Compiler Design Tutorial

A compiler is software that translates or converts a program written in a high-level language (Source Language) into a low-level language (Machine Language or Assembly Language). Compiler design is the process of developing a compiler.

• The Key objectives of compiler design are to automate the translation process, check correctness of input code, and reporting errors in source code.
• It acts as the "translator" of the programming world, bridging the gap between human-readable code and machine-understandable instructions.
• It involves many stages like lexical analysis, syntax analysis (parsing), semantic analysis, code generation, optimization, etc.
• Most of the early high level languages like C and C++ were compiled. However modern languages like Java and Python use both interpreter and compiler. Please note that compiler only translates but interpreter runs as well.

Introduction

1. Introduction
2. Phases of a Compiler
3. Compiler construction tools
4. Symbol Table in Compiler
5. Error Handling in Compiler Design
6. Generations of Programming Languages

Lexical Analysis

1. Lexical Analysis
2. Program to detect tokens in a C program
3. Flex (Fast Lexical Analyzer Generator )

Quiz on Lexical Analysis

Syntax Analysis

1. Introduction to Syntax Analysis
2. FIRST and FOLLOW
3. Classification of Context Free Grammars(CFG)
4. Ambiguous Grammar
5. Introduction to Parsers
6. Classification of top down parsers
7. Bottom Up Parser
8. Shift Reduce Parser in Compiler
9. SLR, CLR and LALR Parsers
10. Operator grammar and precedence parser

Syntax Directed Translation

1. Syntax Directed Translation
2. S – attributed and L – attributed SDTs in Syntax directed translation

Quiz on Parsing and Syntax Directed Translation

Code Generation and Optimization

1. Code Optimization
2. Intermediate Code Generation
3. Issues in the design of a code generator
4. Three address code in Compiler
5. Detection of a Loop in Three Address Code
6. Introduction of Object Code
7. Data flow analysis in Compiler

Quiz on Code Generation and Optimization

Runtime Environments

1. Static and Dynamic Scoping
2. Runtime Environments
3. Linker
4. Loader in C/C++
5. Developing a Linux based shell

Quick Links

• GATE | Previous Years Questions : Set – 1 , Set – 2
• Quiz on Compiler Design