Merge pull request #183 from celinval/2025h1-stable-mir

Propose a StableMIR goal

Author: nikomatsakis

src/2025h1/stable-mir.md

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+# Publish first version of StableMIR on crates.io
+
+| Metadata |                                |
+| -------- |--------------------------------|
+| Owner(s) | @celinval                      |
+| Teams    | [project-stable-mir] |
+| Status   | Proposed                       |
+
+## Summary
+
+Publish StableMIR crate(s) to crates.io to allow tool developers to create applications on the top of the Rust compiler,
+and extract code information from a compiled Rust crate and their dependencies without using compiler internal APIs.
+
+## Motivation
+
+In the past couple of years we have introduced a more stable API, named StableMIR, to the Rust compiler
+to enable tool developers to analyze and extract information from compiled Rust crates without directly depending on compiler internals.
+By publishing StableMIR crate(s) to crates.io, we can provide a reliable interface that enables developers to build analysis tools,
+development environments, and other applications that work with Rust code while being insulated from internal compiler changes.
+
+Publishing these crates through crates.io will make them easily accessible to the broader Rust community
+and establish a foundation for building a robust ecosystem of development tools.
+This will benefit the entire Rust ecosystem by enabling developers to create sophisticated tooling such as static analyzers,
+linters, and development environments that can work reliably across different Rust compiler versions.
+Besides stability, users will be able to rely on semantic versioning to track and adapt to changes,
+reducing the existing maintenance burden for these developers.
+
+### The status quo
+
+In the past couple of years we have introduced a more stable API, named StableMIR, to the Rust compiler.
+This API provides tool developers more stability and predictability, reducing the maintenance cost,
+as well as providing a smaller surface API to reduce the ramp-up time for new developers.
+
+However, StableMIR consumption model is still similar to any other internal compiler crate.
+It doesn't have any explicit version, and it must be imported using an `extern crate` statement.
+
+### The next 6 months
+
+The first task is to restructure the relationship between `stable-mir` and `rustc_smir` crates,
+eliminating existing dependencies on the `stable-mir` crate.
+
+This will be followed by forking the `stable-mir` crate into its own repository,
+where we'll implement CI jobs designed to detect any breaking changes that might occur due to compiler updates.
+
+Once the structural changes are complete, we'll shift our attention to documentation and publication.
+This includes creating comprehensive developer documentation that covers maintenance procedures for both crates,
+ensuring future maintainers have clear guidelines for updates and compatibility management.
+
+The final step will be publishing the newly refactored and documented version of stable-mir to crates.io,
+making it readily available for tool developers in the Rust ecosystem.
+
+### The "shiny future" we are working towards
+
+By establishing a stable and well-documented interface,
+we would like to empower developers to build a rich tooling ecosystem for Rust that can be
+maintained in parallel with the Rust compiler's development.
+
+This parallel development model ensures that tools can evolve alongside Rust itself,
+fostering innovation and reducing bottlenecks.
+
+## Design axioms
+
+- Enable tool developers to implement sophisticated analysis with low maintenance cost.
+- Do not compromise the development and innovation speed of the rust compiler.
+- Crates should follow semantic versioning.
+
+## Ownership and team asks
+
+
+| Subgoal                      | Owner(s) or team(s)            | Notes |
+|------------------------------|--------------------------------|-------|
+| Refactor crates dependencies |                                |       |
+| ↳ Implementation             | @celinval                      |       |
+| ↳ Standard reviews           | ![Team][] [project-stable-mir] |       |
+| Fork configuration           | Help needed                    |       |
+| Documentation                | Help needed                    |       |
+| Publish crate                | @celinval                      |       |
+
+### Definitions
+
+Definitions for terms used above:
+
+* *Standard reviews* refers to reviews for PRs against the repository; these PRs are not expected to be unduly large or complicated.
+
+## Frequently asked questions