Re: Language used to write compilers

"Joe H." <joe_hesse@actcx.com> schreibt:


>I always thought that compilers were usually written in C/C++.


From the time before the invention of C it's a good tradition to write
an compiler in its own language. The first (stripped) version of an
new compiler can be written in any available language, then that
compiler can compile itself in the full featured version
(bootstrapping).


>Question - what languages are used to write compilers?


There exist(ed) several languages for the implementation of
compilers. The question is whether it's worth the time to teach the
use of such a language, in addition to teaching compiler construction
itself.


> My world is Unix/Linux - should I wait until a course is offered
>using C/C++?


IMO you learn more about compilers in general when you write an
compiler in and for other languages. Why would anybody ever write an
compiler other than for C/C++, if that language were sufficient for
all programming tasks? And why then would anybody want to implement
yet another C compiler, instead of using an existing one?


Take the chance to discover other worlds - else you'll never know what
you may be missing! ;-)


DoDi

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