Baby's Second WASM Compiler

In 2024, a new wasm compiler called zest is being developed, consisting of around 4500 lines of code with no external dependencies except the zig standard library. The compiler aims to improve wasm generation quality and speed, with optimizations planned to reach llvm's -O1 level. The language supports various features like integers, structs, control flow, functions, closures, and more. The compiler pipeline involves multiple stages such as parsing, desugaring, evaluation, type inference, and wasm generation. The design focuses on a tree structure for expressions, optimizing memory usage and access patterns. The compiler's approach to handling values, function arguments, and memory allocation is described, emphasizing simplicity and potential future optimizations. The compiler's stack management, type inference, and recursive processes are discussed, highlighting trade-offs between efficiency and complexity. The compiler's code generation strategy is detailed, utilizing abstract values (Walues) to handle expressions and optimize memory usage. The design choices aim to balance efficiency, simplicity, and flexibility in the compiler's development and future improvements.