Re: how to write a new programming language?

I am not a "wizard" yet, but someday I want to be really good at
building compilers.


Here is my recommendation for getting started:


0) know C or C++...and understand pointers.


1) download, read, learn, play with 'flex'.
      flex is free software and it allows you
      to take a bunch of characters and form
      tokens.


2) download, read, learn, play with 'bison'.
      bison is free software and it allows you
      to take a bunch of tokens and form
      statements and meaningful blocks of code.


3) know about your basic data structures,
      like hash tables and trees.




4) write many "programs" in your imaginary language.
      When you have a good idea of what you would like
      it to be like, you can express it in the regular
      expressions and BNF notation with flex and bison
      (respectively).




5) you may want to start with a simple language first.
      i.e., implement a primitive calculator language or
      something. Also, you may want to build an INTERPRETER
      first, because to write compilers you must understand
      machine language to write COMPILERS.


Good luck,
LeeB


> To copmiler wizards ..
> If I would like to create a new language from scartch. What should I
> do? which tools would help me?
> Thanks in advance.
> [I'd look for freely available compilers or interpreters for languages
> like yours and read the code. -John]

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