2018 LLVM Developers’ Meeting: C. Schafmeister “Lessons Learned Implementing Common Lisp with LLVM”

Christian Schafmeister shares lessons from building Clasp, a Common Lisp compiler that uses LLVM and interoperates with C++.

llvm.org/devmtg/2018-10/ — Lessons Learned Implementing Common Lisp with LLVM over Six Years - Christian Schafmeister Slides: Coming Soon — I will present the lessons learned while using LLVM to efficiently implement a complex memory managed, dynamic programming language within which everything can be redefined on the fly. I will present Clasp, a new Common Lisp compiler and programming environment that uses LLVM as its back-end and that interoperates smoothly with C++/C. Clasp is written in both C++ and Common Lisp. The Clasp compiler is written in Common Lisp and makes extensive use of the LLVM C++ API and the ORC JIT to generate native code both ahead of time and just in time. Among its unique features, Clasp uses a compacting garbage collector to manage memory, incorporates multithreading, uses C++ compatible exception handling to achieve stack unwinding and an incorporates an advanced compiler written in Common Lisp to achieve performance that approaches that of C++. Clasp is being developed as a high-performance scientific and general purpose programming language that makes use of available C++ libraries. — Videos Filmed & Edited by Bash Films: BashFilms.com