"Little languages" are specialty languages that can help programmers streamline the development of specific applications. This text, written for experienced programmers, serves as a step-by-step guide to developing compilers and interpreters for "little languages".

This book provides a gently paced introduction to techniques for implementing programming languages by means of compilers and interpreters, using the object-oriented programming language Java. The book aims to exemplify good software engineering principles at the same time as explaining the specific techniques needed to build compilers and interpreters.

The book emphasizes the design of full-fledged, fully normalizing lambda calculus machinery, as opposed to the just weakly normalizing machines.

A compiler translates a program written in a high level language into a program written in a lower level language. For students of computer science, building a compiler from scratch is a rite of passage: a challenging and fun project that offers insight into many different aspects of computer science, some deeply theoretical, and others highly practical. This book offers a one semester introduction into compiler construction, enabling the reader to build a simple compiler that accepts a C-like language and translates it into working X86 or ARM assembly language. It is most suitable for undergraduate students who have some experience programming in C, and have taken courses in data structures and computer architecture.

The classic guide to how computers work, updated with new chapters and interactive graphics "For me, Code was a revelation. It was the first book about programming that spoke to me. It started with a story, and it built up, layer by layer, analogy by analogy, until I understood not just the Code, but the System. Code is a book that is as much about Systems Thinking and abstractions as it is about code and programming. Code teaches us how many unseen layers there are between the computer systems that we as users look at every day and the magical silicon rocks that we infused with lightning and taught to think." - Scott Hanselman, Partner Program Director, Microsoft, and host of Hanselminutes Computers are everywhere, most obviously in our laptops and smartphones, but also our cars, televisions, microwave ovens, alarm clocks, robot vacuum cleaners, and other smart appliances. Have you ever wondered what goes on inside these devices to make our lives easier but occasionally more infuriating? For more than 20 years, readers have delighted in Charles Petzold's illuminating story of the secret inner life of computers, and now he has revised it for this new age of computing. Cleverly illustrated and easy to understand, this is the book that cracks the mystery. You'll discover what flashlights, black cats, seesaws, and the ride of Paul Revere can teach you about computing, and how human ingenuity and our compulsion to communicate have shaped every electronic device we use. This new expanded edition explores more deeply the bit-by-bit and gate-by-gate construction of the heart of every smart device, the central processing unit that combines the simplest of basic operations to perform the most complex of feats. Petzold's companion website, CodeHiddenLanguage.com, uses animated graphics of key circuits in the book to make computers even easier to comprehend. In addition to substantially revised and updated content, new chapters include: Chapter 18: Let's Build a Clock! Chapter 21: The Arithmetic Logic Unit Chapter 22: Registers and Busses Chapter 23: CPU Control Signals Chapter 24: Jumps, Loops, and Calls Chapter 28: The World Brain From the simple ticking of clocks to the worldwide hum of the internet, Code reveals the essence of the digital revolution.

Maintaining a balance between a theoretical and practical approach to this important subject, Elements of Compiler Design serves as an introduction to compiler writing for undergraduate students. From a theoretical viewpoint, it introduces rudimental models, such as automata and grammars, that underlie compilation and its essential phases. Based on these models, the author details the concepts, methods, and techniques employed in compiler design in a clear and easy-to-follow way. From a practical point of view, the book describes how compilation techniques are implemented. In fact, throughout the text, a case study illustrates the design of a new programming language and the construction of its compiler. While discussing various compilation techniques, the author demonstrates their implementation through this case study. In addition, the book presents many detailed examples and computer programs to emphasize the applications of the compiler algorithms. After studying this self-contained textbook, students should understand the compilation process, be able to write a simple real compiler, and easily follow advanced books on the subject.

Designed for an introductory course, this text encapsulates the topics essential for a freshman course on compilers. The book provides a balanced coverage of both theoretical and practical aspects. The text helps the readers understand the process of compilation and proceeds to explain the design and construction of compilers in detail. The concepts are supported by a good number of compelling examples and exercises.