Show HN: Lamina – A compiler backend that is not LLVM or Cranelift

Instead of depending on external backends, Lamina provides a complete pipeline from a single SSA based IR directly to the supported target's assembly generation. The IR is readable, also provides a IRBuilder API that is easy to use via programmatic construction.

For better management of the code generation process, in the future, it will use a new pipeline IR -> MIR -> native assembly with the optimization passes.

Key features: - Direct code generation: IR -> assembly/machine code without LLVM/Cranelift - SSA based IR: single assignment form optimized for analysis and optimization passes - MIR based codegen(experimental): new intermediate representation with register allocation and advanced optimizations - IRBuilder API: fluent interface for building modules, functions, blocks, and control flow - Readable IR: easy to debug and lower than high level languages - Zero external backend dependencies: simplified builds and transparent pipeline while being faster to build

Optimization passes (experimental MIR flow only): - Control flow: CFG simplification, jump threading, branch optimization - Loop optimizations: loop fusion, loop invariant code motion, loop unrolling - Code motion: copy propagation, common subexpression elimination, constant folding - Function optimizations: inlining, tail call optimization - Arithmetic: strength reduction, peephole optimizations

Performance: On a 256×256 matrix multiplication benchmark (300 runs), Lamina's experimental MIR-based codegen (which includes all optimization passes) generates code comparable to C/C++/Rust (within 1.8x) and faster than Java, Go, JavaScript, and Python. The experimental MIR based flow's result is much faster than the IR-> Assembly based codegen.

Written in Rust (2024 edition), Current Version 0.0.7. Optional nightly features available for SIMD, atomic placeholders, and experimental targets.