LOOKING FORWARD

This chapter should have given you an overall idea about a language translator and specifically about a compiler. In the subsequent chapters, we fill in a lot of details.

After going through a step-by-step discussion of a complete compiler and run-time system for a very simple language in Chapter 2, we shall discuss in individual chapters each of the phases of a compiler. We shall also discuss some of the concepts that we have not yet mentioned in this chapter –syntax-directed translation, attribute grammars, type system, run-time environment, code generation and machine-dependent optimization, etc.

We shall also introduce gradually compiler writing tools such as lex, flex, yacc, bison, etc. and use them wherever necessary. We have implemented many of the programs discussed in the subsequent chapters; their C source code is available as mentioned elsewhere.