Saving Four Decades of C++ Compiler Engineering

After decades at the heart of C++ compiler technology, Edison Design Group (EDG) announced it was preparing to close. What would happen to its C++ front end—and the expertise behind it?

At a C++ standardization meeting in Kona, Hawaii, in November 2025, former EDG president John Spicer shared the news with colleagues. Less than a year later, at CppCon 2026, C++ Alliance CEO Harry Bott announced a new direction: EDG’s C++ front end was moving toward an open-source future, with the C++ Alliance helping steward the transition.

In this Alliance Team Story, Spicer explains why the EDG open source project chose the C++ Alliance, how Boost’s track record influenced the decision, and what it will take to create a healthy, sustainable project. Bott also reflects on the increasingly specialized world of compiler engineering and the need to mentor a new generation of compiler developers.

It’s a story about preserving decades of engineering work—and opening a new chapter for the C++ community.

Featuring: John Spicer, former President of Edison Design Group and Chair of the Fiscal Sponsorship Committee for the EDG open source project; Harry Bott, CEO of the C++ Alliance.

Filmed at the November 2025 C++ standardization meeting in Kona, Hawaii, and CppCon 2026 in Aurora, Colorado.