[antlr-interest] C# vs MSIL Output

[Mike Bresnahan]

I'm beginning a project to create a .NET mini-language for performing data
transformations.  I'm currently debating which of following would be best:

A) compile the language into a data structure that is used by a runtime
engine to perform the transformations
B) compile the language into C# code that performs the transformations
(after a second compilation)
C) compile the language directly to MSIL (.NET virtual machine assembly-like
language) that performs the transformations

Here's a breakdown of how I see these approaches comparing based on 3
criteria: ease of implementation, execution speed, and compilation speed

Option    Implementation  execution  compilation
-------------------------------------------------
A         easy            slow       fast
B         medium          fast       slow
C         hard            fast       medium

I'm currently leaning towards C, because a) it appears to have the best
trade off between execution and compilation speed b) it is the approach
taken by XSLTC (albeit in Java) and NMock, and c) it sounds like fun.
However, I am aware that ANTLR choose option B for its C#/.NET code
generator.  Would the designers of that piece care to share some insight
with me?

Mike Bresnahan





 
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