Optimizing compiler for a large subset of C, written in Rust
Hello. I wanted to share what I had been working on for the past couple of months or so. It's an optimizing C compiler for a large subset of the C programming language written in Rust. It's basically a Rust implementation of the C compiler from Nora Sandler's book[1]. It has been a great educational exercise and I wholeheartedly recommend it to everyone. [1]: https://nostarch.com/writing-c-compiler
Optimizing compiler for a large subset of C, written in Rust launched on October 22, 2024 with 11 votes, #1,114 of 5,185 launches that month and more than 75% of that year's launches. The site was still online in September 2026, 1 year on.
In plain words
This is an optimizing C compiler written in Rust that supports a large subset of the C language. It is designed for developers and students interested in compiler development and implementation. The compiler is based on the educational approach from Nora Sandler's book "Writing a C Compiler" and serves as a practical learning project demonstrating compiler optimization techniques and C language compilation.
written from the facts on this page · September 2026
From the sources
A micro C compiler for x86-64. Contribute to xqb64/ucc development by creating an account on GitHub.
This is a Rust implementation of the C compiler from Nora Sandler's book. At the forefront is the compiler driver, which orchestrates the compilation process---from lexing and parsing, through several stages of semantic analysis, such as variable resolution, loop labeling, and type checking. After generating an intermediate representation (IR), the compiler passes it through an iterative optimization pipeline. This pipeline leverages forward and backward data-flow analysis, liveness analysis, and address-taken analysis to implement optimizations such as constant folding, unreachable code elimination, copy propagation, and dead store elimination. Finally, it generates and optimizes the…from github.com
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