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Engineering a Compiler
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Binding: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 004
EAN: 9781558606982
Edition: 1
ISBN: 155860698X
Label: Morgan Kaufmann
Manufacturer: Morgan Kaufmann
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 801
Publication Date: 2003-09
Publisher: Morgan Kaufmann
Studio: Morgan Kaufmann
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Editorial Review:
The proliferation of processors, environments, and constraints on systems has cast compiler technology into a wider variety of settings, changing the compiler and compiler writer's role. No longer is execution speed the sole criterion for judging compiled code. Today, code might be judged on how small it is, how much power it consumes, how well it compresses, or how many page faults it generates. In this evolving environment, the task of building a successful compiler relies upon the compiler writer's ability to balance and blend algorithms, engineering insights, and careful planning. Today's compiler writer must choose a path through a design space that is filled with diverse alternatives, each with distinct costs, advantages, and complexities. Engineering a Compiler explores this design space by presenting some of the ways these problems have been solved, and the constraints that made each of those solutions attractive. By understanding the parameters of the problem and their impact on compiler design, the authors hope to convey both the depth of the problems and the breadth of possible solutions. Their goal is to cover a broad enough selection of material to show readers that real tradeoffs exist, and that the impact of those choices can be both subtle and far-reaching. Authors Keith Cooper and Linda Torczon convey both the art and the science of compiler construction and show best practice algorithms for the major passes of a compiler. Their text re-balances the curriculum for an introductory course in compiler construction to reflect the issues that arise in current practice.·Focuses on the back end of the compilerreflecting the focus of research and development over the last decade.
·Uses the well-developed theory from scanning and parsing to introduce concepts that play a critical role in optimization and code generation.
·Introduces the student to optimization through data-flow analysis, SSA form, and a selection of scalar optimizations.
·Builds on this background to teach modern methods in code generation: instruction selection, instruction scheduling, and register allocation.
·Presents examples in several different programming languages in order to best illustrate the concept.
·Provides end-of-chapter exercises, with on-line solutions available to instructors.
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Best introductory codegen/optimization book out there
I've been working on commercial development tools for nearly 15 years now, with most of that time spent on compilers, and most of the compiler time spent on optimization and code generation.
The strength of this book is that it is a good introduction to modern compiler design, with many up-to-date techniques and references to recent papers. The authors present many algorithms in a very easy-to-grasp manner, and provide useful engineering insights. I've focused almost exclusively on the ... Read More
Rating: - Depends on what you want
What it is: A great introduction to basic concepts in contemporary compilers.
What it's not: A handbook for someone thrown in at the deep end of commercial compiler development.
I can imagine a very good one-term course in compiler construction built around this text. After a brief introduction, it gets immediately into the classic topics of lexical scanning, parsing, and syntax analysis. These three chapters help any beginner understand the multiple levels of processing, from the ... Read More
Rating:  - If you are a beginner...Do not buy it
I read this book and really did not like it. It is a nightmare for any one new to compilers. It is difficult to read with more emphesis on the backend of the compiler.
The following texts are much better for a beginner:
1. Louden's Compiler construction --> the best text for a beginner.
2. the Dragon book
Rating: - A great starter guide to writing a compiler
I recently used this book to supplement the Dragon book in a Compilers course. I found this book so much easier to read and understand. They do a great job of laying out the basics and introducing you to compiler design.
I also liked how they seemed to keep an open mind about which intermediate representation is best to use. They discuss the pros and cons of graphical IRs vs Linear IRs, and let you decide which best fits your needs.
Their open mindedness ended when it came ... Read More
Rating:  - Terrible for Starters
This book was the textbook for an undergraduate course on compilers. Let me make it short: I never read it after reading the first chapter. The authors may be top experts on compilers but they shouldn't be writing books. Another book written in 1982 (compilers, principles, techniques and tools) saved my life for this class. If you are a beginner "do not buy this book".
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