Portable C Compiler

Portable C Compiler: Open-Source C Compiler for Portable Development

The Portable C Compiler (PCC) is an open-source, retargetable C compiler. It supports multiple hardware and software platforms and aims to be simple, portable, fast with light resource usage.

What is Portable C Compiler?

The Portable C Compiler (PCC) is a free, open-source and retargetable C compiler focused on providing portability, simplicity, speed, and small size. Developed originally at Bell Labs in the 1970s, PCC has evolved over decades of work by various contributors into a mature C codebase.

Some key features and goals of PCC include:

• Supports wide range of hardware platforms including x86, ARM, PowerPC, SPARC, MIPS, and more
• Supports various Unix-like systems such as Linux, BSDs, Solaris, macOS, etc.
• ANSI C89/90 and parts of C99 compliance; continuing work on improving standards conformance
• Generates code quickly with relatively low memory footprint compared to GCC
• Emphasizes simplicity, portability and performance rather than extensive optimization
• Clean and modular codebase for easy understanding and porting

While not focused on state-of-the-art optimization and language features like GCC, PCC distinguishes itself as a simple, portable and efficient baseline C compiler. Its small code size makes it well-suited for embedded systems and other resource constrained platforms. For developers needing cross-platform C compilation, PCC presents a lightweight, anachronistic yet enduring solution.

Portable C Compiler Features

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