#9832: Get rid of PERL dependency of `ghc-split` -------------------------------------+------------------------------------- Reporter: hvr | Owner: Phyx- Type: task | Status: new Priority: high | Milestone: 7.12.1 Component: Driver | Version: Resolution: | Keywords: perl Operating System: Windows | Architecture: | Unknown/Multiple Type of failure: None/Unknown | Test Case: Blocked By: | Blocking: Related Tickets: | Differential Revisions: -------------------------------------+------------------------------------- Comment (by Phyx-): I'm not quite sure the problem being solved here is either, but I don't think it's binary size. since the perl distribution (looking at GHC 7.10.1) comes down to a `perl.exe` and a `perl56.dll` which together with the perl `GHC-split` file comes to a smaller since than the Haskell `GHC- split`. My assumption has been that the problem being addressed is to lower the amount of "other" languages used by the compiler/tools. The actual implementation isn't that big, what ended up being big is the fact that I needed to use a perl regular expression library unless I rewrite it to using something else, like parsec maybe... Two things could be done: First I could instead of having the `pcre` source inlined I could depend on the availability of `libpcre` being available on the build platform. This would remove the 30,000 lines of C but introduce an extra dependency. Secondly I can strip the `pcre` Haskell bindings down to the bare essentials that I actually use. This would be a very small subset of the current code. But would also mean that if you want to extend this and need any features I didn't need before from the lib the code would have to be re-introduced. Also when doing this I found a few lines of dead code and functions that I could never get the compiler to generate code to enter. Which makes me wonder if those parts are still needed to begin with. But in general, I agree, this may be more trouble then it's worth. Especially if the original goal was to reduce binary size. -- Ticket URL: http://ghc.haskell.org/trac/ghc/ticket/9832#comment:14 GHC http://www.haskell.org/ghc/ The Glasgow Haskell Compiler