This blog is absolutely true. Code to manipulate code easily and reliably reduces the cost of maintenance, the cost of having that code. Honestly, this factor is why coders like LLM so much - it keeps more decisions reversible for longer - if I can have LLM transform my code from thread per request to static pool of workers in 30 minutes, I can focus on the novel pieces of my problem sooner and not worry that the code has some possibly wrong assumption baked into it in an expensive way. The power to mutate code easily makes iteration safer and cheaper. It is why LSP and tree sitter is so useful, and why everyone is writing SQL parsers.
This blog is absolutely true. Code to manipulate code easily and reliably reduces the cost of maintenance, the cost of having that code. Honestly, this factor is why coders like LLM so much - it keeps more decisions reversible for longer - if I can have LLM transform my code from thread per request to static pool of workers in 30 minutes, I can focus on the novel pieces of my problem sooner and not worry that the code has some possibly wrong assumption baked into it in an expensive way. The power to mutate code easily makes iteration safer and cheaper. It is why LSP and tree sitter is so useful, and why everyone is writing SQL parsers.
I never got a class in compilers. When I was a senior, I wanted to take the graduate course, but the prof thought it would be too hard for me.
So my next gig was writing a compiler on a team of three of us. It was highly successful for its time.
I agree that understanding how to write a compiler is pretty essential for computering.