The goal of the class is to examine the design and implementation of compilers. Students will learn about concepts including lexical and syntactic analysis, semantic analysis and type checking, runtime environments, intermediate code generation, and local and global optimizations.

The class prerequisites are as specified in department regulations, but basic to intermediate understanding and proficiency in C++, data structures, and finite automata are recommended.

(Tentative schedule, subject to change)
Week 1: Introduction, Scanners
Week 2: Scanners
Week 3: Parsers
Week 4: Parsers
Week 5: Parsers
Week 6: Intermediate representations
Week 7: Syntax-driven translation
Week 8: Syntax-driven translation, Mid-term exam.
Week 9: Implementing procedures
Week 10: Code shape
Week 11: Code shape
Week 12: Introduction to optimization, Data-flow analysis
Week 13: Data-flow analysis, Scalar optimization
Week 14: Instruction selection
Week 15: Instruction scheduling, Register allocation
Week 16: Register allocation, Final exam.

CS423 is a course about building a compiler. This course is designed to learn theoretical concepts and apply them in practice to programming assignments which will form a complete working compiler taken together. Each programming assignment builds upon the previous one, so students are strongly encouraged not to fall behind.