‹Programming› 2025 (series) / MoreVMs 2025 (series) / 9th International Workshop on Modern Language Runtimes, Ecosystems, and VMs /
Comparing R bytecode compilers written in R, Java, and Rust
This paper presents a comparative analysis of three implementations of the R bytecode compiler: the official R implementation, a Java-based compiler, and a Rust-based compiler. The R compiler, written in R itself, poses challenges in terms of performance and maintainability. We evaluate designs of the compilers, their trade-offs, and performance characteristics. The Java version outperforms the R version, while the Rust implementation, though promising, is still a work in progress.