Re: Quick Book Review: Engineering A Compiler / Keith Cooper & Linda Torczon

I haven't taken a close look at the book yet, but I really like
their choice of material. It covers back ends and intermediate
representations *much* more thoroughly than the ten or so other
compiler texts I've seen. It has the feel of a book written by
folks who build real modern compilers. Thus far, it would easily
be my first choice in compiler texts.


          Randy




Jeff Kenton wrote:
> Review
> ------
>
> Engineering A Compiler, by Keith Cooper & Linda Torczon
>
> What it covers:
>
> The book covers all phases of compilation, and does it well, but the
> major focus is on optimization.
>
> The early chapters deal with lexing, parsing, syntax analysis and
> intermediate representations. The second half of the book covers
> optimization and code generation, including data-flow analysis,
> instruction selection, scheduling, and register allocation. The
> bibliography is extensive.
>
> What I like about the book:
>
> Three things stand out. First, all the algorithms are consistent with
> the latest research. Second, the explanations are exceptionally
> clear, especially compared to other recent books. Third, there's
> always enough extra context presented so that you understand the
> choices you have to make, and understand how those choices fit with
> the structure of your whole compiler.
>
> One quibble:
>
> There are too many typos. Most of the obvious errors are in the
> diagrams; it seems like they proofread the text, but forgot the
> diagrams. I hope they fix that before they do another print run.
>
> Overall:
>
> A great book. For me, this is the best compiler book I've seen in years.


--
Randy Crawford http://cac.engin.umich.edu
crwfrd@umich.edu http://www-personal.engin.umich.edu/~crwfrd

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