[open-cobol-list] Re: GCC front end for COBOL

[Geoff Keating]

Keisuke Nishida <address@hidden> writes:

> Hi,
> 
> I am a developer of a COBOL compiler called OpenCOBOL,
> and I would like to make it a GCC front end.
> 
> I have experimentally implemented a GCC front end by
> modifying OpenCOBOL, and it now compiles basic COBOL
> programs as much as OpenCOBOL can do.
> 
> So, what should I do next?  Could I contribute the
> code to the GCC team, or should I continue development
> by myself until it becomes more useful and stable?

If it's now stable enough that it can be tested and can compile simple
programs, that's a good point at which to integrate it.

> Before further going on, I would like to hear what
> people think about my project.  Would GCC accept
> my front end for the COBOL language?  With what
> version (branch) of GCC I should work?

Yes, it's a goal of the GCC project to have new languages (see
<http://gcc.gnu.org/gccmission.html>), so we'd like to accept your
front-end.

There are a few things that will make your front-end more successful:

1. A test-suite.  Historically, front-ends without testsuites
   eventually end up so broken that they're unusable.

2. Write it in C, and try to make it work on as many platforms as
   possible (preferably, any platform where GCC can be built).
   Otherwise, some developers won't be able to test the frontend.
   (It looks like you've done this, right?)

3. Develop on the mainline, and integrate it well with the rest of GCC.
   Use tree inlining.  Use the GCC coding style.  Have documentation
   integrated with the rest of the documentation.

None of these are absolute requirements, except maybe the test suite.

One detail, though: are you aware that there's already a GCC frontend
project for COBOL?  It's at <http://sourceforge.net/projects/cobolforgcc/>.

-- 
- Geoffrey Keating <address@hidden>