Compiling Kotlin to Jack Bytecode: Adding a Jack Target to the Kotlin Compiler

The article shows how to extend the Kotlin compiler with a new Jack target by reusing its front‑end, adding a CLI module and a backend that transforms Kotlin IR into Jack bytecode, then running the generated .jack files on the Nand2Tetris virtual machine.

IR transformationJack bytecodeKotlin

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Compiling Kotlin to Jack Bytecode: Adding a Jack Target to the Kotlin Compiler

Sohu Tech Products

Apr 2, 2025 · Backend Development

Compiling Kotlin to Jack Bytecode: Adding a New Kotlin Target

The article shows how to extend Kotlin by adding a Jack‑bytecode backend, detailing the required standard‑library, CLI module, and IR‑to‑Jack transformer implementation, and demonstrates compiling a simple Kotlin program to Jack bytecode that runs correctly on the Nand2Tetris virtual machine.

IR transformationJack bytecodeKotlin

0 likes · 11 min read

Compiling Kotlin to Jack Bytecode: Adding a New Kotlin Target