
Ask HN: What is LLVM (from the perspective of a middling Rails developer)? - mmanfrin
I generally understand that a compiler takes code (written in a language that needs to be compiled like C) and generates machine&#x2F;assembly(?) code from it -- but I don&#x27;t really understand why that makes LLVM the big deal it currently is. I don&#x27;t have a CS degree, but I understand some of the concepts (like notation, sets, etc).<p>Can someone ELIaRailsDeveloper what the LLVM and why that is a big deal?
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mattiemass
Traditionally, compilers were built as tools for end-user developers. LLVM ,
instead, is a library you can use to make a compiler. Clang, for example, uses
the LLVM API to produce a form that the LLVM subsystems can compile into
actual machine code.

Interesting, clang actually did this too - it itself is a C/ObjC/C++ parser
library, which can be used to make a tool.

LLVM is fantastic because, as a language developer, you can focus on your
parsing and language-specific features without needing to concern yourself
with machine code generation. LLVM does that all for you.

