NimToCpp

Let's say you enjoy competitive programming. You want to solve some challenging program from an only website like cses for example.

The issue is that these website only accept Python, C and C++ as valid languages for their inputs!

You start by writing your solution in Python because it's convenient, but turn's out it's a bit too slow and you want that 80x boost from C++ so you rewrite everything in C++ and it works but you just wasted your time.

What if you would write your program in a fast but expressive language, like Nim, convert the Nim code to a self-contained C++ file and submit that file?

Well, now, you can!

Usage

To install:

• Clone this repo.
• nimble build -d:release
• Put the executable in your path with the nimbase.h file

Use with: NimToCpp <nim source file>

This will create a file named: <nim file name>.nim_clean.cpp

You can them compile this C++ file yourself or submit it to a competitive programming website!

λ nimtocpp .\test\t1.nim
C++ code available at: .\test\t1.nim_clean.cpp
λ g++ -Os .\test\t1.nim_clean.cpp -o t1.exe
[Warnings ...]
λ ./t1
[Program gets executed]

Requirements

You need to have the nim compiler in your path.

Limitation and technical details

The GC is not available in the C++ file so that the generate code is not too long.

There is not a lot of testing done, but it seem to work with seq, Table, string and most element you'd need to solve most elements you'd need to program competitively.

The "readability" of the C++ code produced is not great, don't expect something like:

#include <stdio.h>

void main(){
	printf("Hello, world");
}

but more like:

#include <stdio.h>

// ...1000 lines of junk...

STRING_LITERAL(TM__Ms59a0hH9a45nWiQHsSBSqKw_3, "Hello, world", 12);
static NIM_CONST tyArray__nHXaesL0DJZHyVS07ARPRA TM__Ms59a0hH9a45nWiQHsSBSqKw_2 = {((NimStringDesc*) &TM__Ms59a0hH9a45nWiQHsSBSqKw_3)}
;

// More junk

N_LIB_PRIVATE N_NIMCALL(void, NimMainModule)(void) {
{
	echoBinSafe(TM__Ms59a0hH9a45nWiQHsSBSqKw_2, 1);
}

// Even more junk