compiler on Hacker News

72 titles from 64 authors in the last 30 days, with 61 distinct links and 5 Show HN.

Counts titles, it does not confirm facts. Open the source before concluding anything.

Projects on this term

The score comes from our model.

• Show HN: A Kotlin compiler written in Go, 10x faster than kotlinc · score 8.5

  A Kotlin-to-JVM compiler implemented in Go that achieves 10-16x speedups over kotlinc on real libraries while using a tenth of the memory, passing 95% of kotlinc's box tests and building libraries that pass their own test suites. The project is technically exceptional but remains a prototype lacking full language support, most diagnostics, incremental compilation, Gradle/IDE integration, and non-JVM targets.

• Show HN: Kcc, a C compiler built solo with an LLM on $100/mo boot Linux kernel · score 7.3

  kcc is a C17 compiler written entirely in ARM64 assembly as a literate program, with the source itself being a ~1000-page PDF book. It self-hosts, cross-compiles to x86-64, and can build real software like Lua, SQLite, DOOM, and even boot a Linux kernel. The project is technically impressive but niche due to its unusual language and documentation format.

• Show HN: GBFC – AOT and JIT Compiler Brainfuck and Brainfuck++ · score 6.3

  GBFC is a Rust-based compiler for Brainfuck and Brainfuck++ that generates machine code directly for Linux x86_64, supporting both AOT (static ELF) and JIT execution. It features a custom IR, multiple optimization passes (including compile-time evaluation, SSE2 scan loops, and muladd transformations), and extensive documentation. While technically impressive, its utility is limited to the niche Brainfuck community and educational purposes.

• Show HN: An Algol 60 compiler with a LuaJIT runtime · score 6.3

  An Algol 60 compiler that targets LuaJIT bytecode, featuring a hand-crafted parser, semantic validator, and an intermediate representation called AIR. The project is a technical feat, reviving a historic language with a modern runtime, but its practical utility is limited to enthusiasts and researchers.

Recent titles

1. Beating the compiler at signed 32-bit division
   2026-11-01 · lemire.me · HN discussion
2. Show HN: A Kotlin compiler written in Go, 10x faster than kotlinc
   2026-10-31 · github.com · HN discussion
3. AWS's Hydro team wants the compiler to catch coding agents' mistakes
   2026-10-30 · thenewstack.io · HN discussion
4. TornadoVM 8.0: Meet TC, TornadoVM's Own Compiler
   2026-10-30 · tornadovm.org · HN discussion
5. ContextWatcher, a Rust context compiler and KV-cache optimizer for agents
   2026-10-28 · HN discussion
6. Arx2V: A compiler for Arx, a Python-like HDL (transpiles to Verilog)
   2026-10-28 · HN discussion
7. Arx2V: A compiler for Arx, a Python-like HDL (transpiles to Verilog)
   2026-10-28 · github.com · HN discussion
8. Executable Archaeology: Reanimating the Heuristic Compiler (1961) and KBEmacs (1984)
   2026-10-28 · arxiv.org · HN discussion
9. Shader Compiler Survey
   2026-10-26 · bkaradzic.github.io · HN discussion
10. Practical Compiler Construction – Nils M Holm
    2026-10-24 · t3x.org · HN discussion
11. CppC – memory-safe C++ compiler (catches UAF, double-free at build time)
    2026-10-24 · github.com · HN discussion
12. Advice on using the Turbo-BASIC XL compiler
    2026-10-22 · goto10retro.com · HN discussion
13. Practical Compiler Construction, 64-Bit Edition
    2026-10-22 · t3x.org · HN discussion
14. Rails Is a JIT Compiler
    2026-10-22 · railsatscale.com · HN discussion
15. OpenVAF – Open-source Verilog-A compiler in Rust
    2026-10-22 · github.com · HN discussion
16. The compiler was supposed to end programming too
    2026-10-21 · hrih.si · HN discussion
17. Deleting 19k Lines of Dead Compiler Code Without Trusting the LLM
    2026-10-21 · thecloudlet.github.io · HN discussion
18. 2026 is an exciting year for the Rust compiler (and me)
    2026-10-20 · yoyo-code.com · HN discussion
19. Vibecoding an LLVM TypeScript Compiler
    2026-10-20 · HN discussion
20. Built a Compiler from Scratch for Agent Swarms
    2026-10-20 · spinozalabs.ai · HN discussion
21. Why does the compiler sometimes use ud2 and sometimes int 3?
    2026-10-19 · devblogs.microsoft.com · HN discussion
22. Shipping a LaTeX Compiler Behind an Edge App
    2026-10-19 · bhargav.dev · HN discussion
23. Neurastheniacc: LLM-based C->WASM compiler you didn't need
    2026-10-18 · github.com · HN discussion
24. Free Pascal Compiler Now Supports Dynamic Packages
    2026-10-18 · getlazarus.org · HN discussion
25. Query cycles: A compiler murder mystery
    2026-10-17 · ferrous-systems.com · HN discussion
26. Clojurific: ClojureScript compiler fork, optimized for modern JavaScript
    2026-10-16 · github.com · HN discussion
27. The bgfx shader compiler, 14 years of not being a compiler
    2026-10-16 · bkaradzic.github.io · HN discussion
28. $24,000 AI experiment ports TypeScript compiler to Rust
    2026-10-16 · theregister.com · HN discussion
29. String equality vs. semantic equivalence: a bug in a SQL compiler
    2026-10-15 · fthiella.github.io · HN discussion
30. Cleaning the Heap – Helping the Go Compiler
    2026-10-15 · mkalich.cloud · HN discussion

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