Using runtime interface at compile time

Question

I need hardware support (it might be FPGA) at compile time to speed up compile-time computations. To be more specific compile-time training of a neural network. This might use OpenCL to greatly speed up compilation.

Would a compiler provide such an ability?

The best would be ability to call custom dynamic library function at compile-time.

I prefer C++. I see LLVM is moving forward pretty fast.

Does it provide something similar to enable it in Clang?

Never heard of anything like that. Could precomputing the data work for your use case? — Vittorio Romeo, Feb 27 '17 at 11:21
[What are ways of improving build/compile time?](http://stackoverflow.com/q/1539347/995714), [What techniques can be used to speed up C++ compilation times?](http://stackoverflow.com/q/373142/995714) — phuclv, Feb 27 '17 at 11:24
You should explain what actual *compile-time computations* you need to speedup. Perhaps show some code. And certainly you should **edit your question** to improve it (probably by adding several paragraphs motivating your question). — Basile Starynkevitch, Feb 27 '17 at 11:25
Sergei, please edit your question to improve it and motivate it. — Basile Starynkevitch, Feb 27 '17 at 15:14

Basile Starynkevitch · Accepted Answer · 2017-03-11T07:54:20.750

I need hardware support (it might be FPGA) at compile time to speed up compile-time computations.

Compile-time computations are generally not that intensive. (and it is a quality of implementation issue). So it is unlikely you'll find that.

Perhaps you can use plugins for your compiler (e.g. plugins in C++ for GCC, or extensions using GCC MELT, or plugins in C++ for Clang), and add for example extra compiler builtins thru them.

Or simply, generate some C or C++ code thru some external tool.

^{(maybe you are looking for hardware support in your compiler to speed up the run time of your compiled program, so you want a compiler able to take advantage of your hardware for the generated code, but that is a very different question)}

Using runtime interface at compile time

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