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Engineering a Compiler

Keith D. Cooper,

Linda Torczon

really liked it 4.00 · Rating details · 145 ratings · 10 reviews

The proliferation of processors, environments, and constraints on systems has cast compiler technology into a wider variety of settings, changing the compiler and compiler writer's role. No longer is execution speed the sole criterion for judging compiled code. Today, code might be judged on how small it is, how much power it consumes, how well it compresses, or how many The proliferation of processors, environments, and constraints on systems has cast compiler technology into a wider variety of settings, changing the compiler and compiler writer's role. No longer is execution speed the sole criterion for judging compiled code. Today, code might be judged on how small it is, how much power it consumes, how well it compresses, or how many page faults it generates. In this evolving environment, the task of building a successful compiler relies upon the compiler writer's ability to balance and blend algorithms, engineering insights, and careful planning. Today's compiler writer must choose a path through a design space that is filled with diverse alternatives, each with distinct costs, advantages, and complexities.

Engineering a Compiler explores this design space by presenting some of the ways these problems have been solved, and the constraints that made each of those solutions attractive. By understanding the parameters of the problem and their impact on compiler design, the authors hope to convey both the depth of the problems and the breadth of possible solutions. Their goal is to cover a broad enough selection of material to show readers that real tradeoffs exist, and that the impact of those choices can be both subtle and far-reaching.

Authors Keith Cooper and Linda Torczon convey both the art and the science of compiler construction and show best practice algorithms for the major passes of a compiler. Their text re-balances the curriculum for an introductory course in compiler construction to reflect the issues that arise in current practice.

Focuses on the back end of the compiler--reflecting the focus of research and development over the last decade.
Uses the well-developed theory from scanning and parsing to introduce concepts that play a critical role in optimization and code generation.
Introduces the student to optimization through data-flow analysis, SSA form, and a selection of scalar optimizations.
Builds on this background to teach modern methods in code generation: instruction selection, instruction scheduling, and register allocation.
Presents examples in several different programming languages in order to best illustrate the concept.
Provides end-of-chapter exercises. ...more

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Hardcover, 801 pages

Published November 10th 2003 by Morgan Kaufmann Publishers (first published September 2003)

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Lists with This Book

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Nov 11, 2019 Will Semin added it

The book is full of valuable insights and good, elbaorate explanations. Well worth the read.

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Nov 23, 2019 Peter Sichevsky rated it really liked it

Shelves: programming

I hate to say this, but I wasn't as impressed with this book as I thought I should have been, GIVEN its place in the pantheon of programming books.

However, I still list this as a must read for all developers.

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Jan 05, 2017 Andrew Obrigewitsch rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: computer, educational

Given that this can easily be made into a very confusing and convoluted subject, this book does a really good job of simplifying Compiler Engineering. Still I must give a warning that this subject is not for the faint of heart.

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Sep 14, 2016 Gregory Blake rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Engineering a Compiler is an excellent introductory text on compilers. I particularly enjoyed the textbook's clean layout and design and cleanly written algorithms placed very close to the paragraphs where they are relevant.

Particularly after reading Muchnick, I found the amount of text explanation with a lack of concrete examples to be disturbing. Whole sections pass without any accompanying code examples. While I didn't think that pseudocode would have particularly enriched these topics, and I ...more

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Nov 01, 2018 Yury rated it liked it · review of another edition

It may be a great introduction, but I will never know. The problems with books like this is that they skim over topics not going deep into the subject ever. This book has some good chapters. The content in the book is not dense, it’s written in very dry academic style. In plain english, it is just boring. I cannot see anyone reading this book from cover to cover. And yet it is not a reference. I do not recommend it.

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Aug 12, 2009 Dave rated it really liked it

Shelves: computer-books

Alright book if you are looking for a good overview of compiler concepts. I read this while using the Dragon Book as a reference, and I think in the future I will definitely use the Dragon book to look up information, but this book did a much better job of explaining concepts in a non-technical way first.

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Dec 04, 2019 Irvi rated it it was amazing

I enjoyed how the author clearly explained how algorithms in the compilers is working, especially the layout part that I think also contributed to the fact that it’s easier for me to read it.

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Jun 02, 2017 Qinglai rated it liked it

A lit bit boring, filled with well-known facts, very weak front-end. But after all this is just a intro to compiler.

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Jan 10, 2009 Nick Black rated it liked it

GT Barnes & Noble 2009-01-0x. I've been reading too many books and papers about compilers the past few months to really enjoy this book very much, especially compared to Kennedy's and Muchinek's. This is kind of the "West End" or perhaps "Goals 2000" of the trio they form, with the least rigorous presentation and most minimal coverage. I think we're using this in CS6241 only because so many MS students are gormless waste-wits, admitted only to collect some tuition (I'm coming to loathe ...more

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Apr 03, 2016 Vipul Chawathe rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: Engineering students

Engineering a Compiler is the default follow up for Engineering students after having just completed theory of computer science course laying common foundation with pure science.

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