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diff --git a/minie/DESIGN b/minie/DESIGN
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+We want to build a simple compiler for a simple language.
+
+In the end we want to be self-hosting.
+
+Most languages stop maintaining the first compiler in another
+language because they optimize on their the compiler written
+in their own language.
+
+Starting with a C compiler is too hard, has too many quirks.
+
+Options:
+
+- Choose an existing language or a subset of it, e.g. a mini C
+  or mini Pascal. Use the main compiler to do initial builds.
+  Use itself to generate the self-hosting binary.
+
+- Choose a new language, create a converter to an existing
+  language (for instance C). Something like p2c.
+
+- Bootstrap new language in ever more complex compilers written
+  in the new language itself (as gcc does).
+  - problem: maintain 2, 3, 4 compilers
diff --git a/minie/README b/minie/README
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