GNU lightning is a
library written in C for
UNIX systems. It allows
assembly language for a
generic (and nonexistant)
RISC chip
architecture to be translated into
machine code native to whatever architecture it is being run on. This allows programs to mix the best of assembly language (raw speed and the
macho factor) with the portability of a
higher-level laguage. It is useful for
Just In Time compilers, such as the
Java Virtual Machine.
It was written for UNIX (more specifically, GNU), but it will compile and run excellently on Cygwin. Currently it only has stable support for the x86 architecture, with support for SPARC and PowerPC being considered experimental.