Entry requirements

120 credits, of which mathematics 15 credits including Automata theory, and Computer Science 60 credits including a second course in Computer Programming, Algorithms and Data Structures, Compiler Design I and Operating systems.

Learning outcomes

To pass, the student must understand, how simple imperative programming languages equivalent to C can be compiled to machine code for RISC-like machines.

The students must specifically be able to

• structure a compiler as a sequence of distinct translation steps
• use regular languages to describe the lexical elements of a programming language
• implement lexical analysis using a finite automaton
• use context free languages to describe the syntactic structure of a programming language
• use the parsing methods top-down (recursive descent) and bottom-up (LR)
• implement abstract syntax trees to represent the results of the syntactic analysis
• use hash tables to handle information on variable bindings in languages with static and nested visibility rules
• break down statements and expressions to simpler designs, and translate syntax trees to intermediate code
• implement recursive procedure calls by means of stacks, activation posts and machine registers
• implement the translation of the simplified intermediate code of a program to machine-specific instructions

Content

The students carry out a project in which they implement a compiler from a subset of C to a RISC-machine.

The project is divided in steps, which are presented separately.

Instruction

Project.

Assessment

The course is examined by assignments within the project.

Other directives

This course cannot be included in a degree together with Compiler design DV1 (1DL117), nor with Compiler Design I (1DL021).