Re: A tiny self-hosting compiler used for teaching

From	Michael Lehn <michael.lehn@me.com>
Newsgroups	comp.compilers
Subject	Re: A tiny self-hosting compiler used for teaching
Date	2026-09-05 22:58 -0700
Organization	Compilers Central
Message-ID	<26-09-011@comp.compilers> (permalink)
References	<26-08-007@comp.compilers>

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Yes, exactly. They are not computer science students, and HPC0 is not a
conventional compiler course.

I teach at the Institute of Numerical Mathematics. The students come mostly
from mathematics and related programs, and their programming experience varies
considerably. Some have programmed before, while others have essentially no
experience at all. Therefore I deliberately assume none.

The compiler is not really the subject of the course. It is a vehicle for
teaching programming and for connecting the different levels of a computer
system.

The idea is to start with a very small language and gradually follow the whole
path from a source program down to the machine:



    source program -> compiler -> assembly -> processor

In parallel, we approach the same machine from the other direction, starting
with logic gates and building a small processor. Eventually the two paths
meet.

So in that sense it is almost the opposite of a traditional fourth-year
compiler course. I am using compiler construction as an introduction to
programming and computer systems rather than teaching compiler construction as
an advanced specialization.

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Re: A tiny self-hosting compiler used for teaching Michael Lehn <michael.lehn@uni-ulm.de> - 2026-08-25 08:05 +0200
  Re: A tiny self-hosting compiler used for teaching Cóilín Nioclásín Glostéir <thanks-to@Taf.com> - 2026-09-04 21:12 +0000
  Re: A tiny self-hosting compiler used for teaching ram@zedat.fu-berlin.de - 2026-09-05 07:02 +0000
    Re: A tiny self-hosting compiler used for teaching Michael Lehn <michael.lehn@uni-ulm.de> - 2026-09-05 19:47 -0700
  Re: A tiny self-hosting compiler used for teaching George Neuner <gneuner2@comcast.net> - 2026-09-05 14:02 -0400
    Re: A tiny self-hosting compiler used for teaching Michael Lehn <michael.lehn@uni-ulm.de> - 2026-09-05 19:50 -0700
  Re: A tiny self-hosting compiler used for teaching ram@zedat.fu-berlin.de - 2026-09-05 07:02 +0000
  Re: A tiny self-hosting compiler used for teaching George Neuner <gneuner2@comcast.net> - 2026-09-05 14:02 -0400
    Re: A tiny self-hosting compiler used for teaching George Neuner <gneuner2@comcast.net> - 2026-09-07 15:23 -0400
  Re: A tiny self-hosting compiler used for teaching Michael Lehn <michael.lehn@me.com> - 2026-09-05 22:58 -0700

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