Compiler Construction

CS-4207

Instructor Name: Atif Ishaq

Lecture 1 & 2
 Today’s Lecture

 Introduction (Course Objective)

 Language Processor

 Structure of Compiler

 Phases of Compiler

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 Introduction

Course Objective
 The course is intended to teach the students the basic techniques that underlie the

practice of Compiler Construction.

 The course will introduce the theory and tools that can be standarly employed in

order to perform syntax-directed translation of a high-level programming

language into an executable code.

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 Introduction

Recommended Books
 The Recommended book for this course

Compilers – Principles, Techniques and Tools by Aho, Sethi and Ullman

Other Material

Slides + handout [if required]

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 Introduction

Marks Distribution
 Mid Exam 20% (Min 2 Assignments)

 Quiz 10% (Min. 2 Quiz)

 Assignment & Class participation 10% (0 marks < 75%)

 Final Examination 60% (MCQ, Logical,Theory)

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 Introduction

What is Compiler?
 Programming Languages are notation for describing computation for both human

and machines

 All software are written in some programming language

 A Program first needs to be translated into a form in which it can be executed by

computer

 The Software System that does this translation is called Compilers

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 Language Processors

What is Compiler?
 Compiler is a program that can read a program in one language (source language)

and translate it into an equivalent program in another language (target language)

 An important role of compiler is to report any errors in source program that it

detects during the translation process. 7

 Language Processors

What is Interpreter?
 An interpreter directly execute the operations specified in the source program on

inputs specified by the user

Source Code

Interpreter Outputs

Inputs

 An Interpreter does not generates any target program.

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 Language Processors

Compiler Vs Interpreter
 Target Program generated by compiler is much faster that Interpreter

 Error Diagnostics of Interpreter is better than compiler due to statement by

statement execution

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 Why Study Compiler Construction?

 Many applications use components of compilers, e.g. analysis and translation.

 The study of compilers clarifies many deep issues in programming languages and
their execution, e.g. recursion, multithreading, object orientation. It may help you
design your own mini-language.

 Underlying compilers construction are many Computer Science seminal concepts

such as syntax vs. Semantics, Generator vs. Recognizer and Syntax Directed
Translation.

 Understanding a compiler and its Optimization mechanisms enable us to write

more efficient programs

For example

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 Why Study Compiler Construction?

Maximal Expressibility and Maximal Efficiency

Compiler plays an important role to bridge between maximal expressibility and
maximal efficiency. The current trend

 Development of more expressive (and user-friendly) high level programming

languages

 Development of more advanced (and parallel) architectures that enable more

efficient execution

The compiler should be able to reconcile these two (sometimes conflicting) trends.

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 Why Study Compiler Construction?

Fields and Disciplines

There are different fields and disciplines that grew out of studies of compilers

 Semantics of programming languages

 Formal Languages and theory of parsing.

 Type theory and its logics

 Theory of abstract interpretation and program analysis

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 Structure of Compiler

A Compiler is mapped into two parts : analysis and synthesis

 The analysis part breaks up the source program into constituent pieces and
impose a grammatical structure on them. The analysis part also collects
information about the source program and stores it in a data structure called
symbol table which is passed along with intermediate representation to the
synthesis part.

 The synthesis part constructs the desired target program from the
intermediate representation and the information in the symbol table.

 The analysis part is often called the front end of the compiler and the
synthesis part called the back end of compiler.

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 Context of a Compiler

A Compiler is often applied as a stage within a sequence of transformations

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Phases of a Compiler

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 Analysis of Source Program

 Analysis can be partitioned into three phases

 Linear (Lexical) Analysis : Stream of characters is read left-to-right

and partitioned into tokens

 Hierarchical (Syntax) Analysis Tokens are grouped hierarchically

into nested collections

 Semantic Analysis : Checking global consistency. Often does not

comply with hierarchical structure. Type Checking is an instance
of such analysis.

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 Example Illustration (1/4)

Suppose a source program contains the assignment statement

position = initial + rate * 60

• position is a lexeme that would be mapped into token (id,1), where id is

abstract symbol standing for identifier and 1 stands for symbol table
entry for position

• the assignment symbol is lexeme that is mapped into token (=)

• initial is lexeme that is mapped into token (id,2)

• + is lexeme that is mapped into the token (+)

• rate is the lexeme that is mapped into token(id,3)

• * is lexeme that is mapped into the token (*)

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• 60 is lexeme that is mapped into the token (60)
 Lexical Analysis

 The first phase of a Compiler is Lexical Analysis or scanning

 Reads streams of characters and groups the characters into

meaningful sequence called lexemes

 For each lexeme produces as output a token of the form

(token-name , attribute-value)

 token-name is abstract symbol used during syntax analysis

 attribute-value points to an entry in the symbol table.

 Token is passed to subsequent phase , syntax analysis

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Example Illustration (2/4)

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Example Illustration (3/4)

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Example Illustration (4/4)

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 Syntax Analysis

 The second phase of a Compiler is Syntax Analysis or parsing

 Use first component of tokens to create a tree like intermediate

representation – represents the grammatical structure of the token
stream

 syntax tree is typical representation – interior node represents an

operation ( * ) - children of the node represents the arguments of
the operation (id3 and 60 )

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 Semantic Analysis

 The semantic analyzer uses syntax tree and information in symbol

table to check the source program for semantic consistency with
the language definition

 Gather type information and save it either in syntax tree or symbol

table for further use in intermediate code generation.

 An important part of Semantic Analysis – type checking - each

operator has matching operand (Example of Index of Array)

 Some languages permits type Conversion – called coercions. For

example evaluation of arithmetic expression

 intofloat(60) in above example converts integer into float 23

 Intermediate Code Generation

 Many compilers generate an explicit low level or machine-like

intermediate representation

 The intermediate representation should have two important

properties
i. It should be easy to produce

ii. It should be easy to translate into target machine

 Example of intermediate form is three-address code, which

consists of sequence of assembly like instructions with three
operands per instruction

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 Code Optimization

 Improve the intermediate code to have better target code

 Faster means better

 Other objectives may be desired like shorter code or target code

that consumes less power

 Code may be optimized by eliminating repetitive operation and

instruction like intofloat() and temp3 variable in out case

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 Code Generation

 Code generation maps intermediate representation of source

program to target program

 First operand specifies the destination

 F specifies that operation is performed on floating value

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 Symbol Table Management

 Symbol table record variable name and collects information about

various attributes

 In case of function, it records number and type of argument, call

type and returned value

 A symbol table data structure is very significant as it must allow

compiler to perform operations quickly

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 Lecture Outcome

 Difference between Compiler and Interpreter

 The reasons to study compiler construction

 Structure of Compiler (Analysis & Synthesis) – Two Pass

Compiler

 Phases of Compiler with brief overview

 Phases of Compiler with program example

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