Toward open-source compilers in a cloud-based environment: the need and current challenges

Essentially, high-level programming languages rely on certain computer programs, called compilers, to transform source code of their programs into lower level computer languages. To use a compiler, programmers are usually required to install its executable files on their machines. Local installation of compilers is indeed limited to computers (i.e., no other devices, like tablets, can be used) and suffers from several compatibility and portability problems. For example, compilers (and their versions) depend the specifications of target computers (e.g., platform, architecture, etc.), which makes it difficult for programmers to compile programs of a certain programming language on any machine they use. On the other hand, having compilers in executable releases (i.e., no source code available) restricts programmers from extending their functionality or participating in fixing bugs within which. We direct this paper towards a solution for such problems, which is offering open-source cloud-based compilers. We present the required framework, anticipated features, prospective stakeholders, and potential challenges of deploying such kind of compilers, taking into account the state-of-the-art efforts in this context.