Factor/Non-optimizing compiler

Factor's non-optimizing compiler compiles quotations executed in the listener, as well as words which do not have a static stack effect. It is also used during the bootstrap process so that the Optimizing compiler can compile itself.

The non-optimizing compiler is very simple, essentially translating the elements of each quotation into a a series of machine code blocks which are then concatenated together. This is known as "subroutine call threading", however a little bit of inlining is also performed. The non-optimizing compiler is implemented in vm/quotations.c, with CPU backends in basis/cpu/*/bootstrap.factor.

Blog posts:

• http://factor-language.blogspot.com/2007/09/two-tier-compilation-comes-to-factor.html
• http://factor-language.blogspot.com/2008/01/compiler-overhaul.html

Related Wiki articles:

• Implementation history
• Optimizing compiler