU Project
Initial releaseJanuary 19, 2001 (2001-01-19)[1]
Repository
Operating systemCross-platform
PlatformGNU
TypeJust-in-time compilation
LicenseGNU General Public License, GNU Lesser General Public License
WebsiteOfficial website

GNU lightning is a free software library for generating assembly language code at run-time. Newly released version 2.0[2] supports backends for SPARC (32-bit), x86 (32- and 64-bit), MIPS, ARM, ia64, HPPA and PowerPC (32-bit).

Advantages Over Other Libraries

The features GNU lightning provides make it useful for just-in-time compiler applications. In comparison to libraries such as LLVM or libJIT, GNU lightning provides only a low-level interface for assembling from a standardized RISC assembly language—loosely based on the SPARC and MIPS architectures[3]—into the target architecture's machine language.

Disadvantages

It does not provide register allocation, data-flow or control-flow analysis, or optimization.

Projects that use GNU Lightning

Racket, GNU Smalltalk, and CLISP[4] make use of GNU lightning for just-in-time compilation.

References

  1. ^ "ChangeLog". GNU Project. Retrieved 2009-02-22.
  2. ^ Release announcement. 2013-08-23
  3. ^ "Using and porting GNU lightning". Retrieved 2009-02-22.
  4. ^ "Implementation notes for GNU CLISP". Retrieved 2009-02-23.