Robert Griesemer is a Swiss computer scientist who co-created Go and contributed to V8. His background in compiler and VM technology influenced Go’s design as a fast-compiling, efficient language.
Background
Griesemer worked on several significant projects:
- Ceres/Oberon: Work under Niklaus Wirth
- HotSpot JVM: Java’s high-performance VM at Sun
- V8: Google’s JavaScript engine
- Go: Google’s systems language
Co-creating Go
At Google, Griesemer joined Rob Pike and Ken Thompson in designing Go. Frustrated by C++ compilation times and complexity, they created a simple, fast-compiling language for systems programming.
Contributions to Go
Griesemer focused on:
- Language specification and semantics
- Type system design
- Compiler implementation
- Fast compilation (a key Go feature)
V8 Contributions
Before Go, Griesemer worked on V8, contributing to the JavaScript engine that proved dynamic languages could be fast.
Philosophy
Griesemer shares Go’s design philosophy: simplicity, clarity, and practical engineering over theoretical elegance. His diverse experience in VM and language implementation informed Go’s pragmatic approach.