What is Ada written in?
Ada is self-hosting: its compiler is written in Ada itself.
Ada is a programming language, first released in 1980.
Implementation
| Layer | Written in | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Compiler | Ada (since 1995) | GNAT (GCC Ada) is self-hosting |
Self-hosting
Ada is a self-hosting language: its compiler is written in Ada itself. Self-hosting means the compiler can compile its own source code, which is a milestone in a language's maturity. New versions of the compiler are built using an older version of the same compiler, a process called bootstrapping.
Self-hosting also acts as a practical stress test: if a language can compile its own compiler, most core language features have been validated in a complex, real-world workload. See what is compiler bootstrapping for a full explanation.
Explore in the Graph
See Ada's full lineage, including all implementation and influence relationships, in the interactive graph.
Open Interactive Graph →Or view the Ada language page for the complete record.