> But maybe I'm expecting too much in thinking that the author of a flagship optimizing compiler should be up-to-date on CS research in compiler optimization, before deciding the architecture of their compiler.
In 1990 I don't think SSA was broadly considered to be the basis of a good optimizing compiler the way it is today. So the "author of a flagship optimizing compiler" would be gambling on an unknown that looked good in a couple new papers. The Cytron paper on how to efficiently compute it came out in 1991. So SSA was still a WIP.
It wasn't really until the late 1990s IMO, that SSA became widespread and into the 2000s when it became the standard.
In 1990 I don't think SSA was broadly considered to be the basis of a good optimizing compiler the way it is today. So the "author of a flagship optimizing compiler" would be gambling on an unknown that looked good in a couple new papers. The Cytron paper on how to efficiently compute it came out in 1991. So SSA was still a WIP.
It wasn't really until the late 1990s IMO, that SSA became widespread and into the 2000s when it became the standard.