1.0 Introduction

1.1 History

1.2 Characteristics

1.3 Scanner Generators

1.4 Parser Generators

1.5 Semantic Analyzer Generators

1.6 Optimization

1.7 Code Generation

1.8 Summary

Web References

Exercises

1.2 Characteristics of Compiler Generators

A compiler tool is often designed with a particular language model in mind, and thus the tool is most suitable for generating compilers for languages similar to that model.

Like all successful software, the best compiler tools hide implementation details from the user. Since almost all tools really generate only part of the compiler, it is also very important that the tool be able to be integrated into the parts of the compiler not generated by the tool.

The largest group of compiler generators create the front-end phases of a compiler, with the back-end phases still being written by hand. Research continues into the back-end generation issues.

Four characteristics will be identified and discussed here:

  1. metalanguage(s)
  2. documentation
  3. functionality
  4. outputs