Programming Language Processors

Studies the implementation of programming languages, examining language processors such as compilers and interpreters and how they relate to the syntax and semantics of the implemented language. The book contains an example of a working compiler/interpreter for a small, but interesting language.

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Introducing methods for implementing programming languages, David Watt shows how to write simple compilers and interpreters, relating these clearly to the syntax and semantics of the source language. qpa Following a top-down approach, the illustrated text, which contains a working compiler and interpreter for a small programming language, starts by viewing compilers and interpreters as "black boxes", then goes on to examine their working in more and more detail. There is a full exploration of the relationship of syntactic analysis to the source language's syntax, and the relationship of code generation and interpretation to its semantics.