GHC is an acronym that stands for various meanings depending on the context. One common definition of GHC is the Glasgow Haskell Compiler, which is an open-source compiler for the Haskell programming language. Haskell is a statically typed functional programming language that focuses on strong type inference and lazy evaluation. GHC is the de facto standard compiler for Haskell and is widely used in both industry and academia.
GHC is responsible for translating Haskell source code into machine code or an intermediate representation that can be executed by a computer. It provides various optimization techniques to improve the performance of Haskell programs and offers several extensions to the core Haskell language, allowing programmers to write more expressive and efficient programs.
In addition to its role as a compiler, GHC also includes a runtime system that supports concurrent and parallel execution of Haskell programs. It provides garbage collection, memory management, and other runtime services required for executing Haskell code.
Furthermore, GHC is known for its powerful type system that helps ensure type safety and allows the programmer to write statically typed code with fewer type-related bugs. Its type inference mechanism is well-regarded for automatically deducing the types of expressions and reducing the need for explicit type annotations.
In summary, GHC is a compiler and runtime system for Haskell, providing optimization techniques, extensions to the core language, and a powerful type system, making it a fundamental tool for Haskell development and execution.
