Path: csiph.com!v102.xanadu-bbs.net!xanadu-bbs.net!news.glorb.com!news-out.readnews.com!news-xxxfer.readnews.com!news.misty.com!news.iecc.com!nerds-end From: "Derek M. Jones" Newsgroups: comp.compilers Subject: Re: Good practical language and OS agnostic text? Date: Wed, 18 Apr 2012 18:16:31 +0100 Organization: virginmedia.com Lines: 33 Sender: news@iecc.com Approved: comp.compilers@iecc.com Message-ID: <12-04-024@comp.compilers> References: <12-04-019@comp.compilers> NNTP-Posting-Host: news.iecc.com X-Trace: leila.iecc.com 1334781870 39880 64.57.183.58 (18 Apr 2012 20:44:30 GMT) X-Complaints-To: abuse@iecc.com NNTP-Posting-Date: Wed, 18 Apr 2012 20:44:30 +0000 (UTC) Keywords: books Posted-Date: 18 Apr 2012 16:44:30 EDT X-submission-address: compilers@iecc.com X-moderator-address: compilers-request@iecc.com X-FAQ-and-archives: http://compilers.iecc.com Xref: csiph.com comp.compilers:567 On 17/04/2012 22:28, compilers@is-not-my.name wrote: > Guys, I'm having a bear of a time finding a good practical language > and OS agnostic text on writing a compiler. I'm weak in math and not > interested in the theoretical details. I want to understand the hows > and whys of compiler writing. I always recommend: A Retargetable C Compiler: Design and Implementation by David R. Hanson and Christopher W. Fraser If you are weak on math you might have a problem getting your head around recursion. If you cannot understand recursion your compiler writing days are finished. > I think of all the compilers were written in the DOS days and there > were normal guys writing them, not Nobel math prizewinners. Shirley In my experience compiler writers are not normal guys, but then I am a vested interest. > [Sorry to burst your bubble, but I knew people writing compilers for > DOS, and they understood parsing theory just fine. Although I agree > that some compiler texts are more readable than others, the math isn't > there to be obscure, it's there because understanding how state > machines and LL and LR work makes writing fast and reliable scanners > and parsers vastly easier. As far as the language they use for ...] I would question whether it is necessary to have any deep knowledge of parsing theory. Some knowledge of state machines is useful for any kind of software development. I would add my voice to the previous posters who suggested our moderator's book, flex & bison.