gcc is a horrible comparison, since they for a very long time explicitly made it hard to separate out clear boundaries in an attempt to deter people from e.g. bolting on serialization at critical stages and injecting their own proprietary stuff beyond a suitable "GPL-proof" boundary.
As compilers go, I don't think gcc has been a good example of maintainable software for a very long time, if ever.
gcc is a horrible comparison, since they for a very long time explicitly made it hard to separate out clear boundaries in an attempt to deter people from e.g. bolting on serialization at critical stages and injecting their own proprietary stuff beyond a suitable "GPL-proof" boundary.
As compilers go, I don't think gcc has been a good example of maintainable software for a very long time, if ever.