Suppose you're selling a code generator. The customer using that code generator is going to ask "what happens if you disappear? How do we maintain our code?" This drives them to demand that the code you generate being able to be continue to be maintained on its own, even if the code generator rots and dies. And that means it must be readable.
I've seen a case where a company has been stuck with generated code, and not only did they not have the code generator, they didn't even have the documentation for the code generator (nor anyone who ever used it). The company that sold the code generator had died many years earlier.
This same consideration doesn't apply to compilers, because you can buy compilers from many vendors, as well as get well-supported free ones.
> This same consideration doesn't apply to compilers, because you can buy compilers from many vendors, as well as get well-supported free ones.
This consideration absolutely applies to compilers for various applications (embedded, exotic platforms etc.) and also if you are relying on implementation-defined behaviour and extensions.
Suppose you're selling a code generator. The customer using that code generator is going to ask "what happens if you disappear? How do we maintain our code?" This drives them to demand that the code you generate being able to be continue to be maintained on its own, even if the code generator rots and dies. And that means it must be readable.
I've seen a case where a company has been stuck with generated code, and not only did they not have the code generator, they didn't even have the documentation for the code generator (nor anyone who ever used it). The company that sold the code generator had died many years earlier.
This same consideration doesn't apply to compilers, because you can buy compilers from many vendors, as well as get well-supported free ones.