complicer

Complicer is a software tool that functions as both a compiler and a packager, designed to streamline the creation of portable software artifacts. It accepts source code in multiple languages and outputs binaries or container-ready artifacts that are compatible across operating systems and hardware architectures. The goal is to unify build and packaging workflows while preserving language- and platform-specific semantics.

Architecture and core features include a language-agnostic intermediate representation, a modular backend system for target architectures, and a plugin-based packaging layer. It supports declarative build rules, reproducible builds, and security hardening options such as code signing and integrity checks. A dependency graph engine tracks inputs and enables incremental builds.

The typical build workflow involves parsing source inputs, transforming into the common IR, applying optimizations, generating target-specific code, and producing artifacts with metadata for deployment. It can produce binaries, static or dynamic libraries, and container images, along with manifest files.

Use cases cover multi-language projects, cross-platform desktop or server applications, embedded devices with limited toolchains, and continuous integration pipelines that require consistent artifact generation across releases.

History and status reflect that the concept emerged in academic and open-source discussions in the late 2010s, with several experimental implementations. It remains a niche tool area and is not yet standardized, though it has influenced discussions around reproducible builds and integrated deployment.

Reception is mixed: proponents highlight reproducibility, reduced tooling overhead, and easier cross-compilation, while critics warn of added complexity, potential performance overhead, and fragmentation with existing build ecosystems.

See also: compiler, build system, cross-compilation, packaging, continuous integration.