Compilers

The course "Compilers" is a foundational computer science course that covers the theory and practice of compiler construction. Compilers are software programs that translate source code written in a high-level programming language into machine code that can be executed by a computer. This course is designed to give students an understanding of how compilers work, as well as the skills to design, implement, and test their own compilers. The course typically starts with an overview of the components of a compiler, including lexical analysis, syntax analysis, semantic analysis, code generation, and optimization. Students learn how to implement each of these components using a variety of programming languages, such as C++, Java, or Python. Another key topic covered in the course is the different types of programming languages, such as imperative, object-oriented, functional, and declarative languages. Students learn how to analyze and parse the syntax of these languages, and how to map high-level programming concepts to low-level machine code. In addition to learning the theoretical concepts behind compiler construction, students also gain practical experience by implementing their own compiler using a high-level programming language. They learn how to write lexical analyzers and parsers, and how to generate optimized machine code. They also learn how to test and debug their compilers, using a variety of testing techniques and tools. The course may also cover recent trends and advancements in the field of compiler construction, such as just-in-time compilation, parallelization, and optimization for specific hardware architectures. By the end of the course, students should have a solid understanding of the theory and practice of compiler construction, and should be able to design, implement, and test their own compilers for a variety of programming languages. They should also have a deeper understanding of how programming languages are translated into machine code, which can help them write more efficient and effective code. This course is essential for students interested in pursuing careers in software engineering, systems programming, or computer science research. Author: Ghassan Shobaki (YouTube)