hand-hacking

1 definition found

hand-hacking - Jargon File (4.4.4, 14 Aug 2003) :

  hand-hacking
   n.
  
     1. [rare] The practice of translating hot spots from an HLL into
     hand-tuned assembler, as opposed to trying to coerce the compiler
  into
     generating better code. Both the term and the practice are becoming
     uncommon. See tune, by hand; syn. with v. cruft.
  
     2. [common] More generally, manual construction or patching of data
     sets that would normally be generated by a translation utility and
     interpreted by another program, and aren't really designed to be read
     or modified by humans.