Building a Compiler Inside the C++ Compiler with Daniel Nikpayuk

Daniel Nikpayek, a mathematician and self-taught C++ developer from Canada's Inuvialuk community, has built a groundbreaking compiler-as-library inside C++ that functions as a proof assistant and functional type system. His project, cc-tmp, uses constexpr and template metaprogramming to create a self-contained, embeddable domain-specific language (DSL) that compiles to C++ at compile time—effectively turning the C++ compiler into a meta-compiler. By representing programs as flat numeric arrays (bytecode) and using continuation-passing style functions, Daniel constructs a minimal abstract machine that the C++ compiler can optimize directly, eliminating runtime overhead. This approach allows for serialization of compile-time state, dramatically reducing recompilation time. At its core, the system leverages the Curry-Howard isomorphism to model mathematical proofs as types, enabling formal verification of code properties. Daniel’s ultimate goal isn’t just a new language—it’s a multimedia programming studio for Indigenous youth, designed to empower storytelling and education through accessible, community-owned technology. His journey—from early struggles with LaTeX and Unicode layout to building a metacircular evaluator in C++—reflects a deep philosophical commitment to independence, intellectual rigor, and cultural relevance in software design. The episode reveals a rare fusion of theoretical computer science, indigenous knowledge systems, and practical engineering.