LLVM compiler infrastructure receives ACM Software System Award

The Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) has awarded its 2012 Software System Award to the LLVM (Low Level Virtual Machine) project. Previous award winners include technologies such as Java, Apache, Mosaic, the World Wide Web, Smalltalk, UNIX and Eclipse – an illustrious group that the LLVM compiler infrastructure now joins. The ACM has honoured LLVM as a software system that has had a lasting influence on IT research and products both conceptually and commercially. Among the companies who use LLVM in their products are Apple, Adobe, AMD, Arxan, AutoESL, Cray, Google and Intel.

LLVM is a compiler infrastructure that consists of a collection of libraries and tools for optimising compilers and just-in-time code generators. The project was founded at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2000. It was led by Chris Lattner, who is now Director of Developer Tools at Apple, and Vikram Adve, a professor at the university. Evan Cheng, who is also mentioned in the announcement, was the main person responsible for the architecture and implementation of LLVM's code generator. He started working for Apple in 2005.

(sno)