What does HackerNews think of nlvm?

LLVM-based compiler for the Nim language

Language: Nim

#17 in Compiler
#2 in Nim
Nim 2.0 | Aug 2023
That looks interesting. Unfortunately it looks like it hasn't been updated in a while? Is that because it's complete or a lack of interest?

For example, the approach mentioned at the bottom of the README of integrating via nlvm (https://github.com/arnetheduck/nlvm) sounded great but appears to be unpursued.

Nim and Go programs identified by Carbon Black as malware on Windows | Jan 2023
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> is there a Nim frontend for LLVM?

Yes there is. https://github.com/arnetheduck/nlvm
The counterintuitive rise of Python in scientific computing (2020) | Mar 2022
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   before LLVM-based languages like Julia or Nim could get a foothold.
Nim isn't an LLVM-based language (not 100% sure you were implying that), though nlvm[1] is a thing.

Regardless, Arraymancer[2] is quite a gem in the scientific computing ecosystem (doesn't build on nlvm, i.e. the mainline Nim compiler is sufficient).

[1] https://github.com/arnetheduck/nlvm

[2] https://github.com/mratsim/Arraymancer
The counterintuitive rise of Python in scientific computing (2020) | Mar 2022
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Nim actually has LLVM support via nlvm

https://github.com/arnetheduck/nlvm

It's not officially blessed, but it does work.
Is Nim a Transpiler? | Oct 2021
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Here's one.

https://github.com/arnetheduck/nlvm
Is Nim a Transpiler? | Oct 2021
I mean, to me it is a transpiler because it is a "frontend" to several other languages.

You choose whether you want to emit C, C++, or JS. There's an experimental, fledgling community LLVM frontend for Nim, that is what I would call a "compiler":

https://github.com/arnetheduck/nlvm

What Jetbrains calls Kotlin -> JavaScript, is "transpilation"

What Google calls Java -> JavaScript in j2cl, is "transpilation"

But this is all pedantic IMO.

Nim 1.6 | Oct 2021
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Being able to compile to C, C++, ObjC, and JavaScript natively (and LLVM using https://github.com/arnetheduck/nlvm ), along with an excellent FFI (including to and from Python) means you don't need to rewrite dependencies as you can use them directly. Nim is great at glue code - arguably better/easier than Python.

Along with general language characteristics such as being high level and productive like Python, but with intricate "bare metal" control when you want it, really does make it suitable for writing almost everything.