Coffee Shop Compiler

Alec Jacobson

December 15, 2014

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Here's a proposal for a compiler/build system for developers like myself who often find themselves coding in a coffee shop with strong wifi connection, but poor power outlet availability and limited battery life.

The standard coding and debugging cycle looks like:

1. Code for a bit
2. Think for a bit
3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 for a bit
4. Compile (make)
5. If compile failed return to step 2
6. Run executable
7. Return to step 2

The power bottleneck (for my typical cycle) is by far step 4. My idea is to outsource compiling to a server (plugged into a wall outlet). The naive implementation would change the cylce to:

1. Code for a bit
2. Think for a bit
3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 for a bit
4. compile on server
   1. send code to server
   2. compile on server
   3. if compile failed, send back errors and return to 2
   4. send back executable
5. Run executable
6. Return to step 2

A better implementation might roll git into the make command on the local machine:

1. Code for a bit
2. Think for a bit
3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 for a bit
4. special make
   1. git commit; git push on client
   2. git pull on server
   3. regular make on server
   4. if compile failed, send back errors and return to 2
   5. send back executable
5. Run executable
6. Return to step 2

An even fancier implementation might try to keep the changing files in sync during idle time in step 2.

I guess this is assuming my executable is relatively small. Here dynamic (shared) libraries would be especially handy.

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