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Ask HN: How Compilers Are Stable?

1 points by Pompidou ↗ HN
There is a lot of compilers for a lot of languages. I don't remember having trouble using any of the compilers I've used. On the other hand, (almost) every other software I've used have crashed one time or more. My question is : how compiler devellopers do for making bug free compiler ? How is it possible ? is there anything that give a proof that a compiler is stable ? In other words, is it possible to have a bug in a software produced a by a compiler flaw rather than by a bad coding ?

2 comments

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mimixco
Compilers are just as vulnerable to defects as any other software. When I worked on VS COBOL II at IBM we had a several levels of people devoted to answering customer bug reports and fixing compiler code. I think the difference is is that compilers tend to be the kind of software that is written a little more carefully, better reviewed, and more comprehensively tested because of the implications of compiler bugs getting out in the wild through compiled apps. Compilers are hard to write and hard to make money with, too, and I think it's safe to say the reliability of the compiler is a big factor in its success.