Principles And Techniques Of Compilers

1. Recognise classes of grammars, languages, and automata.
2. Explain steps in compiling a high-level language.
3. Construct major components of a modern compiler.
4. Work effectively in teams on software implementation projects.
5. Apply code optimisation techniques to improve programme performance.

13 weeks, about 85 hours in total. Yours will differ.

1. Week 1Module 1: Introduction to Compilers

   • Unit 1: Review of Grammars, Languages and Automata · 5 hours

     Read the introduction to grammars, languages, and automata.. Understand the syntax and semantics of grammars.. Define alphabet, words, and strings.. Identify strings generated by a particular grammar..

2. Week 2Module 1: Introduction to Compilers

   • Unit 2: What is a Compiler? · 5 hours

     Define compiler and its importance in programming.. Distinguish between a translator, compiler, and interpreter.. Discuss challenges in building compilers.. State qualities of compilers.. Describe the architecture of a compiler..

   • Unit 3: The Structure of a Compiler · 5 hours

     List the components of a compiler.. Describe activities at each compilation phase.. Explain cross compilation.. Analyse hand implementation..

3. Week 3Module 2: Lexical Analysis

   • Unit 1: The Scanner · 5 hours

     State the role of a lexical analyser.. State the need for a compiler.. Define the scanner.. State the functions of the scanner..

   • Unit 2: Hand Implementation of Lexical Analyser · 5 hours

     List the methods of constructing a lexical analyser.. Describe the input buffering method.. Explain the transition diagram method.. Construct transition diagrams to handle keywords, identifiers, and delimiters..

4. Week 4Module 2: Lexical Analysis

   • Unit 3: Automatic Generation of Lexical Analyser · 5 hours

     Define regular expressions (REs).. Define terms like tokens, patterns, lexemes, and attributes.. Distinguish between normal and Lex regular expressions.. Construct Lex-style regular expressions for patterns.. Describe tools for generating lexical analysers..

   • Unit 4: Implementing a Lexical Analyser · 5 hours

     Define finite automata.. Convert REs to NFA.. Convert NFA to DFA..

5. Week 5Module 3: Syntax Analysis

   • Unit 1: Context-Free Grammars · 5 hours

     Define context-free grammars (CFGs).. Define and state the roles of a parser.. Describe the concept of ambiguity.. Generate parse trees for sentences.. Verify grammars..

6. Week 6Module 3: Syntax Analysis

   • Unit 2: Bottom-Up Parsing Techniques · 5 hours

     Define parsing techniques.. Distinguish between top-down and bottom-up parsing.. Describe shift-reduce parsing.. Define handle.. Analyse an input string using shift-reduce parsing..

7. Week 7Module 3: Syntax Analysis

   • Unit 3: Precedence Parsing · 5 hours

     Define operator grammars and operator precedence grammars.. Explain methods of generating relationships between operators.. Describe operator precedence parsing.. Compute the Wirth-Weber precedence relationship table.. Parse input strings using the precedence relationship table..

8. Week 8Module 3: Syntax Analysis

   • Unit 4: Top-Down Parsing Techniques · 5 hours

     Define top-down parsing.. State difficulties with top-down parsing.. Describe recursive descent parsing.. Define LL(k) grammars.. Describe nonrecursive predictive parsing.. Construct a predictive parser for LL(k) grammars.. Use the predictive parsing table to analyse input strings..

9. Week 9Module 3: Syntax Analysis

   • Unit 5: LR Parsers · 5 hours

     Define LR(k) grammars.. State advantages and drawbacks of LR parsers.. Construct a simple LR parser.. Distinguish among LR parser types.. Compute LR(0) items.. Construct an NFA for LR(0) items.. Define functions like GOTO, CLOSURE..

10. Week 10Module 4: Code Generation

    • Unit 1: Error Handling · 5 hours

      Classify errors based on occurrence stage.. Design a better error handling compiler.. Distinguish between runtime and compile-time errors.. Explain how error detection affects application performance..

11. Week 11Module 4: Code Generation

    • Unit 2: Symbol Tables · 5 hours

      Define symbol tables.. State their uses in compilation.. List items entered into symbol tables.. Describe ways of organising the symbol table.. Construct symbol table for block-structured programs.. Describe collision resolution methods in hashing..

12. Week 12Module 4: Code Generation

    • Unit 3: Intermediate Code Generation · 5 hours

      Define intermediate representation.. Define three-address code.. State types of three-address code.. Describe stack-based implementation.. Convert between three-address and stack-based code.. Generate intermediate code for Declarations, Expressions, Commands, and Procedures..

13. Week 13Module 4: Code Generation

    • Unit 4: Code Generation · 5 hours

      Define code generation.. Explain code generation issues like input, output, memory management, instruction selection.. Describe runtime storage allocation..

    • Unit 5: Code Optimisation · 5 hours

      Define code optimisation.. State criteria for code improving transformation.. List categories of optimisation.. State properties of optimising compilers.. List and describe common optimisation algorithms..