Are compiler developers light-years ahead of other software development?

From	Roger L Costello <costello@mitre.org>
Newsgroups	comp.compilers
Subject	Are compiler developers light-years ahead of other software development?
Date	2022-01-16 14:36 +0000
Organization	Compilers Central
Message-ID	<22-01-059@comp.compilers> (permalink)

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Hello Compiler Experts!

I am learning the algorithms and theory underlying parsing. Wow! I am
discovering that parsing has such a rich theoretical foundation: grammars, LL,
LR, first() function, following() function, parsing tables, etc.

In all the software that I have written, I am lucky if I can use one or two
algorithms that have a theoretical foundation. Mostly, the software is one-off
code.

The mathematician Alfred North Whitehead has this wonderful phrase [1]:

	... the slow accumulation of clear and relevant ideas.

The parsing community has done that - the community has slowly accumulated
clear and relevant ideas.

I can't think of any other branch of computer science where there is such a
rich foundation upon which to develop software.

Are compiler developers light-years ahead of other software development?

/Roger

[1] An Introduction to Mathematics by Alfred North Whitehead, p. 19.

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Are compiler developers light-years ahead of other software development? Roger L Costello <costello@mitre.org> - 2022-01-16 14:36 +0000
  Re: Are compiler developers light-years ahead of other software development? Philipp Klaus Krause <pkk@spth.de> - 2022-01-16 22:13 +0100
  Re: Are compiler developers light-years ahead of other software development? gah4 <gah4@u.washington.edu> - 2022-01-17 07:14 -0800
  Re: Are compiler developers light-years ahead of other software development? anton@mips.complang.tuwien.ac.at (Anton Ertl) - 2022-01-19 21:33 +0000
  Re: Are compiler developers light-years ahead of other software development? Kaz Kylheku <480-992-1380@kylheku.com> - 2022-01-22 03:01 +0000
    Re: Are compiler developers light-years ahead of other software development? anton@mips.complang.tuwien.ac.at (Anton Ertl) - 2022-01-22 10:43 +0000
      Re: Are compiler developers light-years ahead of other software development? Kaz Kylheku <480-992-1380@kylheku.com> - 2022-01-22 21:38 +0000
    Re: Are compiler developers light-years ahead of other software development? Roger L Costello <costello@mitre.org> - 2022-01-22 12:50 +0000
      Re: Are compiler developers light-years ahead of other software development? Kaz Kylheku <480-992-1380@kylheku.com> - 2022-01-22 21:22 +0000
      Re: Are compiler developers light-years ahead of other software development? Ian Lance Taylor <ianlancetaylor@gmail.com> - 2022-01-22 15:40 -0800
        Re: Are compiler developers light-years ahead of other software development? Kaz Kylheku <480-992-1380@kylheku.com> - 2022-01-23 06:17 +0000

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