Compilers (CL)

The aim of this subject is to cover the contents specified in the most widely used language processors, and the following specific objectives:

Knowledges

1. General techniques and tools providing flexible, efficient compilation of programming languages and other applications, such as text formatters (LaTeX, nroff), graphic languages (Post Script, CIF, GIF, JPEG), hardware description languages (VDHL, Verilog), simulation languages (simscript, GPSS), query and command interpreters, and silicon compilers.
2. An application that uses and consolidate a host of previously acquired concepts: formal languages and automata, structured and recursive programming, abstract data types, etc.

Abilities

1. Ability to develop practical applications using the techniques and tools studied (e.g. transformation of data, simple interpreters).
2. Ability to complete a modern modular compiler, and a robust application free of execution errors and proper object code.

Competences

1. Become a better programmer by improving one"s knowledge of programming languages, and their syntax, semantics, and efficient implementation.

The objectives pursued stimulate students in their personal work.



. The lab classes enable students to carry out their practical work and to ask questions and discuss about it.



There is a lab sheet providing explanations and setting out the exercises to be performed for the first practical exercises with the PCCTS tool



. With regard to other exercises, there is plenty of material available for producing the compiler.







No distinction is made between theory classes and problem classes, given that the latter are concentrated in just a few periods during the course. A rigid distinction between theory and problems would prove to inflexible for weekly scheduling purposes.



















There are various lists of problems and students will know beforehand which ones they will be required to solve in class.



. Students should attempt to solve the problems on their own before dealing with them in class. In addition, there is abundant material available on the course Web site : notes, slides, modules, practical problems, questions from past exam exams (solved and unsolved), lists of frequent questions, etc.







The course material lets students monitor their progress both in class and outside it. Students can therefore plan their studies in a way that takes other obligations and restrictions into account.

There will be a written exam on theory (T), with exercises and short questions. The grade for practical work (P) is based on two practical exercises P1 and P2. Both will consist on modifications of the practical work done by the own student, in order to determine his mastery of the work. P1 will be set at about half of the course and P2 on the last weeks of the course.

The grade P will be obtained as

P= max(P2, ((P1+P2)/2) )

If, because of technical reasons, it were impossible to do the tests, the grade would be obtained from a written exam of the practical work.

The final grade (Fin) will be based on T and P such as to strike a balance between theory and practice.

Fin := 0.6*T + 0.4*P

• Reinhard Wilhelm, Dieter Maurer Compiler design;, Addison-Wesley, 1995.
• Andrew W. Appel, with Maia Ginsburg Modern compiler implementation in C, Cambridge University press, 1998.
• Alfred V. Aho, Ravi Sethi, Jeffrey D. Ullman Compilers : principles, techniques, and tools, Addison-Wesley, 1986.
• Alfred V. Aho, Ravi Sethi, Jeffrey D. Ullman; Compiladores : principios, técnicas y herramientas, Addison-Wesley Iberoamericana [etc.], 1990.
• V. Paxson Flex - fast lexical analyzer generator, ftp://ftp.ee.lbl.gov/flex-2.5.3.tar.gz, 1995.
• Charles Donnelly and Richard Stallman Bison : the YACC-compatible parser generator : september 2003 Bison version 1.875, GNU, 2003.
• Richard M. Stallman Using and porting GNU CC : last updated 26 november 1995 for version 2.7.2, Free Software Foundation, 1996.
• T.J. Parr, the designer and author of PCCTS Language Translation Using PCCTS and C, ISBN:0-9627488-5-4 , disponible en http://www.polhode.com/pccts.html, .

• N. Wirth Compiler Construction, Addison-Wesley, 1996.
• Steven S. Muchnick Advanced compiler design implementation, Morgan Kaufmann, 1997.
• C.N. Fischer and R.J. LeBlanc Crafting a Compiler, Benjamin/Cummings, 1988.
• A.W. Appel Modern Compiler Implementation in ML, Cambridge University Press, 1998.
• A.W. Appel Modern Compiler Implementation in Java, Cambridge University Press, 1998.
• Alfred V. Aho, Jeffrey D. Ullman The Theory of parsing translation and compiling, Prentice-Hall, 1972.

1. http://www.lsi.upc.es/~jcarmona/CL
   

Knowledge of structured programming, and data and algorithm structures; languages, automata and formal grammars; computer structure.