Introduction to Compiler

Construction
Zahir Abbas
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Objectives
• Be able to build a compiler for a (simplified)
(programming) language
• Know how to use compiler construction tools,
such as generators of scanners and parsers
• Be familiar with assembly code and virtual
machines, such as the JVM, and bytecode
• Be able to define LL(1), LR(1), and LALR(1)
grammars
• Be familiar with compiler analysis and
optimization techniques
• … learn how to work on a larger software project!
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Complier
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History
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Cont
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Interpreter
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Assemblers
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Linkers
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Loader
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Preprocessor
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Editors
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Debuggers
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Requirements
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Compilers and Interpreters

• “Compilation”
– Translation of a program written in a source
language into a semantically equivalent
program written in a target language
– Oversimplified view:
Input

Source Target
Compiler
Program Program

Error messages Output

 Compilers and Interpreters
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(cont’d)
• “Interpretation”
– Performing the operations implied by the
source program
– Oversimplified view:

Source
Program
Interpreter Output
Input

Error messages
The Analysis-Synthesis Model of
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Compilation

• There are two parts to compilation:

– Analysis determines the operations implied by
the source program which are recorded in a tree
structure
– Synthesis takes the tree structure and translates
the operations therein into the target program
 Preprocessors, Compilers,
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Assemblers, and Linkers

Skeletal Source Program

Preprocessor
Source Program
Compiler
Target Assembly Program
Assembler
Relocatable Object Code
Linker Libraries and
Relocatable Object Files
Absolute Machine Code
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The Grouping of Phases

• Compiler front and back ends:
– Front end: analysis (machine independent)
– Back end: synthesis (machine dependent)
• Compiler passes:
– A collection of phases is done only once (single pass)
or multiple times (multi pass)
• Single pass: usually requires everything to be defined before
being used in source program
• Multi pass: compiler may have to keep entire program
representation in memory
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Compiler-Construction Tools
• Software development tools are available to
implement one or more compiler phases
– Scanner generators
– Parser generators
– Syntax-directed translation engines
– Automatic code generators
– Data-flow engines